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8/14/2019 Blog Gilgit
1/24
NorthonTwoWheels
Area:
Northern Pakistan Islamabad, Peshawar, Kohat, Dir, Kelash, Chitral, Garam
Chashma,Teru,Shandur,Yaseen,Gilgit,Hunza
TravelMonth:
July1992
Country:
Pakistan
TotalDays:
13days
Attractions:
Mountains, Biking, Camping, High Altitude Driving on a 100cc motor bike,
Trekking/Hiking
TotalDistanceCovered:
3000Kilometersincluding500kilometersjeepabletrack
Travelogue:
DAY1
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Thistripwasalongawaitedoneandasachildhooddreamcometrue.I'vedriven
intothewildandfarawayplaceswithlargerandsmallergroupsbutalwayshave
enjoyedmoreontripswhenthegroupwassmallerorIwasbymyself.Thiswas
itwithonlyonefriendwithme,weventuredoutonalonghauljourneyintothe
mountains of upper Northern Areas of Pakistan. Myself and Shaukat my old
testedfriend.Ihavealotofrespectforthisguyforhispatience,teamworkandbravery.Usuallyforourtripsweleaveintheeveningsandstayatoneofourold
friendsWaseeminGujratjusttwohoursdrivefromLahore.Waseemishappily
livingwithhisfamilyinMiltonKeynesUKthesedays.Soforthistripwestarted
offinthesamemanner.
Beforesettingoff itwillnotbejustifiedifI'llnotmentionthepreparations for
thetrip.ForourridewepreparedShaukat'sYamaha100ccmotorbikeforthis
tripandcollectedasmanytoolsandsparesaswecouldfitonitincludingusand
ouronebag.Ourkitwithspareswasabout25kgandourbagcarryingacoupleofTsandoneextratrouser,a jacketandaraincoat foreachoneofus.Thebag
wasseparatedfromthemiddleandwebothusedourowncompartmentstoput
our stuff. As an agreementwe never kept any dirty clothing including socks,
underwearetc.inthebagatanytime.Andasarulewealwayswashedourdirty
stuffbeforesleepingeachnight.Mapsanddistanceswerecalculatedtomakeour
milestones, but wewanted to keep our trip fexible enough to accomdate any
runtimechangesintotrip.Theopinionofotherswasthatthisisacrazytripand
oneshouldntattemptitjustononebike.
IntheplainswetookturnsfordrivingbutinthemountainsalwaysIdroveasin
allothertripswehadandShaukatsatbehindme.Thissetupworkedforyears
andwedidsomeamazingtripstogetherincludinghiking,biking,offroadingand
whatnot.EachtripisimprintedinmymemoryandthatisthereasonI'mableto
pullthedetailsouttowritethisblogtosharetheexperiencesthatwehad,so
thatotherpeoplewillbeencouragedtodosuchtrips..
Wesetoffintheeveningdespitebadweatherandweremetbyourfirstshowers
justafter30minutesintothedrive.Itwassummersoweenjoyedtherainandforgottheriskofdrivinginslipperyconditions.Wekeptgoingcrossingthrough
Mureedkay,Kamonkee,AimanAbad,Gujranwala,WazirAbadandfinallyreached
Gujrat aftertwoandahalfhoursofdriving.Thiswasour firststop.Waseem's
motherasusualhadcookedsomegreatfoodforusandweateitlikeanything.
Thisisfromwherewehadsetoffformanyofourprevioustripsandweleftfor
thenextlegat5amnextmorning.
DAY2
ItisanicedrivethroughPothoharandyougothroughmanysmallandmediumsizedtownsbeforereachingthecapitalofPakistanIslamabad.Herewehada
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short stop over at one of my friends Anwar and then continued our journey
towardsPeshawarthecapitaloftheNWFP.PeshawarisaculturalhubofNWFP
and a very historical city. It is discussed in memoirs of famous emperors
including Mughal Empire founder Naseer Uddin Baber. Due to its strategical
locationitcarriesimportantvaluefrommilitarystandpoint.Itisattheedgeof
famous Khyber Pass the main route into Afghanistan and Central Asia. Mainpopulation in this city is Pukhtoon and are known for their hospitality and
enmity at the same time. These people have been living independent for
centuries and there aremany areas in NWFP not governed by police or civil
governmentratherbythetribesofthearea.Theyhave theirownJirga(court)
systemtoresolveissues.
Peshawaris intheproximityofsuchareaswherethereisonlypoliticalagents
assignedby theFederalGovt.of Pakistan. Youcould findall sortsof smuggled
goodsinthiscityfrompinstoRussianA/Cs,from.22gunstoRocketLaunchers.DerraAdam Khel is the closestmarket where they sell Arms of all sorts and
coulddelivertoyourhomeanywhereinPakistanbypayingsomeextramoney.
Verytrickyplaceandonehastoknowwhathe/sheisgettinginto.
Myunclewhowasanaircraftengineerhadapostingheresoweplannedtostay
withhim.Thiswasourfirstexcursionstop.WereachedPeshawarairportsafe
and soundto findouruncle.He droveustohis apartment for somerest.And
thenwestartedexploringthecityincludingKissaKhawaniBazarandsomeother
oldbazars.IalwayseatboiledcornwhenIvisitPeshawarsowedideatthatthistimeaswell.Thenweboughtdinnerincludingfamouschappalkababsandcame
backtocallitaday.
Ittakesabout3hoursfromGujrattoIslamabadandfromIslamabadtoPeshawar
itanother2.5hours.I'mmentioningthedistanceinhourstermasthekilometers
cannotbetranslatedproperlyintotimeduetotheconditionsoftheroads,traffic
etc..Thereforewithbreaksonthewayittookusabout78hoursfromGujratto
Peshawar.
Shaukatrevealedthathedidn'tknowhowtowashclothssoIhadtotakeonthis
taskandIdidithappilywhileprovidingtrainingtohim.HonestlyIlearnedthe
tradewhile teaching it. And from next day he was amaster in this trade. He
wouldwash cloths on the stream and I'll rinse thembefore hanging them for
drying.Thenightapproachedandtheseconddaypassedwithoutanyincident
andwestillgottosleepincomfortableandluxurousbeds.
DAY3
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Kohat is an important garrison town with several important military
installations.Itisalsopopularbecauseanyonewhoplanstojointhearmyhasto
gofora4daysteststhatincludesphysicalaswellastheoretical,thereforethis
townhasasignificantvaluefortheyoungstersaswellastheArmy.Afewyears
agoIvisitedthistownforsimilarreasonsandcannotforgetthatjourneyandI
may cover it inanother topic. For reachingKohatone has togothroughDeraAdamKhelArmsMarketsituatedintheAzadIlaka(territorynotgovernedby
the government rather a political agent represents the federal government in
thisarea).
TheroadfromPeshawargoesthroughdifferentfarmhousesettingintothedry
mountainsandthendroppingintothevalleytoreachKohat.Thedriveisnicebut
creepy due to the road going throughAzad Ilace.My father has been amajor
sourceofencouragmentforallmytripandhasseenalmostallpartsofPakistan
andalwaysprovidedgreathelpforustoplanthetrips.Healwayscautioneduswhilecrossingsuchareasandadvisednottostaylongerthere.
WehadafewstopsforsightseeingandfinallymadeittoKohatinacoupleof
hours.OneofmyschoolfriendswhoworksforPakistanArmywasstationedin
Kohatatthetimeofthevisit,sowegotanotherfreenightinnicebeds.Wewere
servedwithniceChickenKarhahiandDaalwithfreshlybakedrotiintheroom
becausewecouldnotdressourselvesaccordingtotheArmyprotocolstoqualify
forsittingintheOfficersMessfordiner.Whattheheck!wewereonacamping
tripwithtwojeansandtwoTs.Soforusthegoodfoodwasenoughluxury.WedroveinthecityandstoppedforMaghribprayeratasmallmosque.Itwasavery
hotday.TheMasjidwaswashedupwithcoldwaterforthepeopletocomeand
pray. This experience was amazing after such a long a hectic drive. It was
extremelypeaceful.
