Authorities have reopened key roads in Galiyat after heavy hail and snowfall disrupted travel. Galiyat roads reopen with traffic now moving again, while crews continue spreading salt to reduce the risk of vehicles skidding.
Snow-removal teams have cleared the road linking Baragali and Dunga Gali. Clearance operations have also reopened the route through Changla Gali, restoring access for residents and tourists.
Officials inspected the snow-clearing work and checked available salt supplies at the highway authority’s Changla Gali facility. They directed crews to spread salt wherever necessary to address slippery conditions.
Galiyat roads reopen: what drivers should watch for
Although the roads have reopened, drivers should remain cautious. Low temperatures can leave icy patches even after crews remove visible snow. Changing mountain weather can quickly affect travel conditions, so a clear road in the morning can turn slippery later in the day.
Motorists heading towards Nathiagali, Dunga Gali and Changla Gali should drive slowly, particularly on shaded stretches and higher sections where ice may remain. Those are the spots where salt washes off first and where overnight frost forms earliest.
The restored routes allow travel to resume across the affected areas. Continued salting and careful driving remain important to reduce risks on mountain roads. Drivers should not assume that a cleared road is completely free of ice.
A hill region heading into winter
Galiyat is a chain of hill settlements that draws visitors through the year, and late October snow is an early sign of the winter season for the area. For residents, the reopening restores the daily links between settlements that snow had cut. For visitors, it reopens access, but with a warning attached.
Readers planning a trip can find background on the area in our Galiyat travel guide, which covers the hill region, and in our Khanaspur travel guide for a nearby settlement in the same belt. The guides are useful for first-time visitors, but they do not replace checking current road conditions before setting out.
Weather elsewhere in the country has also turned unsettled. Rain and hail brought some relief to Lahore’s air in a recent spell, as covered in our report on rain and hail easing Lahore’s air. The Galiyat snowfall is part of the same shift towards colder, wetter weather in the north.
For anyone travelling in the hills this week, the practical advice is simple. Travel in daylight where possible, keep speed low on shaded and raised sections, and allow extra time for the journey. A road that is open is not the same as a road that is safe at normal speed.
How snow clearance works on hill roads
Snow clearance on hill roads usually runs in passes. Heavy machinery first opens a single path so traffic can move, then crews widen the route and clear junctions and turning points. Salt is spread after the ploughs pass because it lowers the temperature at which ice forms on the surface, which helps keep a cleared road from freezing again overnight.
That sequence explains why officials checked salt stocks at Changla Gali before declaring the routes open. A road without enough salt for the next cold night can close again, even if it looks clear in daylight. It also explains why the administration stressed caution rather than simply announcing that normal travel had resumed.
Residents in Baragali, Dunga Gali and Changla Gali will feel the benefit first, since the reopened links restore access to markets, schools and health facilities in the area. Tourists heading up for an early taste of winter will find the same roads open, but they should carry warm clothing, keep fuel topped up, and be ready for sudden changes in visibility if cloud drops over the hills.
The reopening was reported by ProPakistani.
Which roads have reopened?
The road linking Baragali and Dunga Gali has reopened, along with the route through Changla Gali.
Is it safe to drive yet?
Traffic has resumed, but drivers should stay cautious because low temperatures can leave icy patches even after snow is cleared.
Where should drivers take extra care?
Drivers should slow down on shaded stretches and higher sections, particularly on routes to Nathiagali, Dunga Gali and Changla Gali.
What are crews doing now?
Crews continue spreading salt to reduce skidding, and officials have checked salt supplies at the highway authority’s Changla Gali facility.
