Fascinating Pakistan - Fairy Meadows

The Nature has created replicas of heaven all around the world - but reaching these heavenly places is as arduous and extremely difficult as aspiring to be granted heaven in the world hereafter. The oasis in the deserts are reached after a man is at his breaking point after walking without food and water for days. Likewise in the obscured mountain valleys, there lie man a beautiful lush green places with lakes of crystal clear water, orchards laden with many types of sweetest fruits and overlooked by snow clad mountains. But to reach these, one has to really labour through treacherous mountain tracks, requiring extreme performance of 4WD jeeps or walking for hours over stony treks to finally reach these one-in-lifetime sites.

One of such heavens on earth is the Fairy Meadows in Diamer District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Located at an altitude of 3,300 metres, Fairy Meadows, which is called Joot in the local language was named "Fairy Tale Meadow or "Märchenwiese" by a German climbers on their way to scale Nanga Parbat. Fairy Meadows in fact is the gateway to the Nanga Parbat for trekkers attempting the Rakhiot face of Nanga Parbat. This heavenly grassland is located in the Raikhot valley, at one end of the Raikhot glacier which originates from the Nanga Parbat and feeds a stream that finally falls in the River Indus.

To approach Fairy Meadows, one can embark upon an 11 hours road journey to Chilas on the Karakorum Highway (KKH). From here at a distance of 61 kilometers is the Raikot bridge, where jeeps are readily available during the tourist season for six passengers per jeep. The road to Fairy Meadows then commences with a breathtaking twelve kilometers long jeepable track through a treacherous unstable gravel mountain pass, followed by yet another 3-4 hours of trekking on a five kilometers trek. In fact the drive is so dangerous that one is more worried about one's safety rather than enjoying the beautiful landscape one is passing through.

The jeepable track is considered as one of most dangerous roads in the world. The DangerousRoads describe the difficulty and extreme dangerous track in following words:

• The road is an unforgettable experience. It’s winding, in some places only wide enough for one vehicle, and in many places bordered by a drop of hundreds of meters (many hundreds of feet) unprotected by guardrails. The most dangerous part of the road involves a narrow 6-mile ascend on an unpaved and uneven road. There are no barriers to prevent a vehicle from falling off the cliff to a fiery death.  The road is no wider than a standard Jeep Wrangler and there’s plenty of through traffic. One false move and it’s a very long drop.
• The gravel road has not undergone any repair since it was built by the ethnic villagers of the Nanga Parbat Mountain hundreds of years ago which makes it one of the dangerous roads on this list. The road was built by the local people, and is therefore a private toll road. It’s steep and just the width of the jeep, with unstable gravel road hacked out of the barren hills.
• Words can’t describe the road and pictures don’t do it justice.This drive is only recommended for the people who are serious mountain lovers and have strong nerves. This is a stunning place for photographers and nature lovers. But this road is definitely not for the faint of heart, so, if you want to go there - bring a lot of courage with you!

But once one reaches the lush green Fair Meadows, one instantly how one has reached this heaven on earth. Words alone cannot describe the beauty of the place, with fresh breeze blowing and a landscape so captivating that soothes one eyes which just moments ago were seeing nothing but barren stony mountains over a life threatening unkempt gravel track.

The Fairy Meadows grassland is surrounded by thick alpine forest. The high altitude area and north-facing slopes mostly consist of coniferous forest having Pinus wallichiana, Picea smithiana and Abies pindrow trees, while in the high altitude areas with little sunlight are birch and willow dwarf shrubs. The southern slopes are concentrated with juniper and scrubs, namely Juniperus excelsa and J. turkesticana. In the low altitudes, the major plant found is Artemisia, with yellow ash, stone oaks and Pinus gerardiana spread among it.

A spectacular view of Nanga Parbat from Fairy Meadows

From here one can have a spectacular view of the majestic Nanga Parbat, one of the 14 eight thousanders of the world and one of the five eight thousanders located in Pakistan. Read more about Nanga Parbat in one of early posts on Fascinating Pakistan series. 

Sitting on the slopes of Fairy Meadows and looking at the Nanga Parbat, one feels as if one is sitting in a lush green bowl being overlooked by the awe inspiring mountain in the backdrop. One can listen to many folklores about the area and of the many expeditions that passed through to scale the Nanga Parbat and the sadness in their tone when describing dead bodies of climbers being taken away who fell victim to the Killer Mountain, the Nanga Parbat.

I would now stop my commentary and let you watch the video below that explains everything and shows you from roads to jeepable tracks and finally horse back to Fairy Meadows, overlooked by the mighty Nanga Parbat or the killer mountain in the background.

