Day 2 - Innocent Smiles - Trek to Rush Lake, Nagar Valley - Pakistan

12025731154_7e855edf5a_b — Shalter Peak and Potato fields of Hoper village. Nagar Valley

It’s day 2, Monday, 9th of July, 2012.

We are on our way towards Hunza from Rawalpindi via NATCO bus service. Last night we crossed Besham and its surrounding areas. Still, we had 9 hours of travel left.

01:00h – 06:00h. The whole night passed in failed attempts to sleep. No footrests means no rest. Sometimes the shoulder of your neighbor gives you some moment of relaxation, or sometimes rest at the back let you pass some span of time in a semi-sleep condition. Overall, a very tiring night. The local music from speakers on Driver’s Choice is also enough to make you cry silently. (:

07:30h. Bus has a stay at Chilas. It is a small town located on the left side of Indus river. It is a part of the Silk Road connected by the Karakoram Highway. This is breakfast time, and half-fried eggs, layered parathas, and a cup of hot tea look like a meal from heaven. After having a tummy-full breakfast, we restarted our travel in 30 minutes.

10:15 – 10:45h. We are passing Juglot. This is another small town over KKH, situated at 45km from Gilgit. It is one of the most important town as it is connected with all districts of the Northern Areas. The population is nearly 50,000, and it is considered as a center point for oil, wheat and flour for neighboring areas.

12:30h. And we are at Gilgit, a major milestone of this travel. Smiles. (: Its start looking like we are very near to our final stop (although there is still 3 to 4 hour’s more travel till Hunza) This is also a planned stop for NATCO service. We have 30 miniut stay here. Let have a little walk on bus terminal to stretch out our frozen legs. (:

14:00h – 14:15h. We have another short stay for lunch. Well don’t know the exact name of the area. There are few hotels at road side, a water gallery which flows side by side of road and some fruit shops. Many people are having lunch here. We are sitting near a spring water and having Coke. Shehzad butt. and Rizwan is eating shoarma type bread pieces. I tried but its taste didn’t appeal me. Coke is first choice for me. (:

15:30h – 15:45h. And finally we are at Aliabad Hunza District. Unloaded our lugguags and left the NACTO bus after almost 24 hours. Hunza say welcome to us. (:

Hunza (or hunza valley) is situated at bank of Hunza River, at altitude of 8,200 ft. Hunza is basically consist of Aliabad which is the main town, and Karimabad (Baltit in old days) which is a popular tourist place.

16:00h. Our next destination is Hoper Valley, next to Hunza. We are talking to different drivers for fare and comfort. Finally a Suzuki Bolan’s driver cames up with our terms and we are now heading towards Hoper, our last point to stop, and first to stay.

18:00h – 18:15h. A valley of green plateau, tall trees and innocent smiles has arrived. This is Hoper. Our final stop in travel of last two days. Driver took us to Hooper Inn hotel. We got fresh there and placed our camp on small grassy area.

A unique style and gathering of kids in Hoper valley when they saw camera in our hands. Innocent smiles.


View of Hoper Valley along with Ultar peak at back.

While reaching Hoper, we have a splendid view of following mountains

Nangaparbat: Known as killer mountain. Situated in Himalayan Range and viewed from KKH.
Rakaposhi: 7,788 m high, a mountain in the Karakoram mountain range famous by its white shiny peak, covered by snow in almost every part of year .
Ulter 1: visible from Hunza(Aliabad) and part of Karakoram range.
Ulter 2: usually visible from Nagar Valley.
Both Ulter 1/Ulter 2 are 7000+ meter high.
Shalter Peak
Lady finger: Adjusent to Ulter 1, situated in Karakoram range is particularly notable for being a sharp, unique shape and relatively snowless rock.

20:00h. Dinner with chicken qorma. We have tin pack food for trek and this one is the first meal from that bucket.

21:00h – 22:00h. Sitting in open area and talking shaking. We are served with Tomoro, a local qehwa called mountain tea. The sky is clear and thousand of stars are shining above us. This is a spectacular scene no doubt. Such crowded sky is absolutely impossible in city life. Last time I had such sky when we were in Kail Valley of Neelum District in Azad Kashmir, a year back.

22:00h. Two tablets of Panadol Extra and then time to enter in camps. Weather is slightly cold and sleeping bags will be a good place to hide and sleep. Our first night in camp for this trek.

Please turn off the lights and torches. I’m tired now.

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Aasim Naseem

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