Wehadachatsessionwithourfriendlateintothenightbeforecallingitaday.
WehadalottocatchupbecauseImethimafterafewyearsandhadhardlygot
intouchwithhimduetohisfrequentmovementsintheArmyduringthatperiod.
He really looked after us that night. But we didn't sleep before washing ourclothsforthatday:(
So farwhoever got to know that we are traveling to upper Chitral andGilgit
Valleys were shocked with this news because they had never seen any one
attemptingitononebikeandthecombinationofcampingandbikingwasvery
uniqueforthem.Evenasoftodaythereareaveryfewpeoplewhomayattempt
the same combination. Wewere discouragedbymany by telling scary things
aboutthejourneyandthedangerswemightface.Butweweredeterminedto
completeit.
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Therealadventurestartedfromthenextday.
DAY4
We got up at 4am and were already packing our bike to start the first real
excitingpartofthejourneyinwhichwehadtocrossthefamousLowariPassat
10500ftabovesealevel.OurnextstopwasKalash(Kafiristan).Formakingitto
the destination we had to traverse back to Peshawar and by pass it towards
Islamabad before turning towards Mardan. From here one has to climb
mountainstowardsSwatValleyandturnlefttowardsDiratChekderra.Roadis
notbadbeforeDirbutitisasinglelaneroadslowlygainingaltitude,fromDirit
suddenlywindsuptoreachWindyLowariPass.Therehasbeenatunnelunder
constructionforthelastmanyyearsbutwasnotcompletedatthetimeoftravel.
ThisPass closes during thewinter seasonmaking thisareaonlyaccessibleby
Air. There is a small Airport at Chitral but flights could only land weather
permitting.Oncewe had to turn back fromChitral due toweather conditions
deteriorated at the last minute and once we made it in the sunny weather.
JourneyfromPeshawartoChitraltakesabout14hoursagaindependingonthe
weatherandroadconditions.Ifweatherisbadortherearelandslidesonthe
waythenaddseveralmorehours.LowariPassisabottleneckastherearealot
landslidesoneithersideofitandrainandsnowalsoplayveryimportantrolein
closingit.Onecouldbestrandedfordaysduetosuchhazards,butthatisallpart
ofthepackagewhenyouvisitsucharea.
ItwouldbealongdayforusandassoonaswewereenteringintoPeshawarwe
gottoknowthatmostoftheroadswereclosedduetosomeprotestsinthecity
and Police was not allowing anyone to enter those roads. We had to take
directionsfromlocalstobypassthisproblem,thankstoourtwowheelerwhich
could go in smaller streets and even cross fields on small mud lanes means
viturallyitcouldgoanywhere.Haditbeenacaritwouldhavebeenimpossibleto
continuethejourneythatday.Butthesenegotiationsaddedtothetimewewere
suppose tospendasper the plan.Anyhow the travel continuedandwe safely
crossedsometrickyareas(AzadIlaca)ofNWFP.WerealizedthatitwasnotonlyPeshawar where rallieswere taking place rather all over the province as we
were faced by similar problems on theway and had tonegotiate with either
authoritiesorlocalstoletuspassthroughthecityoratowncomingourwayat
ourownrisk.Wewereverylatetomakeittoourdestinationthatday,butitwas
leastofourworriesasourprogramwasflexibleenoughtoaddanothernightto
theitinerary.Theonlyissuethatwewerefacingwasoursafetyandourbike's
safety. The protestersweredriving crazily on the roadswithout payingmuch
attention to anyone's safety. We got almost hit a few times by such nasty
characters therefore had totake frequentstopswhenwesawagroupcoming
towardsusontheroad.Atacoupleofplaceswehadtojointhemtoavoidtheir
wreath. It was a nerveracking day for us, and made us realize what couldhappenwhenmassesdecidestocomeontheroads.Howeverwhenwestopped
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at places or talked to thenatives, we found them extremely helpful and they
looked upon us with praise. They appreciated the fact that some Pakistani
youngsters attempting such a trip in their areas. Usually what they see are
foreignersdoingallsortofhiking,camping,trekking,bikingandwhatnotupin
the northern areas but hardly see people from the plains of Pakistan doing
somethingdifferent.
WemadetoDirwithoutanymajorincidentdespiteafewnearmisshitattempts.
Protests timewas over aswe were approaching late afternoon, therefore we
decidedtocontinueourjourneyandatleastcrosstheLowariTop.Theroadwas
verysteepgoing towardsLowariandalmostdirtroad.Our100ccbikehadto
putinsomeeffortstokeepgoing.LowariTopisalwaysverywindyduetoits
locationandposition,itattachesChitraltotherestofthecountry.Asexpectedit
wasverywindy,thegustsweretryingtotakeusawaywiththem.Wehadashort
stop for photography and meanwhile it started raining. This trek becomesterriblydangerous inor afterrainbecauseof thedirtbecomingmudandvery
slippery.Thesteepnessmakesitevenworst.Itisnotrecommendedtodrivein
such conditions at all. Butwe had no choice as we didn't have the liberty of
stayingunderroofandhadtocontinueandcomedownfromthetopasitwas
becomingextremelycoldintheeveninganditwasgettingdarkaswell.Wehad
alreadyputonourraincoatsandwestartedourdescendintotheChitralValley
carefully. The viewswere spectacular and the drivewas extremely tricky on
muddyroadatanangle.Ittookusawhiletoreachdownbutwemadeitsafely
andtherainstoppedassoonaswestoppedforabreak.Itwasalreadydarkand
daunting.Wedecidedatthispointthatwewontbeabletopitchourtentindark
andweshouldstayatanydriverhotelthatcomesfirstinourwayaswedidn't
wanttodrivefurtherindark.Itisnotevenadvisabletodrivemotorbikeonsuch
roadsatnighttimebecauseevenatdaytimeonehastobevigilantandextremely
carefuldrivinginsuchterrain.
Thereforewecontinuedforsomemoretimeandaftersometimewefoundone
roadsiderestaurantandwestoppedtoeatourfirstmealoftheday.Wedidnot
eatwholedayaswerebusynegotiatingwithroadandthehazardsitposedtous.
Weatesomegravywithbread/rotibecausewecouldnotbreakthemeatcooked
initthathadbecomehardelastic.Wewereveryhungrysoitdidnotbotherusmuch.Afterthedinnerweaskedtheowneriftherewasanyplacetospendthe
night or if we could rent two Charpaees (local form of beds) from him. He
showedusthesameplacewherewejustateandtoldusonceallthecustomers
aregoneyoucouldsleepthereprovidedwe'llhavebreakfastfromhisrestaurant
before leaving tomorrow morning. Not a bad deal we thought and agreed
happily. Itwas anAfghani restaurant and they usually have platformkind of
sittingareawithrugson them.Hisideasoundedinterestingandwethought it
wouldbecomparativelywarmerareaaswellduetothekitcheninonecorner.As
wehadalreadymadeupourmindswehadalittlewalktodiscussournextday
plan.
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It was quite late when the last customer left our bedroom, obviously it was
smelly,dirtyandwhatnot.Welaidoursleepingbagsandcleanedtheplaceas
muchaswecouldbeforecallingitadayandquiteahecticone.Westartedat
4:30amandfinishedatabout7:00pmmakingitaalmosta15hoursrunonthe
bike,whichwasquiteabit.Wewerealreadyadjustingtodrivinglongerrunson
thebikeandthepaininourbuttockswillgoawayinanotherdayorsobecausewe'll getusedtoit. The terrainanddrivebecomesdifficult anddifficult inthe
daysaheadduetotheroughandtoughterrain,lackofroadandservicesetc.We
wereallsettofaceallsortsofchallengescomingourway.Thiswasonlybecause
myselfandShaukathaddonesuchtripsbeforeandwemakeanexcellentteamto
tackleanysituation.
Imusthightlightafewthingsaboutoursmallteambeforegoingtothenextday.
