KKH ? latest update/trip

[Wanderlust]

Aaaaaaah... Subhanallah !
What a beauty............

Indeed beautiful for those eyes that know what is beautiful. Not the people who consider only greenery is beautiful, or who leave cities to stand between a mountain and camera.

[waseem14pk]

Next day was still cloudy. I started consuming my stock of food that was originally for camping. Also there are not so nice dinning facilities in karimabad, at least I could not find one. Or else it was offseason.

My Brunton pocket size folding stove was performing very well

Your stove is as impressive as your tour narration ..
From where one can buy this stove

[saghrikhattak]

very nice thread.

[Wanderlust]

Your stove is as impressive as your tour narration ..
From where one can buy this stove

I bought this from US. You may try online from Amazon.

[gemini85]

Indeed beautiful for those eyes that know what is beautiful. Not the people who consider only greenery is beautiful, or who leave cities to stand between a mountain and camera.

100% agreed sir

[Wanderlust]

It was the start of third day at karimabad. After fajr prayer, I prepared my breakfast and as usual peeped out of the window to get a feel of the weather.

At last it was clear. Rakaposhi was flashing in its full glory

[Wanderlust]

During my entire trip, I have noticed that getting up at Fajr time has its own rewards. I covered long distances on KKH without any stress or rush just because I started too early i.e soon after sunrise. I enjoyed "catwalk" of mountains around nargar and hunza just after sunrise.

[Wanderlust]

Clear weather tempted me to go to Attabad lake. I carried my sleeping bag, jacket and toothbrush; plan was to carry my car on the other end of lake via boat and for an overnight stay somewhere. KKH after Aliabad is newly paved and I day dreamed that it will be new up till Attabad

[Wanderlust]

The road does not exist

[Wanderlust]

Where ever there is rehabilitation and rebuilt activities of KKH going on, they were Chinese who were doing this. Local's opinion supported my observation. Every body was saying our country is not ineterested in rebuilding KKH. Even a "chai wala" shared his conversation with a chinese surveyor (can speak urdu) who along with his other colleagues had stopped work for three days owing to non payment of their salaries. I won't share the conversation here as I know everyone on Pakwheels know where our leaders are dragging us

[Wanderlust]

I continued driving towards attabad lake slowly and patiently as I take due care of my car.

[Wanderlust]

"dheeray dheeray gari chultey ruhee" and after taking a turn, attabad lake suddenly jumped in front of me and also a guy who was rubbing his "friend".

This reminded me of a joker type of Greek guy whom we met in Hunza years ago. He had asked us "why ***** is your best "friend"? "where ever I have gone, I have seen men "adjusting" their "friend" on the streets, footpaths, driving seat, at the barber shop, in the buses diligently."

Do you have answer about this affection towards "him"?

[BILAL3538]

After an hour or so, I descended to the camping site. Had a nice chat with an old man; they usually share interesting facts about the past.

Asked him how they used to go to urban areas when KKH was not built. He said on foot, and it took two days to reach gilgit, then another couple of days to Chilas for onwards descending to Kaghan valley via Babusar pass.

I - "mian jee it must be very tough"

Mian jee - "no"

I - "haen?"

Mian jee - "tougher part was the permission from the local rajas. they used to give wooden coins (visas of those days) in limited numbers. They discouraged people to go to the urban areas saying that if people will start going to cities for living, then who will serve them. There were checkposts of rajas where watchmen used to check the visas (wooden coins). KKH has solved this problem".

While I was listening to him, I remembered that many years ago a baba jee of "Khudabad" village near Sust has the same reply. I think that was the last village of Pakistan before Chinese border. That baba jee in his prime age used to ride yak and reach Gilgit in seven days....having clearance at the checkposts of rajas all along.

KKH brought freedom to the "babas" of northern Pakistan but ...... generations of "babas" of southern Punjab and interior Sindh have sunk in their graves waiting for KKH in their area.....

"Golden Tales"

Then mian jee fired a question on me

"neechay kay loggon ko kia ho gaya hae"

"kya mutlub" I said

"last year boys and girls from (?) university came here for "ayyasshi" and smoking "churs". Girls were flashing expensive brands of cigarettes.