The six-month tourist season at Fairy Meadows starts in April and continues until the end of September. Tourists lodge at the camping site spread over two acres, known as "Raikot Serai" and the other at Fairy Meadows, though partially developed.

I am sure the video above gives you a fair idea of the challenges to be faced while driving on the mountain track and then finally reaching the Fairy Meadows - Next time you visit Pakistan, do consult your travel agent to include Fairy Meadows as one of your travel destinations for life time adventure.

Photos Credit: Northern Areas of Pakistan | References: Wikipedia

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Fascinating Pakistan - Shimshal Pass

I just started writing a series of posts yesterday to introduce to the world the fascinating,beautiful and awe inspiring beauty and landscape of Pakistan. This post today is the second in the series of many more yet to come.

Shimshal Village

Now my readers ma ask why Shimshal Pass - a place rather unknown in the tourism annals of Pakistan. Well I picked up this place for four reasons:

• The photo above was the main motivating factor as the composition is so captivating that I was awe stricken for a while. It looked as if I saw something from another world. Just look above again - doesn't it instantly attracts you - specially the bunch of yaks running at the foothills of mighty mountain? Well it did for me and I instantly thought of writing about Shimshal Pass and the Shimshal Valley. 
• Secondly the motivation of the people of Shimshal village to come out of the obscurity from an otherwise obscured small village surrounded by rugged stony mountains, cutting them completely from the Hunza Valley just next to the Shimshal Valley, but inaccessible except for foot or mule mode of transportation. They thus started cutting the mountains and made a jeep able track to reach the Karakoram Highway (KKH) near the Passu - it took them Eighteen years (1985-2003) to build this track completely relying on their muscle power without any outside help.
• And lastly the trekking on the Shimshal Pass - from the Shimshal village located at 3,100 metres above sea level to Shimshal Pass at 4,735 metres. The invincibility of the trek at places almost vertical climbs, wading through gushing mountain gorges and fast flowing streams.
• And lastly, the entire Shimshal village has electricity - yes don't be surprised and thanks to the solar technology. All houses have solar panels to provide them uninterrupted power supply and watch TV through satellite receivers/dish antennas. This initiative on the part of locals should serve as any eye opener for many villages of northern areas to follow suit.

Now back to the Shimshal village, which is the jump off point for the Shimshal Pass. The village is part of the Gojal Tehsil of Hunza District, in the Gilgit–Baltistan province of Pakistan. At 3,100 m above sea level, it is the highest settlement in Hunza Valley. The village is closest to China. As are typical helmets of high altitude, it has just over 200 houses with a population of approximately two thousand.

With the development of the over 60 kilometers long jeep-able track from the Passu to Shimshal, due courtesy the Agha Khan foundation, the Government of Pakistan and the sheer hard work of the locals, it now takes 2-3 hours to reach this beautiful village perched in the  lush green Shimshal Valley with yaks and goats roaming freely and even racing. The track is one of the dangerous as described by the blog Dangerousroads:

The Shimshal Valley Road is a spectacular and terrific curvy mountainous road which rarely permit speeds over 10km/h. Located in Gojal, Hunza–Nagar District in the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan formerly known as Northern Areas of Pakistan, the journey is extremely dangerous.

Beside very healthy goats and sheep, the main attraction of Shimshal is the Yak, a fierce looking shaggy creature, also found in other higher planes of northern areas of Pakistan. These typically local animals are used as a source of milk, beef, wools and carrying the loads to the mountains in the high pastures and also for crossing through fast current streams and rivers.

Yak Safari - Photo Courtesy Travel Blog

Those who are not avid trekkers, yaks provide them a fantastic opportunity for yak safari to close by areas on the Shimshal Pass. The best time for yak safari is from  June to October but the best is in September to October. The yak safari commences from Shimshal village to  Zardgarben, 3,810 m taking 5-6 hours. You may continue to resume the safari next day to Purien-e-ben, 3,322 m taking hours. Still going higher, one may resume the safari next day to Shuijerab, 4,080 m for 6-7 hours and camping and returning to Shimshal the next day.  

The yak race is another attraction of the area, which is an annual feature when one can see the locals mounted on yaks wading through river streams and lush green fields. This annual feature is held in the last week of July or the first week of August.

As for Shimshal Pass, it lies on the watershed between the Indus River and Tarim River basins, and leads to the valley of the Shimshal Braldu River, a tributary of the Shaksgam River on the border with China. Francis Younghusband was probably the first Englishman to reach the pass (1889).

Trekking from Shimshal  village to the Shimshal  Pass trek is treacherous and deadly, yet adventurous. The trek becomes unsteady with falling rocks and lose stones under your feet. Sometimes one slides on the lose stones, which may become dangerous as the stones once set into motion continue to trigger down from behind too.

