From South End to North End of Pakistan, Karachi to Khunjerab [-12ft to 16,200ft]: Day 11: Sust to Gilgit (Aliabad, Rakaposhi)

Date: 25th September 2015

Yesterday we experience a great day at Khunjerab (Pakistan-China Boarder) as it was our goal and reason for traveling this far, and now our return journey back to Karachi is started. We spend our night at the Khunjerab Hotel in Sust, it is a decent hotel with courteous staff. One thing we were missing there was Wi-Fi and there were no mobile signals on that point as well.

Morning at Sust

A house at Sust

Morning at Sust

Me and my son wake up at dawn and got out of our room to admire the beauty of the surrounding. While wandering around in the front garden we can observe the Hunza River flowing at a little distance down the hill, so I and my son decided to walk to the bank of the river. Crossing Karakoram Highway we walked toward the river, the path to the river is very rocky and making it difficult to walk. But we walk slowly and manage to get to the river bank, the sound of the running water makes it feel very pleasant. The water was really icy, so we decided to stay away from it. Getting hold of some photographs we return back to our hotel again after about an hour.

Hunza River

From China @ Hunza River

Karakoram Highway at Sust

As my wife and daughter were awakeed too, we proceeded to the hotel food court for the breakfast. Completing our breakfast we packed our luggage and started our journey back toward Hunza. Our journey again started on marvelous Karakoram Highway along with the Hunza River. Today is a great day for residents of Pakistan and also for this area of Gilgit-Baltistan as today is Eid-ul-Adha, the animal sacrificial day, followed in the tradition of the Prophet Ibrahim.

It is a day here at Hunza when people wearing colorful dresses visits mosques (Prayer House) and community halls. Children were also playing and running around as there is a public holiday. Some people were taking their animals to the sacrificial ground. In this area, animals can only be sacrificed in a designated area and the meat is distributed among the people of this area. We saw that all the animals that are being taken for the sacrifices must be covered with white cloth. Upon asking our driver told us that this is a tradition that all animals dedicated for scarifying must be covered with white cloth as a symbol of the coffin.

The weather was tremendous, the cold wind was blowing but as we were descending from the high altitude the temperature is also getting better and it’s not as frigid as it was in Khunjerab and Sust. Continuing along this route between Khunjerab and Hunza, there were many stunning scenic views where one can break and admire the beauty of the skirting.

Our first halt was at Passu Peaks and Glacier viewpoint. This is a place from where one can understandably experience the view of Passu Peaks and its glacier. We had the plan to reach Passu Glacier but our driver told us that it will be hard for us to reach there, especially with the kids and instead of going to Passu Glacier it is better that we visit Borith Lake, and then we decided to take in some photograph at Passu View point and then go on our journey toward Borith.

Passu Peaks

Passu Glacier

After crossing Passu we stop at a spot where there were hotels and a very little population, I forget its name, but our driver told us that this population is constructed on a glacier and below this glacier the earth is continuously moving and slowly flowing like a river.

At Hussani a village near Gulmit, there is a rough & dirt road extending up on the mountain and heads to the Borith Lake. The lake is an important bird sanctuary for migrating wildfowl (ducks, geese and swans). The best time to see these migrating birds is between the months of March and June, when they make their way to the cooler climates of Central Asia and between September and November, as they return to the warmer parts of southern Pakistan. Once this lake was an important hunting ground for the Mir of Hunza during winters particularly for birds. On a nearby hill a small house was built for the Mir which is now converted to a hotel known as Borith Lake Hotel.

Going on an unpaved jeep route we reach Borith Lake at an elevation of 8,500 ft. (2,600 m) in nearly 30 minutes. Our jeep stopped near the Borith Lake Hotel and from there we have to trek down a little to get to the lake. The area was too peaceful and beautiful, we sit around the lake and adored the peace and calmness of the surroundings, and enjoyed a tasty cup of tea. The guy at the hotel told us that on that point are many treks starting from this lake, like the trek to the famous Passu glacier that is about 1 hour straight walk and then a 2 hour walk up to the glacier. The other walking trails lead to Ghulkin glacier, the famous Passu-Suspension Bridge, the Borigh Sar peak (4,200 m) and the most dangerous rope bridge in the world “Hussaini Hanging Bridge”.

