Hunza, Nagar & Rakaposhi 2016 (Travelogue About A Family Trip to Hunza & Valleys)

[imm_ali007]

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent & Merciful....Who helped us a lot and enabled us to explore the nature & beauty created by Him.

Alhamdulillah, we've just returned from a family expedition to Gilgit-Baltistan, Hunza, Nagar & Khunjerab Pass via Naran-Babusar Pass Route.

I'm starting the travelogue with below summary of the trip which will be followed by the details & pictures gradually:

Summary of the Trip:

Trip Duration: (11-July-2016 to 20-July-2016) 10 Days.
Total Members: 3 (Me, Wife & our 7 years old Daughter)
Vehicle: Suzuki Swift DLX-1300 CC (Model:2013)

Day.1 (11th July 2016): Lahore to Naran
Day.2 (12th July 2016): Naran to Gilgit Via Babusar & Chilas
Day.3 (13th July 2016): Gilgit to Karimabad-Hunza
Day.4 (14th July 2016): Karimabad to Gulmit-Gojal Via AttaAbad
Day.5 (15th July 2016): Gulmit to Khunjerab & Khunjerab to Karimabad
Day.6 (16th July 2016): Karimabad to Minapin-Nagar
Day.7 (17th July 2016): Minapin to Gilgit
Day.8 (18th July 2016): Gilgit to Abbottabad
Day.9 (19th July 2016): Abbottabad to Rawalpindi
Day.10(20th July 2016): Rawalpindi to Lahore

THE TRAVELOGUE:

I'm a big fan of Mustansar Hussain Tarar Sb. His travelogues about Northern Pakistan ignited the fire in my belly to explore the beauty of Northern Pakistan. So, this travelogue is dedicated to my Ideal - the great Tarar Sb.

Before this I have done many short expeditions (Local & International) including Murree, Nathiagali, naran, Kaghan, Sawat, UAE & Srilanka but they were not worth being written & published.

This time again, the mighty mountains were calling us ... Come & explore our beauty & heights ... and imagine how beautiful is our Creator --- the Almighty --- Al-Musawwir.

I've been thinking & planning for a bigger expedition this time for the past 3-4 months and finally decided to visit Hunza & Nagar Valleys after Eid. Initially, we planned to reach Gilgit by Air & use Rent-A-Car option onwards, but due to the element of uncertainty in flight schedules, we later on decided to travel by Car. Moreover, initial plan was to travel via Bisham & Dasu but due to Bad Road condition from Dasu to Raikot & extremely hot weather on the route, the itinerary was switched over to Babusar Route, which was comparatively scenic but much steeper & dangerous requiring technical skills in driving. This travelogue will remain incomplete without complimenting my friend Hassan Ali - A frequent traveller to Northern Pakistan - who encouraged me to travel via Babusar Road & whose continuous remote guidance throughout the journey made it possible for us to travel through difficult & steep routes without much difficulty. Nevertheless, the support, comfort & company given to me by my travel partners (My wife & Daughter) is also worth mentioning here who travelled with me on extensively long drives and remained patient and made the travel much easier & pleasant ... and off-course a SUCCESS...

It's nearly impossible to describe the beauty of nature completely in words, however, I am trying to put my effort to a possible extent so to describe my experience.

DAY.1: LAHORE TO NARAN (13 HOURS) 595 kM
The plan was to leave on 11th July after 10 AM and to stay at Rawalpindi or Abbottabad for a night but on 10th July afternoon, my friend Hassan Ali advised us to leave at midnight and reach Naran directly keeping in view the weather forecast. So, due to this sudden change in the plan, the luggage was packed in a hurry, took a nap for couple of hours and woke up at 1:30 AM.
At 2:15 AM, we were on M2 (Lahore - ISB Motorway). The route was clear due to low traffic. We took Burhan Interchange Exit around 6:20 AM and reached Abbottabad at 8:20 AM crossing Hassan Abdal & Haripur with ease due to low traffic in the morning. At Abbottabad, we had breakfast from Hot n' Spicy Restaurant (Jadoon Plaza) which was just ok. Before breakfast, we got the fuel tank refilled.

While we were having our breakfast in the restaurant, heavy rain started pouring from the sky which was something to be taken into consideration as the rain in the upcoming areas might cause landsliding and block the roads. Anyways, at 9:20 AM, with started our journey again with the name of Allah with the hope that the route ahead will be clear as the speed of the rain got a bit slower. The weather got very pleasant and there were some showers on the route at different points from Abbottabad to Balakot.

The route from Abbottabad to Naran was normal except a few patches including a major bad batch before & after Mansehra & small broken patch near Khanian before Kaghan. We reached Naran at 3:30 PM. Due to peak Season & recently ended Eid Holidays, Naran was fully crowded, mismanaged & full of garbage. This Naran was not which I saw a few years back. Most of the hotels were fully booked. After some search, we finally got a room in "Maisonette Hotel-Naran". The room was very neat & clean but due to breakage in the water pipe, there was no water in the washroom taps till 10:30 Pm.

We had our dinner from Punjab Restaurant-Naran Bazar. The quality of dinner was pathetic & tasteless and everything was over-priced due to peak season. This shows that the tourism department is sleeping and the hotels/restaurants owner keep exploiting the tourists. The tourism department should take proper measures to promote tourism by having control over hotel & restaurant rates & quality of food.

Anyways, after dinner, we returned to the hotel and went asleep as we had to travel a long distance next day.