It is the sheer determination of the young men of Pakistan and even abroad who venture into this otherwise unspoiled area and take up trekking through Shimshal Pass. Amid howling winds cutting through one's body and loneliness of the mountain trek makes the trekking more difficult - and rather scary.

Words alone cannot explain the toughness of trekking  - Watch video of trekking up to the Shimshal Pass and commend the efforts of these trekkers who opt to reach the Shimshal top disregarding dangers and invincibility of the trek. En route one has to wade through fast mountainous streams with water so clod that cuts through one's skin.

The video above was made when the Atta-abad Lakes had to be crossed through ferries as the KKH was submerged underneath. Now an alternate route has been made to connect the two missing ends of KKH and one can move on the road. However, for adventure sake, one can still opt for a ferry ride in the lake.

I am sure this post will made you make an endeavour to go trekking in the Shimshal Pass and enjoy the experience for many years to come. And you would love to explore more of the fascinating Pakistan. I will help you explore more.

Read more about Yak Safari Photo Shimshal Pass/Village courtesy Mobeen Mazhar | References: Wikipedia |

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A memorable Trek to Concordia - the Gateway to Four Eight Thousanders of the World including K2

K-2, the second highest mountain after Everest and the highest mountain of the Karakoram range located in Pakistan, was first surveyed in 1856 by a European survey team headed by Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen and was named as Mt Godwin Austen. Later a British officer T.G. Montgomery designated it K2 for the second peak in the Karakoram Range. It was first scaled in 1954 by an Italian expedition.

Due to its difficult slopes, K-2, 8611 M, is far more difficult to scale than the Everest. It is for this reason K-2 is also known as the killer mountain as many mountaineers have lost their lives in attempting K-2.

While professional mountaineers begin their upward journey from the base camp of K-2, located about three hours hike from Concordia - a place on the confluence of the Baltoro Glacier and the Godwin-Austen Glacier, in the heart of the Karakoram range of Pakistan, trekkers normally stop at Concordia from where the massive pyramid of K-2 is fully visible, cherish the memories of the place and come back. Concordia also provides an access to four Eight Thousanders located in Pakistan.

Dr Shahid resting on the famous Baltoro Glacier

Every year, many trekkers both from Pakistan and abroad trek to Concordia and on their way back use the Vigne Glacier - Ali camp -  Gondogoro la approach. This post is about one such trekking expedition to Concordia by group of young Pakistani trekkers that include my Flickr Friends Dr Shahid And Asif Saeed (whose many adventures I have already shared at Jaho Jalal).

Dr Shahid, besides being a doctor is an avid trekker and photographer. He hails Burewala, a city in the Vehari district of Southern Punjab province of Pakistan. His passion for mountains and trekking takes him from otherwise generally hot plains of Punjab to freezing colds and snow capped mountains and glaciers of mountain ranges in the northern Pakistan.

This post of mine today is about the trekking expedition of Dr Shahid and his friends including Asif Saeed, to Concordia - a place where one is so close to the nature and next to K-2. The expedition was undertaken in July 2012 and the the photographs below, taken by Dr Shahid are chronologically arranged from the begging to the end of the expedition to Concordia and beyond. I have used a few of his large collection of photos from Flickr and added a running commentary about the places that came en route. 

Since there are approximately fifty photographs, it may time for slow internet connections to open immediately. Therefore such users may scroll down slowly to enjoy the run down.

The group of young trekkers gets together at Rawalpindi Pir Wadhai bus stand to embark upon a journey that would take them through some of the most beautiful, awe inspiring and treacherous treks to Concordia - the famous base camp from experienced mountaineers commence another difficult journey to scale the unscalable K-2.

Here seen standing at the Rawalpindi Pir Wadhai bus stop is Dr Shahid to begin his trekking expedition to Concordia and Gondogoro la.

Once when one embarks upon trekking, then many stars hotels are replaced by roadside driver hotels. But the food served here is so delicious that one remembers the taste for a long time. This shot was taken at one such at Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Dr Shahid has a cup of tea, made of Doodh Patti (that is Doodh - Milk and Patti - Tea Leaves and lot of sugar with no water). When this tea is made on burning wood, its aroma gets mixed into the tea and enhances its taste manifold - a cup of tea that has no parallel in the world.

Road to Shigar - the home of K2

The bus travel from Islamabad is almost 24 hours long journey and the NATCO buses take the trekkers to Skardu - the last point where buses can reach. From here on, jeeps are hired till the village of Askole, which is the last road head. Thereafter its trekking - hard trekking to Concordia.

