Fascinating Pakistan: K-2, the Mountain of the Mountains

I have been writing about the five Eight Thousanders of Pakistan in my previous posts and even wrote exclusively about Nanga Parbat (the Naked Mountain) and Gasherbrum 1 (the Hidden Peak), the two of the five eight thousanders. Today I talk about the mountain of the mountains: the K2, Chogori (in local Balti language) or the Mt Godwin Austen, the second highest eight thousand of the world after the Mt. Everest.

But when mountaineers talk of the deadly, difficult and hardest to climb mountains anywhere in the world, K2 tops the list. At 8,611 metres (28,251 feet), K2 is considered to be the most beautiful for its massive pyramid like shape, yet it is also known as the Savage Mountain as it has the most atrocious weather around it besides extremes of slopes and difficult to ascent that have taken a heavy toll of many climbers till date. There is a saying among the mountaineers that one out of the four who attempt K2 do not return alive. In fact it is a mountain that does not always favours mankind.

Located on the China - Pakistan border in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China, K2 gets its name from the notation used in the Great Trigonometric Survey of British India by Thomas Montgomerie who made the first survey of the Karakoram from Mount Haramukh, some 210 km (130 miles) to the south, and sketched the two most prominent peaks, labeling them K1 and K2. While the K1 later came to be known as the Masherbrum, there was no name available in local language then as no one had never gone close to K2 as it is not even visible from Askole, the last village to the south, or from the nearest habitation to the north, and is only fleetingly glimpsed from the end of the Baltoro Glacier, beyond which few local people would have ventured. K2 even today is about 100 miles from the nearest habitation.

It is also said to be called Chogori, derived from two Balti words, chhogo ("big") and ri ("mountain"). And is also sometimes known as Mount Godwin-Austen in honor of Henry Godwin-Austen, an early explorer of the area. But the name has never been accepted by the Royal Geographical Society.

There were many attempts made to scale K2 from 1856 to 1953, but the first successful ascent was made in 1954 via the the South East Spur or the Abruzzi Spur , named after Duke of Abruzzi who reached an elevation of 6,250 metres in 1909. The team included a Pakistani member, Colonel Muhammad Atta Ullah, who had been a part of the 1953 American expedition. The expedition also included Walter Bonatti and Pakistani Hunza porter Amir Mehdi, who both proved vital to the expedition's success in that they carried oxygen tanks to 8,100 metres (26,600 ft) for Lacedelli and Compagnoni. Before the expedition kicked off, the team had an aerial view of K2 which became the world's first flight ever around K2. It was Italian  Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni who finally stood atop the Black Pyramid of the K2 on 31 July 1954 to claim K2. The news was broadcast around the world and heard with jubilation, specially by the ,mountaineers community and those who had earlier tried to scale K2.

The first successful ascent 31 July 1954

On 25th December 1954, Pakistan Post issued an Ana 2 stamp to commemorate the maiden scaling of the K2. And to immortalize the golden jubilee of the K2 scaling, Pakistan Post issued a Rs. 5 stamp on 31 July 2004. Besides a multicoloured first day cover for Rs. 30 was also issued. 

In 2004, on the 50th anniversary of maiden climbing of K-2,  78-year old Lino Lacedelli came to Pakistan and went to Skardu “to say hello and goodbye to the king of mountains”. Lacedelli was accompanied by a 24-member team who held a ceremony at base camp on July 15. Compagnoni, 89, could not attend the ceremony as he has lost his memory and forgotten that once he stood at the top of the K2 - almost the top of the world.

Spectacular view from K2 Base Camp-1

The first woman to summit K2 was Pole Wanda Rutkiewicz on 23 June 1986. Liliane and Maurice Barraged also scaled successfully later that day. Unfortunately both fell during the descent; Liliane Barrard's body was found on 19 July 1986 at the foot of the south face. On 28 July 2017, Vanessa O'Brien became the first British and American woman to summit K2, and the eldest woman to summit K2 at the age of 52 years old.

