Pakistan

*Wild camping at the entrance to Shimshal Valley*

Pakistan was an intriguing and pleasant surprise for us. It was, honestly, a country we were a little bit worried about traveling in. As Americans we had heard through the decades about the complicated history of internal strife, ongoing conflict with India, a country which was depicted in our media as violent and prone to religious intolerance and extremism. Travel advisories for the country ranged from “exercise extreme caution due to terrorism” to “reconsider travel.” We were also going during the time that the Israel/Hamas war was at its peak causing increased tension between Western countries and predominantly Muslim ones. In general we mitigated our risk by staying in the northeastern area of Pakistan, staying away from the more troubled regions.

Our actual experience was that it was a country with extraordinary mountainous beauty and a family centered warm and welcoming culture. The food was delicious and always freshly prepared (we learned to wait patiently in roadside restaurants as our meals were prepared from scratch) and wild camping was readily available and easy to find. As in many Muslim countries, in many regions women were rarely seen with all of the external facing service jobs (hotel clerks, waiters, retail sales) being held by men. But Dawn felt comfortable on the streets. She dressed modestly but did not cover her hair unless visiting a religious site. In some areas, the desire for people to have their photo taken with us was overwhelming and we would get caught up in crowds of friendly locals posing with us as the foreigners. We did not see a lot of other visitors when we were there. We were traveling in late September and early October which felt like an ideal time to see the mountains in their glory - snow capped but still accessible.

One of our favorite things in Pakistan - trucks were beautifully and intricately decorated - informally known as “jingle trucks.” We were also thrilled that our oldest son, Nicholas, was continuing to travel with us throughout our time in Pakistan.

*Entering Pakistan from China on the Karakoram Highway over the Khunjerab pass, one of the most scenic drives we have ever done.*

*Still caravanning with the group we crossed China with*

*Friendly welcome from Pakistan security*

*Extraordinarily beautiful but stark mountains*

*Roads sometimes sketchy - lots of landslides*

*First night - wild camping along the river*

*The jingle trucks everywhere were absolutely stunning, obviously decorated with love and care*

The first province we explored in Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, was our favorite. Cut off from the rest of Pakistan until 1978 due to mountainous terrain and lack of roads, it felt remote and wild. Filled with glorious mountains, glaciers, rivers and valleys dotted with small villages, there was an adventure around every corner. The scenery was stunning, although we did discover the limitations of our relatively tall and heavy truck.

One of our first planned adventures was to drive into Shimshal Valley - a famously rugged and beautiful drive to a remote village.

*Entering the Shimshal Valley road, narrow gravel path wedged in between a cliff and a river*

*Starting to feel concerned about our ability to make it without losing our canopy*

*Despite our truck being relatively small for a camper in the US and Europe, internationally it is sometimes just too big*

*Eventually the road just got too overhung for us, and walking ahead to check it out we realized it would be a long way before we reached a spot where we could turn around if the road became impassable*

*So we turned around where we could and gave up on the drive*

*The drive turned into a hike, we did not reach the village at the end of the road on foot but still had an extraordinarily scenic day*

*Maybe this was a warning sign for the road? Not sure.*

*It was probably even more beautiful on foot - without the danger of falling off the road or scraping the rock cliff*

*In the end we set up camp on a bluff near the entrance to the valley*

*Nicholas set up in his bright orange bedroom*

The next day we went in search of glaciers. Some of the areas were not well marked, so for us, hiking without a guide, we didn’t always get to our destination, but the adventure was always worth it.

*Fumbling around looking for the trail to Batura glacier.*

After some challenging hiking which did not get us close to glacers, we were thrilled to find a clearly marked trail to the beautiful Passu Glacier in Hunza Valley.

*Enjoying the view as the sun goes down on Passu Glacier*

*Pretty incredible that less than an hour of easy hiking got us close to the edge*

*Camped at the trailhead to Passu Glacier*

After days of admiring nature, our next adventure was to cross the man made Hussaini Suspension Bridge over the Hunza River. It was definitely the most challenging bridge we have crossed (Atlas Obscura calls it the most dangerous bridge in the world.) Dawn stayed back for the initial photo then found herself trying to cross alone, one slow step at a time.

*Andy and Nicholas crossed the Hussaini Suspension Bridge, linking two faces of the Karakoram Range.*

A kind older woman who lived in the village on the other side, grabbed Dawn’s hand and helped her across. No shared language was spoken but she amusingly mimed for Dawn to relax.

