The most beautiful valley in Hamsa

The three most prominent snow-capped mountains in the group of snow-capped mountains around the Khansa Valley are Lakaposi, Ulta and Dirun, all of which are over 7,000 meters above sea level.

The highest of them, Lakaposi, at 7,788 meters, is the 27th highest peak in the world and the 12th in Pakistan, and is also considered the most beautiful snow mountain in the region.

Opposite Lakaposi is Ulta Peak at 7,388 meters, one of the world's most unconquerable peaks.

Thirty years ago, Tsuneo Tanigawa, a famous Japanese mountaineer, was killed while climbing Ulta and was buried at Ulta Base Camp. Later, his wife established the Hasegawa Memorial Public School in Karimabad, which has greatly contributed to the development of education in the Khansa region and is affectionately called the "Japanese School" by the locals.

In addition to this one, there are several large glaciers in the vicinity of the Hamsa Valley, and some of them even converge together. On the side of Ulta Peak, there is a huge black glacier with white snow. The black glacier is like a black torrent that pours over the mountain, winding majestically; and as the view continues to rise, you can see the white snow on top of the mountain peak, forming a strong contrast with the deep and dark glacier.

In addition to the snow-capped mountains and glaciers, another popular attraction has emerged in recent years in Khansa: the Atba Weir. The Atba Weir was formed by a massive landslide in 2010, which also caused a lot of trouble to the local people's life and transportation. Later, with the help of the Chinese and Pakistani governments, the locals rebuilt their homes and transportation, and included the Atba Lake as a tourist attraction, with hotels, cafes and stores built along the shoreline and a constant flow of tourists.

The most amazing thing about Lake Atba is that the water has a wonderful peacock blue color in spring, summer, autumn and winter, rain or shine. When the sun is shining, the water is clear and the blue surface of the lake looks crystal clear; when it is raining or when the light is low, this blue is deep and peaceful.

Every visitor to Khansa can feel the unique quiet and comfortable atmosphere. People never worry about high altitude, much less about getting sick - plague diseases seem to scorn this narrow valley, and there are hardly any cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease patients here for many years, a miraculous phenomenon that is attributed to the natural environment.

Khansa, a land surrounded by mountains, was once little known for its long isolation from the world. It was not until 1986, when the Karakorum Highway was opened, that Khansa officially came into the view of the outside world; since then, the history of Khansa and the two ancient forts of Altit and Baltit, the landmarks of Khansa, was gradually unveiled with the examination of scholars and experts.

In the 15th century, Khansa was an independent kingdom and the king of Khansa lived in the Altit Fortress. Later, the king of Khansa married a princess from the neighboring country of Baltistan. The princess who married into Khansa did not like the Altit Fortress and ordered to rebuild a fortress according to her own requirements, that is, the Baltit Fortress, which later became the new king's palace.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Kingdom of Khansa was invaded by the Kashmiri army, but with the unique geographical advantage, both forts were also preserved intact.

In the late 19th century, the British acquired the rule of the kingdom of Khansa and demolished the walls, watchtowers and few rooms of Bardit and restored them in the British style.

In 1945, the last king of Khansa moved to a new palace on another hill, and the weathered castle was finally abandoned.

Now, Baltit Castle is operated and maintained by the Baltit Heritage Trust and is officially open to visitors. The gardens of the Serena Hotel, located halfway up the hill, are the best place to see the Baltit Fortress and the snow-capped mountains of Ulta.