K2 Base Camp-3

It is said that even reaching the foot of the mountain is an expedition in itself - one can judge what lays ahead. K2 has seen more than 70 climbers losing their lives while scaling this atrocious mountain. due to its difficulty to climb, K2 is the only mountain peak in the world which has never been scaled in winters. Now it has been reported by VOA that a group of Polish mountaineers under Polish climber Krzysztof Wielicki have set off for northern Pakistan on 31 December 2017 to attempt to be the first to scale K2 in wintertime. Krzysztof Wielicki, 67,  headed a winter expedition of K2 in 2003 that was unable to clear the 8,000 meter threshold. The team would begin their ascent on January 8 or 9 and, if successful, expect to return to base camp by mid-March.

Now watch a beautiful video of scaling of the K2 by Turkish expedition climbing the Abruzzi Spur route, which was first climbed in 1954 by the Italian expedition. The video explains the start of the expedition, preparations and moving forward from base to to forward camps and finally the summit - giving a complete rundown of activities an expedition undertakes to scale this mighty pyramid, the K2 !!

However, this post will be incomplete if you do not follow the attempts by many ambitious climber to scale this hardest and most dangerous to climb, even more than dangerous than Mt Everest. The documentary is of the times when there were modern gadgets like GPS or phones to communicate to each other - not even proper gear including snow shoes to have firm feet on the snowy s;opes. This wonderful documentary by BBC explains the efforts of the early mountaineers right from the first attempt to the first and successful attempt made by the Italian expedition in 1954. 

Watch the story of those ambitious, motivated and daring young men who tried, many who lost their lives in a quest to scale the mountain of the mountains - the Ghosts of K2

You may also like to read one of my earlier posts: A memorable Trek to Concordia - the Gateway to Four Eight Thousanders of the World including K2

Historical References: Wikipedia |Photos Base Camps: Northern Areas of Pakistan

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Fascinating Pakistan: Islamabad - One of the most beautiful Capitals of the World

Islamabad - one of the most beautiful capital cities of the world. I first saw Islamabad when it had been recently inaugurated in 1966 my father shifted his Interpol office from Rawalpindi to Islamabad. Turning left traveling in the VW wagon of the then famous Waljis Travel Services, the Islamabad Highway was something I had never seen till that age of my life - the two lanes long highway with street lights in the green belt in between the two way traffic was an awesome scene for at that time no such road existed in Pakistan. That day, I entered the modern city of Islamabad overlooked by the lush green Margalla Hills.

Islamabad was still developing but roads were wider than any other city with clean environment. Opel Rekord taxis were the main pillar of transport beside buses and Ford wagons. We lived in F 6-4 and at the end of the main road next to our hose lived the architect of Islamabad and the President of Pakistan Muhammad Ayub Khan. In the evenings, he would be seen in his newly gifted Rolls Royce by the then UAE king and we would stand there to wave at him to be waved back by the smiling president.

On November 29, Pakistan Post issued a set of two stamps priced at 15 and 50 Paisa respectively on the formal inauguration of the new capital. The stamps displayed the Pakistani flag, the federal secretariat building and photos of president Ayub Khan both in uniform and in suit (stamps from my stamps album).

I still remember a visit to the Shakarparian Hills which provided an excellent bird's eye of the entire capital city stretched amid green trees. While Saidpur village has been turned into a must visit tourist landmark, it was then just an ordinary village. I along with my other brothers had bicycled to the village once. Visiting it recently was a site altogether different. 

 Renovated Saidpur Village

Melody was then the only cinema of the city near Aabpara market and Hotel Sherahzad the only five star hotel - later turned into the offices of Foreign Ministry. Siraj Covered market was a modern market of the city which provided under one roof shopping mostly to the foreigners of the diplomatic family. We would often visit the market - it is sad that the market is no more now, though many new markets and big shopping malls have since opened to cater for needs of its residents.

Ayub Khan being briefed about Islamabad Master Plan from a vantage point - File Photo

It was President Ayub Khan who decided to build a new capital for Pakistan away from the busy city of Karachi, which was kept as capital of newly born Pakistan in 1947. Soon after taking over as president of the country, Ayub Khan constituted a commission to select a suitable site which should be centrally located and amid a landscape that should add to its natural beauty as compared to hustle and bustle business like environment of port city of Karachi. Thus the present location on the Pothohar Plateau was slelected and a Greek firm of architects, Konstantinos Apostolos Doxiadis, designed the master plan of the city based on a grid plan which was triangular in shape with its apex towards the Margalla Hills.

