ALTAF HUSSAIN MOUNTAIN GUIDE
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The following Itineraries are suggested for maximum enjoyment. They are suggestions only and quotes may be gotten for shorter or longer safaris with route variations. Use the hyperlinks below to jump to the safari you are interested in or scroll down to view all.
8 Days: Gilgit to Rama Lake, Tarashing, Rupal Face-Nanga Parbat, Deosai Plains and Skardu return. On this Safari we travel to the Astor and Tarashing Valleys. Rama lake is a short walk from Astor and is fed by the Sachen Glacier. Surrounded by green meadows and snowcapped mountains the lake offers superb reflections of cloud and surrounding peaks. In Tarashing we start at the village with the imposing Massif of Nanga Parbat (8000+ m) looming in front and cross the Tarashing glacier before heading up to Herlikopfer Base Camp and magnificent views of Nanga Parbat's South or Rupal Face. This can be done on foot or horse. Often tremendous avalanches can be viewed from the safety of the base camp. After Tarashing we head up to the 4200 metre Deosai Plain. Upon first reaching the plain their are distant views back to Nanga Parbat, and a fantastically clear Sheosar lake. Many peaks border the plain but are dwarfed by your elevation. Except at the very end of summer these peaks are snow capped. A short walk up a nearby "hilltop" will give you an even more impressive view of the vastness of the plain and surrounding peaks. Many people compare the area to Tibetan and Mongolian Plains. These are important summer pastures for local villages and horses, cattle and yak are bought here to graze. Occasionally colorful pack yaks can be seen crossing the plains with their owners. The wildflowers alone would make the visit worthwhile but Deosai Plains is abundant with wildlife to. Golden Marmots are everywhere and if you are lucky you might see a Himalayan Brown Bear. The local park rangers know where to look and have a lot of information to share. It is possible to fish here on the Plain or at Satpara Lake on the way to Skardu. Another stop at a carved Buddha reveals that the area hasn't always been Islamic. Skardu lies in an impressive wide river valley. Local crafts and clothing make shopping in Skardu both interesting and rewarding. The drive back to Gilgit follows the Indus River and offers views of Haramosh Peak. The road itself is an amazing engineering feat and is right in amongst the towering Karakorum Range. Day 1 Gilgit to Rama by jeep (4 hrs)
Day 2 Walk back to Rama if camped at the lake(2 hrs)
Day 3 Tarashing to Rupal Face - Nanga Parbat Base
Camp
Day 4 camping again - day hikes around/on from base camp
Day 6 Sheosar Lake to Bara Pani
(suspension Bridge 2 hrs by jeep)
Day 7 Bara Pani to Satpara Lake to
Skardu by jeep (4 hrs).
Day 8 Skardu to Shangri-La Hotel, Kachura Lake to Gilgit (6 hrs by jeep) If you have less time it is possible to do a truncated version of this tour in 4-5 days.
9 Days: Gilgit to Chitral via Shandur Pass, Kalash Valleys, Swat to Islamabad or Peshawar In the middle of summer escape the heat, or enjoy the winter with clear days and crystal clear blue streams and frozen lakes. The Pass is open most of the year and offers magnificent scenery whatever the season. The mountains of the Hindu Kush are somewhat less imposing than the Karakorum and offer lush green valleys to travel through- a stark contrast to the barren Rock on the Gilgit side. Most of the way the road follows the Gilgit river. At Las Pur the impressive Tirich Mir Peak can be seen from deep within your valley. Yaks abound here and at night they can keep you awake sometimes. Chitral again offers a variety of local handicrafts and traditional cloth and dress. From Chitral a trip to the Kalash Valleys is an interesting respite from Islamic culture. The Kalash women wear highly decorated clothes and for a change, the villages are full of women openly going about their work. The men are up in the high pastures with the goats for most of the summer. Many tourists including domestic tourists travel to Kalash to learn about and experience the difference in culture. It is important to respect the women and ask if you want to take any photographs of people. Traveling from Chitral to Swat the tour crosses the Lowari Pass on many switchbacks. This area is densely forested and offers distant mountain views. Takht -e- Bahi is an impressive ruin of a Buddhist monastery with much of it intact or painstakingly restored. Peshawar your destination can be enjoyed over a week/few days or if you would like a day tour this can also be arranged. Islamabad offers more relaxed shopping and western style restaurants as well as classy local cuisine. Day 1 Gilgit to Gupis (6 hrs by
jeep)
Day 2 Gupis to Phundar (2.5 hrs by jeep)
Day 3 Laspur Valley to Chitral (4.5 hrs by
jeep)
Day 4 option Garam Chasma (4 hrs return by jeep) swimming in Hot Spring Day 5 Chitral to Kalash Valley (Bomboret
Valley) (2 hrs by jeep)
Day 6 Bomboret to Rambur Valley(2 hrs by jeep)
Day 7 Chitral to Dir over the Lowari Pass (6.5
hrs by jeep)
Day 8 Dir to Takht-e-Bhai
Day 9 Takht-e-Bhai to Islamabad/Peshawar
This jeep Safari can end in Chitral or Swat if you have a short time.
