The beautiful and the Bleak

Travelling through in the wilderness through small landslides along the Southern ridges of Nanga Parbat in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, I see neither man nor beast for miles. Eventually though, I arrive in Astore, a small city and the powerhouse of this remote area.

Legend has it that a Persian mountaineer named Ghazi Makhpun arrived in the area and married a girl from Skardu’s royal family. His four sons became rulers of Skardu, Astore, Rondu, and Kharmang, and eventually the Dogras became powerful.

The Astore Bazaar is packed and noisy and reminds me of Peshawar. The sounds of jeeps, barbers, workshops, fruit and vegetable vendors and others surround me as I walk around the town.

But as soon as the sun hides behind the mountains, an eerie quiet descends, almost as if no one lived there. 

The next day I travel by jeep to Rama village, a mere 11 kilometres away but a journey of more than an hour. Just beyond the village lies a serene plain known as Rama Meadow.

Thickly forested with huge pine, cedar, fir and juniper trees, the meadow and the lake that lies at its centre is about 3,300 metres above sea level and chilly even during the four months that pass for summer.

There are only two motels in Rama Meadow, one run by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and the other, the Forest department. I opt for the forest lodge and find it more than adequate for my simple needs.

The arrival a couple of nights later of a group of female students from Peshawar university and their need to use the only washroom in the rest house – mine – convinces me it’s time to move on and so the next morning I set off along the paved but narrow road that runs between Astore and Karakoram Highway, parallel to the river. 

Naltar is famous for its three colourful lakes and is about a two-and-a-half drive from Gilgit, even though it is only 40 kilometres away. Covered with pine trees, this valley doesn’t seem to be a part of this world.

The lakes are crystal clear with green plants easily visible at the bottom and framed by snow-covered mountains. In fact, the snow has yet to melt even on the lower ground and I sometimes sink up to my knees in the white powder as I make my way to the turquoise waters of Naltar lake. Small islands rise proudly from the middle of the lake, their surfaces covered with strange shaped stones.

The beauty of the surrounding landscape is breathtaking and despite the isolation, a truly wonderful place to spend a holiday.

  

IF YOU GO

<<Gilglit, the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan province, is the gateway to Naltar Valley, which is part of the Karakoram Highway. The best time to visit is from May to mid-October. Most visitors arrive at Gilglit by road, a journey of nine hours. Pakistan Airlines offers two flights a day from Islamabad.