The city from then has developed into a most modern city mostly with government offices, the presidency, the prime minister's secretariat, the Supreme Court and an exclusive diplomatic enclave to house dozens of embassies and foreign missions. There are many landmarks of the city like the Faisal Mosque, Pakistan Monument and the Margalla Hills National Park and Shakarparian Park. The city is home to sixteen universities, and is close to the hill station of Murree and the famous archaeological site of Taxila.

Beautiful evening view of the Bara Darri at Fatima Jinnah Park which is also venue to many gatherings, events and a colourful annual flower show

While Shakarparian Hills still present an easy accessible view point of Islamabad, lately a road has been developed up to the village of Pir Sohawa on the Margalla Hills, from where one can view the breathtaking view of Islamabad. 

Road to Pir Sohawa almost camouflaged in the thick forest trees - Photo Northern areas of Pakistan

The road that commences from the Margazar at the foothills of the Margalla Hills moves up along the sharp turning of the hills till a mid point where a beautiful restaurent offers sizzling Pakistani delicacies. But from here on a rather sharp gradient road leads up to the top of the Margalla Hills to the village of Pir Sohawa. Short of the village there is yet another other eatery which offers not only one of the best cuisines in town, but also a spectacular view of Islamabad down below, specially at night.

View from Monal Restaurant near Pir Sohawa - Photo Courtesy Shehzad Mir

In many surveys recently, Islamabad ranks in the top 10 beautiful capitals of the world and has its place among the first three. 

• Matrix Guy ranks it as the first position in his post "Top ten best capital cities' and writes: It is an amazing;highly developed and absolutely safe capital city, but also regarded as one of the best capitals in Asia and can be competed with any glorious capital city in the world - even from a highly developed country. 
• Omer Eren places Islamabad at number two in his list of 25 Most Beautiful Capitals in the World at Today's Collective.
• The Mesh News also places Islamabad at the second slot in its list of Top 10 25 Most Beautiful Capitals in the World in 2017 and writes: Not so large but most beautiful city of Pakistan better known for its most eye-catching places as Pakistan monument, Rawal Lake, Lake View Park, Saidpur village, Faisal mosque and many other. Everyone love to visit this place from country as well as all around the world.

Islamabad: an amazing amalgamation of sky rising buildings and Nature: 

Photo Courtesy Shehzad Mir

Islamabad is so lovable because here springtime dances with multicolored flowers everywhere swaying with the still cool breeze of fading winters, the scent of which enchants and mesmerisms the passer byes. At night when the city lights are turned on, it looks as if thousands of fire flies have descended from nowhere to lighten up the city for its people. The narration of its beauty is fathomless - the more you live in it, the more of its beauty is discovered like a bud slowly opens up in springtime to a fully grown scented colourful flower.

Pakistan Monument on a hill overlooking Zero Point

Islamabad is darling of Pakistan cities and those who have seen it once, always long to see it once again. If you haven't visited Islamabad, do include it in your list of intended travel destinations and vising it and enjoying the serenity of its cool lush green environment with tall pine trees along the wide road sides and hospitality of its people - never to be forgotten and always to cherish lifetime memories.

Caption Photo Islamabad: Annaya Khan - all other photos are mine except otherwise mentioned

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Fascinating Pakistan - The Karakoram Highway (KKH)

I started reading the famous Reader's Digest right from childhood as my father had subscribed it. In one of the issues, I read about Karakorum Highway, an ambitious venture undertaken by Pakistan and China to build a road on one of the treacherous mountains of the world and rising up to a height of 16,200 feet metres at Khunjrab, the Pakistan-China border. The article give out fascinating details of how the road venture started and how the heavy machines braved the slopes of the mountains along wild and roaring waters of River Indus hundreds of feet below. A large number of Pakistani and Chinese labourers perished in the river when a slope gave away or a machine faulted and fell down in the river.

