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Prologue
The trek was called ‘The Three Passes of Boroghil’, a high level trek from Chitral to Hunza and like every trek in Pakistan it involved long jeep rides to get to the starting point. The group (9 British, 1 American, 1 Dutch – me – and 2 British trek leaders) left Islamabad by air conditioned (this is a luxury in Pakistan) coach for the North. After a late lunch in Dir we changed into jeeps to continue our journey over the Lowari Pass (3118 m). The road over the pass is a dirt track, unsuitable to most cars or busses, but many colourful Pakistani trucks labour up the mountain at crawling pace, emitting stinking black clouds all the time. The scenery is stunning. That night we stayed at Naghar Fort, 2 hours’ drive from Chitral. Next day we reached Chitral, where we had the whole afternoon to visit the bazaar. Unfortunately the fort, which contains one of the cannons Kelly brought from Gilgit on a relief campaign a century earlier, was closed to visitors. The following morning we continue our jeep ride to the first campsite: a pleasant grassy spot under mulberry trees. And finally our last jeep ride: a spectacular ride over a narrow track (not much wider than the jeep and often the wheel tracks touched the crumbling edge), with the river raging deep down. The jeep drivers carefully edged their vehicles over the most dangerous spots, visibly relieved when another difficult stretch had been conquered. We left the jeeps when the track stopped in front of a footbridge, and walked 10 minutes to the campsite near the village of Rua, the last village of the Turikho Valley. Here the real trek would start. Porters and donkeys carried the gear to camp. After pitching the tent we discovered that one kit bag was missing. American Dave (we also had English David) had been ill since that morning and now he was struck by misfortune again: his luggage seemed to be lost. However, later that afternoon one of the jeep drivers turned up with his kit bag: it had fallen from the jeep and the driver had found it on his way back.
Day 1
We started with an almost level path until lunch. Then followed traverses of steep scree slopes on narrow ledges. I am never very happy on these. The donkeys carrying our luggage must be very sure footed indeed! The porters too – each carries 25 kilos plus their personal belongings (often not more than a blanket and some food) – did not hesitate at those nasty ledges. I felt better when the gorge we had been following flattened out. We should have crossed the river by means of a snow bridge to reach a grassy campsite, but the snow bridge did not exist, so we camped in another, somewhat stony, but reasonably flat, spot.
Day 2
Lovely 5 hour walk along the summer pastures for Yaks and goats. We found a snow bridge (see photo 2) to cross the river. (The donkeys had to be unloaded for this crossing.) Idyllic camping among flowers. (3450 m.) Good place to wash. Clothes dried quickly in the fierce sunshine.
Day 3
To-day our first pass: Shah Jinali (4215 m.) Immediately after leaving camp we had to climb very steeply, but after that first steep climb the ascent to the pass was gradual. Alpine flowers everywhere. Superb views. After the pass we went down and camp near a summer settlement.(3845 m) Just after pitching the tents it started to rain, but the rain din’t last longer than an hour. A strong wind damaged the frame of the toilet tent, but next day this would be more or less repaired.
Day 4
Early start (5 o’clock – usually we started at 6 o’clock), because it would be a fairly long day. The weather was again sunny and warm. We descended and enter the Yarkhun valley. We lunched near a village. Here we said goodbye to our porters. New porters (and donkeys) took their place. We continued until we came to the village of Lasht, from where we could see our campsite in the distance. The kitchen crew made gallons of most welcome tea at our arrival. Altitude at this camp is 3170 m. It offers a splendid view of a glacier at the other side of the river.
Day 5
We followed the west bank of the river. At the other side we had excellent views of glaciers and white peaks (see photo 3).
Not far from our campsite for that evening the track disappeared completely in the river. Both porters and trekkers got some help to negotiate this difficult spot: a strong hand from our cook, Dost Mohammed, ensured that nobody would end up in the river. Again a campsite with first class views on a glacier. Found a secluded spot for a thorough wash.
Day 6
Beautiful walk along the river with views of glaciers (see photo 4).One of the glaciers ended in the river; from time to time huge chunks of ice thundered into the water. Hot day. From the camp (3502 m.) we could see Tui II (see photo 5). Here the porters decided to go on strike. They wanted more money.
Day 7
The sirdar came at long last to an agreement with the porters. Reluctantly they picked up their loads. After walking for an hour we looked into the valley leading off to the Boroghil Pass (which leads into Afghanistan). The track we followed led us through marmot country. Asian marmots don’t whistle, like their European cousins; they utter a cry like a bird when warning each other of approaching trekkers.
Day 8
We passed some summer huts: women in colourful garments were tending sheep in the background; the men approached us with many questions. We in turn had many questions for them: how long do they stay (2 months), where do they go after there season here is over (20 kilometres down the valley), how many animals do they have (no idea), what are the things drying on the roofs (cheeses). Some of us bought hand made stockings and gloves (all in bright colours) from the women. The porters bought a goat. Later that day I could hardly believe my eyes when I encountered a camel. This animal is used as beast of burden in this region but to me it looked out of place with white peaks in the back ground. We approached the second pass of the trek, the Karumbar-An (4300 m.) We camped on the pass at a beautiful lake surrounded by high peaks (see photo 6). The sirdar went back to a summer settlement to buy another goat. On the menu that evening: Pasta Bolognese with goat meat.
Day 9
Rest day on the pass. Sunny, but with a cold wind. We all washed some clothes. From a previous trekking holiday in Pakistan I knew that my hands would split badly and painfully from washing in icy water, so this time I had a pair of rubber gloves with me to protect my hands when washing clothes. It looked ridiculous (they are bright yellow), but they certainly helped. In the afternoon the sirdar went for a swim in the lake. I don’t think he stayed longer than two seconds in the freezing water. Nobody felt inclined to follow his example. I went for a short walk to admire the flowers.
