Karakoram and Nanga Parbat Pakistan

We are going on an expedition to Pakistan, a country with an ancient history of kings, a harsh reputation, very high mountains, and an incredible Middle Eastern flavor. It's better not to google much about Pakistan because when you come here, you will break all the patterns and stereotypes that may arise when studying this country. Pakistan is beautiful, and there are very few countries like it left in the world.

We will arrive in Pakistan through its capital, Islamabad. The flight will be from Kyiv with a stopover in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. If you want, you can travel with a guide, or the guide will meet you at the airport in Islamabad. From the airport, we will go to the hotel to rest, and in the evening, we will walk around the city, have a delicious dinner in a cozy restaurant, and get acquainted with the group.

Islamabad is quiet, but there is much to see here. Today, we have a free program, so we leave our things at the hotel and go for a walk. First, we can go to the Faisal Masjid mosque, which was built with the support of the King of Saudi Arabia so that you can imagine its size. Next, we will walk along the city streets, climb several observation decks to appreciate the surrounding landscape, and realize how beautiful Pakistan is. Of course, between these attractions, we will learn about Pakistani cuisine; we have to try many different dishes: shabdek, korma, dal soup, achar gosht (lamb stew with pepper), and many more.

Today, we will see Karakoram! We will have a short flight across Pakistan, flying to the north of the country, to the city of Gilgit, a mountain town surrounded by three mountain ranges: Himalayas, Hindu Kush, and Karakoram. The names of the ranges speak for themselves. And for those who didn't know about the Karakoram, here's a hint: its highest mountain is Chogori (K2), and beyond it begins the territory of ancient Tibet. Do you think that's all? Not at all, the Gilgit Valley is completely breathtaking, and it will only get more interesting. We are driving along the Karakoram Highway, the highest in the world and considered the 8th wonder of the modern world. Seven- and eight-thousand-foot peaks will rise around us, and it will be so interesting that we will look around 360 degrees. The end point for today will be the village of Minapin, where we will stay in a guesthouse. Minapin will be our starting point for reaching the base camp of Mount Rakaposhi.

Time passes quickly, and it starts to get dark, so in the evening, we sit down in a friendly circle and listen to exciting stories from the locals, who have a lot to tell us.

Today is special for us because we are going to Mount Rakaposhi (7788m). Its base camp is located at an altitude of 3500 meters and offers views of the sharp peaks of Karakoram. We will walk the entire route with small backpacks, and in the evening, we will return to the guesthouse for the night. The trail to the base camp is very beautiful, with the ice giants Rakaposhi and Diran rising around us, and we will feel like we are the characters of the movie 7 Years in Tibet, because there will be similar landscapes around us. By the way, if you haven't seen this movie, we recommend you watch it. We will also traverse the massive Minapin Glacier and will be able to see ice cracks and arches. The beauty of Karakoram is breathtaking. Walking along the slopes of the mountains or near the settlements is beautiful everywhere. On the same day, we descend from the Rakaposhi camp, past vast herds of goats and sheep, to the village of Minapit and our guesthouse.

Another day in Pakistan, and again, something special: new peaks and new experiences await us. We are heading to the Hunza Valley, to the edge of the Karakoram Highway, and to the village of Hooper, but we will make several stops along the way. First, we will stop in Karimbad, the capital of the Hunza kingdom, where there is Fort Altit, the residence of the royal family of the Hunza people, we will go on a tour here because it is interesting to know, and we do not know much about the history of Pakistan.

Of course, we have to visit Attabat Lake, an amazing body of water formed after the mountain split in 2010, destroying many houses and causing a lot of trouble for the locals. And now, we will climb this mega-cool viewpoint called the Eagle's Nest—a platform overlooking the snowy peaks of Lady Finger 6000 m, Ultar Peak 7388 m, and Rush Peak 5098 m.

The day is not over yet, and we still have something to surprise you, we are walking on the Hussein Suspension Bridge - entertainment is not for the faint of heart, because the bridge sways strongly in the wind. After all these hardships, we will finish the day in the Hooper Valley at an altitude of 2800 meters, where the road ends and only peaks, passes and glaciers begin, the next day we will feel it, and today we check into a guest house, have dinner and rest.

We came to Pakistan not only to drive around and see exciting places but also because our souls want to go hiking, so today, we started the traveling part and climbed the five-thousand-meter-high Rush Peak. We follow the well-known route to Rush Lake, which is located at an altitude of 4694 meters, but first, we need to cross two glaciers - Bultar and Miar. Crossing the glaciers will not be easy, but it will not be mountaineering. The group leader will decide whether crampons are necessary depending on the weather. If this is your first experience of walking on a glacier, there will be a lot of emotions, and adrenaline will show up even in the photos so that you will get great images. We will not have time to climb to the lake today, but we will do it tomorrow. In the evening, we will arrive at the campsite, set up our tents, cook dinner, and spend the night at an altitude of 3600 meters. The stars will be closer to us than ever before.