Making of KKH - Vintage Photos of early 1960s when the project kicked off

I still remember an interesting anecdote mentioned in the article. Since it was the first time that vehicles were ever entering the area and people had never seen any mode of transportation other than mules and donkeys. So when a leading vehicle finally entered a settlement and a small village, one of the villager brought a big pan full of water and placed it under the front of the vehicle. When the driver asked as to why he had placed the water pan under the vehicle, the innocent villager replied, "Your animal must be thirsty so I placed water for it to drink."

Although now for parts it has clear roads, but there are place where one can feel the hard work of those remarkable engineers and labourers who blasted away hard rocky mountains but still could not clear the overhanging as these were too solid to remove or would have had the mountain falling down. This tunnel like clearings had to be made to allow high roofed heavy trucks to pass through. See one of such clearances near village Dassu in the Kohistan region:

The Pakistan-China border at KKH - Photo: Pamir Times

Today from that stage of innocence, the Karakoram Highway, commonly known as the KKH, has transformed the life of millions living astride the KKH and their lifestyle and even lives have changed and linked to the outside world of their once tightly closed lives. No doubt the road is often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World as the road was carved out of granite and solid rocky mountains that took over two decades to complete. It is one of the most impressive engineering feats of human history, for it is the highest paved international road in the world.

Map KKH (Courtesy John the Map)

Aligned to the parts of once famous Silk Route - a fairy tale like travelers' dream route from Central Asia to the rest of the world, the KKH project started off in 1959 and every inch forward was written with the sweat and blood of its makers, both Pakistanis and Chinese. Known as the N-35, the 887 kilometers long KKH was completed in 1979 but was open to public in 1985. Khunjrab Pass is located in the Karakoram Mountains in a strategic position on the northern border of Pakistan's Gilgit–Baltistan Hunza-Nagar District on the southwest border of the Xinjiang region of China.

I had the pleasure to drive on KKH when I visited Gilgit many years ago with the aim of visiting Khunjrab zero point. Unfortunately due to closure of the road near Sust, we had to return from Passu. But the pleasure of driving on the KKH was a lifetime experience. It was here that while driving ahead of Hunza, that we came across the Rakaposhi Point -  a place on KKH from where you can see the Rakaposhi Mountain rising right from the ground level in front of you.

I do not know for now, but while coming back, we encountered a major road block and there was a long queue of vehicles. I had ask my family to dismount and with the help of tractor trolley,  I sent them across the road blocked by large stones. And for myself, I slowly steered my car from bigger stones and inched forward till the clearance. However, my car's undercarriage had a good feel of smaller stones which brushed well and 'polished' my car from  below. It is due to the efficient services by a special Road Maintenance Battalion of the Frontier Works Organization of Pakistan Army that the road is continuously monitored and road blocks are removed to keep the KKH open.

In 2010, a massive landslide blocked the Hunza River near the Atta Abad village and soon the blockage formed a huge lake. Initially, massive efforts were made by Pakistan Army engineers with the help of Chinese assistance, but the gigantic task was far beyond human effort. So while the Atta Abad and neighnbouring submerged under water forever, so did part of KKH. In order to resume traffic on KKH, a ferry service commenced to transport heavy trucks carrying goods to and fro China.

Meanwhile the Chinese and Pakistani engineers worked on alternatives and the KKH was realigned with five tunnels to open the KKH. The realigned route comprises 5 tunnels and several bridges. The longest tunnel is 3,360 m while the Shishkat Great Bridge on Hunza River is 480 m long. And finally the KKH was reopened in 2015 to allow smooth traffic between China and Pakistan. 

Meanwhile efforts are at hand to connect KKH with M1 Motorway near Burhan, Hassan Abdal. This will allow access to Islamabad and Lahore while Hassan Abdal will become the intersection of the Eastern Alignment, and the Western Alignment which will lead towards the port city of Gwadar. In years to come with the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) between China and Gwader Port of Pakistan on the Arabia Sea, the KKH will assume extreme importance and draw heavy traffic.

National Bank of Pakistan sets Guinness World Record by installing ATM machine at highest altitude (at a height of 16,007 feet above sea level) in Khunjrab Top.