DAY.2: NARAN TO GILGIT VIA BABUSAR PASS (8.5 hOURS) 245 KM

The next morning we woke up at 6 AM and had our breakfast at Maisonette-Naran, which was included in the package. After breakfast we were about to load our luggage in the car and at that moment we got to know that there was some problem in the electric system of the car due to which A/C, Central Locking System, Deck, Indicators & Horn were not working. After loading the luggage, we left the hotel and drove to a local mechanic at Naran By-Pass Road. The mechanic could not diagnose the fault the in the car. At one point I thought to cancel the journey & take the car back to Abbottabad in order to get it fixed, but at this point my wife supported me and encouraged me to drive forward having faith in Allah. There was no problem in Car's engine to we left Naran at 8:40 AM and took the road towards Babusar Pass.

As we started moving forward, the route...the panorama....the scenery started getting wider with lush green mountains, meadows, flowers & water-streams in the surroundings and road was also beautiful & wide.

But, this beautiful road also had some patches where road was completely broken due to continuously flowing glacier water and there were big stones & pebbles under the water. As I was already warned by experienced traveller friend Hassan about this situation and as per his guidance, I drove the car on such patches at the speed of 1-2 KM/H so we didn't face any problem. Especially, the patch after crossing Batakundi bridge was extremely painful where the car was driven through a big water stream full of large stones.

After travelling through these beautiful meadows for almost couple of hours, we reached Lulusar Lake which is at a distance of 55 KM from Naran. This lake has is so far very neat & clean as compared to Saif-ul-Mulook which has been ruined by the tourists who keep throwing garbage in it. Lulusar lake looks like blue painting or a blue-colored stage or skating rink where fairies perform the skating dance.

After staying at Lulusar lake for 15 minutes, we moved forward as we had to cover a long distance towards our final destination. Just before reaching Babusar top, there was a 7-8 KM long bad patch of road (infact it was a kacha road) with steep hairpin turns. One should drive very slow and carefully on this patch but must maintain a reasonable momentum of the car speed.

Around 11:30 AM, we reached Babusar Pass where the wind was chilled and we had to wear our jackets. This pass is situated at an elevation of 13700 feet from Sea Level. It connects Kaghan valley with Diamir/Chilas. On one side, there are lush green mountains & meadows of Kaghan valley and once you cross babusar Pass and move onto the other side, there are dry & rocky mountains of Diamir ... Altogether a different world...

We stayed at Babusar Pass for 20 minutes and continued our journey onwards. Once you cross Babusar Pass & move on to Diamir Side the road is quite wide & smooth but you immediately face a rapid descend at a dangerous degree. The only trick to drive on this descend is to keep the car in 1st gear, otherwise you will observe the smell from brakes which may lead to brakes-failure and can be fatal. You can imagine the degree of descent from the fact that you have to get down from 13,700 feet to 3000 feet in just 40 Kilometers. The weather on this side was quite hot and we were travelling without A/C due to problem with the electric system of the car. Finally, we reached Chilas at 1:30 PM.

In order to avoid wastage of time, we had our lunch in the car with Cheese & Pakora sandwiches.

We reached Chilas at 1:30 PM and took Karakoram Highway towards Gilgit. Another important fact to mention here is that we did not find Petrol at any place after Abbottabad due to excessive consumption by the tourists and shortage of supply as well. At Chilas, we were again unable to find the fuel. So, we moved forward. From chilas till Raikot, the road is in very bad condition with big bumps, broken patches, dirt, mud, etc...with extremely hot weather.

[imm_ali007]

After One & a half hour of this painful journey, we reached Raikot Bridge. Many jeeps were parked near Raikot bridge waiting for the tourists, as the trek towards Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat Base Camp starts from this point. From Raikot bridge onwards, the KKH is a masterpiece. Yes!!! We were travelling on the 8th wonder of the World --- the great KKH. From this point, you start the journey into a new world . The panorama becomes even wider --- and wider --- and wider. After 15-20 minutes, we reached Nanga Parbat View Point. From this point we could see Nanga Parbat's white & gigantic peak. On our way, we also saw the point where 3 great mountain ranges of the world combine, (i.e., Himalaya, Karakoram & Hindukush).

As we reached Jaglot Farm, we saw a long queue of cars at one of the 3 Fuel Stations. We decided to stop the car and get the fuel tank re-filled as we were left with only 1.5 quarter of tank. There were almost 20 cars ahead of us in the queue and the bikes queue was in addition to this. Most of vehicles belonged to the tourists. The fuel was being re-filled at very slow speed due to some problem with the dispenser. After almost 2 hours of wait in the queue we saw two vehicles (Vigo & Corolla) coming into the fuel station from the opposite side of the queue. They were some respectable & influential people/Sardaran of the area having long beards. The flags of a renowned political party of Pakistan were mounted on these vehicles --- The So Called "Tabdeeli ki Jamat". They brought the vehicles from the opposite side & parked in front of the queue of the vehicles which were waiting for many hours. The tourists waiting in the queue protested against this act but it was useless. As per the Sardaran & Fuel Station Worker, they were residents of this area and it was their right to get the fuel first. It was really "A Change ---- Tabdeeli" which I observed after leaving Punjab.

Anyways, after 3 hours wait in hot weather, we got our fuel tank re-filled and left for Gilgit. We reached Gilgit at 7:15 PM and stayed at Hotel Riveria. In dinner, we had Chinese Chicken with Vegetable, Egg-Fried Rice & Chicken Pulao from Gilgit Continental Hotel which was very close to the hotel where we stayed.

DAY.3: GILGIT TO KARIMABAD-HUNZA (3 HOURS) 110 KM

Next day I woke up at 8:30 AM and took the car to the workshop for fixing-up the issue. Alhamdulillah the mechanic was competent enough to fix-up the issue in just half an hour. After that I got the car serviced from a local service station in Gilgit and returned to the hotel.

