While the trucks in the photo suggest that this was from that trip forty years ago, it is equally possible that those trucks are plying these passes even today, and the roads are as hair-raising even today. Maybe the photo is contemporary? :)
The geographic area where this photo is from is the Chitral Valley.
Bernstein writes:
The Chitral valley was formed by the Kunar river which veers off into neighboring Afghanistan. Looming over the town of Chitral is Tirich Mir, which at 25,230 feet is the highest mountain in the Hindu Kush range. We went in search of the local ruler Prince Bhirhanudin, to whom we had somehow obtained a letter of introduction. We had been told that he had an extraordinary wine cellar. We found him at the airport trying unsuccessfully to persuade a Pakistan Airlines pilot to ignore the cloud cover and to come to Chitral to pick him up. He was too busy to pay any serious attention to us.After reading this piece, I am struck, yet again, by the conflict in the India/Pakistan/Afghanistan areas. Why couldn't humans simply enjoy the beauty and live peacefully, right? We are some screwed up life forms! :)
A persistent story about this part of the world is that remnants of Alexander the Great’s army remained and founded a population that is now known as the Kalash Kafirs. They lived, a couple of thousand of them, in three valleys Birit, Rumbur, and Bumboret. The valleys are so well-concealed that even though we knew essentially where they were, we could not see their entrance from across the Kunar river as we drove in. The Kafirs had a bad reputation in Pakistan. They had a totemistic religion that included the drinking of wine which they manufactured from their own grapes. They looked Mediterranean and the women wore remarkable costumes and did special dances.
So, where exactly is this valley and the pass? Chitral is near the center in the map below; zoom and pan and enjoy!
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