Now watch a beautiful video by a couple of motorcyclists who embarked upon a journey to travel on KKH starting from city of Lahore. The video has been beautifully shot with each landmark en route appropriately captioned along with spectacular view of Atta Abad Lake  - in fact this is one of the best videos on KKH that I came across:

Those intending to travel on KKH and reach right up to the Pakistan-China border at Khunjrab may do so in  the spring or early autumn. In winters, heavy snow cuts off the road and the Monsoon rains in July and August cause occasional landslides that can block the road for hours. The border crossing between China and Pakistan at Khunjrab Pass is open only between May and early November. However, it is best to consult tour operators as they are in best position to give first hand knowledge in the state of KKH.

References:
The Karakoram Highway (Pakistanpaedia)
Karakoram Highway (Wikipedia)
All photos above are shared due courtesy from Northern Areas of Pakistan except that of ATM shared by Muhammad Afaque Amin‎ and where exclusively mentioned

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Fascinating Pakistan - Passu Cones

Karakorum Mountain Range which dominates the other two mountain ranges of the Himalayas and the the Hindu Kush in the northern areas of the Pakistan not only has four of the fourteen eight thousanders of the world, including the seconder highest mountain peak of K2, it also has a large number of seven thousanders and awesomely beautiful mountain peaks. While I have been talking of other eight thousanders of Pakistan, let me digress from these and talk about one of the most photographed mountain shapes and tops - the Passu Cones.

These number of conical projections get their names from the village Passu located along the Karakorum Highway besides the Hunza River and the fact that these are located near the tongue of the Passu Glacier, and just south of the tongue of the Batura Glacier - the 56 km long glacier which is the seventh longest non-polar glacier in the world. The Batura Glacier also reaches very near to the highway. 

The Passu Cones are in fact part of the 6,106 metres (20,033 ft) high Tupopdan Mountain, spread over some 20 kilometers, and are also called the "Passu Cathedral" for its massivity and vast frontal shape. 

A rather full view of the Tupopdan Mountain and its famous Passu Cathedral

The Tupopdan mountain is located to the north of the Passu village, part of the Upper Hunza Valley of Gilgit Baltistan region of Pakistan.

Passu Cathedral is also called the "Sun Drenched Mountain" or "Mouthful of Sun Mountain" as its pyramidal cones shine as the sun rays fall on to these. One onlooker has described the sun rays falling on to the cones in awesomely captivating words: "The first light over Passu cathedrals makes a setting for a beautiful and colorful show, with sun's rays hitting the ridge at an angle resulting in a panoramic dance of light and shadows observed on the mountain ranges."

I once ventured to go to the Khunjrab Top at the Pakistan-China border, at the end of perhaps the highest metaled road - the Karakorum Highway (KKH). Ahead of Hunza, we stopped at the Rakaposhi view point, about which I have already written and the hearty breakfast we had before moving on to Khunjrab. However, en route we were told that the road near the village of Sust, a border/custom  check post, was closed and that we should not venture forward. 

A spectacular view of the Passu Cones or the Passu Cathedral while driving on the KKH

However, our journey gave us a good chance to see the Passu Cones and I still remember its massivity, grandeur and typical coned shape peaks. In fact, the Passu Cones are the most prominent and eye-catching objects as one reaches the Passu village. In those we did not have digital cameras and the photographs which I took got misplaced over the years except the only photo of I and may family posing in front of the rising slopes of Rakaposhi.

Road travel from Gilgit to Gulmit - Passu village and Tupopdan Mountain - Google Map

There are two suspension bridges over River Hunza for trekkers to further their adventures on foot to explore the mountains and glaciers ahead. These two bridges are known as the Hussaini Bridge (photo above) and the Passu Bridge. It really requires guts to walk across these bridge as these are not in a very good state of maintenance.