Day 10
Now our gear is not only carried by porters and donkeys, but also by two yaks. From the pass we descend into the Karumbar valley and camp near another settlement, where two boys were playing polo on donkeys.
Day 11
Early start, because we were going to cross a glacier. The donkeys and Yaks had left us. The owner of the donkeys left too; it seemed that he had been the strike leader. After his disappearance the remaining porters appeared to be very helpful and willing to work. We walked until we reach a pulley bridge (see photo 7)to cross the river. A pulley bridge is a simple but very effective device. However, it took quite some time before everybody and everything was across. The Karumbar Valley does not have a glacier of its own, but the Chashboi glacier completely fills the valley not far from our river crossing. The approach to the glacier was nasty (slippery and treacherous). The glacier itself was not really difficult (no need to rope up because no snow on the glacier and the crevasses were clearly visible), but I did not feel very happy: we had to use snow bridges, which were solid but narrow and I hated those big drops on either side into the crevasses. Stunning sight, though. The ice went up and down like a series of sand dunes, which made it all the more difficult to find a route in the maze of crevasses (see photo 8). In the afternoon a very hot walk took us to an ideal camping spot: flat, grass, trees that offered shade, a clear stream and excellent views of mountains.
Day 12
Short walk to next camp. First climbing high to cross the river on a spot where the river is still a glacier. Close to the camp we used another pulley bridge to cross the river. The next two days would be strenuous. Everyone used the afternoon to wash clothes, especially socks, because at the high camps we might not have the opportunity to do so.
Day 13
It overcast. A steep climb brought us at the foot of an endless scree slope. I was glad that there was no sun, otherwise we would be roasted on this slope. It got steeper and my feet sank deeply in the scree. It seemed to take forever. At long last the scree made place for big boulders and soon afterwards I reached the lunch spot. However, the kitchen crew couldn’t find any water, so we had to move on. Higher on the mountain the cook found water and he started to boil water for tea (this was a trek organized by a British company and that meant tea everywhere, any time, to the chagrin of American Dave). It started to rain gently, but by the time lunch (pasta) is ready the rain stopped. After lunch we plodded up more steep scree. It started to rain again. Higher up it snowed. We reached the campsite: a few small, flat areas amidst the scree. We climbed 1500 m on that day. We pitch the tents as quickly as possible, not an easy jobs with our frozen fingers. While I was waiting in the mess tent for the porter with my kit bag to arrive, jumping up and down to get warm, it stopped snowing. After having changed into dry and warm clothes I could smile again and enjoyed the superb views when the cloud slowly lifted (see photo 9). The porters, who had been carrying firewood on top of their loads, had raging fires going in their shelters. We would cross the highest pass (Chilinji-An) the following day. But where was it? We were surrounded by steep rock faces and a few very steep scree slopes. Nothing resembling a pass. It appeared that one of those almost vertical scree slopes is the pass. I could not believe it. It is impossible to get up there! The scree slope I climbed this day was very steep; the one for the following morning is much steeper. How I dreaded that climb!
Day 14
In the early morning the tents were white from frost. Tent poles were frozen and water bottles contained ice. I had not noticed the freezing temperature during the night in my down sleeping bag. I even slept well despite my worries. We started zigzagging up the slope, keeping close together in order to prevent someone getting hurt by falling stones. It was almost impossible not to dislodge stones as the scree was so loose and the slope so steep. I was not afraid – contrary to what I had expected – but I did not dare to look down for fear of getting vertigo. Sometimes using hands as well as feet we steadily climbed higher, occasional pausing to get a breather. We climbed for about 2 hours. Then we reached the top. (5200 m.) At the other side a snow-white glacier descended from the pass. What a view! We went down the snow, and crossed the glacier in the track of the leaders. After the crossing we descended alongside the glacier (see photo 10). For a long time we followed the moraine (up and down, up and down) until we came to a place were we could ford the wide river. The current was very strong. We all got help from some of the porters, because losing one’s balance would be fatal. Ice from the glacier floated in the stream. Cold! We were now an hours’ walk from camp. There were many springs in and near the camp site, but the spring water was as cold as the river water. When I unpacked the tent I discovered ice in it, but in the strong breeze and the late afternoon sun the tents dried quickly.
Day 15
Rest day. I put a bowl with spring water in the sun to warm it up, with the thought that I would be able to have a wash in lukewarm water in the afternoon. But in the afternoon a cow passed the tent and drank my washing water….
Day 16
Along the river and along a glacier to our next campsite, which was near a holy shrine in the Chapursan Valley. Here our porters left us. Only the Pakistani staff (sirdar, assistant sirdar, cook and guide) stayed with us.
Day 17
I felt ill and had absolutely no appetite. Short and boring walk along a jeep trek to a good campsite at the snout of the Yashkuk Yaz glacier. Our gear was transported by jeeps. Here ended the real trek. I dozed in the tent during the afternoon. Towards evening I felt a little better.
Epilogue
The following morning we drove to Karimabad, where we stayed two nights and from there we drove to Gilgit. From Gilgit we should have flown back to Islamabad, but due to a week of bad weather in the region of Gilgit we could not fly. It takes 16 hours over the Karakoram Highway to get from Gilgit to Islamabad by car. Stunning scenery, but very tiring in a not air conditioned vehicle. In Islamabad this wonderful trekking holiday came to an end. The British trek leaders and the Pakistani crew have been marvelous. It was sad we had to say goodbye.
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