Weareexceptionallyeasygoingintermsofoureatinghabbitsandintermsof
not having any facilities of any kind. We do not complain and adapt to anycircumstancesveryeasily.Wetrusteachotheraswetrustourselves.Wedonot
get stressedout.Wehavestamina tohandledifficult taskwithendurance.We
mixupwiththelocalpublicwhereeverwegoeasilyandareacceptedamongst
them.Andthesequalitiesmakeusanunmatchableteam.
DAY5
Whereweweresleepingwasapublicplaceinadrivershotelthereforehadto
wakeupevenearlierthanwethought.Itwasdark,coldandwindyoutside.The
morningwasawesomewithveryfreshairtobreathanddifferentfeelingwhich
thecityfolkscannotimagine.BreakfastwasservedcontainingParatha,Teaand
lastnightsgraveandthiswasourpaymentforstayingthenightintheshelteras
well.Weleftaswefinishedaftersayinggoodbyetothelocalpeople.Wewere
metbyabadnewssoonwhenwereachedtheturningtowardstheKelashValley
whereweintendedtostayfor3nights.Weweretoldthatduetotheflashfloods
allthetrackshavebeenvanishedandtheareaisnotaccessiblebyanytransport
ratherbyfootonly.
TherearethreemainvillagesinthisareaBamboreet,RamborandBareer.The
inhabitantsstilllivethewaytheyusedtolivehundredsofyearsago.Theywear
differenttypeofdressesandtheyhavepreservedtheirculturebystickingtoit.
ThesepeopleareconsideredtobethedescendantsofAlexanderTheGreat.They
are extremely hospitable innature and respect the visitors and expect it vice
verse. The travelers usually donot respect their privacy and try topeek into
theirlives.Ifaskedtheyletyouvisittheirhomesandallowyoutoseetheirday
todayactivitiesbutpeoplealways forget toask.This is introducingchange in
behaviors.Thesepeopledanceinaverydifferentmanner and people fromall
overtheworldcometoseethisareaduetoitsuniquesettingandculture.These
mountainstouchAfghanistanattheback.Astheterrainismuchdifficultsono
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one armycouldman the borders therefore givingway topeople crossing into
Pakistaneasilyinsearchoffoodandemployment.
Bamboreet is the largest of these small Kafir settlements. It is situated in a
beautiful greenvalley at the edgeofa riverofwhitewater. Itoffers stunning
viewsofskyrocketingpeaksallaround.Thelushgreeneryisjustanadditionto
add somenicecolors into the sceneries offered.Anyhow I thought tomention
someinformationaboutKafiristan.Ihadvisitedthisareaindetailsacoupleof
yearsagowhilecampinginthearea.
WecarriedontowardsChitralwithveryheavyheartbymissingthisopportunity
of visiting one of ourmajor stops in the journey. Chitral was not far so we
reachedthereaftersometime.Chitralisthemajortowninthiswholeareaand
therearedifferenttracksgoingtowardsdifferentdirectionsjoiningthisareato
the rest of the valleys in Northern Pakistan. There are three major routes
including the one we came from going towards Swat Valley and eventually
reaching the GT road toeither go towards Islamabad orPeshawar. The other
route disappears in themountainsgoingnorthwestenteringintoAfghanistan
passingthroughapicturesquevillageofGaramChashma.Thethirdroutecarries
equalimportancegoingtowardtheShandurTopandthensnakingintotheGilgit
valley.We were coming from one route and planned to cover the other two
routesindetaininthistrip.IhadnotdonethethirdlegtowardsGilgitbefore
thereforethatwasthemostexcitingoneforme.
ChitralvalleyoffersexcellentviewsofthehighestmountainofHindukushRange.
Pakistanisveryrichinmountainsandisgiftedwith3ofthetoptenmountainsin
theworld.Ithasthebiggestconcentrationofpeaksrising8000metersabovesea
level.TherearethreemajormountainrangesinPakistan.i)TheKarakoramii)
TheHindukushandii)TheHimalayas.ChitralissituatedintheHindukushand
the Karakorams join Hindukush in this region. Trichmir as mentioned the
highestintheHindukushisstandingtallat7708metersabovesealevel.Many
climbersattempt toreachthe top everysummer.This isabeautifulmountain
andthereareequallybeautifulanotherfew7000ersaroundTrichmir.
We roamed around in the town of Chitral. Inmy last trip to Chitralwe hada
terriblehotnightwithbugsallaroundthereforeIhadnointentionofcampingin
the town or even closer to the city. Therefore we planned to go to Garam
Chashmainstead.wheretherewouldbecoolertemprature.
Chitralisveryfamousforitshandycraftsespeciallyrugsmadefromthesheep
wool.TheotherfamousthingaboutthisplaceisPolo,itishomeofPoloandveryfamoustournamentstakeplacehereinChitralandatShandurPass.Chitralhas
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been invaders routeand have been invaded byvery famous people including
Alexander The GreatandMongol Changez Khan.This is the reason, it carries
greathistoricvalueandstrategicposition.Thishasbeenamajoraidroutefor
AfghansduringtheSovietAfghanwarinthe80s.
WellafterexploringChitralenoughwemovedtowardsGaramChashma.From
here onwards all roads are dirt roads so when I write road it should be
understoodasadirtroad.Dirtroadsinthisareaareusuallyjeepabletracksand
notmeantforcarsormotorbikesastherearerocksandbouldersinabundance.
ThetracktoGaramChashmagoesthroughterracedfieldsandfragrantorchards.
Itisascenicroute.YoustartwithTrichmirlookingrightinyourfaceandkeep
changingposturesforsometime.
Garma Chashma is Tehseel headquarter of Chitral and it gained even more
significanceduringAfghanwar.Therewasarefugeecampsituatedhereandstill
thereisabazar(market)sellingRussiannew and used stuff including soldier
belts,knivesarmywaterbottles,jacketsetc.Thecampwasnomorethereatthe
timeoftravelbutitsaftereffectswere.
TherearetwostreamsthatyoucrosswhilegoingtoGaramShashma.Therewas
nobridgeonthedirttrackthereforethejeepsgothroughthewater.Itseasierfor
ajeeptogothroughitascomparedtoontwotires.Firstonewasnotthattough
butthesecondonewasveryfastflowingwaterofabout2.5feetinthemiddleofstreamwithveryunevenbottomfullofrocks.Wecrosseditafterhadcarefully
examinedtheplaceanddecidedaspottocross.Onepersonhadtowalkacross
eachtimewecrossedastream.Restofthetrackwasjustsimpledirttrack.
WearrivedatGarmaChashmatowardstheevening.It isrightattheedgeofa
riverandyoucouldhearthefastwaterflowingthroughrockybed24hours.This
townhasitsownproductionofelectricityowingtothefastandabundantwater.
Ifhikedupabityouwouldreachahotspring.Thetrackcontinuedthrougha
verysmallbazartowardsAfghanistanwhichisnotfarfromhere.Welookedforaplaceforustocampbutmostplaceswereeitherunevenorrockythereforewe
requestedone governmentbuildingofficial toletusput our tent intheir lawn
whichhehappilyaccepted.Itwasaresthousetypebuildingwithagardenonthe
sideandaperfectspotforputtingourcamp.Wehadborrowedthistentfrom
oneofourfriendanditwasfairlybigfortwopeopleandbecauseofthatwehad
afewshiveringnightsinthetrip.Tentwasupandwewerereadyforsomehike.
Wecametothehotspringandtookbathfirstfollowedbyoureverydayactivity
ofwashingcloths.Thewaterwasreallyhotandwasnotaneasytasktotakebath
init,wemanagedsomehow.
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We hadanice hike thereandcame back to the tent to putwet cloths on the
strings. Nightwas falling very fast and it was getting cold everyminute. The
wholevillagetourwasfinishedbeforeitgottodark.WevisitedtheRussianstuff
shops and picked up some souvenirs before we had diner at one Afghani
restaurant.Hadchatwithsomelocalsandthenheadedbacktoourcamp.Itwas
ashorterdrivetodayascomparedtothedaybefore.Thereforewegotsometimeto relaxandenjoy thenightunder thestarsbutavery chilly one. In this trip
everynightwesleptassoonaswedecidedtocrashbecauseofthehecticdrive
onbumpyanddirttrack.Fifthdaygoneandwelovedeverymomentofourtrip.