Words and photos alone perhaps cannot explain the grandeur of the Pass Cathedral unless one sees its from one's eyes either on the site itself or through a video. I am sharing one of the many videos on Passu Cones and I am sure this will not only leave a meaningful impression on my readers but will also compel them to plan a trip to see this beautiful mountain and its conical peaks. This video has been shot by a para glider that starts from the Ata Abad Lake and shows the massive Tupopdan Mountain and its cones beside the Ghulkin, Gulmit, Passu and Batura glaciers - an awesome video worthy of the beautiful scenery below:

If you are planning a visit to Passu Cones, you will have to drive some 150 kilometers on the KKH ahead of the city of Gilgit, the China Town of Pakistan, and some 14 kilometers ahead of the small town of Gulmit.
Photos: Northern Areas of Pakistan 

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Fascinating Pakistan: Skardu - the Cold Desert

 

One hears of cold arctic desert covered with thick layers of ice or the Gobi Desert of Mongolia - the hottest desert of the world. But you may be surprised to know that there is one 'cold' desert located almost at the height of 8,000 feet, above mean sea level, surrounded by snow clad mountains in Pakistan near the city of Skardu - the road way to world’s highest mountains that includes K2, K3, and Gasherbrum. 

Since the temperature falls below freezing point in winters, the desert is rightly called the cold desert - or may I say the coldest highest desert in the world - or better name it a desert above the clouds!!

The beautiful sand dunes of Katpana Desert at Skardu, the main city of the Gilgit-Baltistan province of Pakistan, are one the favourite tourist destinations. Owing to its location at this high altitude, it is rightly known as the cold desert. 

A spectacular view of the sand dunes

A rare phenomenon: desert at foothills of snow clad mountains

These vast stretches of sand dune exits along the course of mighty River Indus, which start from the Khaplu Valley to Nubra Ladakh and Shigar Skardu valley. However its largest area can be seen in the Skardu and Shigar valley.

I first saw this beautiful natural phenomenon when I visited Skardu many years ago. I could see these sand dunes from the airplane window as these are very close to the Skardu airport. I took a few shots, but lost these over a period of time. Strong winds shift the dunes as quickly as nomads. At this high altitude and cold region, this desert holds strange a attraction. 

An awesome view of Skardu desert near Shiger

Now watch a beautiful drone video capturing the vast stretches of cold desert in Skardu Valley:

(The second part of the video shows the beautiful road to the Shigar valley of mighty K2. An amazing road looks very beautiful through the lens of this drone.)

There are many other spectacular sightseeing places in and around Skardu. Some of these are:

• World’s second highest plains, Deosai
• Sadpara Lake - one a monumental lake now being consumed by making of  a dam (photo below)
• The 600 years old Kharpocho Fort - built by Balti ruler Ali Sher Khan Anchan.
• Shangrila Resorts built on cold icy waters of Skardu Lake. There is no better place in Skardu than to lodge at the Shangrila Resorts to enjoy the pure natural beauty of Skardu.

If you wish to visit Skardu and its sand dunes, beside its many other attractions, do plan a visit in summers as the winters are very severe. You may take a flight from Islamabad to Skardu. But due to weather turbulences, the flights are often disrupted. One can also opt to take the land route on the Karakorum Highway, the KKH. After Jaglot on the Karakorum Highway, an almost seven hours narrow road leads towards Skardu. So do keep Skardu as of your travel destination next time you plan to visit an adventurous journey to Fascinating Pakistan.

Photos: Northern Areas of Pakistan
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Fascinating Pakistan: Gorakh Hill Station

Let me take a break from the snow clad mountains of the northern areas of Pakistan and take you down to the desert and barren mountains of the Sind province of Pakistan - but assuring you of a cool breeze and occasional snow fall in winters.

Some of my readers who know the geography of Sindh in 'general' may not agree with with my viewpoint as the area is known for sizzling hot summers with a semblance of winters. But believe me we have a place amid the scorching plains and rocky mountains of Kirthar mountain range in Sind that relieves of your summer worries when standing atop the Gorakh Hills.

The name Gorakh is derived from the Brahvi language in which, word "Gurgh" means Wolf and that Balochi language word "Gurkh" is later dialectic adaptation of Brahvi language word Gurgh, meaning wolf.

Screen shot of Gorakh Hill View Point - Scroll down for the video

Gorakh Hills, situated at an elevation of 5,688 ft (1,734 m) in the Kirthar Mountains, the highest place in the province of Sind, is one such place which is home to sub zero temperatures in winters and a pleasant cool breeze with a temperature generally remaining below  20 °C all through summers, which are longer than winters than other parts of Pakistan. 