We continue to gain height and go higher; today, we will climb a thousand meters to Lake Rush, located at an altitude of 4694 meters; this is a real miracle; it is rare to find such high-mountain lakes. The altitude is already quite severe so that altitude sickness can manifest at the first sign. Do not hesitate to inform the guide because the leading cause of altitude sickness is poor acclimatization. In this case, you need to lower the altitude, but if you react in time, you can avoid complications and successfully return to the route. Warned means prepared.

Rash Lake is a mountain pearl, and it is worth all our efforts to stay near it, listen to the mountain silence, and meditate. The place is truly magical, comparable to fairy tales about the country of Shangrila. We want to stay at the lake longer, which we will be able to do, but everything will depend on the weather. If the weather deteriorates, we will go down lower; if not, we will spend the night at an almost five thousand meters altitude. Last night, the stars were close, but today, they are within reach.

The climb to the 5098-meter-high Rush Peak will take place today. There are only 400 meters left to the top, but the mountain must be respected. When climbers climb a mountain, they say that the peak has let them in and let them go. We hope it will let us in, and we will leave very early to meet the sunrise at the top, spread the Ukrainian flag, and admire the ice giants. Our mountain has serious neighbors: Miar 6824 m, Malbutting 7458 m, Spantik 7027 m, Trivor 7577 m, Momhil Sar 7343 m and many others. After the top, we make a snack to gain strength, can you imagine eating Ukrainian borscht in Pakistan, how do you like it, we will organize it for you.

We look at the lake and Mount Rush a little more and go down to our camp on the first day in front of the Miar Glacier. Tired but very happy, we have dinner and go to bed. We will definitely dream about the mountains tonight.

Everyone is probably already a little tired and wants a hot shower and Wi-Fi to post these divine stories on social media, so we are returning to the Hopper Valley today. We will go down the same route as we came up, crossing the Bultar and Milar glaciers and heading to the green meadows, leaving the ice kingdom of Mount Rush. In the valley, we find transportation and drive along the Karakoram highway through the Hunza Valley, which can be compared to an open-air museum. The end point of our trip will be the village of Aliabad, where we will spend the night in a guesthouse. And the next day, we'll hit the road again to the Raikot Bridge.

We wake up early and hit the road. Driving along the Karakoram highway is a pleasure: serpentines and sharp drops make your head spin. Oh, and what good memories! We need to get to the Raikot Bridge, which is 158 km away, and then we change to jeeps and drive to the beginning of the Fairy Meadows area, where the next track will begin. On this day, we will not have time to climb to the base camp of Nanga Parbat so that we will divide our trek into 2 days. There will be many stops to rest and see the scenery around us, so there is no need to hurry, but we are here to relax. Halfway through, we'll stop for the night, set up our tents, sit around, cook food, and play games. Oh, you can be sure we know a lot of games, so it'll be fun.

Nanga Parbat is an eight-thousand-meter mountain where Reinhold Messner, the legendary mountaineer who climbed all 14 eight-thousanders, began his Himalayan journey. It was Nanga Parbat that the heroes of the movie “7 Years in Tibet” tried to climb. Nanga Parbat is considered the third most dangerous mountain after Annapurna and K2, and we will go to its base camp. The mountain is insanely beautiful. It will be the culmination of our journey. Today, we have to reach the base camp at an altitude of 4000 meters and descend to our campsite, where we will spend the last night of the trek. We think that you will remember Mount Nanga Parbat for the rest of your life and will come back here again because we will come back.

The last day in the Karakoram Mountains. We get a good night's sleep, pack up our tents, have breakfast, and go down to the village of Tato, where we board jeeps and drive to the Raikot Bridge, from where we reach the town of Gilgit. It's sad to say, but our trip is ending. We want to warmly say goodbye to the mountains and remember them for the rest of our lives. We spent the whole day walking around Gilgit, buying souvenirs for ourselves and our friends because we would fly to Islamabad tomorrow. We'll also buy a souvenir and give it away to those who follow us on Instagram, so follow us, and you might be the one to receive our gift. There is no alcohol in Pakistan, but there is delicious tea, so in the evening, we will sit down near a mountain slope, drink tea, and think about something good.

On the 13th day of the trip, we returned to Islamabad with plenty of time to walk around the capital and visit all the places we didn't have time to see on the first days of the trip. Everyone will have a free program, and if someone wants to, they can travel around the neighborhood because there is also something to see around. The Indus civilization existed on the territory of Pakistan, which, according to some historical versions, is older than the Egyptian one, and there are a lot of ancient monuments and relics here.

On the 14th day, we will have a plane home, flying the same route via Dubai or Abu Dhabi, but if someone wants to extend their trip, they can stay a few more days in Pakistan and fly to other cities, such as Lahore.

So, our journey has ended, and today, we are returning home to Ukraine. We brought back a mountain of impressions as high as Nanga Parbat. And we will return with new friends because we will become like a family on this trip. We think that after such an adventure, we will meet again somewhere in a cafe to recall the trip's best moments and talk over a cup of hot cocoa.

Important information! To enter Pakistan, you need to apply for an electronic tourist visa. The link can be found here: https://visa.nadra.gov.pk/tourist-visa/

ATTENTION! The organizers reserve the right to change the program due to weather, route time, or other circumstances.