Lowari Pass ( ur, درہ لواری), or Lowari Top, (el. 10,230 ft.) is a high

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...

that connects

Chitral Chitral ( khw, , lit=field, translit=ćhitrār; ur, , translit=ćitrāl) is situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Chitral District and before that as the capital of Chitral ...

with Dir in

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the northwestern region of the country, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ...

, Pakistan. Lowari Top is a relatively low pass, by far the lowest pass to enter Chitral, the rest all being 12,000 to 15,000 feet. Lowari Top is closed by snow from late November to late May every year. During this time, jeeps cannot cross so men must travel by foot. This is dangerous, as there are high mountains on each side of Lowari Top, and a deadly avalanche can come at any moment without warning. Every winter a few people are killed by avalanches while crossing Lowari Top. Their bodies are buried under the snow and it is only when the summer comes and the snow melts that their bodies are found and their fate learned. Nevertheless, Lowari Top remains popular because it is the shortest route from

to Peshawar. The other way would be down the Kunar River to Jalalabad through hostile Afghan Territory or the much longer route across Shandur Top to

Gilgit Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a h ...

. Lowari Top crosses the Hindu Raj Mountains, a spur of the higher Hindu Kush. On the Chitral side of Lowari Top are the people of Ashret, who speak the Palula language and were assigned by the Mehtar of Chitral to be the guardians of Lowari Top. On the Dir side reside Khowars, some of whom make their living as porters carrying loads across Lowari Top. In 1954, the Mehtar of Chitral was killed when his airplane crashed into Lowari Top. The word "Top" is believed not to be the English word "top" but a word from an ancient language no longer spoken there. The Lowari Top is one of the four major mountain passes to enter

. The others are the Dorah Pass from Badakshan in Afghanistan, Shandur Top from

, and Broghol from the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan. The Lowari Tunnel was constructed beneath Lowari Pass by Sambu, a South Korean company in 2009. However, the tunnel was abandoned shortly thereafter and has since fallen into disrepair. The tunnel is functional as of December, 2019 and comprises over 8.5 Kilometres in length.

Books

* ''The Gilgit Game'' by John Keay (1985) * ''The Kafirs of the Hindukush'' (1896) Sir George Scott Robertson.

External links

President Musharraf said in July 2005 work on the Lowari Tunnel would start in October 2005

Lowari Pass one of 10 most dangerous roads in Pakistan

References

{{Mountain passes of Pakistan Chitral District Upper Dir District Mountain passes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hindu Raj