Majestic Margalla Ridge Trail | Talhar to Kenthla hike || 1st leg moving towards west

The good thing about hiking is that it’s truly an activity anyone can do. Whether you are a new hiker or an experienced geek there is always a trail that is waiting for you to explore. As for all other sports, hiking also requires practice, patience, and right technique to develop the skills to reach a pro-level. With the right attitude, good preparation and a positive mindset trekking on Margalla Ridge Trail is an extraordinary opportunity to explore the beauty of Margalla Hills within ICT (Islamabad Capital Territory) limits.

Starting of Margalla Ridge Trail:

Margalla Ridge Trail has a board installed at the entrance. Situated on Pir sohawa road, Talhar Mor is 1 km from famous Monal restaurant: an iconic location of Islamabad right at the top of Margalla hills.

An instruction board is also present at the entrance to provide relevant information and guidance. Its quite helpful for hikers and trekkers going out on a long journey over a ridge. Read the instructions carefully and note down emergency contact details in case of any untoward situation.

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Longest trail of Pakistan:

44 km long Margalla Ridge trail is the longest trail of Pakistan. Starting from Shah Allah Ditta village passing talhar mor and finally terminating in summa village near Murree. Covering 44 km in a single day is a tedious task. Therefore, it is recommended to break down the trail and attempt in two separate legs.

First leg from Talhar to Kenthla moving towards west and the second leg from Talhar Mor to Summa village near Murree moving towards East.

Grand Margalla Ridge Trail || 2nd leg (Talhar to Tret, Murree) || Long distance hike 38 km (45000 steps).

Margalla Ridge Trail is Trans-provincial

Margalla ridge trail has a unique significance of passing through federal capital Islamabad, KPK and Punjab. The ridge part of the leg Talhar Mor to Kenthla connects Islamabad with KPK. On the second leg from Talhar Mor to Murree, one can experience passing from all three provinces.

Margalla Ridge Trail is well marked:

IWMB (Islamabad Wildlife Management Board) along with CDA (Capital Development Authority) had done an excellent job to mark the track with white arrow markings. 10 km of the patch from Talhar Mor till Kot Jandan is completely marked. A well-marked track guide hikers to stay on the right path. On a long trail like this, getting lost in the middle with no clue of direction is quite stressful.

Ridge trail is mostly narrow path:

The ridge part of the entire trekking is passing through a narrow path. Some portion of the track is wide enough for two hikers to hike parallel to each other without much difficulty.

Views from Margalla Ridge Trail:

Starting from Talhar Mor going towards west direction, the trekking is mostly on the ridge giving an opportunity to witness scenic mountains of KPK and Islamabad early in the track. Especially near Kot Jandan village, the views of mountain tops are just outstanding and mesmerizing.

The calming effect by witnessing green environment is soothing and relaxing for your mind. It’s a detoxification from the fast-paced world with electronic gadgets all around cluttering our well-being. With rising percentage of ailments related to stress, anxiety and depression, its quite therapeutic spending time outdoors in mother nature.

First village on Margalla Ridge Trail (TalharMor to Kenthla trekking)

On the leg (Talhar Mor to Kenthla) Sandhori village appears after some 90 – 120 minutes of trekking with few homes, some cows, a pond, and a graveyard. The village is in the limits of Islamabad capital territory and serves as a reference point for trekkers moving on Margalla ridge trail.

After crossing the village, border limits of KPK – Islamabad starts and the valley of Kot Jandan open it arms to welcome you with clear mountains of Himalayan foothills extending towards North. The scenery is so relaxed and calm, it compels you to take a short break at this point after covering 7 – 8 kms with almost 3 hours of trekking.

Ridge to road conversion on Margalla Ridge Trail:

After some thorny section of the trail in Kot Jandan valley, one touches the road or jeep track going towards village of Kot Jandan. This road section of the track is a sigh of relief, as half of the expedition is done with some hustle and bustle seen around the area.

Going along the road track towards west direction, first house appears with a reddish-brown gate installed. This house serves as starting of Kot Jandan village.

After crossing the first house of Kot Jandan village, the track is splitting in two roads leading to different directions. Pick the road going uphill to reach a small market in Kot Jandan.

Market and a mosque on the first leg of Margalla Ridge Trail:

Trekking on the leg from TalharMor to Kenthla, there is NO tuck shop or even a small canteen on the entire track until KotJandan (KPK). The first shop or a small market appears after 10km spending 4 – 5 hours in the wilderness of Margalla Hills National Park. The market having a general store and a mosque is the ONLYpublic facility available on this entire leg of Margalla Ridge Trail. Next facility is available in Kenthla village that is almost at the exit of ridge.

Road to Ridge conversion after KotJandan:

After spending few minutes in the market of KotJandan, take the road track along the mosque and convert the trekking from road to ridge following a narrow path going uphill. This segment of trekking is the last portion of Margalla Ridge Trail until the end of track in Kenthla village.

La vista café in Kenthla village:

La vista café situated in Kenthla village serves as entry / exit of Margalla Ridge Trail. Starting from TalharMor towards west direction, Kenthla becomes the exit point of the trail. Watching the sunset from the terrace sipping a cup of tea or coffee is an enriching experience.

Conclusion:

“The man who think he can and the man who thinks he can’t are both right” – Confucious

With the right attitude and good preparation, the journey is a remarkable experience. Be mindful to respect local customs and traditions, no littering of plastic material on the trail and no firing up of wood in the limits of Margalla Hills National Park. It is our core responsibility to handover a healthy planet to next generations so that they can flex their muscles in this ONLY livable planet. If this blogpost helps you in any way, feel free to comment and share.