Sumayar and Askurdas: The High Summer Pastures Above Nagar Few Travelers Reach

Pastures, Not Attractions

Not every worthwhile spot in Nagar Valley has a name recognizable outside the district, and Sumayar and Askurdas are proof of that. These high-altitude summer pastures, used seasonally by local herding communities for grazing livestock, sit well off Nagar's main road and see essentially no organized tourism infrastructure — no guesthouses built for visitors, no signposted viewpoints, no entry fee. What they offer instead is a genuine look at a centuries-old seasonal way of life that continues largely unchanged by the tourism development reshaping parts of Hunza and lower Nagar.

What Transhumance Actually Looks Like Here

Across much of the high Karakoram, communities have long practiced a seasonal pattern of moving livestock between lower winter settlements and higher summer pastures as snow retreats and alpine grass becomes available — a system generally referred to as transhumance. Sumayar and Askurdas are working examples of exactly this pattern: families from Nagar's lower villages move up to these higher pastures for the summer months, living in simple seasonal shelters and tending livestock on grazing land that would otherwise be inaccessible or unproductive most of the year.

For a traveler, visiting during this active summer period means encountering a genuinely functioning piece of traditional mountain economy, not a preserved or reenacted version of one.

The Landscape Itself

Both Sumayar and Askurdas sit at meaningfully higher elevation than Nagar's main valley floor, offering the kind of wide, open alpine meadow scenery — framed by higher Karakoram peaks in the distance — that's genuinely different from the terraced, cultivated look of lower Nagar. Wildflowers are common through the peak summer months, and the relative remoteness means noticeably clearer mountain air and quieter surroundings than more accessible viewpoints closer to the main road.

Getting There Isn't the Point — Being There Is

Reaching Sumayar and Askurdas typically requires a combination of rough vehicle track and on-foot hiking, since neither pasture has a paved or even consistently maintained road connection to the main Nagar valley. This isn't a spot for travelers looking for maximum scenery with minimum effort; it's specifically for those willing to put in a genuine hike for a payoff that's less about a single dramatic viewpoint and more about the overall experience of spending time in a working high-altitude pasture landscape.

Respecting a Working Landscape

Because these pastures are actively used by local herding families rather than managed as a tourist site, visiting here comes with a different set of expectations than a formal attraction. Keep a respectful distance from livestock and any active herding activity, avoid disrupting grazing areas, and treat any interaction with local families as a genuine cultural exchange rather than a photo opportunity — the welcome extended to curious, respectful visitors in these communities is usually genuine, but it depends on visitors approaching with real consideration for the fact that this is someone's working season, not a backdrop.

Best Time to Visit

July and August is when Sumayar and Askurdas are most actively used as summer pastures, with families and livestock present and the alpine meadows at their greenest and most wildflower-rich.

Outside the summer grazing season, roughly September through June, the pastures are largely empty of both people and livestock, and higher sections may be snow-covered well into early summer, making a visit during this window considerably less rewarding and, at higher points, potentially inaccessible.

How to Reach Sumayar and Askurdas

• From Nagar's main valley: reaching either pasture generally requires a rough vehicle track partway up, followed by a hike of variable length depending on the specific route and current conditions.
• Local guidance is essential: unlike Nagar's more established stops, there's no standard, well-marked route to either pasture, and local guides from Nagar villages are the most reliable way to actually find the way up and understand what you're looking at once there.
• From Gilgit or Hunza: figure on the standard travel time into Nagar's main valley (roughly 2–3 hours from Gilgit, 20–40 minutes from Karimabad) plus additional time for the onward track and hike, making this a half-day to full-day undertaking beyond the initial drive into Nagar.

Local Tips

• This is not a trip to attempt without local guidance — there's genuinely no reliable way to find these pastures independently without someone who knows the current track and trail conditions.
• Go during peak summer specifically if the goal is to see the pastures in active use; visiting outside that window shows a very different, much quieter landscape.
• Bring your own food and water — there are no facilities built for visitors at either location.
• Approach any interaction with herding families with genuine respect and without assuming photography is automatically welcome; ask first.

Nearby Attractions

Sumayar and Askurdas are best combined with a broader Nagar Valley visit, alongside more accessible stops like Rakaposhi View Point and Nagar Khas, for travelers with the extra time and interest in venturing further off the main road.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Sumayar and Askurdas suitable for a casual day trip? Not really — reaching them requires genuine effort, local guidance, and realistic time, making them better suited to travelers specifically interested in a more immersive, off-the-main-road experience than a quick scenic stop.

Is there accommodation at these pastures? No formal tourist accommodation exists; any stay would depend entirely on arrangements made through a local guide familiar with the seasonal herding community.

What's the best time of year to see these pastures in active use? July and August, when local families move livestock up for the summer grazing season.

Do I need a guide to visit? Yes, strongly recommended — there's no standard marked route, and local knowledge is essential both for navigation and for visiting respectfully.

Conclusion

Sumayar and Askurdas won't appear on a standard Nagar Valley itinerary, and they're not built to. They reward travelers willing to hike, hire proper local guidance, and spend time in a landscape still shaped by a seasonal way of life that predates any of Nagar's tourism development — a genuinely different kind of Nagar experience from the roadside viewpoints most visitors see.