DAY6
Wegotupinthemorningandhadalatestartforthefirstdayexpectingthenext
destinationwillbeeasilyaccessible.Whilewewerepackingagroupof5boys
fromLahorecamethereandhadachatwithus.Theystartedofwith10peopleinavanbutatLowariToptheyhadsplitintotwogroupsduetosomeconflictand
wentaheadwiththeirownplans.Theypraisedandaskedhowcouldwegofor
such long trips and on a bike and doing camping. Basically they were asking
about any conflicts or clash of opinions between the two partners. I only
answeredthemononesentence"Makeajourneywithapartnerwhocanwash
you underwear if need be" and off course the true test of relationship and
friendship iswhenyoutravel and stay together. Pointwas takenandwesaid
goodbyetoeachotheraswehadalongwayahead.
Todaywehadplannedtoreach theclosestvillagetoShandurPassstandingat
12500ftabovesealevelandtocrossShandurthedayafter.Wecamebackto
ChitralasthatistheonlywaytoShandur.AtChitralthetrackcrossestheChitral
rivertogotowardsShandurPass.OnthemapournextnightwouldbeatMastuj
or Laspur the last settlements before Shandur Pass. We crossed a few tiny
housesandasmallrestaurantwherewehadaquickbiteunder the trees.The
trackgoesupanddowninthemountains.Therehadbeenblastingdonetomake
theroadwiderandmoreaccessibleforthefamousPolotournamentatShandur
Top.Thetournamentisgettinggreatattentionfromallaroundandisbecominga
favoritetowatchfor theeliteofPakistan.Theymightnothavecomeacrossto
seePolointheirwholelives.Itwasalongandtoughtracksnakingupslowlyinthemountains.Byafternoonwereachedaspotwherewethought,thatwasit.It
wasastreamofredwatercomingdownsofastthatitseemedimpossibleforus
tocrossonthebike.Thereweremanystreams/Nalasthatcrossthetrackand
therewerenobridgeson them.Mostof themseewaterduringtherainhours,
howeverthereweresomewhichhadcontinuousflowofwater.
Whenitrainsinthemountainsitbringsthecolorandrocksofthatparticular
mountains down at such incredible speed and that makes it a flash flood.
Crossing streams becomes impossible at those times and the wait time couldvarydependinguponhowmuchrainthemountainisgoingtoreceive.Wewere
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just stranded here, the clock was ticking as we were far from reaching any
settlement.Thewaitwastorturousbecausewewereinthemiddleofnowhere
andcouldnteventhinkofcampingatsuchplaceifneedbe.Inthemeantimea
coupleoflocalpeoplecamefromthemountainsandreluctantlysatclosertous.
Weaskedthemaboutthestreambutcouldhardlyunderstoodtheiropinion.A
jeepcame from the oppositesideand crossed the streamwith greatdifficultyandthenanothercame.Noneofthemlistenedtoustohelpuscrossingourbike
across,theywerenotreadytocrossthedangerouswater3timeswhentheyhad
madeitacrossoncequitedangerouslyandsafely.Wellwehadnooptionbutto
waitandsee.AfteranhourorsoIsuggestedShaukattoasktheselocalpeoplefor
helpusincrossingthewater,theywerenow8innumber.Weagreedandas
soonweaskedthemthatwewerereadytocrossthestreamiftheycouldhelpus
withthat.Theyhappilyaccepteditandtouchedtocheckourbike.Theluggage
wastakenoffandcarriedbyShaukatandanotherguy.Theyluckilyhadapieceof
ropethatwastiedstraightacrossandfourpeopleheldontothebikeratherheld
ontoeachotherandthebikesothatnoonewaswashedupwiththefloodedred
water.Fromthetrackthestreamwasplungingdownlikeawaterfallverydeep
intothevalley.Wewereallsettogooneaftertheotherafewpeoplecrossedthe
streamwiththehelpofeachotherandthefinalstepcametotakethebikeacross
and Iwas spearheading this effort.We moved slowly into thewater and the
waterwanted to take all of us along. The worst thingwas therewere rocks
cominginthewaterandthoseweregoodenoughtohitandinjureanyoneofus.
Andsuddenlyithappened...arockhitmyfootandmademyfeetleavetheground
andnextmomentIwasholdingontothebiketosavemylife.Therewasthisthin
moment between life and death and yet I was the one to experience it yet
anothertimeinmylife.ThismomentwashundredyearslongandIclungonto
thismomentandkepttryingtoputmyfeetdown,butthewaterwastoofastanditwasnot lettingme.Theotherthreepeoplewerehavingdifficultytobalance
thebikeand also trying toholdmeatthe sametime.Thoseendlessmoments
passedandwiththeirhelpiwasabletoputmyfeetdownandfinallymadeitto
theothersideofthestreamturnedtotallyreddueto theredsoilin thewater.
Wewereallturnedredduetothecolorofthemuddywater.Ittookusawhileto
getbacktonormalduetothewholeordeal.
Everythingwas packed back as it was 40 feet away on the other side of the
streamandstartedourjourneyafterthankingthekindheartedpeople.
Thescenerywasstunningandtheroutewasamazing.Ourbikehadbeendoing
goodsofarandwewereveryhappyaboutit.Thetrackwasgettingveryrough
byeverymileandrockytrackwasreallymakingusslow.Thiswasthetoughest
longdriveonbikethatIhaddonesofar.Weexperiencedsomebettertrackuntil
the point where blasting work finished and then the condition of the track
starteddeterioratingduetolackofmaintenance.
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Ihaddriven inall districts ofKashmirandseveralothermountainousregions
butduetothebeatentrackitwashurtingallpartsofourbodiesandmyarms
hadswollenmusclesbynow.Itwas lateafternoonand thenext intendedstop
wasfarfarawayintermsoftimeordistance.Therockswerenotlettingusdrive
morethanafewkilometersperhourandwewerealmostcrawlingonthetrack.
Acoupleofjeepspassedusandwentaheadongreatspeedcomparativelyduetofourwheelsandarmytires.Wehadnochoicebuttocontinuelikethis.
One thing we learned in several travels that patience is very important in
journeysandonehas toreallytakecareofthemeansof travel.Theridetakes
youfrompointAtopointBthereforemakingitthemostimportantpartytotake
careofinanyjourney.Sowewereinnohurry.Wepamperedourbikeattheend
ofeachdayanddidthenecessarymaintenance.
Wewerewalkingwith Shaukat carryingthe backpackandmyself pushing the
bikeinfirstgear.ThiswasourfirstbreakdownsincewestartedfromLahorea
weekback.Wehadhitarockinthereartireandalltechniquestofixthetire
wereinvain.Assoonaswehoppedontodriveitwasgoingflatagain.Sowe
decidedtowalktoavillagenamedBunnithatwas3kilometersaway.Walking
herewasnoteasyratherwasextremelytoughwithsuchaload,circumstances
andtiredpoorsouls.Wemadeourgroundveryslowlyandmadeittotheriver
crossingwheretheboardwasshowinganarrowtotherightforBunny.Wegot
flabbergastedbylookingatthesteepacrossthebridgethatleadtothevillage.No
choicebuttocontinuedraggingourselves.Wemadeittothevillageafterithadalready turned dark. The last three kilometers were covered in years. We
entered the village and a couple ofyoung boys startedwalkingwith us. They
wereverysweetandveryhelpfulandevenofferedustocarryourstuffwhichwe
turneddownpolitelybecausewhiletravelingweusuallydonottrustanyoneasa
ruleof thumb.Theytoldusthattherewasaguysintheirvillagewhocouldfix
thetirebuthehadalreadyleftforthedayandhelivedinthemountainsandnot
inthevillage.Werequestedthemifhecouldbecalledupon.Theywalkedusto
onecloseshopandaskedustoparkthebikethere.Theyconsultedafewother
guysandfinallytoldusthattheyweresendingamantocalltherequiredperson
but it was going to take awhile. We had no choice but to wait for him. We
thoughtwewouldgo eat something in themeantime so they brought usto asmalltheonlysocalledrestaurant.Theyhadnothingtoeatthereandmoreover
itwassosuffocatingintherethatwecouldn'tevenbreathproperlydueto the
place not cleaned for years, and in that small place they cooked, ate and few
peoplesleptthereeverynight.Wecameoutbeforethrowingup.