6 Days: Gilgit to Islamabad via Fairy Meadows and the Kaghan Valley Depending on the weather this trip can be done between April and December. Fairy Meadows offers awesome views of Nanga Parbat's North Face from a large green Meadow with a small lake. The meadow has a hotel for restaurant meals or we can self cater if you'd prefer. It is possible to ride from Tato, at the end of the jeep road to Fairy Meadows on horseback. In Chilas we can make a short trip to see ancient rock carvings dating from many periods. Ibex feature heavily in these carvings. The journey from Chilas travels through narrow green valleys with fortressed villages to Babusar Top. Here most local men appear to travel armed and keep aloof though are usually helpful if approached. When approaching Babusar Top it is disappointing to see that much of the forest has been harvested. Babusar top is above the tree-line and is cold at night even in the middle of summer. Lichen covered rocks, green grass and wildflowers can be stunningly beautiful or eerily beautiful depending on the weather conditions. The drive down from Babusar Pass travels through wide green valleys with summer villages, pastures and crystal clear streams. Lalusar Lake is very long and aqua in color. Bordered by stunning wildflowers and snow glaciers and fed by a permanent glacier it is enchanting and makes an excellent camping spot. The drive further down the Kaghan Valley brings us to Naran and a side trip to Saiful Maluk (fairytale lake) and Malika Parbat. This area is popular with domestic tourists and is famed for its' large trees and forest. It is in stark contrast with the sparsely populated upper valley. The houses on the way are often wooden and some are massive with Pagoda styled roofs. Before long your back on the KKH and heading towards Islamabad.
Day 1 Gilgit to Fairy Meadows
(3 hrs jeep)(3 hrs walk)
Day 2 Fairy Meadows to Chilas(2
hrs walk) (3 hrs Jeep)
Day 3 Chilas to Babusar Pass to
Lulasar Lake (5 hrs by jeep)
Day 4 Lulasar Lake to Naran
(5 hrs)
Day 5 Naran to Balakot (4-5
hours)
Day 6 Balakot to Islamabad (6
hours)
This trip can be done in 3 long days if you miss out fairy Meadows and Lake Saful Maluk.
8 Days: Gilgit to Khunjerab Pass, Hunza and Naltar Valleys return. This Jeep safari starts with a leisurely drive up the KKH. A few stops just near Gilgit include some petroglyphs of Ibex and the Chinese cemetery where the Chinese KKH builders who died during construction are buried. This is a beautiful garden with pines and rambling roses. In the summer it is used buy village women as an afternoon rest and picnic spot to escape the heat and recover from a mornings hard work in the fields. Getting to Danyor, where the cemetry is, we cross as amazing suspension Bridge which ends in a tunnel on the Danyor side. The drive up the KKH reveals views of Naltar Peak, Nomal Village, Chalt Valley and Rakaposhi. The open top of a jeep provides uninterrupted views and exposes the immensity of the landscape. At any opportunity we can stop for photographs or just the enjoyment of a spectacular view. Each new corner reveals bigger mountains and greener valleys. A stop at Ghulmet for tea allows us time to view Rakaposhi and it's glacier from Zero Point. Not far down the road and a sweeping view across the river to Minapin, Minapin Glacier and Rakaposhi. Just before Karimabad at Aliabad there are more excellent views of Rakaposhi. The jeep takes a scenic drive from Aliabad to Karimabad. Karimabad has commercialized tourist shops where you can get Pakistan and Afgan handicrafts from all areas as well as local Hunzakut handicrafts. Second hand trekking gear and outdoor clothing is available here if you are feeling the cold or need some small item. From Karimabad and Eagle's nest
Viewpoint you can see about 10 peaks including Rakaposhi, Diran,
Golden Peak, Shispar Peak, Ultar I and Ultar II, and Lady
Finger.
The day trip to Hopper allows you an opportunity to get really close to a glacier and time permitting-cross one. The Hopper Glacier is beautiful and from Hopper you can also see the tops of the Passu Cathedral Peaks. Further up the KKH and there is an opportunity to cross the Hussaini Suspension Bridge and visit a women's carpet making group. The trip to Passu and walk from Borith Lake gives you great views of Passu Glacier and Peak, Ultar and Shispar Ranges, and the Batura Glacier. On the way to Khunjerab pass it is possible to see Golden Marmots, Ibex and Yak although the latter two are more likely to be spotted in winter. The pass itself is quite wide open and usually snow covered and cold at anytime of the year. The trip to Naltar offers some easy walking and spectacular alpine views. The walk to the crystal clear lake follows a fast flowing stream that is a torrent in Summer and clear and aqua in places in winter. Naltar Valley is quite wide and has spectacular veiws of several peaks and glaciers.
Day 1 Gilgit to Karimabad, Hunza
Day 2 Karimabad to Hopper Glacier to Hunza
Day 3 Eagle's Nest to Gulmit to Burit Lake (by
jeep2 hrs)
Day 4 Pasu to Khunjerab Pass return to Sost (6
hrs by jeep)
Day 5 Sost to Gulmit (suspension bridge) (2
hours by jeep)(1-2 hours walk)
Day 6 Gulmit to Gilgit (4 hrs by jeep) Option Day 7 Gilgit to Naltar (2 hrs by jeep)
Day 8 Walk from Naltar lake to Naltar (3-4
hours)
If doing day 7 and Day 8, Day 6 includes a local Gilgit Tour.
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