31-07-2016. Fairy
Meadows to Tarashing
On July 31, 2016 we left from Fairy Meadows to Tarashing
which is the last village of Astore district from where the trek to South face
of Nanga Parbat and Mazino Pass begins. We arrived at Raikot Bridge at 1 o’
clock in the after-noon because the road from Tato was blocked and one of our
jeep driver did not arrive to pick us which we had already reserved that made
us late. Having lunch at Raikot we left at 2 o’ clock and reached at Tarashing
by half past 6 in the evening. The beginning of the Astore road was terrible
and took us long time by driving in a very slow speed and the last part of the
road ten km to reach to the last village was completely rough that made us
tired when we reached at Astore. My clients were too tired too and some the
members were not felling well and couldn’t have supper by that day. It was not
a good day for all of us. We stayed night at Nanga Parbat Hotel at 2,911
meters.
August 1, 2016:
Tarashing to Latboi
The next morning we
started trek it was a great day with good weather, we began a bit late in the
morning it was hot day up to Hilligkoffer base camp the first cam site crossing
Tarashing Glacier and lush green
beautiful villages of lower and upper Rupal. We reached here walking four hours
from Tarashing. We had our lunch here it was nice time and the clients were
happy with the beautiful scenery of the landscape and magnificent views of
Nanga Parbat and other snow-capped high mountains of Himalaya. We decided to
walk another two hours to the next camp of Latboi and moved to this camp which
is at the altitude of 3,550 meters with green meadows and thick forest all
around with superb views of Nanga Parbat it is also called second base camp
with clear spring water and cluster summer houses there were the people from
Tarashing and offered us local dishes with yoghurt from cow and goats milk it
is nice campsite we enjoyed our day trip. One of our lady members was not
feeling well and after two hours of walk she got weak and decided to ride on
donkey and we managed it and arrived to the camp riding.
August 2, 2016:
Latboi to Shaigiri
It was short day of two hours walk we set off at 8 a.m and
arrived at the campsite of Shaigiri a gentle walk along the juniper and birch
trees, the campsite here is at 3,660 meters under the trees with grassy flat
for tents with clear fresh spring water. The views from here to the South is
amazing of 5,484 meters Rupal peak and beautifu snow-capped 5,600 meters Liala
peak ahead adds to the joy of the trek. The porters here always get on strikes
for little things and always noisy unlike the porters in other parts of Gilgit Baltistan that makes you disturb you
there should be professional guide to deal with the porters of this trek. The
porters from High camp to the end the trek come from Chilas who the worst. I
dealt very technically and did not give them a chance to strike on the way. I
had a little problem to dismiss two porters from here where their language was
finished but handled it quickly. We had some drops of rain this after-noon.
August 3, 2016.
Shaigiri to Mazino Base Camp:
This morning we set off towards Mazino Base camp a walk of
three hours, the path follows northern lateral moraine of Toshain Glacier with
great views of Liala peak and Rupal peak backwards and Nanga Parbat on one
side, the walk was very interesting the first two hours were very hot because
it was sunny day. We arrived at the camp around 12 at noon and the weather
began to change we had a strong wind, tents were almost to blown up by the wind but
it stopped soon. The camp site is green meadow at 4,200 meters, with bubbling
streams and dry juniper bushes,looking down Toshain Glacier is interesting from
here. We enjoyed this day very much because all of group member were happy to
be on 4000 meters without any problems.
August 4, 2016 Mazino
Base Camp to High Camp:
It took us five hours with lunch break on the way for an
hour. The track turns north and climbs steadily up to the lateral moraine of
the Mazino Glacier which descends directly from the Mazino Pass. The first two
hours on green meadows and then on the rocky path leads to the high camp at
4,700 on the north side of the Mazino glacier with glacier water. Here our
porters from Chilas joined us for the next days trek towards the north face of
Nanga Parbat. We had enough time to be relaxed here and prepare for the next
day to go to cross the Mazino Pass I was a bit afraid of some my clients who
were seemed not able to reach the pass but fortunately it got opposite my
guessing they did well on this day which was beyond my expectations at all. We
had our dinner 5:30 p.m in order to sleep early because we had to leave by 3:00
a.m to make sure to reach at the pass on time and descend down to the other
side before sun rising to avoid rock fallings which very dangerous part of this
trek and made it on time and very happy to be on the Loiba Glacier crossing the
Mazino Pass. We had 19 porters and six members of the group and we were three staff
members on this trek.
