tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863395386007275142024-03-20T15:19:31.485+05:00KarakorumFlying— Paragliding in the Karakorum Mountains of Pakistan, Summer 2012ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-23315920931534704112012-07-07T16:35:00.003+05:002012-07-07T16:35:37.327+05:00Wed 4th Jul 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Well, the trip is finally drawing to a close, there's to be no more flying and all I need to do is get back to ISL to catch a plane for AU. I spend the morning around Yassin with Rais and some more of his friends, exploring the old fort, visiting a government fruit plantation where some guys were packing cherries for sale (lots and lots of varieties which I needed to examine closely to see if I could taste any differences), wandering across the polo ground and through groves of poplar trees and great looking crops with not a bug to be seen anywhere (I'd never seen rows of cabbages growing without a single bug bite anywhere before here—and they don't use pesticides?) … It's a stunning place.<br /><br />I get a lift back with some of the young guys who were heading home to Gilgit today (no bus ride today, yippee!) and stay at the Madina overnight before catching my 21hr NATCO bus ride to ISL the next day. The only stuff up I made on this last leg is to have placed my laptop bag in a perfect little corner of a storage compartment at the rear of the bus, only to find it the next day with a sizeable bend, under a couple of sacks of potatoes. I don't even know when they got in there as I had my eye on the door everytime we got off—I bent it back but it's not booting up… uploading all this on a 'net cafe via my backup drive which thankfully I had wrapped up in my clothes bag.<br /><br />If anyone is considering coming this way for a flying trip, I'm happy to answer any questions via email (see my profile). The weather had been fairly poor this season, with lowish bases and more instability than we would have liked, but I still had a lot of memorable flights over some incredible terrain. The northern areas are remarkably safe and all the people we met were wonderful. There was none of the hawking you can get in some places, we usually paid the standard rate for anything we bought, and everyone was desperate for us to let the 'outside' world know just how safe it really is. The scenery is spectacular, so even on the non-flyable days I thoroughly enjoyed travelling around the country. If you like mountains, and flying in mountains, then you can't really pass up an opportunity to come fly northern Pakistan.<br /><br />And finally, for any women reading this who are thinking of getting married soon, or have friends thinking about it, I thought I'd pass on this information for you, just in case you wanted to be, you know, a — SUPER Bride…!<br /><br /><br /><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">aaaargh!!!</td></tr>
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<br /></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-91479443353898642362012-07-03T16:32:00.000+05:002012-07-07T16:32:20.449+05:00Tue 3rd Jul 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Running out of time, I've decided to bus it back to Yassin to pick up my clothes and laptop, then bus back to Gilgit where I'll get a NATCO bus back to ISL. Not the fastest option, but I'm running out of money and I reason that I'll see more of the country this way—boy, was this a silly decision.<br />
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5am I catch a minibus (Toyota Hiace van, designed to seat 13 plus driver) from Karimabad to Gilgit, and find myself thinking 'this 'aint so bad'. It's still cool, the bus is only half full, and the scenery is great. This all changes as we descend the valley, picking up people along the way, maxing out at 23 or 24 (I can't see how many on the roof) and it's getting hot. We get to Gilgit around 10am, where I drop my wing off at the Madina hotel, and walk to the Yassin bus stop/depot to book a bus for the next leg. This is a similar trip, except for a lunch stop when the driver loads a 1/2 ton of potatoes in sacks onto the roof racks. The van has an obvious lean around corners now, parallelograming from side to side as we careen up the Ghizer river towards Yassin. I don't actually close my eyes, but only because of a vague hope that if it does go off the edge, maybe I'll be able to jump out the window before it's too late…<br />
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Six hours later we get to Yassin, I get off in the general area of Adil's house (not carrying anything is really nice) and start to work my way through the fields to where I think it is. Travelling, or even walking alone I've found is always different to being in a group, and this is no exception. People are much more amenable to coming up and asking questions, if I need help, offering tea… I eventually find Adil's house, but no one seems to be around except for the piles of children who think I'm the best thing since sliced bread, and so we spend an hour playing around in the garden and making extra sure the cherry trees are all ok.<br />
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Rais and a friend turn up around now, and invite me to come with them for a swim in the river, where I try to explain the (Australian?) concept of floating down the river on inflated tractor tubes. They seem sceptical so I leave it, but this would be a fantastic place for it—a fast flowing but reasonably mild river, roads all the way down the valley, plenty of tractors around… I wish I had another few days to hang out here and just soak it all in.<br />
We move on down stream a bit to where some of their friends are playing a game of soccer to which they promptly join in, while I hang with Adil's youngest son who has taken a shine to me.<br />
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On the way back to the house, Rais insists on inviting me to one of his uncles homes, where we all have milk tea, boiled eggs fresh from the chickens clucking around our feet, and more cherries. This is repeated three more times before we reach Adil's—everyone is related here, and the uncles are strung out along the valley in a chain—where I see a familiar red jeep in the drive with Brad and Manzoor standing around talking to Adil. The timing is perfect (they'd flown in a couple hours before) and I hand back Brad's O2 kit before joining them for dinner at their hotel. They've had a great flight from Chalt, with high bases and lots of lift everywhere. Ado even wanted to continue through to Shandur but chickened out after getting belted around too much :)<br />
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Adil gives me a lift to his place on the back of his motorbike (no working headlight, thankfully I have my head torch with me) where I'm promptly offered some more dinner! My protestation is completely ignored, even when he had just seen me eating at the hotel, so I find myself sharing another meal, before collapsing into bed for the night.</div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-86185583452256583532012-07-02T16:30:00.000+05:002012-07-07T16:30:30.847+05:00Mon 2nd Jul 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today is looking super stable, but there are clouds forming over the peaks so we all trundle up to launch around midday, where Rob and then I proceed to bomb with barely a blip on the vario. Our intention was to fly as a group back to Yassin over a day or two, but Rob and I are both knackered and decide to have a rest day. The others wisely hang around till 3pm before launching, and slowly climb out to base and head west for a bivy over Chalt at 3800m. Grey lands around 700m below the main group, and spends the night by himself, but is high enough to get away the next morning.<br />
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I spend the day snoozing, eating, not filling in the blog (can't fly with the laptop) and being as lazy as possible. The night's here are now great, cool breezes mellowing the heat being released from the ground, and I spend the evening with a couple of groups of Pakistanis who are travelling here from the south—I suspect to escape the heat. They play cards, drink tea and smoke a lot of hashish while I abstain from all three… :) I eventually give in around midnight and head back to the room to find Rob fast asleep, and immediately do the same as I hit the bed.</div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-82043163901449498522012-07-01T16:28:00.000+05:002012-07-07T16:28:36.866+05:00Sun 1st Jul 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We're up early and have a breakfast of tea (no salts this time) and biscuits, before slowly packing our gear up and moving it a few hundred metres up the hill to a suitable launch spot. We've still a couple of hours before the thermals get going, so we all have a snooze in the sun while waiting as it's been a tough morning. There are vultures starting to work the front of the hill when we eventually get our wings out and Rob goes first as usual, with me last. By the time I climb out I'm a good half hour behind the other two, and when I reach the other side of the valley it's starting to slow down as it's in shade. I've lost sight of the other's by now, and take a more southerly route than yesterday, crossing the pass with height to spare, only to take a massive frontal just over the pass. The wing tries to dive repeatedly everytime I release the brakes, but it starts flying eventually and it didn't spin thankfully—I hereby promise to never, ever complain about springtime conditions in Bright again. I also notice that my hands aren't cold anymore…<br />
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I soon pick up the transmissions from Brad and his group who are flying around Hunza, where I'm now headed. Adrian (a fellow Australian) is also with the group and I'm looking forward to catching up with them all. It looks like they're headed for the north side of Rakaposhi, so I cross the valley with the intention of surprising them somewhere. But they take forever, and there's not a lot of lift around, so I scratch my way along the shaded lee of Rakaposhi, and eventually abandon it for the sunny side of the valley just west of Karimabad. Here there's plenty of nice smooth lift (smooth as butter, finally!), so much so that I have trouble getting down again when I decide to head for the river flats to land. Rob lands about 15 min before me and I see Manzoor's red jeep driving across the sand to pick him up, so I head straight in to catch them—It's a long walk up from the river to the hotel.<br />
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We all eventually get back to town, where the decision is made to splurge on a slightly upmarket, posh restaurant not far from the hotel that has a great buffet for dinner. We all make the most of the fixed pricing (mango and chocolate mousse!!) and waddle back to the hotel after a few hours to crash. It's been a big couple of days, and I sleep like a baby…<br />
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<a href="http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/632510">http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/632510</a></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-21304528646475802672012-06-30T16:21:00.000+05:002012-07-07T16:26:27.547+05:00Sat 30th Jun 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Saturday again looks like a good day so Adil locates a taxi for the drive to the launch hill, and we take our bivy gear along in preparation for a night or two out. Porters again appear at the same place as yesterday, and we make the super human effort of getting up to launch. Well, me anyway—it all just seemed like a walk in the park for the local boys.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWkf2s6TkkEnwlDxGPCUkE9P8YSAt3MoeCDHPI320d1sxPTGP7_cYngoQ4QL2PCbbvhzAXpcFo_ta3fBGfpByv7_7MZu8VGrNK8XOaf_Iqwx8l35zrBKqNUWHJkvsFXzeu9ABTd7VhMmp/s1600/XXXX+Ish1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWkf2s6TkkEnwlDxGPCUkE9P8YSAt3MoeCDHPI320d1sxPTGP7_cYngoQ4QL2PCbbvhzAXpcFo_ta3fBGfpByv7_7MZu8VGrNK8XOaf_Iqwx8l35zrBKqNUWHJkvsFXzeu9ABTd7VhMmp/s640/XXXX+Ish1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Rob goes first and has trouble getting climbing out, eventually heading south over the small side valley to try the mountain face there. Grey watches me muff a launch then takes off in perfect from, soon finding a climb that he works straight to the now large cu that's forming over launch. I slowly (everything is done slowly at these altitudes) re-gather my wing, lay it out and take off, finding a good, but rough climb that takes me to base at 6000m over launch, when I thankfully go on glide to the east. It's always hot on launch so I only have my glove liners on (thin wool) and it's impossible to get the big gloves on while in the climbs, so my hands are starting to freeze by the time I reach base—it's always a relief to go on first glide and wave them frantically around to get the blood flowing again, then slip on the big mitts.<br />
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I make good time crossing the valley and head east towards the first pass, fly over and into the Ishkomen valley ahead of the others. Not sure of where to go apart from a general easterly heading, I fly up the valley on the far side of the Ishkomen looking apprehensively at the OD on the far side of the pass. We're supposed to be going through that? There's very little lift at the top of the valley near the pass and I'm slowly getting lower while trying to work out what to do. OD cycles pretty rapidly around here and there's a possibility I can wait for it to clear before jumping over the pass? But it's completely shaded out so there'll be zero lift on the other side, so I'd be stuck if it didn't clear—I elect to turn around and head back before I get too low to make it to the main valley, just before Rob comes on the radio and says he's making for a top landing to spend the night.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back to the west from the first pass
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading east to the second pass and it's not looking good…</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LwgiEVGDUlEOOlx9SZlQj9FLlfW8H_lEbRxkYZDL-HndQdkcEQLbizy5UTkxGIn0mToVD7hIUIcoc2hJjFE3HI4ON0TG6kyxCqPq-gl0fWr-vG9o47JriaMWVayxX_texyV-TUkZI9ef/s1600/XXXX+Ish4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LwgiEVGDUlEOOlx9SZlQj9FLlfW8H_lEbRxkYZDL-HndQdkcEQLbizy5UTkxGIn0mToVD7hIUIcoc2hJjFE3HI4ON0TG6kyxCqPq-gl0fWr-vG9o47JriaMWVayxX_texyV-TUkZI9ef/s640/XXXX+Ish4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting low and it looks worse—either pass in front will do, but Rakaposhi is creating some nasty weather up ahead</td></tr>
