Day 7
This way by far the best most memorable and fun day for me due to several reasons ...
I woke up early feeling a lot better than before. ...
After taking a nice hot shower and getting ready the hotel owner told me that his sister is unwell and he is heading to gilgit to the doctor so he could not take me to the rakaposhi trek on bike .
I ate a light breakfast took a shopper with 2 bottles of water some fruit and biscuits and started up the trek at just after 10am.. I asked the hotel owner how long will it take to get there and he said hardly an hour... So I multiplied by 3 as it usually takes us city folks about three times what the locals say it will take .
The weather was very cloudy and seemed like it might rain... The awesome thing was that the trek starts right there from the hotels gate.... I crossed fields with crops as well as trees of different fruits like apple walnut peaches apricot and many more... The apple trees were loaded with juicy looking apples ..
After about 10 15 minutes the trek trek started ascending and in half an hour I was on a trek which kind of reminded me of the fairy meadows trek... Soon I was above the valley with a awesome panoramic view of autumn....
There was a stream flowing along the trek....... seeing glimpses of the snow clad set of mountains... The trek was easy to follow as its pretty straight forward and tire tracks were quiet visible... The good thing was that there was hardly any rubbish on the trek unlike fairy meadows meaning not many people go to that trek which is Such a shame as this trek is very pretty scenic and much easier than fairy meadows ....the trek was winding upwards and soon I could see the top of the hill I was climbing up... I passed some very pretty houses or huts made of stone and some small and one bigger water stream...
After about an hour and a half of slow walking and sight seeing I was on top and then the trek was a simple walk... After walking for a bit I soon got my first real look of the mountain and the mammoth glacier... You could quiet clearly hear water flowing from within the glacier...
After stopping there for a few minutes I continued walking towards the mountain... Soon I was passing through light bushes and I came across a massive lush green ground... It was like something out of a scenery and u could see rakaposhi from there very clearly and there were several goats grazing in the ground... This was pissan cricket ground where cricket matches and tournaments are held in summer.... It is also the base camp for rakaposhi and 4x4 vehicles come and park there as u have to trek through a Forrest to go further... There was a massive cabin made of stone with the Pakistan flag on a pole outside it but I went over no one was there.. I also saw quiet as few rabbits grazing around but couldn't take a photo ...sat there for half an hour and ate fruits ...by now I was almost 2 hours into the trek and had not seen a single human soul...
From there I have to go through a fairy thick Forrest with a small trek for walking.. I pondered for a bit that should I go on or go back... I got a pretty good look at the mountain and it's glacier... While I was sitting and thinking there was a mighty roar which lasted a good 30 40 seconds... An avalanche... I just saw a huge puff of snow and cloud rise but the sound was frightening... I decided i needed a closer look and crossed the field and continued on... There were several signs of fires being burned by campers maybe or locals who lived or stayed in those stone huts... There were at least 3 huts in or around the ground
The weather was getting darker and I had forgot to bring my raincoat with me... It was quiet chilly and getting colder as I kept going further... I had decided that no matter what I will turn back if it starts raining ...even drizzling... or by 2 pm as I was starting to feel a bit dizzy.. There was no one around I was all alone.... After the cricket ground the trek again started going upwards it was quiet narrow and I could hear goats grazing around for a few minutes... Some times it felt like i was getting off track but I could see rakaposhi and I kept going further towards it... Soon I was at a dead end as the trek ended and the peak was right in front if me... I wanted a closer look so i had to climb down the trek and climb onto an adjacent hill.. I was right on top of the glacier with the peak in front of me... I saw a nice high point and I decided to Cambridge up there to get an even better view of rakaposhi... I left my shopper of food and water behind and started climbing/crawling my way up..
it was really cold and windy up there u could hear the gusts of cold wind blowing... And I was walking on a fairly narrow ledge with a steep fall of several. Hundred feet onto the glacier on one side and the gap between the mountain where the trek ended and the other one I climbed o to which was a good 100 feet below by now...
On the way my foot slipped and I slipped down 20, 30 feet towards the glacier side... I sat down to steady myself... And thought... Man if I fall... If I even twist my ankle.... No ones around here what will I do? Only the hotel owner knows I m here.... So I decided to not go to the high point I was aiming for... Sat there for 15 20. Minutes... Composed myself and slowly crawled my way back down.... As it was quiet windy and I felt the wind was picking up speed.... Soon I was down.. My jeans's back pocket was torn and it started drizzling....
So I decided to head back as fast as I could... I soon git to the cricket field and thankfully the drizzling stopped.... I had set my alarm for 2 pm and it went off right after I crossed the field... There o met my first and only human being on the trek...a goat Shepard...
He saw me coming from as distance across the field and stood there waiting for me... He was quiet friendly and asked where was I coming from... I pointed towards rakaposhi... He smirked and said its beautiful up there ain't it? I couldn't help but laugh and nod in approval... He was surprised that I was alone ...we chatted for a while walking and after 20 minutes he said u can go on if u want to its about to rain and oh have to collect my herd before leaving...
So I was soon on my way ...about 10 minutes later it got really dark although the time was 2:40 ...soon my fear was realized and it started raining again... Hard this time.... I scrambled for cover and got under a tree.... Wrapped my phone in my shopper and waited for the rain to stop... After 20 minutes or did and I literally started jogging down the track... It was getting really cold and still very dark... By 4 I was fairly close to the hotel and I relaxed... By 4:30 I was back at the hotel...bought two bottles of mineral water 60 Rs each..
The hotel owner my abid was waiting for me...he said it was raining and I was really worried for u ... I told him that it was raining hard and I almost slipped... He said that god forbid for some reason I could be back before dark they would not have come looking for me before the morning... I was thanking Allah that I made it back safe and sound.... He offered me a nice hot cup of porridge again for dinner and tea afterwards.... I told him that I will leave early morning and he was relieved as his daughter had to be admitted in hospital at gilgit and he was also going to leave for gilgit with his wife in the morning.... It did not rain after I got back but got real cold. ...i packed my bags before going to sleep... I asked how much I owed for the room and food as I wanted to leave early without breakfast..
He said I hardly ate anything so just the room rent... I was very impressed by their hospitality and friendliness... Will visit again inshaAllah...
End of day 7
Total expense 12,580/-