On the way, one passes through the small town of Shigar and the Shigar River, Braldu River, carrying gushing waters of the Biafo and the Baltoro Glaciers of the Karakoram through Sakora Pass.

Shigar River

Braldu River and the Karakorams

Sakora Pass

Reaching Askole from Skardu can sometimes be hazardous and challenging as rains may cause streams to swell making it difficult for jeeps to negotiate. 

Jeep-able track to Askole

In that case one has to disembark from the jeeps and walk up to Askole - feeling the post Askole village trek before hand.

Askole Camping Site

Dr at the Askole Camping Site, getting ready to kick off the trekking expedition to Concordia

Askole Village is the gateway to Karakoram Mountain Range and its many glaciers, specially the Baltoro Glacier. Askole, located about 96 kilometers from Skardu, is Pakistan's highest, 3050 metres, and most remote village, the last human settlement before trek up to Baltoro Glacier to Concordia and highest peak and longest glaciers (outside polar region) on earth. 

Askole village is the starting point of the trek to Baltoro Glacier, Biafo Glacier, Chogtai Glacier. The Climbing and trekking expedition stay here for a night and arrange porters. Askole village is gateway to K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrums,Muztagh Towers, Uli Biaho Tower, Paiyu Peak, Baintha Brakk and Latok Peaks, and many more. Camp site is available at Askole village.

Expeditions to the following peaks are launched from Askole:

• K2, 2nd highest of the world at 8611m
• Gasherbrum I, 11th highest of the world at 8,080m.
• Broad Peak, 12th highest of the world at 8,047m.
• Gasherbrum II, 13th highest of the world at 8,035m.
• Gasherbrum III, 7,946m. (Often regarded as a subpeak of Gasherbrum II.)
• Gasherbrum IV, 17th highest of the world at 7,932m.
• Masherbrum (K1), 22nd highest of the world at 7,821m.
• Chogolisa, 36th highest of the world at 7,665m.
• Muztagh Tower, 7,273m.
• Snow Dome, 7,160m.
• Biarchedi, 6,781m
• Trango Towers, 6,363m, the highest cliffs of the world.
• Mitre Peak, 6,010m.

The trek to Concordia starts just after the Askole village- from now on the trekkers are on their feet

Rivers of Biafo and Baltoro Glaciers - Braldu River

Teste: The last village on trek to K-2

Teste after Askole is the last inhabited place one would come across. From hereon it is all wilderness, dusty tracks with distant mountains with their snow clad tops watching the trekkers as they move on. These dust tracks have supported thousands of trekkers and mountaineers going up to and beyond Concordia for the ultimate objective of scaling K-2.

Korophone Campsite

After Teste, the trekker and mountaineers have to rely on a number of campsites that come en route with scanty facilities. Therefore one has to be well stocked and extra luggage carried by porters on men and donkeys. Without these porters and donkeys, no trekking or mountaineering expedition is possible. The porters, the men of the soil are sturdy, strong and simple people who support the expeditions for a very paltry amount, barely sufficient the reward of their portering facilities and the support to expeditions.

The wilderness of the Baltoro trek

Crossing over Jhula - the hanging bridge

The Jhula Campsite (above and below)

The trekking gets difficult at points and one mus keep one's balance firmly over dusty track with jagged rocks

The magnificent view of the Lady Finger mountain peak

Paiju Campsite

The trek from Jhula Campsite continues along the Braldu River to Paiju Campsite located at 3,480 M, a green Oasis under the shadows of Paiju Peak 6,611 M.

From top to bottom: The Karakoram, Ulli Bhaio and the Paiju Peaks

The Heart Lake

The Heart Lake is a beautiful heart shaped lake. Although in the photographs, taken from a height it looks small, but if you compare the porters sitting on the left bank, one can guess how big is the lake.

Resting on the Baltoro Glacier

This is not Mars - but the Baltoro wilderness and desert

Khurbutse camp site 12,870 feet): Making Pakoray, resting and charging batteries through solar panels

Porters and their donkeys - the lifeline of trekkers and mountaineering expeditions

Sunset (above) and sunrise (below) over Paiju Peak

Lilligo peak

The name Lilligo may sound absurd and rather meaningless. But there is a local story that supports the name. Whether the story is true or otherwise, but it gives some'insight' into on possible explanation - and may be convincing.

The local story is that an expedition was heading to Concordia when one of their members, Lilli, fot altitude sickness and could not go on. She decided to head back with a porter and at this spot lost her balance and fell into a crevasse. The porter ran back to the expedition and in his limited english said "Lilli go" to tell them she had fallen off, and from then on that spot is called Lilligo. I am not sure if this is true but it causes endless laughter among the porters when it is told (the story is quoted by Ashiq Iqbal).

