After a long time, our family decided to visit Muzaffarabad in May 2024. My paternal grandparents and uncles once lived there. Now, my grandparents have passed away and everyone has moved to other cities except for one uncle. So, we planned to spend a weekend with his family at Muzaffarabad. We had time from Saturday till Monday so we wanted to reach Muzaffarabad and leave for some beautiful, chilly place with our cousins.
The whole visit was fun, and the journey from Islamabad to Muzaffarabad was very scenic. We reached there around 4 pm and after lunch, we learned that our cousin had booked us a hut in Pir Chinasi before our arrival. So, while we had this plan in mind, my cousin Saim had already arranged it.
Let me give you a brief intro to Pir Chinasi.
Pir Chinasi is a tourist destination located about 30 kilometers east of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located on the top of hills at 2,900 meters (9,500 ft) above sea level. The mountain peak is named after the shrine of a famous saint, Sayed Hussain Shah Bukhari.
We left for Pir Chinasi around 6:30 pm. On our way, it began to get dark so we couldn’t enjoy the view but the whole journey was full of pleasure because as we went up the peak, it got colder and colder. Such cool weather is a blessing in May’s hot weather in Pakistan.
Our uncle’s family was ahead of us in their car as they were used to going to Pir Chinasi in routine since we were going for the first time. Hence, we didn’t know the route and its sharp turns. So, there appeared many sharp elevations and turns when we screamed as we had no idea what was coming up because of darkness. Every elevation was a surprise. The journey was a mix of scare and delight.
After an hour or so, we reached Pir Chinasi. It was cold there so I wore a sweater. The dark was stunningly beautiful. We could see glowing mountains all around us. The houses on the nearby peaks looked like stars. Our cousin and his wife had taken all the necessary things like a gas cylinder, a small stove, and cooked food including biryani, macronis, salad, chutney, and soft drinks. So they started to heat the food while we enjoyed the beauty of the place.
After the dinner, we went to the tuck shops down the lane most of which were closed. After taking a round of the vicinity, we returned to our hut which was a Police Guest House. We chatted and chatted the whole night, remembering our childhood days.
My cousin informed us that we would go hiking at 5 am as this place is at a high altitude therefore its real beauty must be sighted at sunrise. We had no idea what he meant until we witnessed the sunrise ourselves.
Yes, it was the most beautiful sunrise that I had ever seen.
There is an airforce base near this police guest house. They have maintained their place very well. We started off hiking from there and the view got prettier and prettier.
The grazing goats and horses ran away when they saw us. A shepherd was taking care of the cattle. Man! He was so adept at climbing the steep mountains with only a stick.
My brother and cousin were enjoying themselves with their wives. I love climbing the mountains so I was grooving and taking pictures of the scenery and the couples. I wanted to lie down on the lush green mountain and sleep.
It was quiet and the rising hot sun was rapidly dissolving the coldness. My cousin told us we would leave by 10 am for Muzaffarabad as it gets hot there during the day. Pir Chinasi is a wonderland with amazing variations in the weather; cold nights and warm days.
We came back to our hut between 7 to 8 am. We gathered all the luggage and left for Muzaffarabad at 10 am. I truly didn’t want to go back. I find so much peace in green, chilly places that my heart always aches to leave. It happens every time. I have begun to get fed up with city life and this peace makes me feel at home.
On our way back to Muzaffarabad, the landscape was spectacular, which was missed the previous night because of darkness. We stopped at various points to enjoy the beauty, take pictures, and have breakfast at a dhaba. The omelet was all burnt but we enjoyed the breakfast full of warmth.
I would suggest everyone visit Pir Chinasi at least once. You won’t have many options to wander around but I assure you won’t forget hiking in the sunrise and the cold windy nights. The huts are beautiful and so trendy. We stayed in the main guest house but the huts were beside our residence and we got a chance to visit those and they are worth a stay.