I have recently returned from a long trip (2,050km) covering Naran, Astore, Rupal, Desosai, Skardu and Khaplu. Main target was just to visit polish basecamp of Nanga Parbat that I could not reach during my last two attempts. First in 2014 when heavy rain stopped us just before descending Trishing glacier and then last year I had returned just before Balakot during eid holidays…. there was traffic jam from Balakot to Naran even at 6 in the morning that happened at 10am a day before…… longest bottleneck in Pakistan.
Let’s focus on current solo trip:
Vehicle – Nissan Kix 660cc turbo charged mini SUV with auto transmission
Cameras:
Nikon J4 mirrorless with interchangeable 10-30mm & 30-110mm lenses. This thread will only display photos from this camera mostly in auto mode.
Canon IXUS – not yet downloaded.
Transcend dashcam for videos – not yet downloaded
Day 1 – Lahore to Naran via motorway. Brief tea break at Bhera and lunch/namaz stop near Abbottabad. Road condition: excellent
Day 2 – Naran to Trishing village via Babusar top, Astore. Tea break at Babusar and lunch/namaz stop before Astore. Road condition: Naran/Chilas excellent except many very bad patches owing to landslides about 10km before Chilas. These were the landslides that social media was wrongly reporting at Babusar; extremely hard for sedans to cross. Then Chilas/Raikot KKH section was bearable. A lovely but brief KKH section from Raikot bridge and then below average road up to Astore and Gorikot. Finally, a jeep track of one and a half hour takes you to Trishing village.
Day 3 – Start of trekking from Trishing to Polish base camp of Nanga Parbat. A thirty-minute break at Rupal village for tea. It was drizzling during the last hour or so before reaching the basecamp. There was a foreign expedition with a dozen or so porters camped at the base camp. They were targeting Mazenno pass and were leaving the place next morning. At maghrib time, I was also set in my tent when it started raining and it rained all night. I thought even this time, I will not be able to see Nanga Parbat’s highest rock face (4,600m+) on earth.
Day 4 – Early morning at like 5, it was all clear with Nanga Parbat revealing her summit and spelling the glory of Almighty Allah. After an hour or so, clouds started gathering around the mountain. My plan was to camp at this place for a couple of days but I also have to break the camp on the advice of the local guide who was administering the expedition to Mazeeno pass. He insisted not to stay alone at this place; I feel not for the usual security reasons but more of superstitions that I also felt somehow. Late in the afternoon, I was back to Trishing.
Day 5 – Trishing to Skardu via Deosai. It was raining throughout my journey through Deosai. Brief stopover at Sheosar lake, then noodle/tea time at Kala Pani and before descending towards Skardu I stopped at Bara Pani for a couple of snaps. Road condition: Trishing (jeep track), Gorikot/Chilam Choki (average), Deosai is harcore jeep track and I failed to understand how people dare to take their cars…. may be “showbaazi”. As you descend from Deosai, road is just bearable until Skardu. Before my departure for the trip, there were news about huge huge landslide along Satpara lake with many casualties. This was a very sad incidence in fact…. a restaurant with camping site where I and my friend had lunch last year was completely buried. Skardu/Gwari/khaplu road is good.
Day 6 – Explored Khaplu area.
Day 7 – Started journey back home at 4:30AM because I have to reach Chilas before 4pm or else they will not let me go to Babusar but will turn me back to Gilgit. Skardu road was just bearable like last year, except that narrow width sometime bothers when you have to let trucks pass while your vehicle is just on the edge above Indus river. Anyhow, I reached Chilas at 1:30 with a 30 minutes breakfast stopover near Jaglot. Reached Naran at 4 and took refuge in a hotel where I always stay.
Day 8 – Naran to Lahore via GT road Alhumdu Lillah. Gt road is in excellent condition. Only bottleneck is huge traffic in Rawalpindi.
More to follow In Sha Allah.