The Broad Peak -  12th highest of the world at 8,047m and the Five Eight Thousanders of Pakistan

The massive Trango Tower

Urdokas Campsite

From Khurbutse, the next campsite is Urdokas, passing through crevasses and Lilligo Peak. The camp is located at 4,130 M.

Pakoray at Urdokas campsite

Baltoro Glacier as seen from Urdokas

First site of Masherbrum

Masherbrum (also known as K1) is located in the Gilgit Baltistan of Pakistan. At 7,821 metres (25,659 ft) it is the 22nd highest mountain in the world and the 9th highest in Pakistan. It was the first scaled and mapped peak in the Karakoram mountain range, hence its name.

The meaning of the name "Masherbrum" is not entirely clear. It may come from mashadar (muzzle-loading gun) plus brum (mountain), from the resemblance of the double summit to an old muzzle-loader. It may also come from masha (queen or lady), giving "queen of peaks." Other meanings have also been suggested.

The massive Masherbrum Peak

Baltoro Glacier with Gasherbrum IV and the Broad Peak in the back ground

Cerac on Baltoro Glacier

Biango Glacier - the old route to China

Baltoro Glacier with Masherbrum in the background

Climbing the Baltoro Glacier

Goro II Campsite

Baltoro Glacier takes the trekkers to the last campsite of Goro at an altitude of 4,500M, before reaching Concordia. En route, one comes across the Yermanandu Glacier which flows down from Masherbrum and joins the Baltoro. Besides one has magnificent views of Muztagh, Mitre and Gasherbrum IV.

Goro Campsite: Resting, praying Jumma prayers and washing

After Goro, there are no campsites, but one comes across Pakistan Army posts. The army personnel re extremely hospitable to trekkers and expeditions and offer whatever they can. One may rest for a while on 'sofas' made of empty jerrycans with cushions placed over.

Massive Karakoram and the Baltoro Glacier

Nearing Concordia

Pakistan Army post

Pol-e-Siraat: Glacier crossing over bamboos

From Goro campsite, there is a long walk on the Baltoro Glacier to Concordia - junction of three glaciers: Baltoro, Abruzzi & Godwin Austin Glaciers. Concordia is located at an altitude of 4720 M. While approaching Concordia, one gets to see the first glimpse of massive K-2 pyramid like peak appearing from behind the mountains.

The first glimpse of K-2: What a sight and what a relief for the trekkers, trekking almost 13-14 days now

Finally Concordia - the base camp of K-2

Concordia - from now on only experienced  mountaineers dare to go forward and scale K-2

A room with a view: K-2 as seen from inside the tent

Keeping Concordia clean (above) - Dr Shahid bandaging an injured porter (below)

Kangri summits. India and Siachin glacier on the other sides of these mountains

Full view of K-2 from Concordia

Posing with K-2

Dr Shahid posing with two K-2s: The real K-2 in the background, and pack of K-2 Cigarettes in his hand

A dream fulfilled: The trekking that started almost two weeks earlier reaches its logical conclusion: Concordia and K-2 what a day in one's life

From Concordia, another 4-5 hours trek leads to the base of the K-2. Form here on, it is another world for mountaineers to scale K-2. While for the trekkers, one has two options: Walk back on the same footsteps one came or choose another trek through Vigne glacier and reach Ali Camp. Choosing the Vigne glacier is normally the preferred option as it is fairly easy then walking on the stony trek one came on. 

Vigne Glacier crossing to Ali Camp at 5,000M

From Ali Camp, one has to cross the  Gondogoro la to reach Khuspang. From here,  one goes to Dalsangpa. The trek from here goes along the path down hill to the summer settlement called Shaicho, a large shepherds settlement. This would be a welcome relief as coming back to pepole and facilities like a a hotel and mountaineering equipment shop. 

Shaicho is located among forests of juniper, cedar and willow trees with giant bushes of wild roses. From Shaicho,  the trek along Hushey River takes trekkers to Hushey village whre one finally listens to the roars of jeeps and engines once again, last heard at Askole, that take the trekkers back to Skardu.

Thus the trek to Concordia comes to an end - a lifetime dream comes true and everyone goes back to life with lot of stories and memories to share with others. And also cherish the meories for the rest of one's life of a memorable trek.

Reference: 

Photos of Concordia Trekking Expedition Courtesy Dr Shahid / Flickr

Wikipedia | Askole | Masherbrum |

Yo may also read my earlier posts on K2 and other mountain peaks of Pakistan in my blog JahoJalal

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