*Dawn being helped by an older Pakistani woman*

*The gaps to the glacial water down below were no joke!*

*Climbing up the cliff on the other side*

After a beautiful hike, we returned back across the bridge and got on the road to Karimabad. Built into the hillside, initially as a caravan stop, the town is the capital of the Hunza Valley. We had decided to stay in the center to explore the old bazaar and forts. In case we give the impression that everyday is full of sunshine and roses, arriving in Karimabad was a challenge. We were trying to find a place we could actually park our truck. Booking sites did not have accurate information on the parking situation (free parking included meaning good luck finding your own spot on a crowded shopping street). Places recommended on the iOverlander app were no longer operational or impossible to find along steep single lane streets that we could barely pass along. It was one of those days where Andy (driving) after several frustrating dead ends on steep streets, was ready to fire the town as a place to stay. Nicholas was busy in the back seat researching hotels online. Finally, we found a place to park outside a pleasant outside cafe and while we were waiting for lunch, Dawn set off walking, found a place with a small parking lot that we shared with a tour van and we got safely landed.

Karimabad was a pleasant city, the most touristy place we had seen in a while, but the cultural amenities were interesting and the old bazaar shops fun to wander around.

*Another beautiful view from the road to Karimabad*

*Baltit Fort, over 700 years old and seat of the rulers of Hunza for centuries*

*Nicholas exploring the guest house at Baltit Fort*

*Unique architecture of Baltit Fort and stunning mountain views*

*Intricate wooden carving and views down the Hunza Valley*

After visiting Baltit Fort and receiving an excellent and informational tour included in the admission price, we were inspired to look for some of our own Pakistani art and set off to the bazaar shops.

*Father and son at the rug shop where we bought a Hunza Valley rug*

We left Karimabad to explore the Nagar Valley and ended up in the village of Minapin with crystal clear views of the majestic Rakaposhi. We set off on the trail to base camp hoping for some even more extraordinary views. A much more ambitious hiker and climber than Andy and Dawn these days, Nicholas made it the whole way but Andy and Dawn turned back after reaching their first glacier views.

*Traditional stone buildings along the trail to Rakaposhi Base Camp*

*Village accessed only by donkey or foot*

*Photo from Nicholas of the glacier near base camp*

*Dawn’s photo of the edge of the glacier where she and Andy turned around*

Although it was not initially in our travel plan, we decided to throw a trip to the basecamp of Nanga Parbat into our itinerary and it ended up being a highlight. Although set up for tourism with guest houses and restaurants, reaching the Fairy Meadows area is not easy. Also, because of a 2013 terrorist attack killing 10 climbers and a guide, until recently all foreign tourists were required to be accompanied by an armed guard. But after our time in Pakistan we were feeling more confident in our ability to navigate the logistical complexities and less concerned about our being in danger.

It was a little difficult to find information so here is the breakdown of what we did:

Nanga Parbat - Fairy Meadows Trip

You cannot self drive but must hire a local driver to take you into Fairy Meadows
In early October we did not book anything in advance
We arrived in the morning and parked at the large hotel at Raikot Bridge. (Parking was 1000 rupees or $3.50 a day, guard on site)
We packed light backpacks with clothing for 3 days (also brought our own toilet paper which was a good idea)
If you are squeamish about shared blankets (Dawn is) you might want to consider bringing a lightweight sleep sack
There is no need to bring food, you can buy snacks and bottled water at Fairy Meadows and guest houses all cook meals for you - breakfast is usually included, lunch is about 1,300 rupees and dinner about 2,000
The hotel staff arranged for a jeep to take the three of us, roundtrip cost for the jeep 16,100 rupees ($58)
The road is steep, curving, very narrow and in general, hair raising, but local drivers seem to know it well. It takes about 90 mins to get to the end of the road from Raikot Bridge
From where the driver drops you, it is a 6km walk into Fairy Meadows. The trail is easy to follow, moderately steep but not difficult. It took us a little over 2 hours. There are tea houses along the way and also the option to ride up on a donkey.
Fairy Meadows is a large grassy field with excellent views of Nanga Parbat and a range of guest houses. We stayed in the mid range- 7,000 rupees ($25) for a private room with a cooked breakfast (our place was called Shambala, it had been recommended to us so we did not ask around much but it looked like there were definitely fancier places). Dinner was a separate charge - about 2,000 rupees each. Hot water was available on request for a shower - it required staff heating the water with a fire and took a while so we only asked once.
The second night we hiked further toward the mountain and stayed at Beyal Camp. It is much less touristy than Fairy Meadows, accommodations more limited and basic but same cost at 7,000 rupees for a private room with toilet and breakfast.
We were there in early October and it was COLD (well below freezing) at night! Luckily our room at Beyal Camp had a little wood stove in it.
The next day we hiked up to the official “base camp” - no accommodations but a basic tea room, then returned all the way back to Fairy Meadows for our third night.
All in all the views were extraordinary and the hiking excellent so it was worth the extra time and effort.