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The spot chosen looks perfect, around 4000m with some trees for shelter and a fire, snow for water, and a nice rounded top area to land on—only I can't get down. Every time I get even half close I rocket up to base and have to fly a few k's away into the middle of the valley to lose some height. Rob lands and gets dragged a bit but is ok, Grey gets lucky with his timing and lands in a lull, while I spend 45 min flying up to the hill, shooting up and flying away again… bloody hell. Eventually I sneak in from the side and land a bit below the others. Packing is slow (4000m!) and I finally manage to drag the bag around to the north side of the hill to where there's a great bivy spot. We all set up camp, have some dinner (canned sardines with noodles, yum!) and some atrocious tea that Rob decided would taste better with a sachet of electrolytes thrown in…<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking north from our camp</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful old junipers are scattered everywhere around here, and they make for good camping spots</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiding from the cold catabatic winds</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZMFleOtKaqT8iucU7ZI4yM0OpdjHaGk7s4VEJD_2PibHPFiXOqKBBW4ht9ctUrrui0ffxeeFvb2epvpkaMyxXycKUAfTY-IMAJ6sX2zjFcAVJvpxVe2aIMPKqPWSevz1sY9JBjIPHH_0/s1600/XXXX+Ish8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZMFleOtKaqT8iucU7ZI4yM0OpdjHaGk7s4VEJD_2PibHPFiXOqKBBW4ht9ctUrrui0ffxeeFvb2epvpkaMyxXycKUAfTY-IMAJ6sX2zjFcAVJvpxVe2aIMPKqPWSevz1sY9JBjIPHH_0/s640/XXXX+Ish8.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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There are copses of ancient junipers here that provide welcome relief from the freezing catabatic winds that are blowing through as we eat dinner, as well as a good supply of dead wood for a fire. Unfortunately, we're worried the wind will blow some embers around and ignite the old trees so we bail on the fire and head to bed early. The wind dies down after a few hours and the night is relatively warm and still, with a night sky that is as good as anything I've seen in the deserts in Australia—it's the perfect place to camp.<br />
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<a href="http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/632509">http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/632509</a></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-67898694209456293472012-06-29T16:09:00.000+05:002012-07-07T16:10:03.727+05:00Fri 29th Jun 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Thursday we drive to the Yassin valley from Gilgit, around 5 hrs, through some cooler conditions, even rain, which we're hoping will clear for some flying tomorrow. Yassin is the central village in a long and picturesque valley that runs north-south some 100k's from Gilgit to the north west. The whole valley floor is really one long village, with demarcations between villages in name only, and everything is green and cool as it sits at around 2500m asl. I'm finding this is a really nice altitude to be at—Tareshing was 3000m and a bit chilly, Chitral and Gilgit 1500m and too hot, where 2500m is juust right. It's easy to forget the sweltering heat (50°C plus!) in the southern plains of Pakistan while you're here.<br />
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Friday morning dawns with clear skies so we hurriedly have some breakfast at our hotel, before loading the jeep for the drive to the start of the track up to launch. Manzoor assures us of being able to get some porters at a small village on the way up, unlikely though it looks as there's seems to be nobody around. I'm liking the laid back feel of this place already. We stop on a small track between some fields and stone houses and beep the horn a couple of times and like magic, four young guys appear from nowhere and jump in after a brief negotiation about rates. Manzoor takes the jeep as far as it will go, then we get out and start the long slog up the hill, which in these areas are covered in wild sage and thyme. This is the only thing that spoils my days here, herbs notwithstanding—I find myself dreaming of towing in the flats back home during these walks up to launch; drive to strip, unpack wing, clip in and fly away… bliss.<br />
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We all get away after a bit of effort (the hill is a bit crappy with a sucky valley off to one side) and have a nice flight up the valley to the village of Darkot, before coming back to land in town. I opt to land in the cemetery close to the hotel, while Grey and Rob land next to Adil's house, a local policeman whom they befriended when they were here two years ago. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikPzuifmDEwsGUh2V_wq98dm7TJLWSEEBhCXLq-HOfwKPrNQASF61h95BWRrYePDX5Y7rGVAdH9MhkOzUOXkYR8DxgEkUUWCLzR9u5uAn5ymKSKm7MquIpAdypbsALiiCdQ7jnDzxQL9MV/s1600/XXXX+Yassin1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikPzuifmDEwsGUh2V_wq98dm7TJLWSEEBhCXLq-HOfwKPrNQASF61h95BWRrYePDX5Y7rGVAdH9MhkOzUOXkYR8DxgEkUUWCLzR9u5uAn5ymKSKm7MquIpAdypbsALiiCdQ7jnDzxQL9MV/s640/XXXX+Yassin1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, another gratuitous POV shot. Jealous yet?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNZofojXtVw-AqwLsOxH6-ezc6w4bD8WZmLBP79x5s4eOsCS-BNleswGl8tIF64XNCPY0ZzjQ2LplItXmzCM5NBjFQaQMxQWBHhQXjjMxwyXY0XMVvS6G1vKYVKG3u-YYLmPgMWBG-U5w/s1600/XXXX+Yassin2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNZofojXtVw-AqwLsOxH6-ezc6w4bD8WZmLBP79x5s4eOsCS-BNleswGl8tIF64XNCPY0ZzjQ2LplItXmzCM5NBjFQaQMxQWBHhQXjjMxwyXY0XMVvS6G1vKYVKG3u-YYLmPgMWBG-U5w/s640/XXXX+Yassin2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some look a bit surly, but that changes when you smile at them…</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjCKU4X4t1Q5_8_gSOL0negGo802Y11qUDDUialiLVA7m5VTlL7FjskiB-o5AyVRVnAe3cgn6MR46HKSJ_NNfa5dIXr6U-Nkrak5WSoYY6dmmvagHm8-FsFStjVboDiYK-cKmw2T-d5hn/s1600/XXXX+Yassin3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjCKU4X4t1Q5_8_gSOL0negGo802Y11qUDDUialiLVA7m5VTlL7FjskiB-o5AyVRVnAe3cgn6MR46HKSJ_NNfa5dIXr6U-Nkrak5WSoYY6dmmvagHm8-FsFStjVboDiYK-cKmw2T-d5hn/s640/XXXX+Yassin3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Adil has practically no english to speak of, but is incredibly generous and insists that we all move camp to his home immediately, an offer we gratefully accept (the boys at the hotel we're at seem affronted that there's actually someone who wants to stay there and mooch around unhappily). His home has a typical walled garden which has three varieties of cherry trees, with roses and other flowers filling in the gaps. We meet some of the members of his family (some are away) including Rais, a nephew who has good english and acts as interpreter for us. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuH4Naacbl5NNLcJqAvlEO5uEEW5CopZ2_wEdqnOUvWoVmuy76iaZY7pV2Bh5N0ZkTHvhbHFrNDEixnmmC7HQLC3TAnAvar8Vx9JtToh4X-z7uysBDW2zTPBFrsz2RIjygNDNUneU4EBuI/s1600/XXXX+Yassin5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuH4Naacbl5NNLcJqAvlEO5uEEW5CopZ2_wEdqnOUvWoVmuy76iaZY7pV2Bh5N0ZkTHvhbHFrNDEixnmmC7HQLC3TAnAvar8Vx9JtToh4X-z7uysBDW2zTPBFrsz2RIjygNDNUneU4EBuI/s640/XXXX+Yassin5.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7o_j7M943IEZjJHUupVasH14kgls6WxB5bwat4xNLbq-DeaE1ziiuvN8E3hIT7WD2TkEhAfJDTPmVTDrAXkJHhcUFeweLuq2oPgBfQkURurC7RGDmgA3yJm_lHbKojZaGa1XycZl0ulH/s1600/XXXX+Yassin4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7o_j7M943IEZjJHUupVasH14kgls6WxB5bwat4xNLbq-DeaE1ziiuvN8E3hIT7WD2TkEhAfJDTPmVTDrAXkJHhcUFeweLuq2oPgBfQkURurC7RGDmgA3yJm_lHbKojZaGa1XycZl0ulH/s640/XXXX+Yassin4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We get all our gear to Adil's and settle in when we learn that today is the final of the local football league, and the game is about to start. Adil is itching to go, but insists that we all have some lunch first. Food is scoffed, then they all go off to the game while I stay to examine the cherry trees a bit more closely…<br />
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I'm already winding down for the night when they get back and I learn that Grey had been elected Guest of Honour. He was introduced as Mr. Grey, a famous football player from New Zealand, and he'd had to hand over the trophies, make a speech, pretend he knew something about the game… It sounded hilarious—he'd never touched a a soccer ball in his life!<br />
We let Manzoor go tonight as well, as we're hoping to fly from here back to Karimabad, so shouldn't be needing the jeep anymore. He's been fantastic help, acting as fixer as well as driver wherever we go, and it's sad to see him finally drive off without us. But if all goes to plan we should see him again in a few days in Hunza.<br />
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<a href="http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/632508">http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/632508</a><br />
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<br /></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-9185622571035658412012-06-27T15:59:00.000+05:002012-07-07T15:59:32.140+05:00Wed 27th Jun 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Monday and Tuesday are blown out in Skardu, so we spend the time wandering the town and going to the Skardu sand-dunes for a stickybeak…<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeK6CjFRXvRRL4w75qIcDpXyDenEzzna_lRPGBkgz_l5kei5TeBHnLd2myDaIbElt24IvciLbFOcwkCYrkDnps6XYW2UCjP4u3bxrXxL6BQR3HVq6SlbcGjt5oIMtmkkK8zfdPdPV20RB/s1600/XXXX+Skardu1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeK6CjFRXvRRL4w75qIcDpXyDenEzzna_lRPGBkgz_l5kei5TeBHnLd2myDaIbElt24IvciLbFOcwkCYrkDnps6XYW2UCjP4u3bxrXxL6BQR3HVq6SlbcGjt5oIMtmkkK8zfdPdPV20RB/s640/XXXX+Skardu1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXhotw8Z30SjYZdt_ynCVuWzsCzbvlS7AmSKYqDxnBGlEFKLuVe3S6esX0F3Q2Lg5sDmnGOqoVZ6FvwKQgeZm2hbp1nWTG-uo1XjA_SLVawDQuep_qp7Z_YNROnxDGX1tzkhrevEKYtjT/s1600/XXXX+Skardu2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXhotw8Z30SjYZdt_ynCVuWzsCzbvlS7AmSKYqDxnBGlEFKLuVe3S6esX0F3Q2Lg5sDmnGOqoVZ6FvwKQgeZm2hbp1nWTG-uo1XjA_SLVawDQuep_qp7Z_YNROnxDGX1tzkhrevEKYtjT/s640/XXXX+Skardu2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not huge by most standards, but big for Pakistan…</td></tr>
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On the way back into town we have our first experience with the afternoon valley breeze/gust front which comes through the valley every day, albeit at varying times. Monday was at 1:30pm, Tuesday's was around 5pm—I'm not sure I want to fly here anymore…<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtLY0tMHOdyEYbkmrxItg2BYYKX-qfZxnMFzPHgdPPIPAUOPz8aI5a3maoa4kM52AcdUIX5molaxX0R38p1mSFWBw-PT5SsmXigwRhiLgI-yAnHXzvnWxp1rbd5oVh_KKSkGTRG6KaYv9/s1600/XXXX+Skardu3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtLY0tMHOdyEYbkmrxItg2BYYKX-qfZxnMFzPHgdPPIPAUOPz8aI5a3maoa4kM52AcdUIX5molaxX0R38p1mSFWBw-PT5SsmXigwRhiLgI-yAnHXzvnWxp1rbd5oVh_KKSkGTRG6KaYv9/s640/XXXX+Skardu3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtUCfmE04WgPonG-kXJRbLjmA67LwqOyhXZMVAtomdzvnQaikPWn14eP6a1d4f5t-qEMwbGZ8a3Waaetv0pWDvjF0AZ_PUFXJPhwNq6c3HpTOQC9wgvu7O4CB8szsmrsAdnj3GhF1ErW5/s1600/XXXX+Skardu4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtUCfmE04WgPonG-kXJRbLjmA67LwqOyhXZMVAtomdzvnQaikPWn14eP6a1d4f5t-qEMwbGZ8a3Waaetv0pWDvjF0AZ_PUFXJPhwNq6c3HpTOQC9wgvu7O4CB8szsmrsAdnj3GhF1ErW5/s640/XXXX+Skardu4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imagine trying to land in this!
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Wednesday the sky looks promising, if windy, so we bundle our gear into the jeep and head north an hour to the town of Shigar where there's a launch we hope to get to. Unfortunately by the time we get there it's looking worse, with the cu's having large leans to them as they come off the mountains. We dither for a bit before pulling the pin (it's a long walk up which makes it worse) and heading back to the Concordia Hotel in Skardu to pack and get going for the two day drive to Gilgit and Yassin.<br />
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The drive along the Indus from Skardu heading north is long, slow, but incredible. I'd been looking at the map the night before, thinking of routes to fly in the area and this had seemed like a perfect northwest leg for a big triangle or just an alternative to the Shigar valley. No way—there are absolutely no landing options anywhere along this river, with the majority being a steep ravine filled with a terrifying torrent of brown, muddy water. There were sections where the water going through the rapids was actually rising vertically for 20 or 30 feet, looking like huge waves on a surf beach before crashing back into the mincing machine below—and it kept on going for nearly 100km… A couple of days later we learnt from a trio of young English kayaker's we met, that this infamous section of river had only just been 'done' for the first time by kayak in 2009, by an Italian team with no deaths. I assumed from this that it had killed a few from attempts before this time. I certainly wasn't going for a swim in it…<br />
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The valley walls in one section had large veins of granitic pegmatite, white in colour and apparently abundant in gem quality aquamarine. Consequently the area is being mined on a low scale, by hand and under what looks like pretty difficult conditions. Sheer rock faces, no heavy machinery, gruelling conditions, certain death if you slip… it would make a great photo essay though.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCozcrbaQt0mEA0qXrZKn5C7ait4X_DXcARh4j6YGS_K-tdyTC4DKiAFbJoNstTa08uUfc3RaJDDI9TlMWIrXOVmJzZM5KAuVpprxZ6RhCn1C0xoVKrAT1OWTIQHyo25ACIFac7nlw0QS/s1600/XXXX+Skardu5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCozcrbaQt0mEA0qXrZKn5C7ait4X_DXcARh4j6YGS_K-tdyTC4DKiAFbJoNstTa08uUfc3RaJDDI9TlMWIrXOVmJzZM5KAuVpprxZ6RhCn1C0xoVKrAT1OWTIQHyo25ACIFac7nlw0QS/s640/XXXX+Skardu5.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVD99gFzk5KFwwwDXp1Em-lF0zxgvTH7Ycc3YKWC1reAbiN8QSyA8tvFJWc7AlpXSuw6UgZBVWSHL3IwnGr_OszzAOwh3RPgQzbSHCqPS3bPlnvutmp4UdFuDED5XXWLG7UI6oeVzDabT/s1600/XXXX+Skardu6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVD99gFzk5KFwwwDXp1Em-lF0zxgvTH7Ycc3YKWC1reAbiN8QSyA8tvFJWc7AlpXSuw6UgZBVWSHL3IwnGr_OszzAOwh3RPgQzbSHCqPS3bPlnvutmp4UdFuDED5XXWLG7UI6oeVzDabT/s640/XXXX+Skardu6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's mines all around here, in the most inaccessible places</td></tr>
