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| | Mintaka Pass - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
 | | Heading some 80 km west up this valley one reached the Mintaka Pass, (and 30 km further, the alternative Kilik Pass), which both led into upper Hunza, from where one could travel over the infamous rafiqs or "hanging passages" to Gilgit and, from there, on to either to Kashmir, or the Gandharan plains. |
 | | Laden animals could be taken over the Mintaka and Kilik passes into upper Hunza (both open all year), but then loads would have to be carried by coolie (porters) to Gilgit (an expensive and dangerous operation). |
 | | The Mintaka pass was the main one used in ancient times until the fairly recent advance of glacier ice forced people to use the so-called "New Mustagh Pass" (5,800 m or 19,029 ft), about 16 km further west; but this is also heavily glaciated and very difficult. |
| en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Mintaka_Pass (274 words) |
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