Thetaskaheadwastremendous,firstlytofixthetireandsecondlytofindaplace
tosleep.Itwasalreadyverycoldandwehadputonourjackets.Ittookanother
longhourandahalfforthatgoodmantocomeallthewayfromthemountains
forourrescue.
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Hetoldushowtofixapuncturetherebutwedecidedtouseoursparetubetofit
in andkeep the fixedone as spare to avoid any furtherproblems. It wasnot
before9:30pmwhenwegotfreefromallthis,absolutelyhungryandtired.We
desperatelywantedtofindasheltertotakesomerest.Weaskedthesameangelboystohelpusfindingaplacebecausewecouldnotfindaproperplaceforour
tentanywhereinthedark.Oneofthefellowsaskedustofollowhim.Heentered
agateandtookustoaroomwithverystrangesetup.Therewasafanoninthe
roombut theroomwasstillverywarmandoutsideitwas freezingcold.Upon
askingitwasrevealedtousthatthereislayerofhayunderthecarpettomake
theroomwarmandthatmakesitverywarmlikeaheatedroomthereforeafan
isrequiredtokeeptemperaturenormal.Thiswasthetechniqueusedtocentrally
heat their houses. They served us with tea and also provided us with Two
Charpaaees(localbed)intheveranda.Thiswasagreatfavor.Weverythankfully
acceptedtheofferandwenttosleepina verycoldnight.Wecrashedandonly
gotupearlyinthemorningtocontinueourjourney.
Isalutetothosepeoplewhohelpedusindifferentpartsofthedayyesterday.But
lastnightthatgroupofpeopletoldusthatourbikeisnotgoingtomakeitto
Shandurasitwastootoughforthispoorlittlebike.Theywarnedusaboutitand
suggested to rent a jeep to takeour bike acrossShandur safely.Wewere too
tiredalreadytolistentothiscrap(whatIwouldcallit)becausetheyhadnoidea
whathaveweachieved on these smaller bikes inour other trips. Theydidn't
knowaboutourdeterminationandperseverance.Wewerefullyconfidentand
determinedtomakeit.Timewouldtell.
DAY7
The last settlementbefore ShandurPass is the beautifulvillageofLaspur and
fromthereitbecomesextremelysteeptoreachuptoShandurforthenext1015
kilometers. It was still early when we made it to Mastuj the last sizable
settlementonChitral'sside.WemadeittoMastujonasimilartrackasyesterday
orevenworst.Wewerehungrybecausewedidn'thaveproperfoodforthelast
fewdaysandour lastpropermealwas inKohat fromtheOfficersMess.There
wasnothingopentheresowehadto livewithourownsupplies.Oursupplies
includedsomebiscuitsandstuffthatwehadwithacupoftea.TracktoLaspur
wasnoteasyeitherandittookusalongtimetonegotiatewiththetrackwith
severalbreaksontheway.WhenwecrossedLaspurwealreadyknewthatthe
taskaheadwasdauntingand itwasnot going toget any easier.Thebikewas
cryinganddespiteallprecautionsweweretakingbreakseverymile.
Laspur isavalley full of green fields, thevalley opensup as yougofurther. Iwouldratethisvillageoneofthebestscenes.Thewholetrackwindsandlosts
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intobrownmountainsandsuddenlywewouldfacesuchgreenareasandwater
streams after a turn that we would become speechless and the beauty
unexplainable.Youcouldonlyexperienceityourself.
FromLaspurwestarted the realclimband soonafterwediscovered thatour
bikeisreallygivingup.Wehadtostopatabouteverymiletogiveresttoour
bike;wecooleditdownwithspringwateragainandagain.Weevenopenedthe
piston head and cleaned it. We had even removed the silencer buffer from
Lahorebutkeptthebackcoverontoreducethesound.Nowweremovedthe
cover as well but the bike was very uncomfortable climbing. Therefore we
decidedthatwewouldstopateachkilometer,coolitdownandthenstartagain.
Itworkedforafewkilometersbutthenwehadtochangeourstrategy.Shaukat
hikedupwhileIgotdownfromthebikeandpushedit infirstgearslippingall
over.Thiswaywecoveredsomemoredistancebutlostalotoftimeandstrength
in the process. We were very close to the Shandur Pass and that was themotivationinpushingourtiredbodies.Wehadworkedhardtoreachhereand
werenotgivingintosomephysicalchallenge.Slowandsteadywinstheraceso
wedid.
Firstthingwesawatthetopwasavastplateauemptywithouthavingasignof
anyoneevercrossedit.Theairwas thinandcoldat12500ft.Acreepy feeling
initially ran throughour spines,wehad abreaktohavea littlewelldeserved
rest.Picturesweretakenforthememoirs.WhoknewthatI'llbewritingabout
this trip ,16yearsafterthe journey.The loveandpassionfor travel,outdoorsand especially the mountains have always kept me going for one trip after
another.I'vetakenupverydifficulttasksandcompletedthemandtodayIwas
standingonShandurtop,whichwasmydreameversinceIreadaboutthisplace
inatravelarticle.Shandurwasnotjustthatwhatwewereseeing,itwasjustthe
beginning.AswestartedgoingfurtherwesawtheShandurLakerightinfrontof
our eyes and I must say the view was magnificent. A lake at such height
surroundedbymountains,I amunableto findwords toexpressmyfeelingsat
thispoint.Thelakeisbigandbeautifulandcreatessomekindoffairytalefeeling
atthisheight.Wewerethrilledatthesametimefeltthecoldthatwasgettingto
ourbonesandbodiesnotfedwell.
TherewasacheckpostbyFrontierCorpsatthetop.Wetriedtoreasonwith
themtoletusstaytherebuttheyturneditdownbysayingthatwewouldnot
survivethecoldnightinthetentandtheydidnothaveextraspacetokeepthe
two poor souls. Hence after sight seeing and photography we had to leave
towardsGilgitandwedidn'tknowhowfarwouldbethenextsettlementcauseif
weaskedthelocalsforthedistance,theyalwaystoldusafewkilometersorhalf
anhour,thoughtherealitywasalwaysdifferent.
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Thecloudsweregatheringfastandsoonafteritstartedtorain.Wewerealready
coldandnowrainwasanextrathing.Ourraincoatsoverthejacketswereblown
bystrongwind just picked up. The trackwas goingthrough fields andmushy
soil.Weweregoingatslowspeedtonegotiatewiththenaturalhazardsandwere
not inthebestofstateofmindduetotiredbodiesandhadnotseenanyother
travelerontheroutesofar.Shaukatkepttalkingtometokeepthespiritshigh.Mybodyandboneswerenotworkingincoordinationwitheachotherduetothe
exertion and cold. Hands were turned blue and raincoat was not much help
either. We were not even sure that we were following the right path. After
drivingforabout45minutesthe trackstarteddescendingandatplaces itwas
verysteeprockydescendsmakingitmoredifficultformetocontrolthebikeand
itwasjustslidingdownontherocks.Wekeptgoingwiththeupsanddownsof
terrainandhadnotraceofanyhabitation.Thescenerywasspectacularwithout
anydoubt.
Ittookusafewhourstoseesignsofavillagefaraway.Wefinallymadeitto
another smaller checkpost and got to know thatwe had reached and village
namesTeruat10500ftabovesealevel.Wealreadyknewthatanothercoldnight
wasahead.