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We passed numerous small villages clinging precariously to the valley walls, most only accessible by a small basket suspended under a cable strung over the river, before getting to the junction with the Gilgit/Ghizer river where the valley opened out at last.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIvB2hvunSBe02stU6zgfguJu3XqUzMCypuq6eqqoIgExkGE48hE4ROaId1JK3TLixJUbCoNYupcLn2J38CwwbVzP6THv0BN1jmbsmLU3pEM6cnFgh7-bxynb5fDKAZ19enPAMN8_zf2O/s1600/XXXX+Skardu7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIvB2hvunSBe02stU6zgfguJu3XqUzMCypuq6eqqoIgExkGE48hE4ROaId1JK3TLixJUbCoNYupcLn2J38CwwbVzP6THv0BN1jmbsmLU3pEM6cnFgh7-bxynb5fDKAZ19enPAMN8_zf2O/s640/XXXX+Skardu7.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlmlUGr1ytS3uBbLeTJ3sSNB-rpezWYZ7XALyIIMj7-_aaT54yheEmgsyyW3rvWCDTf3ZGv5wrfLfyD1Iy0-YGTCALV6Lg9dZvkHCldVWopMyNwzRVHz_8yVPFZNzpQylkdZq1_6LF1cf/s1600/XXXX+Skardu8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlmlUGr1ytS3uBbLeTJ3sSNB-rpezWYZ7XALyIIMj7-_aaT54yheEmgsyyW3rvWCDTf3ZGv5wrfLfyD1Iy0-YGTCALV6Lg9dZvkHCldVWopMyNwzRVHz_8yVPFZNzpQylkdZq1_6LF1cf/s640/XXXX+Skardu8.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We get to Gilgit after more than nine hours on the road, and check into the Madina Hotel where Rob promptly spends most of the night projectile vomiting all over the bathroom. And I'd thought his excuse for the front seat ('I get car sick') was just a ploy for prime position…<br />
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<br /></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-7885303267652459722012-06-24T15:43:00.000+05:002012-07-07T15:43:51.746+05:00Sun 24th Jun 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sat is blown out, so we take it easy and decide to leave the following morning for Skardu via the Deosai Plateau.<br />
The drive up to the start of the plateau is through a gorgeous valley full of native pine trees, the usual terraced fields of crops and small villages. It's not a main road due to the plateau being inaccessible for most of the year during winter, and it looks like we're at the leading edge of anyone heading this way as the road has only just been opened for the sumer. At over 4000m, the Deosai turns out to be an amazingly beautiful area, with low rolling hills, high alpine lakes, marmots galore and the start of the spring flowers just beginning to bloom. It's above the tree line, and it looks like a great place to spend a few weeks trekking across—it's huge, so you could start just as the snows are beginning to melt and walk across to a finale of all the spring flowers which carpet the plains in July—but the bears might be a problem. There are black bears which live here, though we didn't see any, only the numerous marmots which took off before we could get close enough to take any pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynT7vKq7i4lnPNPcDriiv43KIf8-bQGf97jpD2lG5iy2POcHEMvexf_wxWwcspBz3Liy2N3fuLB45zxBgn_CSc6voqev0hTMvgxpzkhRfLBA4kTl2RAkCi11jpqHACVkqlvfJguccOaJh/s1600/XXXX+Deosai1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynT7vKq7i4lnPNPcDriiv43KIf8-bQGf97jpD2lG5iy2POcHEMvexf_wxWwcspBz3Liy2N3fuLB45zxBgn_CSc6voqev0hTMvgxpzkhRfLBA4kTl2RAkCi11jpqHACVkqlvfJguccOaJh/s640/XXXX+Deosai1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbXSRuKgL62_RucaWWdq7g7Ifttnp1LEOrf7E2sIZdbTrQDgUikAFku0GxJy7_Cg7enXxh3SUsZTmeuBkxiziqnZmoyfwR2j6cI1HAViKlECmWK6bGygoh8UsFMMqDdwpNm-lWIE5CmYa/s1600/XXXX+Deosai1b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbXSRuKgL62_RucaWWdq7g7Ifttnp1LEOrf7E2sIZdbTrQDgUikAFku0GxJy7_Cg7enXxh3SUsZTmeuBkxiziqnZmoyfwR2j6cI1HAViKlECmWK6bGygoh8UsFMMqDdwpNm-lWIE5CmYa/s640/XXXX+Deosai1b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iWdLoAbRHQzBip3t-ZpW1cR_Tt_RxMPJqTbpg75FNkmkV0valP0WMosBhrpc8-r8wvwE94x8z2WFsB2t8fuul_EW8nDo90QhVuO63HqfpHdEa21o-4xSQJK5lt7XjTiZopHLCWD9YRio/s1600/XXXX+Deosai2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iWdLoAbRHQzBip3t-ZpW1cR_Tt_RxMPJqTbpg75FNkmkV0valP0WMosBhrpc8-r8wvwE94x8z2WFsB2t8fuul_EW8nDo90QhVuO63HqfpHdEa21o-4xSQJK5lt7XjTiZopHLCWD9YRio/s640/XXXX+Deosai2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shepherds from the south moving their flocks north to the summer pastures</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKGbLkIEkWA2BzkrhXLvq4sz1V9jMSezIfmuPFRKdTT_cbulp8978yLgK7tL-iUwvGO0w9Jjg7U3xY8OWuaL98BqjcbOhyphenhyphenVrluuoA_H5Ah9rUXdFb1DB3Z5C-fWTs5FQ3ha5eeCfLAycy/s1600/XXXX+Deosai2b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKGbLkIEkWA2BzkrhXLvq4sz1V9jMSezIfmuPFRKdTT_cbulp8978yLgK7tL-iUwvGO0w9Jjg7U3xY8OWuaL98BqjcbOhyphenhyphenVrluuoA_H5Ah9rUXdFb1DB3Z5C-fWTs5FQ3ha5eeCfLAycy/s640/XXXX+Deosai2b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plateau proper, with some weather moving in from the south</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqpBiLG3dGDFbBe8VMASrve8Ic3QHi-HPIrrXYmao6daBN_x_zaGRsf2XeTVwifhEZFcyTxBOzVcl0NjIiSLrEvwqBH-ce9K7PjsAWUXYxpG_6Wi_Qcz5IhAbCfCEn45Eyp2mmjuJXqro/s1600/XXXX+Deosai3b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqpBiLG3dGDFbBe8VMASrve8Ic3QHi-HPIrrXYmao6daBN_x_zaGRsf2XeTVwifhEZFcyTxBOzVcl0NjIiSLrEvwqBH-ce9K7PjsAWUXYxpG_6Wi_Qcz5IhAbCfCEn45Eyp2mmjuJXqro/s640/XXXX+Deosai3b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ovccejNhn_1laB4RFrXPBVRvljgdHZS7eTpwgtPcPBNw5JSmvicR8cuiD4ZxiIZrcbgazFdKS8ODhb1u-uUWTlyj9LM5Ofz-MqUoEBrdKif0SI7C6QNduZga-zuhNRthC2T-HsfMgZLx/s1600/XXXX+Deosai4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ovccejNhn_1laB4RFrXPBVRvljgdHZS7eTpwgtPcPBNw5JSmvicR8cuiD4ZxiIZrcbgazFdKS8ODhb1u-uUWTlyj9LM5Ofz-MqUoEBrdKif0SI7C6QNduZga-zuhNRthC2T-HsfMgZLx/s640/XXXX+Deosai4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Around midway on the plateau there's a river ford that needs to be crossed, and the water is cold, fast flowing and deep, all the things you really don't want when a long way from any help. Manzoor does a great job of driving though, with only a brief moment of panic when the front end starts to get washed down stream by the current, before getting traction again and pulling out the other side. I'm really impressed by the vehicle, a more than 30year old ex-army jeep that continues to plug away at anything it's pointed at. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BKR2BNMGjqCxF6_GQc-ZajR-qAQuVeaLZqW7f1Tb7j4gR8XViiVK_To-D_nKND7GWQjPyIJfXuLDjQa25kkPfi3lhpRknYijUYeimRPAEoRqBsCamxHcuiuOOqHyfTQoBjz4u0SCJh99/s1600/XXXX+Deosai6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BKR2BNMGjqCxF6_GQc-ZajR-qAQuVeaLZqW7f1Tb7j4gR8XViiVK_To-D_nKND7GWQjPyIJfXuLDjQa25kkPfi3lhpRknYijUYeimRPAEoRqBsCamxHcuiuOOqHyfTQoBjz4u0SCJh99/s640/XXXX+Deosai6.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The end of the plateau is marked by a steep descent towards Skardu, along a raging river that eventually settles to form a lake in the hills above Skardu, due to a landslide a few years ago. There's now a dam being constructed out of/adjacent to the landslide, with the intention of utilising the hydro potential of the pent up waters.<br />
We stop at the village of Sapara for the night, where Manzoor magics up a classic sponge birthday cake out of nowhere—it's my birthday today which I'd been trying hard to ignore, but which is made difficult by the many police checkpoints and subsequent handing over of information wherever you travel in the north here. We have dinner, cake, then get to bed early as has been the usual routine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiGwX6apXMOAvRsiPWQlbsTksQcxfMevCOyv0DS2vHmk2P7WwFYbuQ9EukMmSqEn-i3E1hves7G-tlYUSYcTozr0oOMrz8XQfmM0LBCmKafBIrACD7XdowQ_WOISK5Wzm8r5yjYtWrQ1C/s1600/XXXX+Deosai7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiGwX6apXMOAvRsiPWQlbsTksQcxfMevCOyv0DS2vHmk2P7WwFYbuQ9EukMmSqEn-i3E1hves7G-tlYUSYcTozr0oOMrz8XQfmM0LBCmKafBIrACD7XdowQ_WOISK5Wzm8r5yjYtWrQ1C/s640/XXXX+Deosai7.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGqSMPh4yi-xfWm-NBRCz7FzJDRT5fT4YtiJ5F0M85eeYnL_hHMBCEcPv3A6aXHAZc6qt9TJ5aAw_XUR2dO6cruwVv1TW-a_OOwRe8N7mKfj3MCtaL5bDy8R1yEhiMUyNHCIP1bdqcVT3/s1600/XXXX+Deosai8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGqSMPh4yi-xfWm-NBRCz7FzJDRT5fT4YtiJ5F0M85eeYnL_hHMBCEcPv3A6aXHAZc6qt9TJ5aAw_XUR2dO6cruwVv1TW-a_OOwRe8N7mKfj3MCtaL5bDy8R1yEhiMUyNHCIP1bdqcVT3/s640/XXXX+Deosai8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fibre optic repairs on the side of the road…</td></tr>
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<br /></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-62503700877263472942012-06-22T22:56:00.000+05:002012-07-07T15:25:01.373+05:00Fri 22nd Jun 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The day starts out looking ok, but during the climb up to launch it's already starting to OD to the west, with a strong southerly developing. Rob launches first and disappears around the corner, then Grey launches and struggles to get any height scratching around the slope below launch. I wait till there's a definite cycle up the face, launch and manage to climb straight out in bumpy, patchy lift. I see Rob has flown to the next ridge to the east, as the bowl to the left of launch hasn't worked and we climb out together, albeit a km apart. After getting to base at 5200m, I head for the obvious transition towards Nanga Parbat, a ridge running down from the massif between two huge glaciers. By the time I get across there's pretty much no lift anywhere as it's all in shade—I'm also thinking to myself that I never do this sort of thing back home, so why the fuck am I doing it now? Thankfully, I spot a small group of crows thermalling out at the far end of the ridge (definitely committed now) and get a ripper of a climb back to base. Looking around, the Rupal glacier valley to the west and below the main wall of NP is looking scary, so I chicken out and turn back to the east which looks comparatively great, with the odd blue bit between the scary clouds… Meanwhile Rob radios in that he'd climbed out at the same spot as me and has decided to try the Rupal valley. Nuts.<br />
As I head east, I see Grey below me climbing, and top up before continuing to the next north-south ridge. It's here that I grab a nice smooth thermal with a couple of vultures, only one of which I manage to get a pic of;<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-3a1Uxs-ysps1OsC9jiGHdqlkVa386YEHlU29Cxukxw3BAtS7MSoeG2tfQjBCPPwvYF1nSB0aIRxBmjpD7BXh1A09NK3rZjmH60trI4hLF4EjM7O4jwoyRWKR8L5StsOD7KOy7me2RNi/s1600/Vulture.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-3a1Uxs-ysps1OsC9jiGHdqlkVa386YEHlU29Cxukxw3BAtS7MSoeG2tfQjBCPPwvYF1nSB0aIRxBmjpD7BXh1A09NK3rZjmH60trI4hLF4EjM7O4jwoyRWKR8L5StsOD7KOy7me2RNi/s640/Vulture.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking north west back towards Nanga Parbat, with a friendly vulture keeping me company</td></tr>
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I have to make a decision here about which way to go, and make a bad call, heading for the lee side of the ridge across to the east. Thinking that it would be big enough to protect from the prevailing wind, I instead get hammered and make very little progress before bailing and diving north across the valley to try and find lift on the sunny side. The weather is changing rapidly as always (it can be sunny and look great, then an hour later is completely overdeveloped and raining) and I decide (again, stupid!) to head back to Tareshing to land. I'm high enough to glide in which is good as the whole valley is now in shade, and fly through some snow (again!) which turns to rain as I get lower. No worries I'm thinking, there's a smooth catabatic coming down from the Rupal glacier, but it's still an easy glide—then at around 300m above LZ height I get thrown to the left and start sinking at 5m/s. Bloody hell, I'm not going to make the LZ, and there's only steep terraced fields full of crops, covered by a network of powerlines if I land short—I suppose I should be glad they're not connected yet…<br />
The various glaciers with their associated catabatic winds around Tareshing combine to make for some nasty winds late in the day and I was getting the front edge of it. The Chhungphar glacier had decided to dump all it's cold air mass and mix with the Rupal, making for a crap conditions… I luckily end up landing short in a nice field full of young wheat and on my feet. Quickly bundling the wing, I move to a spot where I can pack (and avoid the wrath of the crop's owners) and wait for Rob and Grey who are also on their way in. They both land together about 1/2 an hr after me, in nice, smooth conditions—luckily, as around 30 min later a massive gust front comes screaming down the valley with a ton of turbulence. We all gain a serious amount of respect for the conditions then, so much so that it probably influenced our decision to leave a couple of days later.<br />
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<a href="http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/632507">http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/632507</a><br />
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<br /></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-20404008832123196942012-06-21T22:51:00.000+05:002012-06-26T22:57:03.381+05:00Thur 21st Jun 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Monday and Tuesday aren't flyable again, so after some guessing at forecasts we decide to leave Karimabad and head south to the region around Nanga Parbat, one of the handful of 8000m peaks in Pakistan. Dimitri leaves on Monday for Gilgit in an attempt to extend his visa, planning to meet up with us there so we can share costs for the trip south.<br />
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Wednesday morning we load up Manzoor's jeep—really nice guy from Hunza who has been driving for visiting paraglider pilots since they started coming to the region around 20yrs ago—and drive to Gilgit to pick up Dimitri. The drop in altitude of just over a kilometre from Karimabad to Gilgit makes for an unpleasantly hot drive in—K'bad is around 2500m, with daily temps when we were there in the low to mid 20's, with Gilgit around 10°C higher. It was so pleasant I'd forgotten that it's summer here in Pakistan—till someone informed us that it was 51°C in Lahore the day we left K'bad…<br />
We get to the Park Hotel in Gilgit and discover from Dimitri that he's having trouble with his visa extension. A couple of years ago the process was a simple application, usually granted the same day, but now there seems to be a push to discourage tourists from extending their visa's. Dimitri suddenly needs to provide a letter from his consulate, as well as numerous other—seemingly made up on the spot—requirements so that the Immigration department can run a background check on him. When questioned, no-one seems to want to take any responsibility for the process, while giving conflicting answers to various questions. Smells to me like a big 'fuck you' coming from somewhere… Frustratingly, there's no indication of the changes anywhere that we could find, so everyone coming here expecting the process to be the same as from a couple of years ago is going to be disappointed. Rob spends a couple of hours with Dimitri and Manzoor going through the bureaucratic mess at the Gilgit head office, eventually giving up and coming back to the hotel, intending to go back in the morning for a final attempt.<br />
