Why did I choose tourism as my profession

Why did I choose tourism as my profession

Life is not only to pass at the earth, bringing a human on earth has an aim to live with purposes and fulfill the duties assigned by God.  Everyone wants to live happily throughout his/her life it is natural for that we need to keep an aim afore, but most of us don’t do it 5% of people to my experience has this idea but not the other 95% in my context. I born in 70s schooling in The 80s and came to college life in 90s to the professional life in this 21^st century in a big competitive technological world now a day. Today I am happy to be in the place as I wished in my very childhood.

The story of my life is very exciting and interesting for me, my dreams always came true amazingly and surprising. I also came across some challenges an unexcited happen and face them taking part in life. The most shocking and hard time of my life was the day once my father passing away at my young age and making the responsibility of a huge family and discontinue the studies I was found of studies that were disappointing. Secondly, the 9/11 collapsed the tourism sector making jobless and turned me to move towards teaching. It was an honor for me to be part of this noble profession. It was a great opportunity for me to learn something very different from my profession in ten years of my life.

The story goes back to my very childhood once I was 7 or 8 year-old I used to go to the mountains where my grandmother lived with goats and sheep for the summer. On year we were there in the summer some of the climbers came there and camp near our village. They were 10-15 people I don’t remember exactly the number of people. I and my colleagues used to go there to the campsite and looking at their activities, everything was new and surprising for such as the tents, the kitchen utensils, the noisy stove was funny for us. The chairs and tables were beyond our imagination because by that time in our region a chair was for only school teachers and a nurse in health post who was called doctor by the people rarely someone was found for these jobs in the village. All the people were inspired by them once they send their children to school the used to say my son will become a teacher or doctor (nurse). Anyway looking at everyone sitting on a chair was something big surprising, everything inspired me campsite of this climbing team the top ones were the English Language the guide/liaison officer or the cooks inspired me the most. I was saying how lucky these people who are speaking English with the foreigner (we used to tell them Angraiz it is Pakistani word for British).

Once I completed my school studies it was 1990 free from the exam and on holidays a trekking group came across me in my village which was going to Ishkoman over Assumbar Pass from Yasin a beautiful four days trek. I requested the guide to take me with them and he hired me as a porter. We went to Sandi Village from Thui where I live and camped over there, it was a hard job for me to carry 25 kgs of load by that age. The next day we walked another 5 hours from the village Anotek camp there, this day the guide gave me a light bag it was a good day. I was very happy with my broken English with the team and asking the guide about how to become a guide he helped what to do, I was very eager in everything working with kitchen crew pitching tents and setting the campsite very happily. The third day we started early morning towards the next camp below Assumbar Pass this day the kitchen crew gave me more lightweight than the previous days as I used to help them in the Kitchen and fetching water and doing the dishes. Unfortunately, this day the guide decided to return back on the same route after walking two hours towards the pass without any reason I didn’t understand is why? We returned to Sandi Village by the evening me with my colleagues discharged. It was the first time I went with this group for four days trek as a porter and learned some basics.

The next year in 1991 I was a college student during the summer got free (holidays) in the summer I used to look around in Gilgit city for guides who were leading groups and some compensated me and worked very hard with them gradually I became familiar some of the trekking routes wrote my diary regularly reading trekking guide book of Isbol Shaw and working learned how to become a guide. For the next four years I worked as a freelance guide and achieved great experiences my hard work paid off. I was fortunate to be part of the world-leading tour agency Adventure Tours Pakistan runs by Mr. Ashraf Aman the first Pakistani K-2 climber. I got an opportunity to lead large trekking groups, climbing groups; research groups etc where I used to work very hard for twenty years with great reputation never give any chance to complain to my clients during my job with this company. My dreams always came true and have to lead some groups to the place where I inspired by the people once in my guiding I camped exactly in the Place and recall my memories of childhood and thanks to God of paid me off my work what I wished. During my guiding, I got numerous opportunities to cover the most popular treks and explore some new trekking routes now there is pass in Hindukush between  Ishkoman and Broghil (Amin Pass 5,500 m) I explored this route in 2004 with some Italian climbers climbed in Hindukush for 10 years continuously in Attar Valley from 2000 to 2010 but some people still busy there climbing around mostly unclimbed peaks in the region.

During the guiding after ten years another dream clicked me in my mind to be a tour operator with the name of Hindukush as I began this blog with (Hindukush Explorer) but unfortunately, one of my friend stole my company name and registered a tour agency (but no any development just named and registered) with some of his friends and could not get this name for my company but anyway I came up  with a  Tour Company Hindukush Karakorum Tours and Trek after 20 years of experience as co-founder and today proud to be a tour operator. Our company is focusing on Hindukush region has great potential for tourism. I am working in most of the least touristic areas and exploring new areas in Pakistan. Our team has years of experience in the field of tourism and understands the market. Each of the team members has a dedication and commitment to his responsibility. Our teamwork paid off soon and developing quickly we could be able to make our market effective in a very short time. Now I am working for hard organizing groups eagerly because my dreams always come true and that makes me more happy and inspiring towards it.