We left gilgit around 11 AM and moved forward towards Karimabad-Hunza through KKH. Road was again full of beauty & scenic wonders. It seemed like we were watching some 3D movie with mighty mountains and lush green trees belt in the feet of those mountains. After passing through Nagar Valley, we had the first view of the Mighty Rakaposhi Mountain. We stopped at Rakaposhi View & had Chicken Qorma & Bhindi in Lunch.

After Lunch we moved forward and reached Karimabad-Hunza which was crowded due to peak season. On the way, we also had a beautiful view of Golden Peak which looked like a Mountain covered with Rusty Gold --- Beautiful View. At certain points I couldn't resist myself from stopping the car and keep looking at the mighty snow covered mountains. We stayed at Hilltop Hotel-Hunza. The room was very neat & clean. The terrace of the room was at an ideal location from where we could have a view of Hunza Valley & Baltit Fort.

Keeping in view the fuel shortage, we decided to go back to Aliabad in the evening to get some fuel for the car. Before going to the fuel station we had an ordinary dinner from a local "Dhaba" situated at KKH in Aliabad. After dinner, we reached fuel station where there was a long queue of people holding gallons to get the fuel, as the fuel station people were not filling the petrol in the cars instead they were just giving it in the gallons. People of Hunza are so helpful; upon our request, a local shop owner lend us an empty gallon for the fuel. We again returned to the fuel station. My wife asked me to park the car in the dark and stay there, as she will try to get the fuel. The idea was a success and in just 10-15 minutes she returned with the gallon filled with 10 liters of petrol. We rushed towards the shop from where we borrowed the gallon. The shop-owner was so courteous & helpful that he himself filled the petrol in our Car by saying "Tum Hamara Mehmaan Hai". We were so thankful to him. After this mission, we returned to our hotel in Karimabad.

DAY.4: KARIMABAD to Gulmit-Gojal (1 HOUR) 35 KM

Today we have to leave Karimabad for Gulmit. Due to some technical problem, Hot water was not available in the wash room so took shower with chilled water which was a difficult stage but made me so fresh and removed all tiredness. After getting ready we roamed around in Karimabad Bazar and had breakfast from a traditional Hunzai Restaurant which was like a tree house. The benches and tables were made of wood and the sitting area was covered with trees.

After breakfast, we left Karimabad and moved towards Gulmit-Gojal which comes after one hour drive through KKH from Karimabad towards Khunjerab. On the way, we passed by a 200 years old settlement of Hunza named "Ganish". We also passed by the area named "Haldeikish" where "Sacred Rocks of Hunza" are placed alongside the road. These are carved Rocks with some Scared Drawings, as you can see in below pictures.

After travelling approximately 25 KMs, we entered the first tunnel before Attaabad "Pak China Friendship Tunnel.1". It was a small tunnel which quickly passed. Then we entered the Tunnel.2. My wife & daughter started making video with excitement but as we moved forward in the tunnel, the excitement flown away and we started looking forward towards an end to this tunnel as it was a very long tunnel which we were not expecting of. There was no light in the tunnel except the car headlight --- A hollow existence--- the sound of the car tyres seemed as if someone is screaming from far away --- gave impression of a haunted place. After 3.3 KMs we got out of the tunnel from it's other end and immediately entered into the 3rd tunnel which was smaller like tunnel.1. Then entered the tunnel.4 which was even longer than tunnel.2 but as we had already experienced the tunnel.2 so we comfortably passed through it.

And after the last tunnel.5, we saw the first view of Attaabad lake which was like a beautiful creek underneath the mighty rocky mountains and the mountains looked like an Island surrounded by the waters of the Lake. It's water has 2 colors --- blue and grey--- and it seemed like some artist has drawn a straight line separating the colors. None of the artists of the world can draw such a beautiful painting except the One & Only --- Al-Musawwir---Al-Khaliq---- the Beautiful---and the Creator of Beauty. The lake is so big that you cannot cover it in single picture. It takes a motorboat 45 minutes to take the tourists for lake tour and come back after covering less than half of the area. And yes --- Motorboat!!! My daughter Hania insisted for boating but as my wife has "Water-phobia", so we couldn't do boating. on this, Hania's mood got off for a while but she quickly got normal after we moved forward. After 15 minutes from Attaabad lake, we reached Gulmit.

Gulmit is a peaceful place--- full of nature. Before I write about Gulmit, I would like to clarify here that there are two places in this area with this name; one is Ghulmet which is in Nagar Valley and comes before Karimabad while travelling from Gilgit, whereas the place we are talking about here is Gulmit-Gojal which comes after 35 Km of Karimabad on the way to Sost. So, let's talk about Gulmit now. Gulmit is an ancient village near Passu. It is full of natural beauty and quite peaceful and much lesser crowded as compared to Karimabad. There are only 5-6 hotels/guesthouses in this village. As we entered Gulmit village turning left from KKH, after a few hundred meters comes the Polo Ground of Gulmit. It's a long rectangle shaped ground which doesn't look like a ground because it is also used as public passage area. However, there is also a small pavilion on side of this ground with a small sitting area for audience with steps. In addition to the polo matches, this ground is also used for social gatherings and wedding ceremonies by the residents of Gulmit. Gulmit's atmosphere seems influenced by the chinese culture as most of the youngsters were having chinese style haircut with long ponnies. As we were passing by the Gulmit Polo Ground, a wedding ceremony was going on in the ground where all the people including the groom were dancing in a circle in their traditional style. All of the people were very well-dressed. It was an interesting event to watch. But we intentionally didn't take any pictures there keeping in view that the local people may find it inappropriate.

