Kilik Pass
| Kulik Pass | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Compass direction | north | south | |
| Pass height | 4827 m | ||
| region | Tashkorgan Autonomous County ( Xinjiang , PR China ) |
Gilgit-Baltistan Special Territory ( Pakistan ) | |
| Watershed | Taxkorgan → Yarkant | Kilik → Hunza → Gilgit → Indus | |
| Mountains | Hindu Kush | ||
| map | |||
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| Coordinates | 37 ° 5 '1 " N , 74 ° 40' 56" E | ||
The Kilik Pass is a high mountain pass 4827 m above sea level, which is located 30 km west of the Mintaka Pass in the far east of the Hindu Kush between Pakistan and Xinjiang in China .
Both passes, which can only be negotiated on foot or with pack animals, were in the past the most important crossings from the north to the Hunza valley , also known as the Gojaltal. The Kilik Pass should not be confused with the pass of the same name further west of the Sanju Pass , which leads from Shahidula into the Tarim Basin .
The Kilik Pass is the shortest and fastest connection from northern India to the Tarim Basin, which was normally open all year round. The pass was extremely dangerous and not passable. The pass could be reached from Tashkorgan , after 70 kilometers from the crossroads at the Minteka River . From there, following the Mintaka valley, the Mintaka pass could be reached 80 kilometers away and the “alternative Kilik pass” another 30 kilometers away, both of which lead to Hunza and from there the journey could be made via the so-called rafiqs or hanging passages (German: "hanging ways") into the Gilgit valley and further to Kashmir or to the plains of Gandharan .
Loaded pack animals were able to transport loads to the upper Hunza Valley all year round via the Mintaka Pass and the Kilik Passes, after which porters had to bring the loads to the Gilgittal , a time-consuming and dangerous undertaking. From there the loads could again be loaded onto pack animals and brought further east to Kashmir and then on long routes to Taxila or west to Chitral . From there they could be brought relatively easily either to Jalalabad in Afghanistan or Peshawar in Pakistan.
The Mintaka Pass was the most widely used pass in the past until the glacial ice spread onto this pass. After that, the Kilik Pass was used by travelers who came from China and Afghanistan or from more distant areas and wanted to overcome the mountains without great danger.
Early graves of the Kyrgyz nomads and rock carvings dating back to Buddhist times suggest that these mountain passes have been used by travelers, pilgrims and traders for a long time.
The new Karakoram Highway runs further south and then west over the 4733 m high Kunjirap Pass .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Historical Kilik and Mintaka Pass ( Memento of the original from October 18, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ History of the Kilik and Mintake Passes ( Memento of the original from October 18, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
