Mushkpuri Peak; A little Adventure for a Family

It is always a difficult decision to plan a tracking trip with family due to the lesser options available because most of the tracks are dangerous, long ascending steeps, narrow pathways, time taking and very much exhausting. Planning for a tracking adventure with family, especially towards a peak, requires an essential assessment of the track regarding its distance, track condition, difficulty to move, time required to reach at the peak, altitude, weather conditions, facilities available, essential tracking tools, safety needs etc. 

Mashkpuri Peak is situated at 8,400 feet above the sea level; with a total distance to track is nearly two kilometers. Track is started from Dunga Gali at a distance of 4 kilometers from Nathia Gali, and can be reached from main Muree after a drive of 60 to 80 minutes, and from Islamabad after a drive of two and half hours. A family trip may take at least two and half hours to reach the peak. There is a continuous track available to move on, with very few rough patches. It is a lush green track full of greenery and high rise pine trees. Various beautiful birds, butterflies, snails, and monkeys can be seen frequently at different places. There are sitting huts available at some places to take a little rest or to eat self carried eatables. 

It is recommended to start this track as early as possible to accomplish this adventure during the day light. There are certain basic things need to be taken into account before moving on the track; take a good meal before start, take warm jacket and rain coat to avoid instant weather change, wear joggers or hiking shoes, wear hat, apply sun block, take water bottles and other eatables including chocolates, take small back pack etc. Journey starts with a steep metallic road that converts into a narrow track after 10 to 15 minutes walk. The trick to reach the peak without much exertion is to move slowly and avoid brisk walk. Track is ascending upward, but mostly with a very low steep that makes it a comparatively easier track to move on. There are few high steeps, especially near the peak, that should be done with very slow movement. Track is mostly visible, but note some hints to move back at the places where there are bad patches or invisible track.

Mashkpuri Peak is very beautiful with number of grassy plans there. There are site viewing points from where wonderful landscapes can be seen. One to two hours are quite enough to spend there and experience the taste of this height and beauty of this place. Reaching back to Dunga Gali may take one and half hour for a family.

Do not forget to take cameras to take shots of the lush green track and beautiful Mashkpuri Peak.