The rainhad stoppedandourclothswerealreadydrieddue todriving. Itwas
eveningwhenwereachedthesmallgroundnexttoanoldresthouse.Therewere
4 tentsalreadypitched thereandwe couldsee someactivityaround.Evening
was approaching fast so we erected our tent in the last light of the day. Thepersonwhotookcareofthesmallbuildinglentustwoblanketsaswedidnot
have any sleeping mattresses and he knew that it wasnt possible for us to
survivethenightinminustemperature.Wedrovefor14hoursduringtheday
slowandsteadytoenjoyeverybitofitandnottoputstrainonourride.Itwas
freshandreadytotakeonanythingafterwepampereditthatnight.
Therewere threetentsbyonegroupandsurprisingly thegirlswerePakistani
and the boys from Swiss. The two girlswere sisters from Gujranwala, oneof
themwasmarriedtoaSwissandthethirdgirlwastheirfriendalsoSwiss.Therewere three boys two Swiss and one the brother of Pakistani girls. This
combination was quite uncommon. This wasmy first encounter to see some
Pakistanigirlsinvolvedinsuchactivityofcampingandoutdoors.Thentherewas
anothertentbyaDutchwhowaswalkingfromGilgitallthewaytoChitral.
Alocalofferedusfoodformoneywhichwehappilyacceptednotknowingthat
whatweweregoingtoget.Thenightfellveryquicklyanditwascompletedark.
Wewerewaitingforthatfellowtobringfoodforus.Thedutchalsojoinedusand
thehungrystomachswerealreadygrowling.Finallyhecamewithsomesortof
foodandit lookedtomegrassboiledwhichheclaimedwaslocalspinachwith
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someroti(bread).Wegatheredinourtenttofeedourselves.Icouldnotcontinue
aftermy first bite due to its awful taste even in a situationwhen I was too
hungry.Ijustatesomerotiandsomewaterandsodidmypartner,howeverthe
dutch somehow liked it and had our share as well. Anothernight thehungry
stomachsweredeprivedof proper food.Thenight, asexpectedwasveryvery
coldbutwedidn'tevenknowwhenwesleptandwokeupveryearlytoenjoythefresh air and the charismatic environment in themountains.Weenjoyed this
habitofgettingupveryearlytoenjoythemorningandleaveearlytohavemore
stopsinthedrivetocome.
Weusedtheopenairbathroomfacilitiesandfreshenedupatthestreamflowing
closeby.Itwastimetopackup,tohavepicturesandtosaygoodbyetoTeru.
NextstopwouldbeinYasinvalleyatGupis.
DAY8
By nowwe were so used to any sort of terrain and tracks that nothingwas
difficult.Wewereenjoyingourdriveandthesurroundings.ThetrackfromTeru
to Gupis was going through a lot of maintenance sowe came across people
workingontheway.Intheafternoonwesawkitchententinstalledforthelabor
workingin thearea.Wethoughtto tryour luckstobuysomefoodfromthere.
Lunchtimewasalreadyoversocouldonlyarrangealittlebitofleftovergravy
thatweatewithsomerotithatwesavedlastnight.Itwasoktogetusgoing.Itwasanotherlongdriveofabout80kminontheroughtrack.
Wewerestunnedbytheviewafterablindturnandrightinfrontofeyeswasan
amazinglake"ThePhanderLake".Theareislushgreenandtheviewspriceless.
This was the prize of the day and all our tirednesswas just vanished by the
sceneryandsurroundings.Thiswastheeasyandhappysideofthisplace,onthe
otherhandwenoticedthatthetrackwasdippingandthetrackgoesclosertothe
lakeandeventuallyitpassedthroughtheextendedwaterthathadfloodedthe
track with rugged mountain on the other side. That made the track almostimpossibletopassthroughonourbike.
Weenjoyedthisplacefirst,tooksomesnapsandthengottothedifficultparti.e.
howtocrosstheplace.Weweredoingouranalysisandacoupleofjeepspassed
through; thesewere in the 4x4 but had great difficulty to pass themud and
water.Thisgaveussomemoreknowledgeaboutthetrack.Finallyitwasdicided
thatmypartner togowalkingon the side through themountainand Iwould
drivethroughonthebike.Thetoughestpartwasonlyabout200metersandthe
restwasnotastough.Istartedoffwithafirstdipinthewater,thebikeroaredout from this ditchand then slowly Iwasmaking ground through themuddy
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track.Iwasadifficultandscaryshortride.BikekeptscreaminguntilItouched
thedrypartafterafewminutes.Itwasanamazingoffroadexperienceonthis
littlebike.
WehappilycontinuedourdrivetoGupisandsafelymadeit bylaterafternoon
after12 hoursofdriving fromTeru.Thiswas averynice little village.People
wereverypoliteandtheydirectedustoaresthouse lawnforcamping.The in
chargechargedusalittleamountforthenightandallowedustopitchourtent.I
madeamistakeherethatI'llexplaininamoment.Wefoundthebestspotwith
lotsofgrassundertogiveuscushionunderoursleepingbags.Tentwaserected
andweaskedforanyplacetoeat.
Thevillagewasabout1kilometersowetrekkedtothatplace;itwasjustafter
sunsetwhenweenteredasmallteacabin/restaurant.Theownertoldusthathe
wasfromSwatandthereisahiking/trekkingtrailthatleadtoSwatfromthis
area.Thisfellowcamehere20yearsagotomeathisuncleandfellinlovewitha
local girl. Ever since he lived here and made his living through this small
restaurant.Hehad12kidsandtheyallwereleadingaveryhappylife.
Werequestedhimto arrangeeggs for usifpossible.Hewenttoa fewhouses
aroundandwasabletogetafeweggsforus.Wemadeomeletefromtheeggs
andhebakedsomerotiforus.Somedaal/lentilswasalsoservedandwehada
verynicedinneraftersomanydays.Afterthedinnerwesatwithhimoutsidethesmallroomandenjoyedthenightandhadanicecupoftea.Wereceivedsome
verygoodpieceofinformationfromhimabouttheareaandthepeople.Verylate
westartedwalkingbacktothecampandcrashedin.
During the night I felt cold and thought its the usual business that we face
everyday.SoonafterIfeltthatmyheadwaskindofwetsoImoveddownabit,as
Imentionedourtentwasquitebigfortwopeople.SomemoretimepassedIfelt
thatmyhandistouchingwatersoIaskedmypartnerifhissidewaswet?He
answeredinnegativesowemovedabittohisside.Allthiswashappeningtoverytiredpeopleandwewerenotinvestigatingwhatwasgoingon.Soweslept
againandlaterintheearlyhoursofmorningwerealizedthatweweresoakedin
wateranditwasfewinchesdeepwitallourbelongingsjustfloatinginthewater.
Itwasterriblycold.Webothjumpedoutandsawwaterallarroundinthelawns.
We took all our stuff to move it to the higher ground and tried to warm
ourselves. We were wet and cold and it was blowing in the negative
temperatures.OneoftheworstcoldI haveeverexperiencedwasthisnightby
anystandards.
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Itwasnotpossibletowarmuswithwetcloths.Thereforewetookthemoffand
changedwithwhateverwasinabetterposition.Aftermakingthesleepingbagas
dry as possible we hopped in with our heads in to warm ourselveswith our
breathing.Weweredyingduetocoldandtherewasnothingwecoulddoasthe
rest housewas lockedwith noway tosneak inwhichwe triedalready. After
tryingthistechniquewethoughttodosomeexercise,somerunningtokeeptheblood running and making ourselves warm. This technique worked to some
extentandwestartedfeelingbetter.
DAY9
It was very early and we offered our prayers. Later we investigated what
happenedlastnight.Thewatchmanforgottotellthegardeneraboutourcampin
thelawnwherehewassupposetowaterthatnight.Itwasagreenpatchinthe
mountainssotheyopenastreampathintoitandthewaterflewrightintoit.Wemadeaterriblemistakeforpickingupthatnicepatchinthedepressiontopitch
ourtent.Evenifithadrainedwehadtofacesimilarsituation.Whenthewater
startedfillingthedepressionfirst,thiswasthetimewhenIstartedfeelingitbut
due to the hectic drivewekeptmoving ourselves in the campand eventually
reacheda stagewhen thispatchwas completely filledwith8 inches ofwater.