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Thursday we breakfast at the hotel before Rob, Dimi and Manzoor go back to the visa office while Grey and I pack and get all our gear downstairs ready to load on the jeep. An hour later, Rob calls to let us know that Dimi is out of luck and that we'll be going south to NP without him. They get back, we load up and drop Dimi off with our farewells at the central bus depot—he's decided that he'll go to Turkey to see his holiday out, reasoning that he'll probably get more flying there than in Pakistan as the weather is so crappy here this year.<br />
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The drive to Tareshing, the village at the base of Nanga Parbat takes us nearly nine hours, but it is through some amazing country that gets better the further (and higher) we go.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoF1DlQc-D8mc8fit2wpDmGc3ne_joj4OH5oCsV9Gxe56RkzeLSgfYBYgg4EX_hVBjuGIyIYsCVzx2n6q4tkZoogW9wO5WHas7HoxP8SoH9DMo84gW0EU-zFAFIzNKfF2mJgNfVF_Rk28P/s1600/Tareshing1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoF1DlQc-D8mc8fit2wpDmGc3ne_joj4OH5oCsV9Gxe56RkzeLSgfYBYgg4EX_hVBjuGIyIYsCVzx2n6q4tkZoogW9wO5WHas7HoxP8SoH9DMo84gW0EU-zFAFIzNKfF2mJgNfVF_Rk28P/s640/Tareshing1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The roads are cut along some seriously steep mountain sides</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz73nSndcRIusJ1noJ-h6HGCrVHzR4qt9Xy2WsFdrYzmTh3rHQTF6-GPQbJ06J_7ExdIdLeVDNZPPcJKZOJf0im8ba9idUs6Qx_DoKO5f_jMW89uk7TMVoZvxeuu8WDg6wk9iTokKzL2ze/s1600/Tareshing2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz73nSndcRIusJ1noJ-h6HGCrVHzR4qt9Xy2WsFdrYzmTh3rHQTF6-GPQbJ06J_7ExdIdLeVDNZPPcJKZOJf0im8ba9idUs6Qx_DoKO5f_jMW89uk7TMVoZvxeuu8WDg6wk9iTokKzL2ze/s640/Tareshing2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minor road repairs along the way</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGM1F4IWszYkkBJibXN45ek_gH3HQAT5kxFwk_sju0aNopItc0RVmWXpbErACY1pf3IqAEnAG0GzHK39fGh_9X08UgYqJszFplZlPvTyH0jKA33ERuvDi_cYSgO5GcrSQICi1s2dSPIw1/s1600/Tareshing3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGM1F4IWszYkkBJibXN45ek_gH3HQAT5kxFwk_sju0aNopItc0RVmWXpbErACY1pf3IqAEnAG0GzHK39fGh_9X08UgYqJszFplZlPvTyH0jKA33ERuvDi_cYSgO5GcrSQICi1s2dSPIw1/s640/Tareshing3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rivers are pretty wild here-an old bridge that that you wouldn't want to fall from, or through</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsoy7P4qCK6qO1IcLVMoxN-vOl5HS9FDerpaxAbPnUoBZCjbok4rxHdQ4hNFRANJP09JNyekVeRRKuQJOidltZuHQQXKnNCpzWNdhKxrCbu-xu6rDg-FP6KS_TufofooSxtRlDodfs0vF/s1600/Tareshing4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsoy7P4qCK6qO1IcLVMoxN-vOl5HS9FDerpaxAbPnUoBZCjbok4rxHdQ4hNFRANJP09JNyekVeRRKuQJOidltZuHQQXKnNCpzWNdhKxrCbu-xu6rDg-FP6KS_TufofooSxtRlDodfs0vF/s640/Tareshing4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering Tareshing at the end of a long day</td></tr>
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<br />
The village is at the end of a dirt track, a long way from anywhere, 3000m high and gets completely snowed in during the winter. No power (though there are new electricity poles all through town, wired up ready to go), no traffic, no pollution—it's incredibly quiet and beautiful. We pick one of the two guest houses in town and unload our gear before having a walk around, eating some dinner and crashing for the night.<br />
<br /></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-65334548328126091992012-06-17T19:04:00.000+05:002012-06-18T19:27:28.829+05:00Sun 17th Jun 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
The weather is looking similar to the last few days, windy and rough, so a triangle is declared :) I launch first today, and find nothing till I cross the gorge to the west. I'm just about to head out to the middle of the valley to search when I get a blip and turn in it. It's a small bubble that has more drift than lift, and I climb slowly, back the way I'd just come. The rest of the guys (we've been flying the last few days with a two Austrians and a Pole, Paul (3rd X-Alps last year!), Mathias and Phillipe) wait till I'm definitely climbing before launching, and we all slowly make it up to base. The thermals are again crap, with super sharp edges and they're hugging the cliffs like glue. It's a real struggle to stay in the core (if you could call it a core) as even the smallest deviation out of the thermal tends to smash the wing around—Rob has a massive collapse, then a double twist, dropping him 300m before unwinding leaving him heading for the cliff less than 50m away. Not fun. No lift further out though, so not much option…<br />
<br />
Grey, Rob and I sort of manage to fly together towards Chalt, following the same route as yesterday, before crossing again to Rakaposhi and heading deeper into some of the valleys and glaciers. We all manage to get snowed on again, and base is up around 6000m, so crossing the col north to start a flight around Rakaposhi is on the cards, but when we get high enough to see south over the col, it's completely closed in. So after playing around for a while, Rob and I head back to town, while Grey spends another couple of hours flying around avoiding the OD'ing clouds… thankfully he comes in to land just after a big gust front has passed throughout the valley and makes a safe landing at the cemetery.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-GFZ6heWEL4TU5AyfINVgG0-y60bSh4xnJ5S8nc2R5WKZkyY-klo2nxwsT9onm_Iym6PNqQGbPglJjyRNyuUcr7yXXDADiKIj8VuDnIMzmms5Vgx711QsrAixiktZ10whei861ojstoc/s1600/Rak4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-GFZ6heWEL4TU5AyfINVgG0-y60bSh4xnJ5S8nc2R5WKZkyY-klo2nxwsT9onm_Iym6PNqQGbPglJjyRNyuUcr7yXXDADiKIj8VuDnIMzmms5Vgx711QsrAixiktZ10whei861ojstoc/s640/Rak4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5k4ezfhLugjUT92O6Hi-jBReuOOQ1n379oMf_w_GvrHRArNGDL5oEsnUkJGoDSFKi0VEmlNozGBzkdpgR6JCLi5ht6gF-9K53Frxa7H2ou3w5KIcem2EAhbx4CYyozpWUYWfT3-4hSyTz/s640/Rak5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From 5800m, Duran on the left, Rakaposhi on the right, with the col we need to cross to go around—doesn't look promising</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HFV7n2966hisQkwCJwIGl2mE9euQaSSUcyGVZNHGXNiE-OyV0_mWLyrS0c2BImEPbEpIwv5EU1Dc8uoOP7ORfhjHs3p_upSlQCOq0q64vJ7Qtn34_gJPgIM1GCMUkA_IM-7P4izWozrK/s1600/Rak6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HFV7n2966hisQkwCJwIGl2mE9euQaSSUcyGVZNHGXNiE-OyV0_mWLyrS0c2BImEPbEpIwv5EU1Dc8uoOP7ORfhjHs3p_upSlQCOq0q64vJ7Qtn34_gJPgIM1GCMUkA_IM-7P4izWozrK/s640/Rak6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More snow!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5k4ezfhLugjUT92O6Hi-jBReuOOQ1n379oMf_w_GvrHRArNGDL5oEsnUkJGoDSFKi0VEmlNozGBzkdpgR6JCLi5ht6gF-9K53Frxa7H2ou3w5KIcem2EAhbx4CYyozpWUYWfT3-4hSyTz/s1600/Rak5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-46883371594416035312012-06-16T19:00:00.000+05:002012-06-18T19:23:35.707+05:00Sat 16th Jun 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
We're up early this morning as we want to get back to Karimabad to fly today, and the boats apparently leave around 7am. After a quick breakfast, we lug our gear back to the lake, only to spend the next hour waiting for a boat to turn up that's heading in our direction. We finally get a lift, and I realise that I've not brought any earplugs with me—the boats run two small diesel motors with no exhaust/mufflers of any sort, and the noise is deafening. So I bury my head and try to snooze for a bit before we get back.<br />
<br />
Back at the south end, we manage to organise a jeep to take us all the way to the Eagles Nest launch, with a quick stop at the hotel, for 2000rps. A bargain considering the fixed price from our hotel to launch is normally 1500rps. The walk up is still killing me but getting ready to fly is a bit better now that I've decided to bail on the whole O2 thing—if base is well over 6000m, then I'll take it, else I'll leave it behind. The acclimatising seems to be working well—I've been feeling fine on all the recent flights, and I've not actually turned the O2 on.<br />
<br />
We have a tentative plan to fly to Chalt to bivy for the night, then try to fly around Rakaposhi the next day, but again we're frustrated by the weather. Big OD to the west stops us on the way to Chalt, so Grey, Rob and I cross to the northern side of the main Rakaposhi range and head back towards Karimabad. The air is still pretty turbulent (it seems to be the standard for this area) particularly in the morning, and the wind is still strong from the south/south west. Still managed to get close to some of the bigger walls along the range, making it a memorable flight. I took the safe option of landing on the river flats again, just after Dimi, and we get back to the hotel knackered—this flying caper is hard work here…<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF455uBplSpCcOd8dsZSoOwNjA9hUaqs2p8c-fMIJnpbVDMf4Gh-0m8h6MmokpNAFbbyq8c1iP11r9toFSomHEvi33k5fk_bGTrJ9zhUW6SkqA4xRPrw38VcFQlMo_XV0QOA_xy_YLjiSW/s1600/Rak1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF455uBplSpCcOd8dsZSoOwNjA9hUaqs2p8c-fMIJnpbVDMf4Gh-0m8h6MmokpNAFbbyq8c1iP11r9toFSomHEvi33k5fk_bGTrJ9zhUW6SkqA4xRPrw38VcFQlMo_XV0QOA_xy_YLjiSW/s640/Rak1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More flying in the snow</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfkQg0aQyQQqi_zj5wT-hujx3KKkkJPAfP155CyJV6RWRtj7s2jCZFxs3YJ7EjGu_F9VovAi4WmoIBJWirQZT_UEzmb3n6qhRTP3xYoY7vI0pivzmqVz1RwBL5HbV7Uca79JhM-4wTeKn/s1600/Rak2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfkQg0aQyQQqi_zj5wT-hujx3KKkkJPAfP155CyJV6RWRtj7s2jCZFxs3YJ7EjGu_F9VovAi4WmoIBJWirQZT_UEzmb3n6qhRTP3xYoY7vI0pivzmqVz1RwBL5HbV7Uca79JhM-4wTeKn/s640/Rak2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south towards Duran</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISX0CTm31y-jKR7qKf_ckABihccQm1y7ltV_N2vT6H-RtEnBgAiqItBr-wIcEttlDJ3qIrppZJGZnhg_w7cd6jwprnsCA889UVXAMrPTFigKK0DhXqv3ZqBCYWO-6q0S9MXtriTGnBp-d/s1600/Rak3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISX0CTm31y-jKR7qKf_ckABihccQm1y7ltV_N2vT6H-RtEnBgAiqItBr-wIcEttlDJ3qIrppZJGZnhg_w7cd6jwprnsCA889UVXAMrPTFigKK0DhXqv3ZqBCYWO-6q0S9MXtriTGnBp-d/s640/Rak3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rakaposhi with some OD…</td></tr>
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</div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-60193302322122126832012-06-15T18:57:00.000+05:002012-06-18T19:16:31.889+05:00Fri 15th Jun 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday wasn't much fun in the air as the thermals were exceptionally
rough, with strong wind and OD shutting everything down after a few
hours. We all took the safe option and landed on the river flats, packed
and headed back to the hotel for a late lunch…<br />
<br />
Today there's was a strong southerly, leaving us little option but to
head north so we decided to fly up to Passu and have a fly in the
mountains we saw a couple days ago. The walk up to launch isn't getting
any easier (I had dreams of getting super fit here and returning to
Australia as an ultra ironman type—its not happening unfortunately) and
rubbing in the salt is the fact that the 16yo kid who carried my pack
today beat me to the top by 10min, and I wasn't carrying anything…<br />
<br />
Launch was uneventful for once, and I luckily managed to climb out in
some light lift, while the rest of the guys had to scratch for a while
before getting up to base. There's plenty of lift around with most of it
getting triggered off the snow line around 4000m, but as yesterday it's
rough and messy with the strong wind, particularly in the lee of the
ridges. I get low and have to work my way around in a snow filled and
shaded bowl, getting hammered as I round the spur and fly into the lee.
There's no landing options here as I'm over the southern section of the
lake with the steep valley walls, so I push north to a small ridge and
thankfully it works, getting me high enough to cross the next glacier
and find some lift. I'm not having much fun and the flying is extremely
active—I'd think twice about bringing an enD here—and we're all
exhausted at the end of each day's flight. Passu is now visible ahead
and I manage to get a great climb before the transition to the
spectacular range on the north side of the river. Rob isn't far behind,
while Grey is still climbing out below. The crossing is sinky, but
there's plenty of lift on the far side and I go straight to base in lift
that seems to be mellowing out at last. Base is around 6000m, and Rob
joins me for around half an hour of boating around the high peaks,
diving through narrow gaps in the cliffs and having a great time before
the cold starts to get to us and we head back south to the top of the
lake to catch a boat back to Karimabad.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEc2LNunh8iEdpJ7_e1wLAuJTYcj-QSakrPdWoLPg0XMnjWi4JjVbvRuUe763E0W4uliy3q08ENGqREtyZlipmoGd-tYWRf26-e3RjwcYOXg2Bh1acccAZQ9W2YzbFsU2HMwLhZn_9jV0/s1600/Mordor1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEc2LNunh8iEdpJ7_e1wLAuJTYcj-QSakrPdWoLPg0XMnjWi4JjVbvRuUe763E0W4uliy3q08ENGqREtyZlipmoGd-tYWRf26-e3RjwcYOXg2Bh1acccAZQ9W2YzbFsU2HMwLhZn_9jV0/s640/Mordor1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batura glacier to the right and the Passu glacier on the left, looking west</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEm9Xm_WCIkHrHK4eU_2vZBXWxUHGGvubzdxRlhYXMsR2oee3FPO3iv57KX6noT86g-A6P5E1nCoTn-T2_wbkpWdzwcDDUcgjpG__IhIu0cPC5TADBCagqsgFldV85EIxpzvZPfpAq5dXN/s1600/Mordor2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEm9Xm_WCIkHrHK4eU_2vZBXWxUHGGvubzdxRlhYXMsR2oee3FPO3iv57KX6noT86g-A6P5E1nCoTn-T2_wbkpWdzwcDDUcgjpG__IhIu0cPC5TADBCagqsgFldV85EIxpzvZPfpAq5dXN/s640/Mordor2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zooming around these peaks at 5500m+ is a lot of fun…</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I chase Rob for a while to get some shots, hopefully conveying the scale of the mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjR23jNSTlUoVPnzU5-FdsIfJbIPN1iVe9Rrx99AXF7EEqHXslnvOHKlY3HX9hNY2mNC1vXnefQZBA3Km0JSx9bKWfPsu0E6QGzjbjU357vsVrZ4nEwCsGG2HHCx3gmLWJorqUJdrTexq/s1600/Mordor9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjR23jNSTlUoVPnzU5-FdsIfJbIPN1iVe9Rrx99AXF7EEqHXslnvOHKlY3HX9hNY2mNC1vXnefQZBA3Km0JSx9bKWfPsu0E6QGzjbjU357vsVrZ4nEwCsGG2HHCx3gmLWJorqUJdrTexq/s640/Mordor9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking east</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Pushing into the southerly, Rob and I land a bit short of the boats and have to walk the rest of the way, while Grey picks a great line and drops in about 50m from the pickup point. The boats don't run to any sort of schedule here, so it takes a while to work out that there's not actually going to be any heading back to the southern end of the lake, so we take a short trip to the village of Gulmit where many of them tie up for the night, and spend the night there.<br />
<br />