[zuhaibafzal]

After One & a half hour of this painful journey, we reached Raikot Bridge. Many jeeps were parked near Raikot bridge waiting for the tourists, as the trek towards Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat Base Camp starts from this point. From Raikot bridge onwards, the KKH is a masterpiece. Yes!!! We were travelling on the 8th wonder of the World?the great KKH. From this point, you start the journey into a new world ?. The panorama becomes even wider?and wider? and wider. After 15-20 minutes, we reached Nanga Parbat View Point. From this point we could see Nanga Parbat?s white & gigantic peak. On our way, we also saw the point where 3 great mountain ranges of the world combine, (i.e., Himalaya, Karakoram & Hindukush).

As we reached Jaglot Farm, we saw a long queue of cars at one of the 3 Fuel Stations. We decided to stop the car and get the fuel tank re-filled as we were left with only 1.5 quarter of tank. There were almost 20 cars ahead of us in the queue and the bikes queue was in addition to this. Most of vehicles belonged to the tourists. The fuel was being re-filled at very slow speed due to some problem with the dispenser. After almost 2 hours of wait in the queue we saw two vehicles (Vigo & Corolla) coming into the fuel station from the opposite side of the queue. They were some respectable & influential people/Sardaran of the area having long beards. The flags of a renowned political party of Pakistan were mounted on these vehicles ?. The So Called ?Tabdeeli ki Jamat?. They brought the vehicles from the opposite side & parked in front of the queue of the vehicles which were waiting for many hours. The tourists waiting in the queue protested against this act but it was useless. As per the Sardaran & Fuel Station Worker, they were residents of this area and it was their right to get the fuel first. It was really ?A Change ---- Tabdeeli? which I observed after leaving Punjab.
Anyways, after 3 hours wait in hot weather, we got our fuel tank re-filled and left for Gilgit. We reached Gilgit at 7:15 PM and stayed at Hotel Riveria. In dinner, we had Chinese Chicken with Vegetable, Egg-Fried Rice & Chicken Pulao from Gilgit Continental Hotel which was very close to the hotel where we stayed.

DAY.3: GILGIT TO KARIMABAD-HUNZA (3 HOURS) 110 KM

Next day I woke up at 8:30 AM and took the car to the workshop for fixing-up the issue. Alhamdulillah the mechanic was competent enough to fix-up the issue in just half an hour. After that I got the car serviced from a local service station in Gilgit and returned to the hotel.

We left gilgit around 11 AM and moved forward towards Karimabad-Hunza through KKH. Road was again full of beauty & scenic wonders. It seemed like we were watching some 3D movie with mighty mountains and lush green trees belt in the feet of those mountains. After passing through Nagar Valley, we had the first view of the Mighty Rakaposhi Mountain. We stopped at Rakaposhi View & had Chicken Qorma & Bhindi in Lunch.

After Lunch we moved forward and reached Karimabad-Hunza which was crowded due to peak season. On the way, we also had a beautiful view of Golden Peak which looked like a Mountain covered with Rusty Gold?.Beautiful View. At certain points I couldn?t resist myself from stopping the car and keep looking at the mighty snow covered mountains. We stayed at Hilltop Hotel-Hunza. The room was very neat & clean. The terrace of the room was at an ideal location from where we could have a view of Hunza Valley & Baltit Fort.

Keeping in view the fuel shortage, we decided to go back to Aliabad in the evening to get some fuel for the car. Before going to the fuel station we had an ordinary dinner from a local ?Dhaba? situated at KKH in Aliabad. After dinner, we reached fuel station where there was a long queue of people holding gallons to get the fuel, as the fuel station people were not filling the petrol in the cars instead they were just giving it in the gallons. People of Hunza are so helpful? upon our request, a local shop owner lend us an empty gallon for the fuel. We again returned to the fuel station. My wife asked me to park the car in the dark and stay there, as she will try to get the fuel. The idea was a success and in just 10-15 minutes she returned with the gallon filled with 10 liters of petrol. We rushed towards the shop from where we borrowed the gallon. The shop-owner was so courteous & helpful that he himself filled the petrol in our Car by saying ?Tum Hamara Mehmaan Hai?. We were so thankful to him. After this mission, we returned to our hotel in Karimabad.

DAY.4: KARIMABAD to Gulmit-Gojal (1 HOUR) 35 KM

Today we have to leave Karimabad for Gulmit. Due to some technical problem, Hot water was not available in the wash room so took shower with chilled water which was a difficult stage but made me so fresh and removed all tiredness. After getting ready we roamed around in Karimabad Bazar and had breakfast from a traditional Hunzai Restaurant which was like a tree house. The benches and tables were made of wood and the sitting area was covered with trees.

After breakfast, we left Karimabad and moved towards Gulmit-Gojal which comes after one hour drive through KKH from Karimabad towards Khunjerab. On the way, we passed by a 200 years old settlement of Hunza named ?Ganish?. We also passed by the area named ?Haldeikish? where ?Sacred Rocks of Hunza are placed alongside the road. These are carved Rocks with some Scared Drawings, as you can see in below pictures.

After travelling approximately 25 KMs, we entered the first tunnel before Attaabad ?Pak China Friendship Tunnel.1?. It was a small tunnel which quickly passed. Then we entered the Tunnel.2. My wife & daughter started making video with excitement but as we moved forward in the tunnel we started looking forward towards an end to this tunnel as it was a very long tunnel which we were not expecting of. There was no light in the tunnel except the car headlight ?. A hollow existence? the sound of the car tyres seemed as if someone is screaming from far away?.gave impression of a haunted place. After 3.3 KMs we got out of the tunnel from it?s other end and immediately entered into the 3rd tunnel which was smaller like tunnel.1. Then entered the tunnel.4 which was even longer than tunnel.2 but as we had already experienced the tunnel.2 so we comfortably passed through it.