ThiswaspartofourlearningandIneverrepeatedthismistakeagainandam.
Day9wasboringoftheall.Weneededsomefuelaswehadusedourentirespare
gallonthatwehadhookedupatthebackofcarrieronourbikeandthatproved
tobeveryusefulforusonthisruggedtrack.Therewasasmallpatrolpumpin
Gupisbutweweretoldthatduetolandslidetheyhadnotreceivedanyfuelfor
thelasttwodayssotherewasnothingforus.Theydidntknowwhentheywould
getmore.Wewerestrandedwithoutfuel.Thedrivewasnottoolongtodaybut
wewerenotreadytotakeriskofbeingstoppedinthemiddleofnowhere.We
camebacktoourlastnightSwatifriendandexplainedtohimthesituation.He
spoketoafewpeopleandweweresenttoapersonwhohadamotorbikethe
HondaCD200.Heofferedsomefuelfromhistankatabithigherpricewhichwe
happilyacceptedasweneededthefuelbadly.Somehowfuelwastakenoutofhis
bike'stankandputintoourbike.Afterthiscoupleofhoursexercisewewereall
settogotowardsGilgit.WestartedourbumpyrideagainandhadanuneventfuljourneytoGilgitbymidafternoon.
Ourfirstpreferencewastogetourbikeservicesandpampered.Wefoundone
workshopand got the tunningdoneonour bike.Themechanicwas surprised
thatthisbikehadmadeit toShandur.Firsthedidntbelieveitbutthenhesaw
ourconditionsandourequipmentandpraisedourbravery.Hedidaverygood
jobonourbikeinthenextcoupleofhours.Heworkedoneverypartofittomake
surethatitwasfitforanyotherlongjourney.
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Gilgitisthebiggesttownofnorthernareas.Youwillfindallthetravelerstonorth
stoppinginthiscityforsometimeforpassingbyorcollectingsuppliesetc.This
townisatthebanksofGilgitriverwhichthefallsintotheGreatIndusRiver.The
GizerriverthatstartedfromShandurfallsintotheGilgitRiver.InGilgityouwill
find people from all nationalities, famous hikers and good hotels. Gilgit and
SkarduarethetwohubsforallsortsofactivitiesintheNorth.Severalclimberscometothenorternareastoclimbmany8000ersPakistanoffersincludingK2,
NangaParbatandmanymore.
ManyyearsbackIcampedattheChinarBagh(ChinarGarden)sittingnexttothe
river.ThatwasmyfirstevercampingtripwhenIwasingrade12in1988.That
was anunforgetable trip (separate blog).Wewent to the same spotand then
pitchedourtent.Thisisapicturesquesettingspot.Therewasanothergroupof
scouts already camping there. I was very encouraged to see young children
involvedinthisactivity.Theywereallintheirearlyteensandhadoneteacherwiththem.Wewenttothecityfordinnerandcamebacktothecampinthedark.
The youngscoutswanted tohear our travel storieswhichwehappily shared
withthem.Webecameheroesforthembecausetheyhadnotheardofsuchtrip
orsuchpeoplebefore.Weenjoyedwiththemuntillate.Wesungsongs,played
gamesandentertainedthemwithtraveltipsandstories.Wehadapeacefulnight
aftersomemany.
DAY10
We got up early as usual and enjoyed themorning. After finishing the usual
routinewewerepackedandreadyforournextdestination.Ournextstopwas
HunzaValley.Thekidshadtoleaveforsomeplaceaswell.Oncetheyknewwe
weregoingtoHunzatheyalsodecidedtogotoHunza.
WedroveallthewayonTarmacandwatchedtheamazingsceneryontheway.
ThemostbeautifulspotiswhenwesawtheRakaposhi,oneofthemostbeautiful
mountains intheKarakuromsstandinghighat7788mabovesealevelranked27thintheworldand12thinPakistan.Mostofthetimesitiscoveredwithmist
andonehastoluckylikeustohaveafullviewofthemountainfromthisside.It
islocatedintheNagarValley.
The road curves aroundHunzaRiverchangingviewsand offeringspectacular
scenery.Itsnotalongdriveandtakesabout23hoursunlessthereisalandslide
ontheway.Hunzaisabsolutebeautywithgreenfieldsandorchards.Peopleare
veryhardworkingbutwefoundthepeopleveryarrogantinthemainstreetof
Hunza.TheywantedtodealwiththeWhitesbringingdollarsbutnotwithpoor
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studentslikeus.IhadasimilarexperiencewhenIcamehere4yearsback.Itsa
puretouristlittletownwithrestaurantsandcafesfullwithwesternvisitors.
Wefounditverydifficulttofindplacetocamp.Noonewasallowingustodoso
and finally one hotel which had a big open space in front of it charged us
reasonabletopitchourtentthere.Itwasaveryniceplaceoverlookingavery
niceview.Wepitchedourtentandsettleddowntoenjoytheview.Soonafter
thatthegroupofscoutscametocampatthesamehotelandtheyweresohappy
toseeusandsodidwe.
Wespent thedayexploringHunzaandcollected somememories frommylast
tripinwhichwealsohikeuptoUltar.Therearemanytrekkingroutesarround
here.NagaristheothervalleyontheothersideofHunzaRiverandequallyrich
intermsofbeautyandroutes.ThereisanamazingthingaboutHunzawaterasit
is of grey color. Onewould think that it is dirty but dirt never settles down
becauseitsnotdirtratherthewaterisfullofmineralsandHunzapeoplebelieve
that their long life secret is hidden in drinking this water. We drank a lot of
Hunzawaterinthistrip.
The eveningwas cool and entertaining because of the people in the town. A
numberofgroupswerecomingbackfromtrekking,enjoyinginthecafes,having
dinnerintherestaurants.Wehadgreatchatwithnumberofpeopleandenjoyed
theeveningrelaxingandsightseeing.Thescoutswerehappytotagalongandwedidntdisappointthemandletthemcomewithuswhereverwewent.Everybody
wasuplateatnightandwerehavinggreattime.Webecamestorytellersthat
nightandweretellingourtravelloguetootherswhowereinterestedinknowing
aboutit.Itwasexcellentenvironment,weweresittingataplacesurroundedby
treesandwehadaviewfarintothevalley.Thesleepwasgood.
DAY11
WehadashortridebacktoGilgit,thereforewespentmoretimearroundHunzaforexplorationandwantedtoabsorbasmuchbeautyintooureyesaspossible.
Thiswasmysecondtriptothisplaceanditimpressedmeevenmorethanthe
firsttrip.Thewholenorthernareascarrysomesortofmagneticattractionthat
everysummerIvisitdifferentareasandstillwantedtocomeback.
ThedrivebacktoGilgitwasveryniceandpleasurable.Gilgitisalwaysagood
placetoroamaroundastherearemanyareawithinonehourofdrivefromthis
townthatonecouldspendafewdaystofinishtheattraction.Alltheattractions
are natural except some Buddhist engravements high on the mountains; thisplace is about 10 kilometers from Gilgit. That shows some signs of Buddhist
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settlements here hundreds of years ago. There are a few amazing hanging
bridgestoappreciatethemanmademarvels.Thereissomeawesomesceneryto
watcharoundthistown.Manyhikingtreksstartfromhereandaround.Thereis
anamazingvillageofNaltarnotfarfromhere.WehikeduptotwolakesinNaltar
and the beauty was unmatchable in 1988. Because of all this Gilgit holds
importance in the northern areas also being the largest town falling onKarakorumHighway.