Gulmit is only relatively isolated, as the road is blocked by the aforementioned glacier, but boats stop here regularly and the walk to the road is only around a half hour. This makes for a interesting situation as there is no vehicle traffic, people walk everywhere, and there's practically no tourism to speak of. Terrible for the local businesses that rely on the tourist trade, but a really pleasant setting for us… We stay at the Continental Hotel on the edge of town, have a great dinner, then Rob and I go for a walk through the old village as dusk approaches. As we're wandering around, a woman stops us and invites us to her house for some tea. We've just had dinner, but the temptation of seeing a bit of how people live here is too great, and we dutifully follow as she ushers us into her home. Shoes off, we sit inside on some carpets (that double as beds) and are offered some salt tea with local bread, while the young son (around 13?) takes on the role as translator, as we both ask questions about each other. The patriarch of the family is blind, but effusive in his greetings and hospitality—he even gets out an old wooden flute/recorder and plays for us for a while. The house is a simple stone structure with dirt floors covered by numerous carpets, and we're told that it's over a hundred years old. There's power for lights, but not much else—I can't see the usual tv in the corner, and there's certainly no microwave or hot water.<br />
We finish our tea, fare each other well and head back to the hotel for a shower and bed. Gulmit has a really nice vibe, and I keep thinking it would be a nice place to stick around in for a while—sadly there are no launches anywhere nearby.</div>
</div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-4756039595705467512012-06-13T18:50:00.000+05:002012-06-18T19:09:04.550+05:00Wed 13th Jun 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Monday was spent being lazy recovering, eating and sleeping. We're all tired, even though there's not that much flying going on—probably a combination of food, altitude and getting the odd bout of the runs…<br />
<br />
We had dinner with a couple of young Swiss guys (Arthur 22 and Adrian 28) who'd just completed a 3 week trek up the Biafo glacier, over the Hispar pass then down the Hispar glacier. Hauling sleds with 70kg's of gear each, with no guide and unsupported… great stuff. They brought along some sd cards with images from the trip, and we spent a couple of hours being amazed and envious. This is a straight jpg from camera as they got to the top of the pass;<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6vq4CXdPXyMWPv6cRskv0kQvZYP9kqRP6_DqwHUFDz_pPHHndwmsH1fBxtMis-WaQAhEqQM1ZV3ExZe3aoTXyPjqLcMHy0hcCYjE1mq5pObS_lOv__L8Wgu2bqwq5gteuwgSDHKsH0bO/s1600/A+Team.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6vq4CXdPXyMWPv6cRskv0kQvZYP9kqRP6_DqwHUFDz_pPHHndwmsH1fBxtMis-WaQAhEqQM1ZV3ExZe3aoTXyPjqLcMHy0hcCYjE1mq5pObS_lOv__L8Wgu2bqwq5gteuwgSDHKsH0bO/s640/A+Team.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Tuesday's weather wasn't flyable again, so Grey, Rob and I went with up valley with the A team (as we're now calling them) to get out of town and see something different. In 2009 there was a massive landslide about 10k's north of Karimabad, which blocked the river and created a lot of tension as there was the possibility of the newly formed dam wall breaching. Rob and Grey were here in May 2010 just as the water level rose to it's highest point (250m deep at the end of the valley) and began to overflow the wall, but elected to stay away and fly in Chitral in case it did burst. Fortunately, it's proven to be stable enough, and the Pk army have created a spillway which dropped the level around 10m, easing the pressure. Talking to people about it, there seems to be no real consensus as to what should be done—should the dam be removed and the <br />
KKH be restored (there's around 30k's of road at the bottom of the valley) or left as is and a new road be built? Apparently the Chinese want to get rid of the dam, allowing them to continue with the building/restoring of the KKH, as the only other alternative is to bore a tunnel for around 20k's through the mountain to join the north and south sections.<br />
<br />
We catch a jeep to the dam, and walk over the crest to see the lake below us, with a handful of boats being loaded for the trip north. The landslide is a visible scar on the hill to west, around a kilometre long and hundreds of metres high. The rock that now fills the valley floor from the landslide is mixed with a fine grey dust (pulverised hillside?) that sticks to and coats everything it touches, remarkably like cement powder.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbqu3g4I5BNgPHsBOv-8Wabu85MfBi4uxgWYxeepx6RMiD8pP85ocmjc_PnKm7ZMTo3Tm9OSoqkvLQf55UNRum1ZpDHNqMCEP-a98YTZXCCOE3PwnxTJ5SdJYwzOooJK5m3-kQ_5Uol4z/s1600/Lake1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbqu3g4I5BNgPHsBOv-8Wabu85MfBi4uxgWYxeepx6RMiD8pP85ocmjc_PnKm7ZMTo3Tm9OSoqkvLQf55UNRum1ZpDHNqMCEP-a98YTZXCCOE3PwnxTJ5SdJYwzOooJK5m3-kQ_5Uol4z/s640/Lake1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The scar of the landslide on the far side—the rock we're standing on used to be part of that side…</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsy5YzukurBCAC3KJZhDUYLsR9UW9JT55nUXJGwl7anFQ1FAaGrnie9TTM2f-ihrv8lNNAzLxOSTP1bWYd3Bfpx0l43DEuSQt59Svn-5vLXvbBCuQbml02gx9MZffYIRU62CcoSXvk57co/s1600/Lake2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsy5YzukurBCAC3KJZhDUYLsR9UW9JT55nUXJGwl7anFQ1FAaGrnie9TTM2f-ihrv8lNNAzLxOSTP1bWYd3Bfpx0l43DEuSQt59Svn-5vLXvbBCuQbml02gx9MZffYIRU62CcoSXvk57co/s640/Lake2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJd1nDQg8vfGjcJcbse8cfrmi2RhYICBFBHL__TNIcaL1j2SRrfYDfqLFCpUTLrg3Jh0cZSTttXLOWa3b10bg3taM2v4xlzUeHatyi2FJplsRnPZiMdwV9BO_39Y7LsKDsU7h5Q0Ane3a/s1600/Lake3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJd1nDQg8vfGjcJcbse8cfrmi2RhYICBFBHL__TNIcaL1j2SRrfYDfqLFCpUTLrg3Jh0cZSTttXLOWa3b10bg3taM2v4xlzUeHatyi2FJplsRnPZiMdwV9BO_39Y7LsKDsU7h5Q0Ane3a/s640/Lake3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
The boat trip takes a bit over an hour, initially through steep sided valley walls before opening out somewhat and revealing a couple of villages on either side of the lake. The one on the east side is completely isolated, relying entirely on the boats for all their goods, including getting people in and out of the village. I suppose it's one of the benefits of subsistence farming that the people here can continue to live in their homes, with their land and crops still accessible despite the logistical issues that must arise due to their isolation. We see a couple of guys trying to hail the boat, but our captain(!) ignores them and we putter past, heading for the village of Gulmit on the west bank. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROFxFziQ4DLgPoqqLw2pwb8a3VQi7uxQiqSA8rNReSyeqrvIfdWEIzubYLgfil-Rsr-FkK0AYqlJYWFBqpx0XvlqrDn3if6QKElLwjVyzJkHxXIU2iwsCrXKyPThPVx4I0cL-QV2UXyaP/s1600/Lake4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROFxFziQ4DLgPoqqLw2pwb8a3VQi7uxQiqSA8rNReSyeqrvIfdWEIzubYLgfil-Rsr-FkK0AYqlJYWFBqpx0XvlqrDn3if6QKElLwjVyzJkHxXIU2iwsCrXKyPThPVx4I0cL-QV2UXyaP/s640/Lake4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
We disembark then walk the 20min to the end of the road where all the mini buses are lined up waiting for passengers. The southern end of the KKH here is impassable due to the glacier having dumped a few million tons of rubble on it recently, which a couple of 20 ton excavators are scratching away at as we pass. All a little ironic considering the road itself dives into the lake only a kilometre to the south… <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVRg8n_vZzuMKRV003Qhn7RuLvJiMUGUL36tm24aZu71wPvNKo46tbe1ixiQ_5xymB4lyonmyONn4ppQTyGfu0QV6XnUoBkrH6Zmlhm2iVpnqAD-Ecm22Kp364ORkhbamm-EVq6nskdYA/s1600/Diggers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVRg8n_vZzuMKRV003Qhn7RuLvJiMUGUL36tm24aZu71wPvNKo46tbe1ixiQ_5xymB4lyonmyONn4ppQTyGfu0QV6XnUoBkrH6Zmlhm2iVpnqAD-Ecm22Kp364ORkhbamm-EVq6nskdYA/s640/Diggers.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
We negotiate a rate for a vehicle to Passu, around 20min to the north and have an incredible drive through a(nother!) stunning landscape, stopping a couple of times to take it all in. Passu turns out to be a small, nondescript village on the edge of a wide river flat, with mountains on the other side that would have inspired the LOTR guys on how to picture Mordor…<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwZXJ_vOTVl6xuVYwkOyN9HHhRfF-4xnEsnHlcy0RYBjr7BH7W43Rxzm5i5RB2gUw5ncCZHXRZLcI3Ch8MYbAp1vJtJFTUrPppDwOnVzRCEzW3s7cW64s63K8qYIbqiouPTXG_q4J8R2C/s1600/Passu.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwZXJ_vOTVl6xuVYwkOyN9HHhRfF-4xnEsnHlcy0RYBjr7BH7W43Rxzm5i5RB2gUw5ncCZHXRZLcI3Ch8MYbAp1vJtJFTUrPppDwOnVzRCEzW3s7cW64s63K8qYIbqiouPTXG_q4J8R2C/s640/Passu.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Absolutely stunning mountains here, definitely coming back to fly them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We find a guest house, have some dinner and I crash early while the others play cards till late. <br />
<br />
Wednesday is spent getting back to Karimabad, though the scenery this time around isn't enough to keep some of us awake,<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7yaMtjTuErYYl7OwSY1lqezGx0PilWVTVJYFIKuVj-fy2O5RdSiq88WwAjh6Uh-TpMYdZC8bVBlYs-Ksf2Fu7x59QhXeLULXRtkhMPj3snvFRW9-BV0c7EP8F6xEh18isBMBk2eyQt-I/s1600/Boat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7yaMtjTuErYYl7OwSY1lqezGx0PilWVTVJYFIKuVj-fy2O5RdSiq88WwAjh6Uh-TpMYdZC8bVBlYs-Ksf2Fu7x59QhXeLULXRtkhMPj3snvFRW9-BV0c7EP8F6xEh18isBMBk2eyQt-I/s640/Boat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arthur and Rob snoozing in the boat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-69588086175149218642012-06-10T15:52:00.000+05:002012-06-18T19:29:34.812+05:00Sun 10th June 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Saturday was blown out again, so an easy day was spent doing nothing but lounging around and eating again. I'm sure I'm putting on weight here.<br />
<br />
Sunday looks a bit suspect, so only Grey and I decide to make the journey up to launch and have a fly—much to the dismay of Dimitri as it was a great day and Rob's come down with food poisoning so wasn't up to coming along either.<br />
<br />
The drive up to launch is busy with people walking to the end of the road (called Eagles Nest), where the locals have their usual Sunday picnic and unload our packs. I enquire about a porter as it's another 1/2 hr walk up the hill to the launch site and I'm still a bit weary from being sick for the last week. But the anti-inflam' drug seems to have worked a charm and my knee is working ok, I just need to avoid walking downhill from now on.<br />
<br />
A bunch of young kids follow us up the hill and watch as we prepare our kit, thankfully we've opted out of taking the O2 today as base looks pretty low. I stuff my launch twice before getting away just after Grey, and soon catch him as we get to the end of the ridge ready for the first transition to the south. I've broken a line on the upper brake cascade, but it doesn't have any effect on the wing and we fly south to the Barpu Glacier before turning around and heading back. The valley behind is shaded out and there's some serious overdevelopment happening, but as is usual it seems to clear quickly—you just need to stay away from the worst of it…<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2_8qquKGeBIBQA7dTzpPnt_3aQUfUk_YOqIdVXL-d8JHAh-blAG5khJ8SsnjQfF3UJv3MdXbP6l2FGjeEiIq1F6uJH_ngEAM-4_ipWDFKlziPdd7u7ZXeS84hGX2Dqz0WoVpC_mETYXy/s1600/Barpu1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2_8qquKGeBIBQA7dTzpPnt_3aQUfUk_YOqIdVXL-d8JHAh-blAG5khJ8SsnjQfF3UJv3MdXbP6l2FGjeEiIq1F6uJH_ngEAM-4_ipWDFKlziPdd7u7ZXeS84hGX2Dqz0WoVpC_mETYXy/s640/Barpu1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey below me…</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1kGLyZ0DogQJ7i92p_iz8N1eYbD5exD-Gnv4Xw-kEhvlaDfCu20uXk1REhHehT2lrRgZQwhyphenhyphenmcfrxA3Sezlzi7DdlVnoakHD3T2c5lXSXiNasRb5bC7K94AK9ecxVL55T6e73sau4xTk/s1600/Barpu2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1kGLyZ0DogQJ7i92p_iz8N1eYbD5exD-Gnv4Xw-kEhvlaDfCu20uXk1REhHehT2lrRgZQwhyphenhyphenmcfrxA3Sezlzi7DdlVnoakHD3T2c5lXSXiNasRb5bC7K94AK9ecxVL55T6e73sau4xTk/s640/Barpu2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hispar glacier to the left and Barpu in front</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQaD4t_7Ep4GHlYBgHmG7BYj9EmJR16y5v9x4HHqjH6ARlbtUjnuNbUnKB48oY4RDSb9opnAJNn5NREFqE2QpuLceurPhuQA9riZYfowxaPrFA_RqL5_vQYiFbWz1RWedXIGojw3I6-AJz/s1600/Barpu3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQaD4t_7Ep4GHlYBgHmG7BYj9EmJR16y5v9x4HHqjH6ARlbtUjnuNbUnKB48oY4RDSb9opnAJNn5NREFqE2QpuLceurPhuQA9riZYfowxaPrFA_RqL5_vQYiFbWz1RWedXIGojw3I6-AJz/s640/Barpu3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXKDFnJjO9QNT6kdsKbSDYNwL1byEbFED-JdSI8jnDoop16EF0u1j1ZF3QO4JxMbUuetycB4gjViXSKzh9cq7wD7z5l8Kh3rjKER2aNjoKXu6XaEi19B7tGO_YovuLYgkuBohhtnmhpAP/s1600/Barpu4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXKDFnJjO9QNT6kdsKbSDYNwL1byEbFED-JdSI8jnDoop16EF0u1j1ZF3QO4JxMbUuetycB4gjViXSKzh9cq7wD7z5l8Kh3rjKER2aNjoKXu6XaEi19B7tGO_YovuLYgkuBohhtnmhpAP/s640/Barpu4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of the lake that was formed in 2010 from a landslide that blocked the main river - you can see the scar on the hill to the left</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADPeSTw1u6AmLP58zLEBsYZSqqa7VTrQ9s5-WquywhujKZjJU9tMfazU3NTW1GaYUnjTdSB2MpNZrOd3Tf2Tj-4fZnr8AhfBReiA6VPfnKuOPORzxnyC8EIW05wFghW-_krpimp7JD2gz/s1600/Barpu5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADPeSTw1u6AmLP58zLEBsYZSqqa7VTrQ9s5-WquywhujKZjJU9tMfazU3NTW1GaYUnjTdSB2MpNZrOd3Tf2Tj-4fZnr8AhfBReiA6VPfnKuOPORzxnyC8EIW05wFghW-_krpimp7JD2gz/s640/Barpu5.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLBchU7UHVDuEbFpgVq4QYZpwDKZLtaHXmF-Snq6d7kcoeq7AlXbn8QdF8UypfFVAWSrPb8xgpudq6Y-nWFEgK9B-w_ahr28MI71kPGMmpiB0PjjgyGCV_0_K7ygN8-jhYPzzBulnNH-e/s1600/Barpu6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLBchU7UHVDuEbFpgVq4QYZpwDKZLtaHXmF-Snq6d7kcoeq7AlXbn8QdF8UypfFVAWSrPb8xgpudq6Y-nWFEgK9B-w_ahr28MI71kPGMmpiB0PjjgyGCV_0_K7ygN8-jhYPzzBulnNH-e/s640/Barpu6.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
And I'm totally in love with my new gloves;<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVt4kpEEVPpVsVfTnvOPc5rvFaPTAE3B81xT-rw2Oe8aeV2igdHvGRBFwUF1BAH2wYQ00xMHkvSI16l6CnygK4RGX8pfOn718oLgVYR8HMN3hF2dCJgikxzs8RoDfyuUwKn2qVd-D-tw9/s1600/Barpu7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVt4kpEEVPpVsVfTnvOPc5rvFaPTAE3B81xT-rw2Oe8aeV2igdHvGRBFwUF1BAH2wYQ00xMHkvSI16l6CnygK4RGX8pfOn718oLgVYR8HMN3hF2dCJgikxzs8RoDfyuUwKn2qVd-D-tw9/s640/Barpu7.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Grey gets a bit hypoxic on the leg back to town—we got to around 5700m—but he denies any such thing. But I'm not sure how else to explain the singing at full noise over the radio… I land clumsily at the cemetery close to the hotel which is nice as it's a short walk back, but tricky due to the numerous graves you need to avoid. Rob's there with Dimi to guide me in thankfully, and I manage to avoid falling over as is the usual case.<br />