He was referring to a highly prestigious educational institute.

They wanted to be "roshan heaal" like gaddafi and his sons who gave millions of dollars to Mariah Carey for a song on birthday parties. Our "roshan heaal" can afford to come to Duikar, they can afford "churs". If they will afford Madonna, they will also arrange her concert in Duikar.

Worst face of our Roshan Khayalee

[BILAL3538]

Very Nice Going Bro:)

Really enjoying your thread with interesting detailed narrations!!!

[mfdarvesh]

Very good brother, nice trip

These areas are lovely and nature full. I don't what is going-on these areas, why Govt. is not protecting this vital route.

this remind me too of 1999-2001, when I was a regular commuter between Islamabad, Gilgit and Sakardu. Also completed trip to Khunjrab, Rakaposhi view is still same. Up towards Khunjrab, Sust bazar is also same as you described.

[Wanderlust]

Very Nice Going Bro:)

Really enjoying your thread with interesting detailed narrations!!!

Thank you, I appreciate your feedback on my thread!

[Wanderlust]

Very good brother, nice trip

These areas are lovely and nature full. I don't what is going-on these areas, why Govt. is not protecting this vital route.

this remind me too of 1999-2001, when I was a regular commuter between Islamabad, Gilgit and Sakardu. Also completed trip to Khunjrab, Rakaposhi view is still same. Up towards Khunjrab, Sust bazar is also same as you described.

Bhai, the towns that have grown enormously on KKH are mansehra, butgram, besham, dassu and aliabad. But the magic of travelling on this highway is still the same. Some stretches between besham/dassu and stretch between dassu/chilas are still giving a feeling "in the middle of no where".

[mudasernaeem]

Enjoying ur thread.....Very intresting
Past and present Dono comparison majood hain......plz share more about "past..."
Kis age mein 1st trip kiya tha ap ny northen Areas ka?????(Murree,galiyat side ko chor k)
bhai yad b hai k nhi

[Wanderlust]

Enjoying ur thread.....Very intresting
Past and present Dono comparison majood hain......plz share more about "past..."
Kis age mein 1st trip kiya tha ap ny northen Areas ka?????(Murree,galiyat side ko chor k)
bhai yad b hai k nhi

Thanks. Bohat kuch yaad hae:) My first trip beyond Muree was during April of 1993 for Naran. Had purchased PIA tickets for skurdu for Rs. 390. Flights cancelled for 2 days and we hopped on a bus for mansehra. We were "junglee", started hike towards saiful muluk in all snow conditions. Service Cheetah shoes were slipping every where on snow, had a branch of tree in place of hiking pole. Had worst sun burn on face and hands and we don't know what happened to us...we were just feeling slight pain and very bad itchiness.

Having precious memories have "side affects" as well. Last year when I went to naran with my family, I terribly disliked naran because my mind started comparing a lonely naran with few hotels and a small quiet bazar of 1993. Anybody who visits naran now for the 1st time will say "bohot khoobsoorat" because he has not seen virgin naran, it is now raped by unplanned commercialism.

[gemini85]

Thanks. Bohat kuch yaad hae:) My first trip beyond Muree was during April of 1993 for Naran. Had purchased PIA tickets for skurdu for Rs. 390. Flights cancelled for 2 days and we hopped on a bus for mansehra. We were "junglee", started hike towards saiful muluk in all snow conditions. Service Cheetah shoes were slipping every where on snow, had a branch of tree in place of hiking pole. Had worst sun burn on face and hands and we don't know what happened to us...we were just feeling slight pain and very bad itchiness.

Having precious memories have "side affects" as well. Last year when I went to naran with my family, I terribly disliked naran because my mind started comparing a lonely naran with few hotels and a small quiet bazar of 1993. Anybody who visits naran now for the 1st time will say "bohot khoobsoorat" because he has not seen virgin naran, it is now raped by unplanned commercialism.

I visited naran n 1995 when i was a school boy.The town is very calm and few hotels in main bazar which are made with wood