During ancient times, Mintaka Pass and Kilik Pass were the shortest and quickest way into northern India from the Tarim Basin, and one that was usually open all year, but was extremely dangerous and only suited for travellers on foot. From Tashkurgan one travelled just over south to the junction of the Minteke River, modern dayChalachigu River. Heading some west up this valley one reached the Mintaka Pass,, which both led into upper Hunza from where one could travel over the infamous rafiqs or "hanging passages" to Gilgit and on, either to Kashmir, or to the Gandharan plains. Laden animals could be taken over the Mintaka and Kilik passes into upper Hunza, but then loads would have to be carried by coolie to Gilgit. From there, cargoes could be reloaded onto pack animals again and taken either east to Kashmir and then on to Taxila, or west to Chitral which provided relatively easy access to either Jalalabad, or Peshawar via Swat. The Mintaka Pass was the main one used in ancient times until the fairly recent advance of glacier ice. After the glaciation of the Mintaka Pass, the Kilik Pass was favoured by caravans coming from China and Afghanistan as it is wider, free of glaciers and provided enough pasture for caravan animals. The "Sacred Rock of Hunza" has numerous petroglyphs depicting mounted horseman and ibex along with Kharoshthi inscriptions that mention Saka and Pahlava rulers. Historians assess that Maues must have used the Karakorum route via Mintaka or Kilik passes to capture Taxila in the first century BCE. During the 1890s, the British established outposts near the pass as part of the Great Game against Russia. The area was surveyed and Kilik Pass was deemed easily defensible in the event of a Russian invasion. This likely have influenced the boundary delineation in the area.
Current status
Since the construction of the new Karakoram Highway further south over the Khunjerab Pass, the pass has fallen out of use. As of late 2010s, on the Pakistani side, there are some trekking companies that offer tours to Kilik Pass. On the Chinese side, the entire valley around Kilik Pass is closed to visitors; however, local residents and herders from the area are permitted to access.