With just over 3hrs in the air and some great flying, we head back to the hotel (Grey is still boating around somewhere, singing away…) and I repair the broken brake line.<br />
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Grey comes in about a half hour later, and we head to the Hidden Paradise restaurant for dinner for a meal of curry and rice, before I crash, tired but happy.<br />
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<a href="http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/619522">http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/619522</a><br />
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<br /></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-51045654052694186092012-06-08T15:47:00.000+05:002012-06-11T16:05:18.069+05:00Fri 8th June 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today wasn't flyable as predicted, so Rob and Grey decide to walk up the back of town to the Ultar glacier. I foolishly decide to accompany them. Being by far the most unfit in the group and with a dodgy knee, I tell myself that I can turn around anytime I want, but forget the stubborn streak my parents bequeathed me. The walk starts in the village, going up till it hits one of the main water channels, then gets steep and climbs through the gorge and along the glacial moraine. Pretty, but it nearly killed me—I seem to be getting this feeling a lot recently. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvk6S90x1UhefIHP_d1ufy_jU1feu5QXqaUPhvmG7e6b97G4veOwxK9uSM8nX1DgihX4I59kQBQHBDA8v7r0jcWRPpF3eFrXeBRfPTK8ph3MZ7hsb46kK7Ro_89L4_FaREAc4hxoYkn87/s1600/Ultar1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvk6S90x1UhefIHP_d1ufy_jU1feu5QXqaUPhvmG7e6b97G4veOwxK9uSM8nX1DgihX4I59kQBQHBDA8v7r0jcWRPpF3eFrXeBRfPTK8ph3MZ7hsb46kK7Ro_89L4_FaREAc4hxoYkn87/s640/Ultar1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking South to Rakaposhi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmxDMOE5UOZV0MAy5z8nVP3NN3KwpyMypGF5kQ353TzE5_4mrHZh50heWLrnxMWdmHqR6NHrb5T3yqC5YYztlc6CBxw1bttrZVaiXozgkwoJu38_brfAonTh3Jn3-f4QNlSRz6MaUvs5p/s1600/Ultar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmxDMOE5UOZV0MAy5z8nVP3NN3KwpyMypGF5kQ353TzE5_4mrHZh50heWLrnxMWdmHqR6NHrb5T3yqC5YYztlc6CBxw1bttrZVaiXozgkwoJu38_brfAonTh3Jn3-f4QNlSRz6MaUvs5p/s640/Ultar2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOJcr3JUYA7l8GKVG_zu7KEksozPb8J_oiSESJZm0OPJLIu2G3D66QYPeIoSkKIRpa6LgZAQFJV2inlTbb2-4Jxttwo8MVzDY35_zzm8W1BBubpCkux5ytDOQye-rsH0qoq0QqaI14Zyo/s1600/Ultar3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOJcr3JUYA7l8GKVG_zu7KEksozPb8J_oiSESJZm0OPJLIu2G3D66QYPeIoSkKIRpa6LgZAQFJV2inlTbb2-4Jxttwo8MVzDY35_zzm8W1BBubpCkux5ytDOQye-rsH0qoq0QqaI14Zyo/s640/Ultar3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We stop for some mango before turning around and heading back down, where it takes me all of 20min before my knee is completely trashed. Grey loans me his poles and I limp down the rest of the way, and dose up on some diclofenac that Grey has with him—it's good having an old bloke along… <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmD67D9nhCA0bPFjKdznR4OtNoeHA0tZbJBm08WzkOup5f6XkQfHNUCRi7W8VHZvHFK3aBeK7WOeBFR4VRa-upyKt-GBX1p3GtRD4z6pRAJc2wed8bGn1CWVuJljsJMLMasfF0lgH0PNN/s1600/Ultar4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmD67D9nhCA0bPFjKdznR4OtNoeHA0tZbJBm08WzkOup5f6XkQfHNUCRi7W8VHZvHFK3aBeK7WOeBFR4VRa-upyKt-GBX1p3GtRD4z6pRAJc2wed8bGn1CWVuJljsJMLMasfF0lgH0PNN/s640/Ultar4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch with the Ultar glacier in the background</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIBgLjpWAt8TGU8jK5uFR4FUZTnqoOfaAQtUeSGMspXTA76rLJvtcV3-bdZjgN1D4oAU2-W9PqgbnaRoqdbpUzlM5iM85HB1qd5O82YIwRRTCWkH9s1Uqmc4OdLBXyuAL6kK8I7luTiVo/s1600/Ultar5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIBgLjpWAt8TGU8jK5uFR4FUZTnqoOfaAQtUeSGMspXTA76rLJvtcV3-bdZjgN1D4oAU2-W9PqgbnaRoqdbpUzlM5iM85HB1qd5O82YIwRRTCWkH9s1Uqmc4OdLBXyuAL6kK8I7luTiVo/s640/Ultar5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-18986816892310400422012-06-07T15:43:00.000+05:002012-06-11T16:03:25.913+05:00Thur 7th June 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Grey and Rob go out to organise a van to take us the remaining 4hrs to Karimibad, while Dimitri and I get our gear out the front and wait for them to get back. Then Rob rings us to say the van driver isn't allowed into the centre of town, so we load up a taxi and head out to them. The van is spacious with only the four of us and it's good to be able to stretch out and relax after the bus ride yesterday. We need to detour around the old bridge that was destroyed in the 2010 floods, but shortly after we turn onto the Karakorum Highway and it turns into a magnificently wide and smooth, paved bitumen highway!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOCETme4Xv8-XDHxQbF754UQxbaBFgbnHTKZ21ORP8xq6j7RbAkrkduO3_FSI5PVF-cIAVNrGAMNl3AR3W_g8CUHptDwKFhGX9CRwZJlBfh9X5e7vLkRgazaEhrg8-UJqiQ28gNorXVV_/s1600/G2K1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOCETme4Xv8-XDHxQbF754UQxbaBFgbnHTKZ21ORP8xq6j7RbAkrkduO3_FSI5PVF-cIAVNrGAMNl3AR3W_g8CUHptDwKFhGX9CRwZJlBfh9X5e7vLkRgazaEhrg8-UJqiQ28gNorXVV_/s640/G2K1.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiof7-7B7YhDbiGCmmc-av3Rfya0YflD6ZGQp-fqp9BEAa_h5PCKS6Xmkmtvnpmb8oK-juH6frEk0YE-GmnAbybfBxorLoHJ-1NaUXOHnluk-pM4HO5mbO7PPyieBly6KZKp40HeC51vVkY/s1600/G2K2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiof7-7B7YhDbiGCmmc-av3Rfya0YflD6ZGQp-fqp9BEAa_h5PCKS6Xmkmtvnpmb8oK-juH6frEk0YE-GmnAbybfBxorLoHJ-1NaUXOHnluk-pM4HO5mbO7PPyieBly6KZKp40HeC51vVkY/s640/G2K2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
But only around 30k's on, we get to the point where the construction is still ongoing… The Chinese are building/funding this road as it's the only link between China to the north and Pakistan to the south. It's a monumental task, as the mountains are in constant upheaval with whole sections of road being covered in rockfalls or just completely washed away. In areas of higher than normal rockfall/landslides(!) they're building concrete tunnels along the road way to protect the road, but after passing one of these that had been flattened in a landslide, I'm starting to feel sorry for the engineers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jnv6DJkJvnhXEeO0SDj0Am0bMtajNdPMIjEhFPFdu0bAbz7Xn0B1CKNBbW0UZalJ8jadAot6DH2jcTsQBrlGmJZxa_FeD1bFDq3KixnWqMkYsBGRb9bfO2xq5hYxciGgRTEA65XZngs3/s1600/G2K3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jnv6DJkJvnhXEeO0SDj0Am0bMtajNdPMIjEhFPFdu0bAbz7Xn0B1CKNBbW0UZalJ8jadAot6DH2jcTsQBrlGmJZxa_FeD1bFDq3KixnWqMkYsBGRb9bfO2xq5hYxciGgRTEA65XZngs3/s640/G2K3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0j95N5Pp8LdxE397aW0WN-mRVxab5GQY3IPiOBn_GyXE_mcgSF1z288q-Eyz9xL1ZDDVVdSwEXjHrS-7RKWlSNEqTpI3WnzDGKoQiBYHcM6klGGTqg18-Rd2QFYNYIeGpuiDnYYC2DG7r/s1600/G2K4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0j95N5Pp8LdxE397aW0WN-mRVxab5GQY3IPiOBn_GyXE_mcgSF1z288q-Eyz9xL1ZDDVVdSwEXjHrS-7RKWlSNEqTpI3WnzDGKoQiBYHcM6klGGTqg18-Rd2QFYNYIeGpuiDnYYC2DG7r/s640/G2K4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGu_BhCRXm5F8VHR7rgFDRSVd-dLImyRszLbyV2pLQXLfqSCeYyXSepEPFs-AxEl-h0tG8UotPl37dhBP8meWeFUJ6N1cJuPU-sRZjsFi4eacwFAv9e6mXAqVwSiuX773Cmm8wuVjJkg6P/s1600/G2K5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGu_BhCRXm5F8VHR7rgFDRSVd-dLImyRszLbyV2pLQXLfqSCeYyXSepEPFs-AxEl-h0tG8UotPl37dhBP8meWeFUJ6N1cJuPU-sRZjsFi4eacwFAv9e6mXAqVwSiuX773Cmm8wuVjJkg6P/s640/G2K5.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_m3wVMW3MbZGDmzIwFHZnL4bg2o6bLzrfa23tz63Hhc3bK0kmKRwWVrdAd937RkkGS2VnCxamtatn72PHYm5xNAilKGa-ab2nmzMYzgz5HqFk7Q9SOWci50hrTFuqYXi389MhysKf9Pd/s1600/G2K6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_m3wVMW3MbZGDmzIwFHZnL4bg2o6bLzrfa23tz63Hhc3bK0kmKRwWVrdAd937RkkGS2VnCxamtatn72PHYm5xNAilKGa-ab2nmzMYzgz5HqFk7Q9SOWci50hrTFuqYXi389MhysKf9Pd/s640/G2K6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old road across the valley in typical state - landslides completely wash away whole sections</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIeftAFN8mfQYZfqHz423LTfrErklIVI6m8dZwe-zgzXYBf4-_bn_3ffVS02WNpN1l4Ap4AM6f3rHxXSDGi1kDBP1MNXu1yN7WXQO3OXHIX8SZVYooqNgH0mvfjbAyNMquJM7gxPtT00t/s1600/G2K7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIeftAFN8mfQYZfqHz423LTfrErklIVI6m8dZwe-zgzXYBf4-_bn_3ffVS02WNpN1l4Ap4AM6f3rHxXSDGi1kDBP1MNXu1yN7WXQO3OXHIX8SZVYooqNgH0mvfjbAyNMquJM7gxPtT00t/s640/G2K7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old road at the bottom of the valley with scarey bridge </td></tr>
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We arrive in Karimibad after around 4hrs, and drive up the hill through town to the Mulberry Hotel. This is a beautiful town, with terraced hillsides full of green crops, trees everywhere and surrounded by massive snow capped mountains. The big mountains here are all visible from the streets making it a much more spectacular setting than other places we've passed through, and I'm already thinking of converting to Islam and moving in…<br />
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At the hotel, Brad is there with three other visiting pilots, Oriel from Spain (recent 270k+ flight in Iran!) with Eric and Olivier from France (I think, apologies if I'm wrong). They've been here for a few days already and with the forecast not looking so good for the next few days, are planning on leaving for Skardu in the morning.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPgQ0GrddW8EkndUghTapfue86VhtZcLW4k40uVTUbdf4-ZbjBqcgb0pmfs7Z6dwW8qAltwBUCE57bNoQZP1IrhBtIkSuW9vfxfDOM9YZ5knkN6gTpr06fh42bxFPpFYLuuLrzugBTpkx/s1600/Mulberry1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPgQ0GrddW8EkndUghTapfue86VhtZcLW4k40uVTUbdf4-ZbjBqcgb0pmfs7Z6dwW8qAltwBUCE57bNoQZP1IrhBtIkSuW9vfxfDOM9YZ5knkN6gTpr06fh42bxFPpFYLuuLrzugBTpkx/s640/Mulberry1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes! A queen size bed for me at last - no more feet hanging off the end…</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU4gr-youwIIXq1bOm8oMf1YYdVv-4FPSNAD6LBBytg9qkei_VxniubLEgK1XDYdJuhDa0YKAaNsdD4NWOV28Ed0caaoS6mT4IWtPLJkpDveMU4egrjVxVFqsS1MrSlrvoBlPHQBHXXvZ/s1600/Mulberry2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU4gr-youwIIXq1bOm8oMf1YYdVv-4FPSNAD6LBBytg9qkei_VxniubLEgK1XDYdJuhDa0YKAaNsdD4NWOV28Ed0caaoS6mT4IWtPLJkpDveMU4egrjVxVFqsS1MrSlrvoBlPHQBHXXvZ/s640/Mulberry2.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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After unpacking and some food (I seem to be eating a lot here…), I wander up the road to the two camping shops in town on the lookout for some warmer gloves. These shops have mostly second hand equipment from trekking expeditions in the area, and in the second shop I strike gold—an army issue pair of goose down mitts! Huge, but they look warm…<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH37lZEL3eJvdaGe0nDoDGJHmINMCAsEjvqyiuyYKwI2WBNOmnvfKVrdRNcA0lN4G0DNsD-OC9NAFa09sRIDpD2qBVxN69OMMPk5Tuiry-ASi6_-g6DY6e63EZ04gyh4NwgIBz-KWwhNz/s1600/Mulberry3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH37lZEL3eJvdaGe0nDoDGJHmINMCAsEjvqyiuyYKwI2WBNOmnvfKVrdRNcA0lN4G0DNsD-OC9NAFa09sRIDpD2qBVxN69OMMPk5Tuiry-ASi6_-g6DY6e63EZ04gyh4NwgIBz-KWwhNz/s640/Mulberry3.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br /></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-85293865866819931662012-06-06T15:34:00.000+05:002012-06-11T15:57:50.792+05:00Wed 6th June 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3N2wdRlh9raqRlABRNb6CTl7remdKil7uASR5zTW3qjedQHeB2kZjMxu07JQ9e9zBs5kBdqxcPloI2FLsqpFV6HBVyW73iP0urfAch4Kn-FMmjFVfpYXzaSdJPAQ2ofXHcK_h10Fg6YZZ/s1600/Madina1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1TvnvpLWKD1t6BRrIGapZSwSZvoydREoVSSBEppCVis56L9jZ1jGMDhSulP6nP445dzdCY4Qs_xLuFd7dns_Gh5gZdikQbJMEvzm-6L4aOsV0pCG0BTXYIwxUHgodm0CNKuN_KbV4K75/s1600/Shandur2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
Left without much choice, I pop an Immodium as soon as I'm up and help get the gear on the bus for the drive to Gilgit, 13hrs away. The bus service is relatively expensive for locals, but unless you have a car then it's the only option for people wanting to visit family or travel east from Mastuj. As well as the booked long haul seats, people are constantly hopping on and off for short trips between villages, but they have to stand, or squeeze in with two already seated. Something that is rare in Australia compared to here is the social acceptance of close, even intimate proximity between males—men quite happily walk down the street holding hands, or lounge around with arms around each other. Completely non-sexual, and probably due in some part to the cultural/religious taboo on inter-sex relationships before marriage, it at least makes for a more comfortable journey for the guys that manage to squeeze in to an already full (I'd have said) two seats. Though nobody tried to squeeze in with the foreigners…<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xm-oB91FtaJqL9fQ7AlaPbb1DUfnN7LBaOA4u5xuQRpKTlZsrC1yjXPKfZBLhEmbXfLYZVJ-zZOVNz_N3RRxFJY4XojecBNMDh3DnmIdHQcUyOLndqI73o5M22jNoJjBetV23Q4GmdpX/s1600/Natco1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xm-oB91FtaJqL9fQ7AlaPbb1DUfnN7LBaOA4u5xuQRpKTlZsrC1yjXPKfZBLhEmbXfLYZVJ-zZOVNz_N3RRxFJY4XojecBNMDh3DnmIdHQcUyOLndqI73o5M22jNoJjBetV23Q4GmdpX/s640/Natco1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJgf-FjgasdJkq-HUvmsCeekE7Lh5_uoV__udjkJfc76118CiK2fnVpAKnSkZhtByIzsRMTNTmO5t40plIw0sDqIoIUGhJTTwwJQJhXMjkNLQ6sVdmpQnuPmja_0OeRIA1fJ-vd5cZxHN/s1600/Natco2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJgf-FjgasdJkq-HUvmsCeekE7Lh5_uoV__udjkJfc76118CiK2fnVpAKnSkZhtByIzsRMTNTmO5t40plIw0sDqIoIUGhJTTwwJQJhXMjkNLQ6sVdmpQnuPmja_0OeRIA1fJ-vd5cZxHN/s640/Natco2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wooden bridges require most passengers to get off before crossing…</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzb6fsdit1mmfQZ9oeH9NqrxiKG3kKChIoGPsiq0cf-1TGVTeIbkkak8O_q9XrVTxX_HFmdgE3OADe1RypyFyliXvB17_cwfacZfET1lxVvHrqRiH_PZeQ-EfUBQzbjTWMO1uvwTbLfLo/s1600/Natco3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzb6fsdit1mmfQZ9oeH9NqrxiKG3kKChIoGPsiq0cf-1TGVTeIbkkak8O_q9XrVTxX_HFmdgE3OADe1RypyFyliXvB17_cwfacZfET1lxVvHrqRiH_PZeQ-EfUBQzbjTWMO1uvwTbLfLo/s640/Natco3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We stop at the Shandur Pass for lunch, at a small tea house with magnificent views of the lake and surrounding mountains.