August 5, 2016.
Mazino High Camp to Chatti crossing the Mazino pass 5399 meters:
This morning we at 3 o’ clock with headlights and walked on
the Mazino glacier which is smoothly climbing up and came to beginning of the
steep towards mazino we got the day light. We been very lucky with the weather
on this trek it was always with us, this morning we had blue sky and came to
the with magnificent views from the pass to Mazino Ridge, Nanga parbat and many
other peaks around. We came to the pass at 6 a.m and fixed the rope to descend
down there was an another group of Pakistani trekkers along with ten porters
and we started descending one by one I make my members to be first to go down
then our porters followed us fortunately everybody did reach the camp safe and
sound and it was interesting day for all my clients they were very happy to be
here and one of the challenging trips their lives as their comments. We came to
camp side Chatti at 4700 meters on green meadows after 10 hours of walking. On
the way we gave them a light lunch and had the lunch at the camp. We had heavy
rain this afternoon the evening was very cold. The camp site is at 4,200
meters, but our option was to cross another pass Kao/Sargalio Band Pass 5140
meters and camp here to go on this pass and go the base camp of Noth face of
Nanga Parbat. We did it on the next day.
August 06, 2016.
Chatti to Sargallio crossing Sargalio Band pass 5,140 meters.
It was really a tough day for my clients because this is an
unusual pass/trek rarely is done as our porters we are the people after four
years on this trek. The path is on the moving rocks from the very beginning and
too steeply going up an up to reach the pass and slippery gravels in some parts
of the. Some my members hated this day and told me that stupid people will come
to such a trek we came to the pass in four hours hardly looking towards the
North face of Nanga parbat is amazing the view down is superb from the pass. We
took some pictures here and descended down to green meadows with crystal clear
spring water where our porters and staff were waiting for our lunch. We arrived
here by 1:30 p.m. Our cook Karim was working with stove because it was not
working that porters made it out of order on the way we had dry lunch unlike
every day. We had our lunch the descended down to Sargalio a camp site with
green flat and huge juniper trees an awesome campsite. There were few of our
porters it was surprising because most of the porters had gone to Kutgali where
they for summer with all our language it was really bad job they did because
there is another two hour walk to go there but our members were already
exhausted and were not able to move any more. We called back all of them and
stayed night there at 3740 meters. We had some rain drops last night.
August 7, 2016: day
trip to Nanga Parbat Base Camp (North Face):
On this day five members of the group visited to the base
camp they left from the camp at 8:30 a.m and came back at half past five in the
afternoon. It was day rest for me and the porters. We spent washing our clothes
of last week trekking and we stayed the second night here. Our clients decided
to go in one day from here to Chilas but in our program it was a two days plan
it should be done in two days because it is long day especially for porters it
is quite hot on barren gorge down to Halala and Bunar Dass. My clients were
optimistic to reach Chilas by the same day and we did it, but our porters
arrived late in the evening.
August 8, 2016:
Sargalio to Chilass via Halala and Bunar Dass:
It was long day walk as I mentioned that my clients were
optimistic to do in one day we did it six hours. We left at 7 a.m and reached
at Halala polly bridge by 1 p.m running all the way down sometimes there was
beating heat when the sun was shining but again the weather was with us most
part of day stayed cloudy and we had a rain too when we were at the jeep road
and waiting for the jeeps. We hired Toyota from here and came to Chilas by
standing in it as it was a tradition with this kind of vehicles to reach the
villages of North Pakistan long ago, but here still the same. We arrived at
Shangrila Chilas by 5 p.m.
August 9, 2016 Chilas
to Islamabad:
This morning we left from Chilas at 9 a.m and reached
Islamabad at 10 p.m driving 13 hours on the way to Naran ad Kaghan valleys over
Babusar Pass 4,173 meters. It was wonderful day travelling safe sound.I hope you will enjoy reading this post. If you wish to visit Pakistan please write me on amin25952@gmail.com
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