KarakorumHighwayalsoknownasthe9thwonderoftheworldwasbuildby
Pakistan and Chine and it is the highest international highway crossing into
Chinaat16002feetabovesealevel.Thereisnootherhighwaythatisalsoan
International border at this height. This route is also knownas the Silk route
used for centuries toreachCentralAsia.SilkRoad is1300Kilometersstarting
fromHavalieanclosertoAbotabadcityintheprovinceofNWFPandgoesuptoto
Kashghar a city in the province of Xinjiang. This engineeringmarvel took 20yearstobuildand1000people losttheir liveswhilebuildingit.Theroadgoes
through one of the toughest terrains in the world and crosses through the
famous Karakorum and Himalaya Mountains ranges. Weather conditions are
absolutely extreme on this highway with areas at high elevation and
temperaturedipssharplyatnightandthereareareas,whichareveryhotduring
theday.
WewerebackatChinarBaghwherewecampedtwodaysback.Wewereina
relaxedmoodtoday.WefoundoneguyfromLahorewhowasservingforabankhereandinsistedhavingdinnerwithhim.Instudentlifewhensomeoneoffered
us food when never turned that down thereforewe couldn't turn down this
gentleman'sofferandpromisedtovisithimintheevening.Hewasstayingright
oppositetoChinarBaghinahostelprovidedtohimashisresidence.
Onceweweredonewiththedaywecamebacktohishostelwhereheofferedus
nottopitchourtent,aswehadtoleaveforourreturntripat4am.Werefused
butheinsistedandwehadtogivein.Wesothankfullytookourstufftohisnice
room and left for dinner all three of us on our bike. We had a nice dinnerfollowedbyKahwa(localtea)hadchitchatsittinginexcellentenvironmentand
freshair.Weenjoyedthenightuntillate.
DAY12
Ourearlymorningdriveshadsavedusfromtheafternoonheatprettymuch.In
theplainswefacedtemparaturesover40Candthehotairhadbeenbitingour
cheeksout.Itwasterribleattimesandwehadtotakebrakestocooldownata
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rivercrossingorstream crossing. The engine inour little bikeneeded rest as
well.Butwefoughtallhazardshappilytoaccomplishourgoals.
Itwasearlymorningagainandby 4:30 amwewere on theroad aftersaying
goodbyetoourhost.Thenightwasnotashardaswewereusedtothereforewe
hadasleepfor4hours.
AssoonaswecameoutofGilgititstartedraining.Weweresousedtodifferent
weathersbynowthatitdidntbotherusmuchandreallyenjoyedeachdrop.It
wasmagicaldrivingonthismagnificenthighway.Earlierweplannedthedayand
keptitsimplyopentostaywhereverwefeltlikethereforewehadnodestination
inourmindstoday.TheroadwasnotaroughtrackbutalongwaytoRawalpindi
atmorethan600kilometersthroughthemountainroad.
The rainstoppedandwecrossedsometownsandhighspeedreallyhelpedus
coveringsomegooddistance.AtChilaswecontemplatedgoingthroughBabusar
PassintoKaghanValleybutdecidedagainst itandcontinuedontheSilkRoad.
WereachedBeshaminthebeforeafternoonandsomebreak,peakedintosome
shopsandmovedon.TheroadisbeautifulwithTheGreatIndusRivergoingnext
totheroadallthewayoutofthemountains.Thereareareaswhereroadneeded
maintenance due to landslides.We had to stop for some time at a couple of
placesbecauseofthe landslides asthe bulldozersmadeway for the traffic to
passthrough.WecrossedBatagramandstillfeltthatwecouldcontinuecloserto
Mansehracitytocampatthescoutingstationiftheywouldallowus.Wemadeit
tothescoutingcampbysunsetafteralongandtiringdrive.Toourdismaythat
wasclosedandtherewasnowatchmanoranybody.Nightwasfallingin.From
here Abbotabadwas about an hours and from there Rawalpindi another 23
hours.
Wehadturnedblackbecauseofthesmokeanddieselfromtrucksandbuses.Our
clothswereabsoluteblackandsowereourfaces.Wediscussedanddecidedto
continuetillAbbotabadandthenwouldcheckourstrengthtocontinuefurther.It
was dark when we entered the beautiful city of Abbotabad. This city always
amazesme,givesmeagoodfeeling.IcallthiscitytherealgatewaytotheNorth.
All routes to thenorth start from here.Thiscity itself is so pretty andoffers
amazingsceneryandplacesaround it. Ihavestayedinthiscityinmanyofmy
tripsandwouldalwayslovetostayherebecauseitissoinviting.
SomethingmadeuscontinuetoRawalpindiandstayatoneofourfriends.Sowe
weredrivingtowardsKhanpurdamanotherscenicroutetoournewdestination.
Wewereunabletoseeanythingscenicduetothedark.Drivingintheplainsis
veryhecticasthetruckersweredrivingcrazilyandnobodyreallycaredabouta
littletiredbikeonthehighway.Theydidntknowthatthispoorthingwasinits
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600thkilometersoftheday.WemadeittoRawalpindiandthelastfewhoursof
journeytookabigtollofusascomparedtothedrivinginthemountains.
Weweredirtymainlywithdieselfrombusesandtrucks.Ittooksometimeforus
tocometonormalwhenknockedatthedoorwhereweintended tostay.Our
friend came out and to our surprise he didnt even recognized us due to our
outlook. We had to tell him that he was looking at his friends. My body was
achingduetothecoldandhotairkepthittingmeallthewayfromGilgit.Hetook
usinandwestartedcleaningupmakingamistakeandnotmakingourbodies
adjusttothecurrenttemperatureandconditions.Iwaskindofparalyzedwhile
taking bath and couldntmove myself. It was terrible and I was scarred and
worried.Icalleduponhelp,myfriendspickedmeupandputmeinthebed.Iwas
shakingwithcoldbutthebodywasnotmovingatall.Theywantedtocallthe
doctorthatIrefusedandtoldthemtowaitforafewminutes.AftersometimeI
wasabletomovemyhandsandarmsas iflifewascomingback inmybody.Ittookanother2hoursformybodytobecomenormal.IthappenedbecauseIwas
drivingwholedayforabout18hoursinastretchandpassedthroughsomevery
hot and very hot areas. The body needed some time to adjust to the current
situationbutbecauseweweresodirtyandwantedtocleanupourselvesassoon
aswereachedthere.Thecoldwaterjustlockedmymusclesandjointsandlucky
enough to get back to normal without any medical help. Tough souls Tough
bodies.
It was an amazing ride in one day. We covered more than 600 kilometers
throughverytoughterrainaveraging34kilometersperhourwithallthebreaks
wehadonthewaytoexploredifferenttownsandareas.Beingstudentswewerefeelingsoproudtoshareourexperiencewithothers.
We were served with a very nice and delicious dinner at our friends andwe
chattedlateintothenight.Wesleptinpiecetogetuplatethenextmorning.
DAY13
Owingtoourdailyroutine,despitesleepingverylatewebothwereupearly.Hadalittleleasurebeforewewerereadyforournextdestinationi.e.Gujrat.Wehad
to travel on the GrandTrunkRoad towardsLahore and planned tobreakour
journeyatGujratjusttwohoursawayfromLahore.
Westartedlatewithaheavyhomemadebreakfast.Hadaroundofthecityand
startedonGTroad.Itwasabout3.5hoursdrivebutwecovereditin5hoursdue
tohourinterestinexploringeachtownthatwepass.WemadeittoGujratfor
anothercomfortableeveningandalatenightmeetingwithhourfriendsthere.
Nextdaywewouldbehome.
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DAY14
Itwasonly23hoursridebackhomethatwemadeiteasilyandwerewelcomedbyourfamilywithhugsandlove.Everybodymissedusinthelasttwoweeks
andeveryonewaseagertoknowhowwasourtrip.Ittookusdaystotellthem
ourstories.
Wehadcollectedsuchmemoriesthatwewouldbecherishingwholeofourlives.
Thiskindoftripsarealwaystiring,difficultandhighriskbutmemorable.
NOTEThistravelblogiswrittenfrommemoryrecall,15yearsaftertheactual
travel.Thingswillbemuchdifferentupthereatthetimeofthiswriteup.