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SI0uZCLaj49iLQd43WDfbwwSyIuH7u5FVkWT_VLhc5maTu2elpxi5ZOrCTvO_HxGd1EGcCVP8yjuwQzNW2HBxdld7JNKGASdp56g4C6Fzq9aYr-_XgrF9EqH6mvBJ4pCJLs3mkwVdahH/s1600/Shandur1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SI0uZCLaj49iLQd43WDfbwwSyIuH7u5FVkWT_VLhc5maTu2elpxi5ZOrCTvO_HxGd1EGcCVP8yjuwQzNW2HBxdld7JNKGASdp56g4C6Fzq9aYr-_XgrF9EqH6mvBJ4pCJLs3mkwVdahH/s640/Shandur1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1TvnvpLWKD1t6BRrIGapZSwSZvoydREoVSSBEppCVis56L9jZ1jGMDhSulP6nP445dzdCY4Qs_xLuFd7dns_Gh5gZdikQbJMEvzm-6L4aOsV0pCG0BTXYIwxUHgodm0CNKuN_KbV4K75/s1600/Shandur2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1TvnvpLWKD1t6BRrIGapZSwSZvoydREoVSSBEppCVis56L9jZ1jGMDhSulP6nP445dzdCY4Qs_xLuFd7dns_Gh5gZdikQbJMEvzm-6L4aOsV0pCG0BTXYIwxUHgodm0CNKuN_KbV4K75/s640/Shandur2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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After some milk tea and chapati (sooo happy I took the Immodium) we're back on for the remainder of the trip, through more amazing scenery, broken only by the repeated provincial border police checks,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBQ_L80jMpaDusr9Y8NL05mT5_1wDNAdrOwRwVhBiuVfTubkdTjEfwbenys7MO-Jz4QQY7wpTZRt7jZu_pojCSY8_gZJM_cey1-xFQFKgpqI2sZyvrlu3sQP16JKGCqd5eNS1Usu9QmPI/s1600/Natco4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBQ_L80jMpaDusr9Y8NL05mT5_1wDNAdrOwRwVhBiuVfTubkdTjEfwbenys7MO-Jz4QQY7wpTZRt7jZu_pojCSY8_gZJM_cey1-xFQFKgpqI2sZyvrlu3sQP16JKGCqd5eNS1Usu9QmPI/s640/Natco4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zIayTuqFwqAB5lLuICh6_bHmr2TUhb4YYV6CFjHevK59ijy3f8vnaM1hs1kz-qUq2uMDuKuiFZvHey6e_Gd9NWV4AekxNdhmkRhCprmjvea4Q8BvfqJCK06FR-66zv0VKOmdeY1It7jU/s1600/Natco5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zIayTuqFwqAB5lLuICh6_bHmr2TUhb4YYV6CFjHevK59ijy3f8vnaM1hs1kz-qUq2uMDuKuiFZvHey6e_Gd9NWV4AekxNdhmkRhCprmjvea4Q8BvfqJCK06FR-66zv0VKOmdeY1It7jU/s640/Natco5.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVlimh2yDnaqU86a-1KC-4NVJjm3J5hXmHIVZ1CQ0sDRGKxe-X-_Zbahwk4MPypS1fvDH8XN8erOH56DItQSr4vQ1UU2FptYEAbI3LQIeOrWDqjb93l32-tEL_ZfoLETFr_peYp0BwAYV/s1600/Natco6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVlimh2yDnaqU86a-1KC-4NVJjm3J5hXmHIVZ1CQ0sDRGKxe-X-_Zbahwk4MPypS1fvDH8XN8erOH56DItQSr4vQ1UU2FptYEAbI3LQIeOrWDqjb93l32-tEL_ZfoLETFr_peYp0BwAYV/s640/Natco6.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EIcUphz4brpLoA9M5RUo68qbnepIVGJq2Zkt25-47o6XmwXcEmosirTcNA1kcm0s-dr1OPz3cKQnO_0LBfDV6UUanT42XhG7hztdbiDcp0R6MbRo_4TFuKcX_f6oKbUp6PiMg-UB_7ps/s1600/Natco7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EIcUphz4brpLoA9M5RUo68qbnepIVGJq2Zkt25-47o6XmwXcEmosirTcNA1kcm0s-dr1OPz3cKQnO_0LBfDV6UUanT42XhG7hztdbiDcp0R6MbRo_4TFuKcX_f6oKbUp6PiMg-UB_7ps/s640/Natco7.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We arrive in Gilgit after more than 12hrs on the road (mostly first gear on the terrible roads, speeding up towards the end) and head to the Madina hotel. Nice place that has a lot of open areas with tables and seating, but why must people wait till the power goes out—it happens multiple times every day—till they decide they need to fix the generator? Tired, hot and grumpy from the bus trip, we all just wanting to clean up and eat some food before crashing for the night. Rob goes to have a cold shower, and for the first time in our stay, the water comes out hot… I give up and hit the sack.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3N2wdRlh9raqRlABRNb6CTl7remdKil7uASR5zTW3qjedQHeB2kZjMxu07JQ9e9zBs5kBdqxcPloI2FLsqpFV6HBVyW73iP0urfAch4Kn-FMmjFVfpYXzaSdJPAQ2ofXHcK_h10Fg6YZZ/s1600/Madina1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3N2wdRlh9raqRlABRNb6CTl7remdKil7uASR5zTW3qjedQHeB2kZjMxu07JQ9e9zBs5kBdqxcPloI2FLsqpFV6HBVyW73iP0urfAch4Kn-FMmjFVfpYXzaSdJPAQ2ofXHcK_h10Fg6YZZ/s640/Madina1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-42686488217957959372012-06-05T15:23:00.000+05:002012-06-11T15:23:34.630+05:00Tue 5th June 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Our vehicle for the drive to Mastuj is an old 4wd Mitsubishi wagon, which means that we should get there in around five or six hours and stop where and when we want—much better than taking the bus…<br />
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The road to Booni is in reasonably good condition, but deteriorates quickly after that. It's only around 100k's from Chitral to Mastuj, but we're in second gear a lot of the way. We stop for some tea at one of the numerous roadside villages that seem to double as take away food and mechanical repair stops.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZmVo_9TfazH0CvdK9Pn2qikOsCTQjvce8DCNF-w-iyCrpcm5vRKsljt99BZMP73TGa9KpOZ8P9tBl31UfFi-D0Is3AyCMttaXEKKq9jY3qEARNin7pfB8B_pxWtO-pBJYSxHwE-GSOAd/s1600/Mastuj+food.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZmVo_9TfazH0CvdK9Pn2qikOsCTQjvce8DCNF-w-iyCrpcm5vRKsljt99BZMP73TGa9KpOZ8P9tBl31UfFi-D0Is3AyCMttaXEKKq9jY3qEARNin7pfB8B_pxWtO-pBJYSxHwE-GSOAd/s640/Mastuj+food.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibE2cm6lXyK4j7yeuMOs8nejZ-xZybctgHhqc0IEVaRb6IGtXphzVb37uu46f9FnWlDjndUkSM0-wZYhM-r5b1NP3wH3d-rSNY1MKabLTKghhOlsQ8r3cjTQqdAmDwDf0_ZHeTVAoTLoab/s1600/Mastuj+jeep+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibE2cm6lXyK4j7yeuMOs8nejZ-xZybctgHhqc0IEVaRb6IGtXphzVb37uu46f9FnWlDjndUkSM0-wZYhM-r5b1NP3wH3d-rSNY1MKabLTKghhOlsQ8r3cjTQqdAmDwDf0_ZHeTVAoTLoab/s640/Mastuj+jeep+.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This poor guy had to hang on to the back of his jeep for the whole 6hr trip,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrurt1qhT3tTuJ80euWhxELZCEsH6uxBAdTlx60wJayI0WxO7nVesK9FgnKyCPUeMvapEOITwEWmFAbJDP0BJH6XDtrrikjr1U4bB06nWz9sgNwkHhw9OmKdwnPI8yUiQFTzAP9H0-QEA0/s1600/Mastuj+jeep2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrurt1qhT3tTuJ80euWhxELZCEsH6uxBAdTlx60wJayI0WxO7nVesK9FgnKyCPUeMvapEOITwEWmFAbJDP0BJH6XDtrrikjr1U4bB06nWz9sgNwkHhw9OmKdwnPI8yUiQFTzAP9H0-QEA0/s640/Mastuj+jeep2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We eventually get to the village of Mastuj, find a place to stay and get our gear unloaded. After some tea, we all tramp down to the bazaar to confirm and pay for our tickets on the Natco bus leaving in the morning (Farhad had booked it for us yesterday) then back to the hotel for some dinner. It's around here that I realise I'm getting a bad case of Giardia—I should have twigged from the unpleasantly sulphurous belching that I was doing on the ride up. Crap, I've got another two days drive, with tomorrow on a public bus… I'll start the Flagyl tonight and see how I feel in the morning :(</div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-40230120807312542952012-06-04T15:16:00.000+05:002012-06-11T15:17:19.175+05:00Mon 4th June 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The last few days have been spent in bed trying to get over a cold (kindly donated by Rob) then dealing with a cough that doesn't want to go away. Friday's weather looked good, so dragged myself out of bed and went up to launch for a fly with the others, but had had enough after a couple of hours and landed back in town. The rest of the guys had good flights around the valley, landing late in the afternoon to regale me with their tales of epic climb's, massive sink etc…<br />
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We've decided to change locations and head to the Hunza valley for a couple of weeks flying, before possibly moving south to Skardu. Upon hearing this, the local pilots go all out and organise a farewell dinner in our honour at the beautiful Mountain View Inn. It's the oldest hotel in Chitral, with a beautiful courtyard garden and lots of old established trees. We watch as the Chitrali pilot's organisation have a (quite formal) ceremony inducting them into the national body while Grey is asked to be the guest of honour representing us, the foreign paraglider pilots, and does well with an impromptu speech thanking the locals for their hospitality and help. Most then wander off to attend to other things before dinner, while I try and have a nap (still feeling seedy), but my conscience gets the better of me and I hang with the group that stays and talk shop. I'm again impressed with their thirst for knowledge regarding all things paragliding, while simultaneously being alarmed at the lack of some pretty fundamental theory—it's here that I decide to send them as much as I can in the way of basic paragliding books when I get home to Australia. [Any offers of second hand instruction manuals gratefully accepted…]<br />
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Dinner is served at the standard Chitrali time of 10pm (I think this is so the evening prayers which are around 9pm can be dealt with first), giving us poor weak foreigners not a little grief. I think I feel asleep at the table at one point… But the food is good, the company great, and we finish off walking back to the hotel sated and looking forward to a good night's sleep.</div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-65641796663978858112012-05-29T13:54:00.000+05:002012-05-31T13:56:49.690+05:00Tue 29th May 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A breakfast of fried bread and tea, then some re-negotiation with the porters when they realise how heavy our packs are, and we start the walk up the hill to find a launch. Starting at 3200m, we climb through the village along the water channel, among poplar trees, alpine grasses and flowers till we get to the main irrigation supply channel. These channels are everywhere you look in the mountains here, built generations ago to supply water from glacier or snow melt sometimes tens of kilometres away. Traversing the sides of gully's, gorges and hillsides they must require an incredible amount of maintenance to keep them flowing. There are constant rockfalls and landslides, and no concrete is used that I've seen.<br />
We have numerous rest stops on the way up to the top of the scree slope at around 3700m, and the lack of food and altitude is starting to have a serious effect on us—the three of us are fucked by now. Whereas the porters are perfectly fine, stopping only to make sure we don't get lost on the way up…<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenIHzhBbDQSjj2iNvD9WtEKvcKNH_ZnJrx8v8MnKC4pH-fwBrAVeN79PGp26T20iEaf65IYdoqSbQF2iERWX9EiKfovIrA7lSgA9ja0bNNtgbR8DSMS8CMfsD9EhceKwXkT0Z4d6epsrN/s640/Teru+Climbup1.jpg" width="478" /><br />
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Unpacking our gear is slow, but we're early and have plenty of time. Rob even has time to get frisky with some of the young goats wandering past,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHz9WS7bU8BPjtAk2ltSp1oD5EI3EJ5A1PDDiXl7koSboMs9DkvfbDKhLs6BwKxD16K9sAtzeOCAd9QhOjsCIe-My8hyJn2PBZJBdSgr0tbejnKMbDN55e3sYueRQtoo5uAMDQHKDrkKX_/s1600/Rob+Goats1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHz9WS7bU8BPjtAk2ltSp1oD5EI3EJ5A1PDDiXl7koSboMs9DkvfbDKhLs6BwKxD16K9sAtzeOCAd9QhOjsCIe-My8hyJn2PBZJBdSgr0tbejnKMbDN55e3sYueRQtoo5uAMDQHKDrkKX_/s640/Rob+Goats1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnafg5RqJNaYKeVJ2LjmpMSfoDEVNjE1UwNXlD0L7uKaDqcqz_KjeJCf5FwmafcNcIBl0wm1EzqO30HZV_h-KOFjcwHBRfQdoHIbwXbhMDLJeg6Nb46Faa_hnPN2xF-dtL7Vho5YBhDHbi/s1600/Rob+Goats2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnafg5RqJNaYKeVJ2LjmpMSfoDEVNjE1UwNXlD0L7uKaDqcqz_KjeJCf5FwmafcNcIBl0wm1EzqO30HZV_h-KOFjcwHBRfQdoHIbwXbhMDLJeg6Nb46Faa_hnPN2xF-dtL7Vho5YBhDHbi/s640/Rob+Goats2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Cycles are coming up the face and Rob goes first, aborting two attempts before nailing it and climbing up to base after a bit of scratching. It's not the best place for a takeoff, halfway up the side of a mountain on a scree slope, with a small flat plateau only a few hundred metres below—if we don't get up here, it's three days on the bus/jeep system back to Chitral…<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3jlC5XcfBXQV265GhvoR6OIJN-FzRl_S9KwPgHxPiu6Or5fIJXtmGifd1Kjkubj0ko49f-xh9Rv_Uo6SIAdettPNXs56NHn1JCsjRqoTqonFdfrpeqouzxgwgJzULcnjSRBRn996SCAt/s1600/Booni+col1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTcYq6ctL8gvFYptP5C2uAhyphenhyphene48nnnnyEMeiwX-5ti0z1voIX6u9wcSykzclo09BqMa2iMCd9mOyefypiB8PWCJZXN_GSEmnBbewpu06G7Qha-O5-_QWyuGbMQ_Ej5YxGaRaqdgKhO4Wd/s1600/Teru+Launch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTcYq6ctL8gvFYptP5C2uAhyphenhyphene48nnnnyEMeiwX-5ti0z1voIX6u9wcSykzclo09BqMa2iMCd9mOyefypiB8PWCJZXN_GSEmnBbewpu06G7Qha-O5-_QWyuGbMQ_Ej5YxGaRaqdgKhO4Wd/s640/Teru+Launch.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Grey has some help from the porters and gets away first time, with me a few minutes behind. I hook straight into a thermal, turn twice and lose it, then desperately start searching for some lift. I head around the corner up a side valley, get hammered and come back around, ending up below launch and only just above the irrigation channel. I'm nearly in panic mode (not interested in bussing it, and no way am I walking up that hill again!) when I get a bubble and crank it around—yes, I'm still in it! I work it as carefully as I know how, and manage to climb above launch before I can start to turn some 360's and begin to relax. From here it's a smooth climb out straight to base at 5700m and more spectacular views.<br />
<br />
We're separated by now, so again the flying is solo, but now that I know the way back it's actually good to push the bar and cover some ground. I head back to the Shandur Pass and push down the valley before getting enough height to cut across the range and straight to the west side of the Mastuj valley. I'm around 6000m and manage to sneak through a tiny col with only a couple of metres to spare deep in a bowl below Booni Zum—the largest peak above the village of Booni.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3jlC5XcfBXQV265GhvoR6OIJN-FzRl_S9KwPgHxPiu6Or5fIJXtmGifd1Kjkubj0ko49f-xh9Rv_Uo6SIAdettPNXs56NHn1JCsjRqoTqonFdfrpeqouzxgwgJzULcnjSRBRn996SCAt/s1600/Booni+col1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3jlC5XcfBXQV265GhvoR6OIJN-FzRl_S9KwPgHxPiu6Or5fIJXtmGifd1Kjkubj0ko49f-xh9Rv_Uo6SIAdettPNXs56NHn1JCsjRqoTqonFdfrpeqouzxgwgJzULcnjSRBRn996SCAt/s640/Booni+col1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetphXGNXEO33oUM1y2_H6cdreEOn4qyy9raJvEZXPllite8_nGDXepVOihHl4xeJeys3lKqcoQliSA3eJIt9POqJWB-PZXj2sbaU68MinrYU09kq2LDcNaeKDH3ksRRdUgxMDCfWxpJz3/s1600/Booni+col2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetphXGNXEO33oUM1y2_H6cdreEOn4qyy9raJvEZXPllite8_nGDXepVOihHl4xeJeys3lKqcoQliSA3eJIt9POqJWB-PZXj2sbaU68MinrYU09kq2LDcNaeKDH3ksRRdUgxMDCfWxpJz3/s640/Booni+col2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Flying close the the walls here is still leaving me speechless—I'd love to post some video but impossible due to the 'net speeds, so screen grabs will have to do, sorry :)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJ3U8rWLQ8YJ3F_mrs64ZzLtJdyO5cDYVDvYtdrHzXCzOufXNcvIc6LSKhyphenhyphenLdTHYx6wKOH0pV9Vp2Ctm_PXaeW6bpUIDtu6dddrcAnlz-nEJvyd2Jb8c-nElRAuGIE_5n_GryRZQfgVpP/s1600/Booni+Wall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJ3U8rWLQ8YJ3F_mrs64ZzLtJdyO5cDYVDvYtdrHzXCzOufXNcvIc6LSKhyphenhyphenLdTHYx6wKOH0pV9Vp2Ctm_PXaeW6bpUIDtu6dddrcAnlz-nEJvyd2Jb8c-nElRAuGIE_5n_GryRZQfgVpP/s640/Booni+Wall.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