*Mostly single lane track with steep drop offs*

*Dawn sitting in the back of the jeep so she doesn’t have to look*

*Starting to see the glacier and Nanga Parbat views*

*Fairy Meadows Accommodations and local homes*

*Morning view of Nanga Parbat from Fairy Meadows*

*Trail from Fairy Meadows to Beyal Camp*

*Freshly cooked dinner - all over a wood stove*

*Crossing the glacier - hardest part of the loop we did*

*Heading back down the trail to Fairy Meadows*

*Third night in view of Nanga Parbat - back at Fairy Meadows, Dawn attempting to stay warm under all the blankets*

*Warming up at the morning breakfast fire*

*Village along the cliffside drive back to Raikot Bridge*

After three days in the mountains we were refreshed but also ready for a long hot shower. We made our way to Chilas to see the ancient buddhist petroglyphs. This was the only area in Pakistan where we felt unsafe, there was an edge that is hard to describe but all of our “spidey” senses were going off. The camping areas on iOverlander all had recent notes that people were being moved on because of security concerns. In the end we booked into a hotel known to welcome foreigners and stayed behind their gate with an armed guard.

Our next stop was Islamabad where we sadly dropped Nicholas off at the airport for his flight home. Strangely, we spend two days in the city but never took a photo. The city was large, modern, easy to navigate and had excellent food and shopping. We took care of business and moved on.

Our last stop in Pakistan was Lahore. With many more older buildings and cultural attractions than we had found in Islamabad, Lahore had a unique charm. It felt chaotic and interesting, people crowded the streets with food carts and motorcycles competed with pedestrians.

This beautiful young woman requested a selfie with Dawn (if Dawn looks red faced its because she was, it was hot and sticking to long sleeves and long pants for clothing was sometimes a challenge for her, locals managed with ease)

Then it was time to head to the Wagah border with India. Leaving Pakistan turned out to be quite a challenge. Our USA based agency that issued our Carnet de Passage refused to cover Pakistan due to some ongoing dispute. We had spoken to a Pakistani guide who told us we would be able to enter the country for a few weeks without a Carnet. Based on this, we had mailed our old Carnet from Tajikistan back to the US and picked up our new one which covered India onward in Islamabad. When we entered Pakistan with no Carnet, customs gave us a hard time. We explained the whole situation, they called and spoke with the guide who advised us and in the end let us in. Luckily Dawn had a photos of our old Carnet which was technically still valid for another month and they printed those for our file and decided to let us in. The customs officer even emailed Dawn documents she said to show the agents at the border upon leaving. We thought we were set.

We arrived at the Wagah border at 9am feeling optimistic. But we caused a huge consternation, hours of phone calls with supervisors, the border officer who let us in from China . . . The fact that we did not have a Carnet which stamped us in to Pakistan was an issue. We discussed and negotiated all day. Eventually they agreed to take our current Carnet that we had picked up in Islamabad and stamp us in and out of that one. We did feel that it was ironic that the point of the Carnet is to make sure that you do not offload your vehicle in a country, selling it without appropriate paperwork and paying taxes but all we wanted to do was leave WITH our vehicle. It was clear that the concern was bureaucratic, a desire to have the right trail of paperwork and people were consistently trying to find a solution for us - with kindness and lots of offers of tea. Finally at 4pm they told us that they would stamp us out but it was too late to leave, the border was closing. So we popped up in the parking lot and spent the night.

*Our last night in Pakistan - camped at the customs office*

But at least parking there put us in excellent position to walk to the famous Pakistan to India Wagah -Attari border closing ceremony. Since 1959, border guards on each side of the gate have engaged in an elaborate call and response battle style step ceremony. The whole ritual symbolizes the relationship between the two countries - ongoing rivalry and strife but also a recognition of brothers in arms.

*Walking toward the border closing ceremony, we were painted up appropriately for the Pakistani side*

*Pakistani border guard preparing for the ceremony*

*View from the packed Pakistan side ceremony to the stadium on the Indian side*

We were surprised what a huge deal the ceremony was- each side had a huge stadium filled with spectators.

*Pakistani border guards posing for the photo opp*

*People in the stands wanted an overwhelming number of selfies with us - we were the only obvious foreigners in the crowd*

*The next morning, Leaving Pakistan to India at the border gate where we watched the ceremony the night before.*

That’s a wrap for Pakistan. It was a unique, fascinating experience to travel there. The scenery in the northeast is breathtaking and the villages enchanting. People are curious and kind to visitors. Tourism infrastructure exists in a few places, but for much of where we traveled we had to rely on our own maps and researched information to find trails and attractions. But that is the way we like it, so it worked for us. Thank you for reading, we appreciate all your support and questions. Safe travels!

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