Gorakh Hill Station is situated on one of the highest plateaus of Sindh, spread over 2,500 acres (10 km2) and is located 94 kilometers northwest of Dadu city. Presently, for most part a shingle dirt track links Dadu and Gorakh Hill station, though there are ever pending plans by the provincial government to develop a road link between the Dadu city and the hill station.

One may approach the Gorakh Hill station from Karachi skirting Hyderabad and Dadu cities through road journey that may take seven and half hours to cover the 400 kilometers distance. Many tour operators in Karachi can arrange a guided tour to this beautiful pleasing hill station including night stay at the Gorakh Hill Station guest house, trekking and watching the wild life of the area. or if you are adventurous by nature and fond of camping, the vast area provides ample places overlooking the entire valley down below for camping. The road  through Khawal Luk Pass moves up the hill with numerous hair raising bends till one reaches the top.

A night stay at the hill station provides the tourists a one-in-lifetime chance to view the sunset in the evening and a spectacular sunrise in the morning and watch the sun rays running over the many hillocks and hill tops and finally illuminating the entire valley. At night, one is awestruck to watch the sky full of stars and galaxies overhead in complete darkness as there is no other habitat in the area down below for miles altogether.

On cloudy days, the entire valley is filled with low clouds and even wraps the hill station - mystifying the view and the presence on the Gorakh Hills with visibility reduced to just few feet.

Watch a fantastic video from the Gorakh Hill top with low clouds surrounding it and the valley down below:

Gorakh Hill Station is a bliss for the people of Sindh, specially for people of Karachi who travel to northern areas spending lot of money, while they have a choice to explore the lands of interior Sindh and go trekking to Gorakh Hill and the Khawal Luk Pass, beside resting and enjoying the summers or if lucky enough to find snow flakes falling on them during winters.

References: Wikipedia | Photo: Beautiful Pakistan (Facebook) | Map: Google Maps

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Fascinating Pakistan - Rakaposhi

Today, while sifting through my old photographs, I came across this photo of mine posing with my wife and sons standing at the Rakaposhi Point on the Gilgit-Hunza section of the Karakorum Highway (KKH) with the mighty Rakaposhi mountain in the background. While driving to Hunza, we came across this point and were instantly frozen on the spot for it gave a full view of the Rakaposhi mountain rising from the ground level to its utmost height and glory. We stayed at the place and ordered for breakfast from a small self made eatery on the point. I still remember devouring the hot parathas (heavily greased rounded bread typical to Pakistani cuisines) and fried eggs, followed by hot fuming doodh patti (doodh=milk, patti=tea leaves, a tea made from milk and tea leaves with no water and a heavy dose of sugar).

Rakaposhi is a massive mountain, rising at a height of 7,788 m above sea level in the Karakorum mountain range. Rakaposhi, meaning the snow covered in local language, is situated in the middle of Nagar Valley Nagar District and Danyore and Bagrote valley approximately 100 km north of the capital city Gilgit of the semi autonomous Gilgit-Baltistan region of Northern Pakistan.

Although, i is ranked 27th highest in the world and 12th highest in Pakistan, it is its beauty that makes it as one of the popular sites for mountaineers around the world. Rakaposhi is also the only mountain in the world which rises straight from beautifully cultivated fields to the height of 25,550 feet. The first successful recorded ascent by non-natives was in 1958 by Mike Banks and Tom Patey, members of a British-Pakistani expedition, via the Southwest Spur route.

A spectacular view of Rakaposhi  from Gulmit - Photo: Northern Areas of Pakistan

Now watch a spectacular video of skirting around the Rakaposhi via para gliding while flying at a maximum height of 6,070 m - I am sure you would feel the coldness and awe these two para gliders, piloted by with Brad Sander (one of the best para gliding pilots), were experiencing when the flew past Rakaposhi ( a little more than half of the video):

Rakaposhi is famous for its exceptional rise and it rises 5,900 m in just a little over eleven kilometers from the Hunza River. The areas around Rakaposhi are home to some of the endangered species like the Marco Polo sheep, snow lapboard, brown bear and wolves.

References: Wikipedia 

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