And after the last tunnel.5, we saw the first view of Attaabad lake which was like a beautiful creek underneath the mighty rocky mountains and the mountains looked like an Island surrounded by the waters of the Lake. It?s water has 2 colors --- blue and grey--- and it seemed like some artist has drawn a straight line separating the colors. None of the artists of the world can draw such a beautiful painting except the One & Only --- Al-Musawwir---Al-Khaliq---- the Beautiful---and the Creator of Beauty. The lake is so big that you cannot cover it in single picture. It takes a motorboat 45 minutes to take the tourists for lake tour and come back after covering less than half of the area. And yes --- Motorboat?. My daughter Hania insisted for boating but as my wife has ?Water-phobia? so we couldn?t do boating?.on this, Hania?s mood got off for a while but she quickly got normal after we moved forward. After 15 minutes from Attaabad lake, we reached Gulmit.

Great trip (y)

Bro, how much cost on petrol and total kms you covered?

[zuhaibafzal]

After One & a half hour of this painful journey, we reached Raikot Bridge. Many jeeps were parked near Raikot bridge waiting for the tourists, as the trek towards Fairy Meadows & Nanga Parbat Base Camp starts from this point. From Raikot bridge onwards, the KKH is a masterpiece. Yes!!! We were travelling on the 8th wonder of the World?the great KKH. From this point, you start the journey into a new world ?. The panorama becomes even wider?and wider? and wider. After 15-20 minutes, we reached Nanga Parbat View Point. From this point we could see Nanga Parbat?s white & gigantic peak. On our way, we also saw the point where 3 great mountain ranges of the world combine, (i.e., Himalaya, Karakoram & Hindukush).

As we reached Jaglot Farm, we saw a long queue of cars at one of the 3 Fuel Stations. We decided to stop the car and get the fuel tank re-filled as we were left with only 1.5 quarter of tank. There were almost 20 cars ahead of us in the queue and the bikes queue was in addition to this. Most of vehicles belonged to the tourists. The fuel was being re-filled at very slow speed due to some problem with the dispenser. After almost 2 hours of wait in the queue we saw two vehicles (Vigo & Corolla) coming into the fuel station from the opposite side of the queue. They were some respectable & influential people/Sardaran of the area having long beards. The flags of a renowned political party of Pakistan were mounted on these vehicles ?. The So Called ?Tabdeeli ki Jamat?. They brought the vehicles from the opposite side & parked in front of the queue of the vehicles which were waiting for many hours. The tourists waiting in the queue protested against this act but it was useless. As per the Sardaran & Fuel Station Worker, they were residents of this area and it was their right to get the fuel first. It was really ?A Change ---- Tabdeeli? which I observed after leaving Punjab.
Anyways, after 3 hours wait in hot weather, we got our fuel tank re-filled and left for Gilgit. We reached Gilgit at 7:15 PM and stayed at Hotel Riveria. In dinner, we had Chinese Chicken with Vegetable, Egg-Fried Rice & Chicken Pulao from Gilgit Continental Hotel which was very close to the hotel where we stayed.

DAY.3: GILGIT TO KARIMABAD-HUNZA (3 HOURS) 110 KM

Next day I woke up at 8:30 AM and took the car to the workshop for fixing-up the issue. Alhamdulillah the mechanic was competent enough to fix-up the issue in just half an hour. After that I got the car serviced from a local service station in Gilgit and returned to the hotel.

We left gilgit around 11 AM and moved forward towards Karimabad-Hunza through KKH. Road was again full of beauty & scenic wonders. It seemed like we were watching some 3D movie with mighty mountains and lush green trees belt in the feet of those mountains. After passing through Nagar Valley, we had the first view of the Mighty Rakaposhi Mountain. We stopped at Rakaposhi View & had Chicken Qorma & Bhindi in Lunch.

After Lunch we moved forward and reached Karimabad-Hunza which was crowded due to peak season. On the way, we also had a beautiful view of Golden Peak which looked like a Mountain covered with Rusty Gold?.Beautiful View. At certain points I couldn?t resist myself from stopping the car and keep looking at the mighty snow covered mountains. We stayed at Hilltop Hotel-Hunza. The room was very neat & clean. The terrace of the room was at an ideal location from where we could have a view of Hunza Valley & Baltit Fort.

Keeping in view the fuel shortage, we decided to go back to Aliabad in the evening to get some fuel for the car. Before going to the fuel station we had an ordinary dinner from a local ?Dhaba? situated at KKH in Aliabad. After dinner, we reached fuel station where there was a long queue of people holding gallons to get the fuel, as the fuel station people were not filling the petrol in the cars instead they were just giving it in the gallons. People of Hunza are so helpful? upon our request, a local shop owner lend us an empty gallon for the fuel. We again returned to the fuel station. My wife asked me to park the car in the dark and stay there, as she will try to get the fuel. The idea was a success and in just 10-15 minutes she returned with the gallon filled with 10 liters of petrol. We rushed towards the shop from where we borrowed the gallon. The shop-owner was so courteous & helpful that he himself filled the petrol in our Car by saying ?Tum Hamara Mehmaan Hai?. We were so thankful to him. After this mission, we returned to our hotel in Karimabad.

DAY.4: KARIMABAD to Gulmit-Gojal (1 HOUR) 35 KM

Today we have to leave Karimabad for Gulmit. Due to some technical problem, Hot water was not available in the wash room so took shower with chilled water which was a difficult stage but made me so fresh and removed all tiredness. After getting ready we roamed around in Karimabad Bazar and had breakfast from a traditional Hunzai Restaurant which was like a tree house. The benches and tables were made of wood and the sitting area was covered with trees.

