Leepa Valley Road Condition over Reshian Gali

The Leepa Valley road condition depends on which of the two routes over the ridge you take. A newer paved road runs from Reshian through Dao Khan and Sher Gali, and ordinary cars use it in dry weather. The older jeep track, over the higher Reshian Gali crossing, is unpaved, steep and needs a 4x4. Both are closed by snow from roughly December to April, and both can be affected by landslides after heavy rain even in the open season.

This guide sets out what each route is actually like, when a car will manage and when you need a jeep, where the road tends to give trouble, and the months it is realistic to plan around.

The two roads into Leepa

Until a few years ago there was only one way into Leepa: the jeep track over Reshian Gali. A second, lower road has since been built and paved from Dao Khan over Sher Gali to Moji and on to Leepa village, and it is now passable for ordinary cars in good weather. Locals sometimes still call the whole crossing "Reshian Gali" even when they mean the newer road, so ask specifically which route is open and in what condition before you set off.

Both roads start the same way, at Reshian, the last proper village before the climb and the checkpoint where you register.

Reshian to Dao Khan: the easy stretch

The four kilometres from Reshian up to Dao Khan, a forest clearing with government rest houses at around 2,500 metres, are paved and manageable for a normal car with a competent driver. This stretch is not the problem; it is what comes after it that decides whether you carry on by car or switch to a jeep.

Dao Khan to Leepa: the newer paved road

From Dao Khan the paved road continues over Sher Gali and down through Moji into Leepa village. It is the route most cars use today, but "paved" does not mean smooth throughout: there are rough, patched and occasionally washed-out sections, and after rain parts of it turn slippery rather than dangerous outright. Drivers who know the road say it is manageable in a sedan in dry conditions with a careful driver, and best avoided in a low car straight after rain or snowmelt.

The old jeep track over Reshian Gali

The older route, sometimes called the Defence Road, climbs past Dao Khan to the Reshian Gali crossing at around 3,200 metres and then descends in a long series of zigzags towards Nokot. It is unpaved, narrow in places and steep on both sides of the pass. This is jeep territory: a 4x4 with a driver who works the route regularly is the only sensible way to use it, and it is the route most likely to close first when weather turns.

Car or jeep: how to decide

• Own car, dry weather, June to September: the paved road to Leepa via Dao Khan and Moji is usually fine, provided the car is in good order and the driver is used to mountain roads.
• Just after rain or snowmelt, or in May and October when the weather is less settled: hire a jeep at Reshian rather than risk the paved road's rough patches or find it blocked partway.
• If you want to see Nokot's terraces from the old track, or do a circuit down one road and back the other: a jeep is the only practical option, since the old track is not passable by ordinary car.

Most visitors still hire locally at Reshian even when the weather looks fine, because a local driver knows within a day or two which route is actually open and where the rough sections are that week. Our guide to reaching Leepa Valley from Islamabad covers the drive up to Reshian in full, and the Leepa Valley guide covers what to see once you are in.

Where the road gives trouble

Landslides are the main hazard once you are over the ridge, and they cluster in a few places rather than the whole route:

• The climb from Naili to Reshian, where the road follows steep hillsides above the Jhelum's tributaries and can be hit by slides after sustained rain.
• The switchbacks on the old jeep track near Reshian Gali, where the road is cut into loose scree.
• Stretches of the newer road between Dao Khan and Moji, where patched sections can wash out again in a wet spell.

None of this is unusual for a mountain road in Azad Kashmir, but it means a clear morning at Reshian is not a guarantee for the whole day, particularly during the monsoon in July and August.

When the road closes for winter

Snow closes the crossing to ordinary visitors from around December through April, whichever route you mean. The exact dates move with the winter, and even once local traffic resumes in spring, only 4x4s are usually allowed over the top until the road is properly cleared. Don't plan a winter trip to Leepa around anything you read online, including this page; ask in Muzaffarabad or Hattian Bala close to your travel date. Our guide to the best time to visit Leepa Valley covers the season month by month.

Fuel, signal and other practical notes

There is no reliable fuel station beyond the Jhelum Valley road; fill the tank before you leave Muzaffarabad or at the last formal pump on the way, since what is available at Reshian and in the valley is informal roadside fuel. Mobile signal is patchy from Reshian onwards and largely absent once you are over the ridge, so agree a return time with anyone not travelling with you and don't rely on maps that need a live connection. Our Azad Kashmir travel tips cover cash, fuel and signal more broadly across the region.

Is the road to Leepa safe to drive?

The road itself is a normal mountain road: manageable with care, risky if driven fast or after dark. Leepa sits close to the Line of Control, so there are army checkpoints from Reshian onwards, and you should follow what soldiers on duty tell you about the day's conditions and where you can go. Check current advice locally before you travel, since access along the LoC can change at short notice, and see our trip planning page for help timing a visit.

Frequently asked questions