Borith Lake

Winding up the tea and enjoying the marvelous panorama we again embarked on our journey. Going along the same unpaved route we join the Karakoram Highway again. We bear to reach Attabad Tunnel before 1 PM as after 1 PM the tunnels will be closed for building work. Without breaking off at any place we reached Attabad Tunnel and stop at the Gulmit side of the Attabad Lake just for some photographs. And then after continuously traveling we reached Aliabad at noon. Agreeing to our plan, we have to spend a night at Aliabad before going to Gilgit but since we take in scads of time in our hand we mutually decided to proceed directly to Gilgit.

Attabad Lake

At Aliabad, our jeep driver helped us in arranging transport till Gilgit. Since it is Eid day, there is very less transport available in Aliabad. Only after some searching we were able to find a coaster how agreed to take us to Gilgit. We shifted all our luggage into the coaster and our journey toward Gilgit is started.

All of us are sad as we leave the Heaven on Earth, the most beautiful place we have seen in our life, The Hunza Valley. Our journey toward Gilgit started on Karakoram Highway with the stunning scenic view of the valley in front and the mighty snow covered mountains on both sides.

Traveling toward Gilgit we stop at Rakaposhi view point. Rakaposhi also known as the crown of Hunza & Nagar Valleys is the 12th highest peak in Pakistan and the 27th in the world with a height of 7788 meters. It is the highest unbroken slope on earth with its gleaming Gulmet glacier. The summit is almost 6 kilometers (5,838 meters) from Karakorum Highway. It is the only mountain on earth that plummets directly, uninterrupted, for almost 6,000 meters from the summit to its broad base which measures almost 20 kilometers east to west.

From this spot the complete aspect of the mountain, along with its peak is clearly visible. Thither is a restaurant, some tuck shops and a gems & handicraft shop too. Cold and clear water is flowing from the glacier, we sit along the stream to enjoy this marvelous place. We have put an order for the tea and decided to hold it in the sitting area adjacent to the cold water stream.

Rakaposhi

Gilgit

After finishing the tea our journey toward Gilgit again started. Crossing many small cities, beautiful valleys and mountains we reached Gilgit city in the evening. Gilgit city is situated at an elevation of about 4,800 ft. (1500 meters) and is the administrative and commercial capital of Northern Areas. Fenced in by the massive mountains of the Karakorum ranges this city has been an important city in earlier history too, as being along the important Silk Route which passed through this urban center. This city also serves as a main hub for the tourist visiting Northern Areas, as everyone has to first reach this city before heading toward different directions including Skardu, Hunza, Astore, Diamer and even China. Gilgit is served by the Gilgit airport with a flying time of about 55 minutes from Islamabad.

This our 2nd visit to Gilgit city as we have already spend a night in Gilgit while traveling toward Hunza. We choose to stay at Taj hotel which is located near the famous N.L.I market in Gilgit. It is a really decent hotel with courteous staff. The location is great too with the famous N.L.I market, Gilgit River and the historic Konodas Bridge at a walking distance from the hotel. With neat and comfortable rooms this is a very good hotel to stay in Gilgit. The airport is at an easy access too. In that respect is also a decent restaurant with a fine dining area within the hotel, where one can sit and savor the food while discussing the plan or merely viewing the television. There was free Wi-Fi and also a tv in every room and it was really interesting watching the local Gilgit-Baltistan channels, which offer us lots of info regarding this area. Hot water was also available 24 hours. We stay there for two days and found it very comfortable. After putting our luggage in our room we went out and just walked on the road before coming back to our hotel for dinner and the night’s slumber.