After breakfast, we left Karimabad and moved towards Gulmit-Gojal which comes after one hour drive through KKH from Karimabad towards Khunjerab. On the way, we passed by a 200 years old settlement of Hunza named ?Ganish?. We also passed by the area named ?Haldeikish? where ?Sacred Rocks of Hunza are placed alongside the road. These are carved Rocks with some Scared Drawings, as you can see in below pictures.

After travelling approximately 25 KMs, we entered the first tunnel before Attaabad ?Pak China Friendship Tunnel.1?. It was a small tunnel which quickly passed. Then we entered the Tunnel.2. My wife & daughter started making video with excitement but as we moved forward in the tunnel we started looking forward towards an end to this tunnel as it was a very long tunnel which we were not expecting of. There was no light in the tunnel except the car headlight ?. A hollow existence? the sound of the car tyres seemed as if someone is screaming from far away?.gave impression of a haunted place. After 3.3 KMs we got out of the tunnel from it?s other end and immediately entered into the 3rd tunnel which was smaller like tunnel.1. Then entered the tunnel.4 which was even longer than tunnel.2 but as we had already experienced the tunnel.2 so we comfortably passed through it.

And after the last tunnel.5, we saw the first view of Attaabad lake which was like a beautiful creek underneath the mighty rocky mountains and the mountains looked like an Island surrounded by the waters of the Lake. It?s water has 2 colors --- blue and grey--- and it seemed like some artist has drawn a straight line separating the colors. None of the artists of the world can draw such a beautiful painting except the One & Only --- Al-Musawwir---Al-Khaliq---- the Beautiful---and the Creator of Beauty. The lake is so big that you cannot cover it in single picture. It takes a motorboat 45 minutes to take the tourists for lake tour and come back after covering less than half of the area. And yes --- Motorboat?. My daughter Hania insisted for boating but as my wife has ?Water-phobia? so we couldn?t do boating?.on this, Hania?s mood got off for a while but she quickly got normal after we moved forward. After 15 minutes from Attaabad lake, we reached Gulmit.

Great trip (y)

Bro, how much cost on petrol and total kms you covered?

[gemzaib]

After dinner, we reached fuel station where there was a long queue of people holding gallons to get the fuel, as the fuel station people were not filling the petrol in the cars instead they were just giving it in the gallons. People of Hunza are so helpful? upon our request, a local shop owner lend us an empty gallon for the fuel. We again returned to the fuel station. My wife asked me to park the car in the dark and stay there, as she will try to get the fuel. The idea was a success and in just 10-15 minutes she returned with the gallon filled with 10 liters of petrol. We rushed towards the shop from where we borrowed the gallon. The shop-owner was so courteous & helpful that he himself filled the petrol in our Car by saying ?Tum Hamara Mehmaan Hai?. We were so thankful to him. After this mission, we returned to our hotel in Karimabad.

Beautiful Pictures... Evoking many of my own memories.

And after the last tunnel.5, we saw the first view of Attaabad lake which was like a beautiful creek underneath the mighty rocky mountains and the mountains looked like an Island surrounded by the waters of the Lake. It?s water has 2 colors --- blue and grey--- and it seemed like some artist has drawn a straight line separating the colors. None of the artists of the world can draw such a beautiful painting except the One & Only --- Al-Musawwir---Al-Khaliq---- the Beautiful---and the Creator of Beauty.

And Nice Narration.

We left Karimabad and moved towards Gulmit-Gojal which comes after one hour drive through KKH from Karimabad towards Khunjerab. On the way, we passed by a 200 years old settlement of Hunza named ?Ganish?.

Just hoping you'll return to Ganish someday, I vividly remember visiting those beautifully restored small mosques back in 2008 and seeing young local boys swimming in the pond nearby.

Unesco heritage distinction award for Ganish-Hunza - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

[nagar1]

......

[imm_ali007]

Right next to the Polo ground, there is a beautiful guest house named "Gulmit Guest House" which we opted for our stay. It is a beautiful guest house and very close to the nature. It has a big lawn which is full of Apple, Cherry, Apricot & Mulberry trees. Some wooden benches are placed in different areas of the lawn for the guests to sit & relax in peace & silence for as long as they want. When the wind blows, apricots, apples, cherries and mulberries keep falling from the trees in a large quantity. We tasted some apricots & cherries and they were so fresh & juicy that we cannot get such taste in our metropolitan areas.

While sitting in the lawn of guesthouse we can have a clear view of "Passu Cones". These mountains are located in Passu Village which is very close to Gulmit and their shape is so geometrically triangular that it seems that someone has made a drawing with a triangle ruler.

We settled in our room and planned to cook our dinner in the lawn as so far we could not get good food during our stay in Hunza. We already carried some spices and cooking utensils with us. The guest house manager "Hussain" was very courteous & helpful. I gave him some money and requested to bring Potatoes, Onions, Tomatoes and green chilies --- and off-course the coal from the shop. In the meanwhile, we gathered some stones and made the fire-pit. Cooking oil was also provided by Hussain.
So we lit the fire and here we go.

That day weather was cloudy and wind was blowing very fast so food was taking much longer time to cook --- and off-course we were at a higher altitude which also slows down the cooking process. Hania made fresh salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and salad leaves. During the cooking we were also eating cherries and apricots by plucking them off the trees. After the sunset, it was getting dark in the lawn and low clouds & drizzle were also making the cooking difficult. Although potatoes were properly cooked but our dish turned out be "Potatoes with lots of broth (Lambey Shorbey Waaley Aaloo)". Hussain cooked some Brown Rice for us in his guest house kitchen. So, we enjoyed our "Aaloo Ka Salan" with Brown Rice but at this point they tasted delicious because we couldn't get good food in Hunza. The fast blowing wind caused power failure due to which our dinner turned out to be "Candle Light Dinner".

