Musa ka Musalla
Musa Ka Musalla is a peak situated at an altitude of about at the junction of Siran Valley and the Himalayas in northern Pakistan. It is situated east of the city of Abbottabad in Baffa Pkhal of Mansehra District.
Etymology
The name Musa ka Musalla translates to Moses' mat. The legend has it that a shepherd named Musa used to pray there at the peak. There is also a shrine at the top probably of the same shepherd who is revered to as a saint by locals.Routes
The peak is accessible via multiple routes in summers but all needs hour of trekking.- Balakot to Nadi Bangla and Kund Bangla route
- Paras to Sharran forest route
- Shinkiari to Mandagucha route
- Balakot to Nadi Bungalow to Sikkiyan Katha to Naaga Mosque to the ridge above Sarolian to Musa ka Musalla Basecamp Mosque towards the peak. To go via this route, a jeep ride from Balakot takes you via Nadi Bungalow to a point above Sikkiyan Katha, where you can climb for 15 minutes and camp, or use Nakka Mosque as basecamp. It takes 1500+ meters of ascent and descent from this point to reach the peak, and the trek is almost 7.5+ km long on each side. In favorable conditions, it takes almost 11+ hours to summit and reach back, based on the following minimum estimates:
- * 1.5 hours of trek from Maidan/Nakka Mosque to Naaga Mosque
- * 2 hours from Naaga Mosque to Musa ka Musalla Basecamp Mosque
- * 2 more hours from Musa ka Musalla Basecamp Mosque to the peak.