The rain kept pouring throughout the night and there was no light due to the power failure.

[imm_ali007]

DAY.5: Gulmit to Khunjerab Pass & Back to Karimabad (8.5 HOURS) 322 KM

We woke up around 6 AM and the rain was still falling but was very slow. The weather was cloudy. For a moment we thought to cancel the plan to visit Khunjerab pass as the continuous rain might have caused landslide and road blocks, but then having faith in Allah, we offered Nawafil and decided to continue our journey.

We had our breakfast in the Veranda of Guest House and left for Khunjerab at 8 AM.

After a few minutes drive, we passed by the "Passu Village" from where the view of Passu Cones was even closer and clear. After crossing Passu, there is a point from where the jeep track leads to Shamshal Valley. We continued our journey on KKH towards Khunjerab. We also passed by the Batura Glacier View Point, which is considered to be the 5th longest glacier outside the polar regions due to its vast length & width.

The road towards khunjerab was even more beautiful but there was continuous medium level rain on our way. While driving I recalled the words of my cousin that he said a few days ago that "Completing the journey alone from Lahore to Khunjerab covering Hunza, Nagar, etc. is a big achievement in itself". And we were on the way to our final destination. We passed through some of the patches where road was completely broken due to continuous landslide. Once you cross "Sost" which is known to be last proper town of Pakistan, there is frequent landslide area till the next 30-35 KMs. However, with the blessings of Almighty, we crossed that area safely.

The steep ascend & hairpin turns start 10-15 KMs ahead of Khunjerab Pass, but the scenery changes from rocky mountains to plane meadows in the surroundings. The rain stopped but there were dense clouds at a very low level. Finally, after travelling for 3.5 hours from Gulmit, we saw the first glimpse of Khunjerab Pass from distance. Gradually, we moved forward and parked our car at "Zero Point". This point is almost half Kilometer ahead of Khunjerab Pass Gate and no civil vehicle can go beyond this point from Pakistan side unless you are intending to cross the border with a Visa & Passport.

[imm_ali007]

Before, getting out of the car, we ate some dried apricots & toffees as oxygen level is low in this area due to an altitude of 16000 feet. We also covered ourselves with jackets and hoods. As we got out of the vehicle, the wind was chilled and blowing very fast which was freezing our hands & body. We moved slowly towards the Gate and it was getting difficult to walk in the chilled & fast wind. One mistake on our part --- we forgot to take gloves. It was being difficult to get our hands out of the jackets as they were getting numb because of the chilled wind. There were mountains covered with snow and meadows in the surroundings making the atmosphere so beautiful and magical.

We stayed at Khunjerab Pass for about half an hour and took some pictures; and then started our journey back towards Karimabad-Hunza. On our way back, we stopped at Sost for shopping but couldn't find anything worth buying. The reason for lack of variety told by the shopkeepers was increased duty & taxes levied by the Govt. of Pakistan. Anyways, we got our car's fuel tank refilled and had "Matar Pulao & Aaloo ki Bhujia" in lunch from PTDC Motel, Sost.
As we were close to Karimabad, we observed aftermaths of heavy landslide near "Ganish". After reaching Karimabad we got to know that yesterday there was heavy rainfall in this area which caused landslide. Most of the Hotels at Karimabad were again fully booked however after some search we got a room in "Hunza Serena". It was a comfortable room with warm water facility. The lawn of the hotel was also beautiful. We were lucky enough to get a room in this hotel because after half an hour of our arrival there was no room left and people were returning hopeless. Anyways, after relaxing a bit we moved towards karimabad bazaar for some more shopping and dinner but due to heavy downpour from the sky we had no choice except coming back to the hotel. So, we had our dinner in the Hotel and during our dinner, we decided to leave Karimabad in the morning and start our journey backwards keeping in view the weather situation.

DAY.5: Safar Towards Nagar (1 hour) 36 KM

The morning was sunny. After taking shower, we had a lavish breakfast with plenty of dishes at "Osho Maraka" Restaurant of Hunza Serena. Osho Maraka literally means "a place set for guests". After breakfast we visited the garden of the hotel which was beautiful and full of Apricot, Apple & Cherry Trees. Taking advantage of the sunshine, we did some photo shoot and afterwards left for Minapin-Nagar Valley.

After travelling for about one hour, the direction sign of "Minapin" appeared on the road side. From this point, we turned left from KKH and took a small metal road towards "Minapin Village" where our room was already booked at "Diran Guest House". Diran guest house was highly recommended by a good friend of mine "Jawad Butt" and I also read about this guest house in Tarar Sb.'s book "Rakaposhi Nagar" and probably in another book as well. Infact, Jawad Butt arranged our booking in this guest house. After travelling 4 KMs, we reached Diran Guest House which has an adequate parking space and huge lawn. We entered the reception area where we were warmly welcomed by the Guest House Owner Israr Hussain with a pleasant smiling face. Israr is a very polite & kind-hearted person with a friendly nature. He offered us welcome tea which had rose flavor and tasted amazing.

It is a beautiful old-styled guest house with a well-designed & decorated lobby, Corridor, Dining hall & a sitting area. Many pictures are placed in the lobby, Corridor & dining area. At my first sight, I saw some pictures of Tarar Sb which were taken during his stay at Diran Guest House for Rakaposhi Expedition. There were also some black & white pictures of rulers of Nagar State. Additionally, some pictures of various peaks of Nagar Valley were also mounted on the walls of the corridor & dining hall. Many books in many languages were also placed in the reception area as well as in a shelf of the corridor. All these factors made the atmosphere of Diran Guest House very attractive & relaxing. Above all, I felt myself at a place where I could feel the presence of my ideal writer "Mustansar Hussain Tarar Sb.", as I came here following his footsteps. I got to know that Tarar Sb. recently stayed at Diran Guest House couple of days before my arrival and then he left for Haramosh Expedition. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to meet him.

We sat down under the shade of that tree and as we sat, we saw a mighty view of Rakaposhi in front of us. Initially, it was partially hidden behind the clouds but after some time the cloud cover moved away, it was a magical scene which stunned us and we kept staring at the snow covered peak of the Mighty Rakaposhi. It's snow blanket glows as the sunlight touches it. What an amazing view it was---we couldn't talk to each other for 5-7 minutes and were lost in the white & immaculate existence of Rakaposhi. We felt it so close to us as it will start talking to us. We kept sitting there for long continuously looking at the marvelous & wonderful beauty of Rakaposhi.

After sometime, I came back to the reception area of guest house where Israr was sitting on a sofa. I started having a chit chat with him. During conversation I told him that we're hungry and want some good food in the lunch. I told him that we couldn't get good taste during our stay in Hunza. On this he ensured to me that you won't have such problem while staying here. Here you will enjoy the food & taste. He suggested to have "Brown Rice with Potatoes" in the lunch. After about 45 minutes, the lunch was served in the guest house lawn and the aroma of the rice was amazing --- really delicious. After lunch, we had tea in the lawn.

After having our tea, we decided to explore the Minapin Village and left towards the track which leads to rakaposhi Base Camp. Minapin village has a beautiful attraction with crop fields of corn on side of the path. Apricots were lying at many spots for drying. Their orange color was an addition in the beauty of the village. The people of Minapin are quite simple as compared to Hunzai People but equally welcoming. After walking for while in the Minapin Village, we were on the "Rakaposhi Base camp Track". It was a beautiful but dry track gradually moving upwards. The sunshine was bright. But after walking for about 30 minutes we reached a spot where the wind started getting chilled & the atmosphere got pleasant. The Minapin Village was left far behind us at a lower altitude. After a while, the path turned a bit left and we reached a wooden bridge over Minapin River. Here, the chilled wind was blowing very fast, while crossing the bridge it was spraying the mist of water splashes on our faces giving us a fresh & relaxing feeling. We stayed at this spot for some time and then came back to the guest house.

[imm_ali007]

In dinner, Israr served us a special 100 years old mutton dish named "Ghorkun" which was cooked and served in a stone pot shaped like a small cauldron. As Israr removed the lid, it was sizzling and the smoke & aroma was amazing. Some foreigners were having dinner on another table but as they saw our dish they came closer to our table and started taking pictures of this amazingly delicious dish. It was a treat to us. The mutton was so tendered and juicy that it was breaking with a fingertip. It was melting in our mouth with a taste and aroma of the stone. We really relished this feast and thanked Israr for his great hospitality.

After getting free from the dinner, I sat with Israr for long who kept telling me stories of Rakaposhi & Haramosh Trek. He also showed me some pictures & videos of Tarar Sb. during his expedition to Rakaposhi Base Camp. I expressed my wish to Israr that after returning to Lahore, I will write a letter to Tarar Sb. and will request him for a meeting as he is my ideal --- off-course, it's completely on his discretion if he grants me the honor to meet or not.

DAY.6: A TRADITIONAL BREAKFAST AND START OF JOURNEY TOWARDS HOME

Next morning I woke up and again sat in the lawn for saying goodbye to Rakaposhi. At that moment, I decided that I will come back again for expedition to the Base camp of Rakaposhi and then I will be able to have the full & even closer sight of this love and I will be able to enjoy its confinity & nearness. There is an ancient mosque in a corner of Diran Guest House lawn which adds up to the ancient and beautiful look of the guesthouse.

Just like last night, the morning breakfast was also one of a kind --- very special traditional omelet (Called Dianshoroo) prepared in Nagar's local style with a special tomato puree and local herbs---served with Homemade butter and parathas---accompanied by special apple jam made by Israr. We never had such a great feast and hospitality even in 5 star hotels.

After breakfast, we took some pictures with Israr and promised him that I will come back again for Rakaposhi expedition. We all thanked him again for his unparalleled hospitality and left for Gilgit. While leaving the guest house, I wistfully kept looking again & again at Rakaposhi as I didn't want to leave.

By afternoon, we reached Gilgit and roamed around the NLI Market for shopping. Next day, we reached Abbottabad and following day Rawalpindi where we stayed at Shahzad Bhai's place (my wife's cousin). We kept telling them the stories of our trip till late night and Yes!!! we also enjoyed the lavish dinner and breakfast at their place. Finally, the next day we reached back home.

And yes --- on our way to Rawalpindi, we also had the delicious "Pakoras" of Haripur.

Thus, a wonderful journey to the heaven on the earth came to an end. But, I still feel the fragrance of mountains and valleys --- I still feel the mist of water splashes --- I still see myself sitting in front of Rakaposhi---

The journey is still to be continued --- RAKAPOSHI! I WILL COME BACK ----

[Moona.irfan3]

How much total expense?,,, mention petrol expense, hotel expense separately please...which car model you had?...

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[3dkhurram]

Excellent Trip - i have been to Atabad - from islamabad .
Planning my next trip from Karachi to Pak-China Border.

[Shuaib321]

Sir, would you please forward the no. of Israra Hussain. I want to book rooms. What did you pay for double bed room last year. Thanks.

[jahangirchohan]

Hi, If you don't mind could you pls confirm tentatively cost for entire visit? Will be appreciated