I see Rob in the distance and start to catchup quickly on bar, and we end up flying together down the valley towards Chitral. The valley wind has started to kick in with a vengeance and ground speed begins to drop, but strangely it's only at certain altitudes. Grey radio's in that he's over 6000m and has a tail wind, while Rob and I are pushing a headwind between 4500 and 5500. Rob gets low at one point and stays low the rest of the way back, just below and behind me. It's a tiring 3 hours pushing the last 40km back to town, with Rob catching me at the last turn into the Chitral valley. Meanwhile Grey has a dream run, high and fast to zoom over the top of us and make it to town first with lots of height.<br />
<br />
Rob lands at Farhad's place near the river, and I consider joining him—the last thing I need right now is a couple of hundred people crowding around while I try to pack my gear—but I land at the Polo ground. After 5 1/2 hours in the air, my legs are stiff and not working so well, and I make a perfect spot landing only to tumble arse over as soon as I touch down. But I hear polite clapping around me and looking around, realise that I've landed just as the afternoon polo match is about to begin and the stands are full of people. Pre-match entertainment obviously…<br />
<br />
It's stinking hot in the valley here, and I'm sweating as I walk off the pitch with as much dignity as I can muster, and start to pack my wing as Grey comes in to land beside me. Stumbling back to the hotel we meet Rob who left his gear at Farhad's and walked back empty handed—we're all completely stuffed. My face is burnt badly as I forgot to take sunscreen, but my hands have warmed up nicely in the heat. We all have a quick nap before the bragging session begins with Dimitri and Glen, then organise some dinner to gorge ourselves on, and head off to bed early. It's been a magic three days :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/613759">http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/613759</a><br />
<br /></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-62283363104737236072012-05-28T13:37:00.000+05:002012-05-31T14:11:19.684+05:00Mon 28th May 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
I wake up hungry but excited to see what the day will bring. We've all slept well, Dimi outside in his sleeping bag only, with no abnormal breathing from the altitude (CSAS or Cheyne-Stokes can be a problem if you're not acclimatised) and I get stuck into some more dates, almonds and dried apricots. It's a glorious morning (I'm running out of adjectives fast here) with clear skies again—it's going to be a good day!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmiOykgzUNJFsY59xHbAYUiHeymXcYVrj2y9dO_8kCyjbS6AmCfUcrGD6yasK1aBdY9H6o2uUkaDk1JaCIxmsp9FBkP1oJ-AgyuGEAIdFlgj_cHdTDblQ-vWWPbcJ46XR2M_bHzoQWZzr/s1600/Bivymorning1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmiOykgzUNJFsY59xHbAYUiHeymXcYVrj2y9dO_8kCyjbS6AmCfUcrGD6yasK1aBdY9H6o2uUkaDk1JaCIxmsp9FBkP1oJ-AgyuGEAIdFlgj_cHdTDblQ-vWWPbcJ46XR2M_bHzoQWZzr/s640/Bivymorning1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbg6Pj7lZZWwhura94dQ15LOMU796jQ4S8aHx7U-mddsV4hofoUSQI-F6iuW3gYyrHFudMptPPI98jm0mZp1i0NuL1fdu0l74og3qWvKCWis0YywPhxv8HSipr4aP9nix4JREeEiMgGln/s1600/Bivymorning2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbg6Pj7lZZWwhura94dQ15LOMU796jQ4S8aHx7U-mddsV4hofoUSQI-F6iuW3gYyrHFudMptPPI98jm0mZp1i0NuL1fdu0l74og3qWvKCWis0YywPhxv8HSipr4aP9nix4JREeEiMgGln/s640/Bivymorning2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbI4oXPi4zQE46KFggk-Hm0G1cHauC_rLtLeA2PAw_kCbAJmu9LTxOUmNctknhm-JLVOGc9zG1uDxZpB1lcyMor0bdUiGmzhzFBfQRgMYi1Cpg1hBriyndfqudGE0MoFpBM2TwgAkB5bD/s1600/Bivymorning3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbI4oXPi4zQE46KFggk-Hm0G1cHauC_rLtLeA2PAw_kCbAJmu9LTxOUmNctknhm-JLVOGc9zG1uDxZpB1lcyMor0bdUiGmzhzFBfQRgMYi1Cpg1hBriyndfqudGE0MoFpBM2TwgAkB5bD/s640/Bivymorning3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Gear packed, Rob and Dimi head up the hill to launch with Grey, while I pike and walk up to the road to wait for the car and Glen's promise of breakfast—my imagination is running away with me and I'm dreaming of pancakes with maple syrup…<br />
I just find a comfy spot out of the breeze coming up the face, settle back and drift off, when I hear Glen shouting to me. He's 100m above me, walking with his pack up the hill to find a launch spot. Apparently the car broke down on the way up so he and the guys from Booni have walked the last two hours to get to where I am, and there's still another hour or so to go. Devastatingly, breakfast has evaporated as no-one wanted to haul the extra weight…<br />
<br />
I join Glen and we continue another couple of hundred metres before I decide I've had enough—my heart is trying to renegotiate it's contract with me—and find a suitable spot to launch from. Quietly sitting around at this altitude creates a false sense of well-being, as it only takes a dozen steps before you're out of breath and in desperate need of a good lie down. Glen continues up to the road while I setup among the rocks below at ~3350m.<br />
<br />
Launch is smooth, straight into a nice cycle and I climb slowly to base at around 4500m before heading north east along the ridge. This climb out is one of the highlights of my flying here to date. I launch off a brown, rocky slope that leads to a long, low saddle with snow still in places along the top. As I work my way up the ridge the bulk of the Tirich-Mir massif is unveiled before me, slowly growing in size as I climb till it dominates the whole north western view. Fifth biggest mountain on earth I remind myself, with only the crappy GoPro's super wide lens to try and capture it. I don't even switch it on.<br />
<br />
Following Rob along the ridge I see him getting hammered at the far end, so decide to turn early and head to some cu's forming in the middle of the long valley crossing to the east. Dimitri is right behind me at this point, and we continue on to the large massif north of the village of Mastuj. Climbing out here for the jump to the chain directly south, I lose Dimitri and find out later that he got flushed and landed in the valley below. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2FT9HWLzTgJtS9XDfVzfmD-zWFTXXjFFltbRExymJxQgMuc4X28aotR8XlPsFMdBieoxVhsnT0_GNTKjkCNsm0hccUkiOqMCSrwj8w158YuFDn__H7wwsUVQd8ODlId_Fzgmg9fQTqAA/s1600/Snow+faces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNEVdtAovLTmIAceALBlJKDuVXvl6uCVNWqOg1fp1YMAw6A9Zjz-SvP90o4r2sgxPiX1R6wjCk0gUxTI7BPgJ0vH-hHHuLRaljDw_eQ1Ue2f4Pt-P2G9CG0atWYDt84i94SbD9K0HRfrw/s1600/Dimi+Mastuj.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNEVdtAovLTmIAceALBlJKDuVXvl6uCVNWqOg1fp1YMAw6A9Zjz-SvP90o4r2sgxPiX1R6wjCk0gUxTI7BPgJ0vH-hHHuLRaljDw_eQ1Ue2f4Pt-P2G9CG0atWYDt84i94SbD9K0HRfrw/s640/Dimi+Mastuj.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Base is steadily rising and I get over 5000m before the transition to the western side of the Mastuj valley, traversing along the sides of snow covered mountain sides looking for lift. I learn that snow isn't a good thermal generator and I need to look further down the spurs to where potential triggers might be, and anticipate where to go to find lift—but it's not as hard as it sounds.<br />
Unstable spring conditions are usually a bit rough anywhere, and today is no exception—it's actually not a lot of fun flying as the thermals are pretty viscous with sharp edges. You'll be happily bumbling along admiring the view, when suddenly your feet are pointing straight up and the wing is somewhere behind you, so you grit your teeth and slam the brakes all the way down to your arse trying to dampen the inevitable surge and turn it asap because you're scared shitless of falling out the other side—a few times today I catch myself thinking 'I'm not having fun here'. But ultimately it is spectacular flying,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2FT9HWLzTgJtS9XDfVzfmD-zWFTXXjFFltbRExymJxQgMuc4X28aotR8XlPsFMdBieoxVhsnT0_GNTKjkCNsm0hccUkiOqMCSrwj8w158YuFDn__H7wwsUVQd8ODlId_Fzgmg9fQTqAA/s1600/Snow+faces.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2FT9HWLzTgJtS9XDfVzfmD-zWFTXXjFFltbRExymJxQgMuc4X28aotR8XlPsFMdBieoxVhsnT0_GNTKjkCNsm0hccUkiOqMCSrwj8w158YuFDn__H7wwsUVQd8ODlId_Fzgmg9fQTqAA/s640/Snow+faces.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
I'm getting better with the cold affecting my hands—a lot of today is spent at 5k and above, but if I do lots of swinging my arms around and drumming on the back of the harness during glides then it seems to get the blood flowing back into my fingers. I have a thermometer on my backup vario and it reads around 7°C at 5000m, getting below zero at 6000m. I'm not sure what the windchill factor at 40km/h would be, but it's not really affecting me anywhere else apart from my hands; legs, face and torso are all fine.<br />
<br />
Grey is somewhere behind me at this stage, while Rob has taken a shortcut from Mastuj south east to the east side of the Shandur Pass, along a high valley with no roads—committing stuff, but he reckons safe enough if you start high and don't screw up… I'm rely on their radio comm's to give me an idea of which way to head, so I end up taking the long way around to the bottom of the Mastuj valley before crossing over to get high above Laspur and cross into the Shandur Pass proper. There are a couple of lakes on the pass which is a high plateau around 3700m, as well as the famous polo grounds.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2L4zSEZlL63UVEC-9VPGbOy7OLoNXH_HFTSyo_LNQLMVB6utKOtkwFAHqDHwhbJDtpoPb7ubc_Jq_kYAYxzzCExGndVr4jayRbBaSu0OA1oepjvZQbhEOO9ocCvI6-luJxWQC0S1bsNF/s1600/Shandur+Lakes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2L4zSEZlL63UVEC-9VPGbOy7OLoNXH_HFTSyo_LNQLMVB6utKOtkwFAHqDHwhbJDtpoPb7ubc_Jq_kYAYxzzCExGndVr4jayRbBaSu0OA1oepjvZQbhEOO9ocCvI6-luJxWQC0S1bsNF/s640/Shandur+Lakes.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Base has risen even further and I'm well over 6000m by the time I get to the far end of the pass, which is handy as it's a long glide to the north face of the valley heading to Gilgit. As I get to the far side I see Rob ahead and scratching for lift—yes! It's a lot more interesting and enjoyable to fly with others, as well as making it easier to find lift. Down the valley to the front of us is some serious OD, and after another 15k's or so we hear Grey call in letting us know he's landing at the beginning of the valley behind us—it's all we need to pull the pin and head back to land.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ovjR2crErdLNPYpkJLwfkc5EfWTYBw0Vot2RBisCuG4LLQy-RrVBiCjJeP-J0DsBHH_9DvjicvGNsb5WT0V_92RvgTBBiJ5jxx-Vx0jU7C7g2TNDTqhKrTgn4BoxsdPq_2AonkuYZrNY/s1600/ODTeru+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ovjR2crErdLNPYpkJLwfkc5EfWTYBw0Vot2RBisCuG4LLQy-RrVBiCjJeP-J0DsBHH_9DvjicvGNsb5WT0V_92RvgTBBiJ5jxx-Vx0jU7C7g2TNDTqhKrTgn4BoxsdPq_2AonkuYZrNY/s640/ODTeru+1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Rob flies back to Grey while I land a few k's to the east at the village of Teru in a field of young wheat, and am quickly surrounded by the local kids and policeman. I'm stuffed and realise as I switch off the vario that the valley floor here is over 3000m—no wonder I'm out of breath already. I pack my kit and am offered a lift by the policeman on the back of his motorbike up valley to where Rob and Grey have landed. Perfect, except that I'm on the arse end of the bike with another 30kg's strapped to my back trying to tip me off the back. He laughs when I grab him around the waist and let him know that if I come off then he comes with me—I'm not sure he understands…<br />
<br />
Halfway there, we run into both Grey and Rob coming the other way in a hired jeep, as apparently the only accommodation in the area is the guest house in Teru, so I jump in with them and head back. Rob's on the verge of hypothermia as his water bottle leaked during the flight and soaked him through. When he'd landed, the outside of his harness had ice all over it form where the water had leaked through and frozen…<br />
<br />
The guest house is a great place with two rooms, a shared meals area and separate bathrooms with a hot water unit in each! As we're dancing a little jig of joy (it's been cold showers every day so far, emphasis on the cold) I realise that there is actually no water supply getting into the house. Exploring outside, I find burst water pipes—it obviously gets cold here in the winter. So Rob gets into bed in his sleeping bag to warm up, while Grey and I organise some dinner through the caretaker.<br />
<br />
Over a dinner of broken rice and chicken stew with milk tea, we decide to try launching tomorrow morning from the scree slopes outside. Grey chases up some porters and we crash early, all of us exhausted.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/614111">http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/614111</a><br />
<br /></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-55677823796774813872012-05-27T13:28:00.000+05:002012-05-31T13:38:46.342+05:00Sun 27th May 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Friday and Saturday were rained out and we're all starting to get a bit tetchy, but the forecast for Sunday and the following few days is looking promising, so after discussing options we decide to try and fly towards the Gilgit valley to the east with the possibility of a bivy somewhere high.<br />
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Sunday dawns with a clear and promising looking sky—we elect to go up to launch early. Gear packed and a full car (there always seems to be a few hangers on, this time the driver has a mate along for the ride) and Sajid on the roof with the packs, we head up the now familiar road to the Summer Palace. On the track up, it becomes obvious that the wind is a bit strong and coming from up valley, so we head for a different spot with a more northerly aspect, unload and settle in to wait for the wind to die off.<br />
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The Summer Palace would have been an amazing place in it's heyday, with extensive groves of apricot, walnut and mulberry and a large walled compound where the royals obviously hung out to escape the summer heat of the valley floor. But the lack of maintenance since the demise of the royals (Zulfikar Ali Bhutto proscribed the royals in the '70's) has taken it's toll, and it's pretty much a crumbling ruin now. But a beautiful crumbling ruin, with the trees still there, views to die for, alpine flowers everywhere and fields of wheat that are tended by the caretaker and his family who now live here during the summer months. I could think of worse places to spend the summer…<br />
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The wind finally starts to back off and the thermals are are beginning to cycle through, so we all launch and make our way up the ridge to the spine of the main range behind us. The flying is nice and easy with abundant lift coming from obvious triggers off the spurs below, or off the main ridge itself once you get higher. Heading north we all punch through some light OD, with the associated hail/sleet that comes with it—it's amazing how quickly you become blasé about this sort of thing here…<br />
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_udU48LahsA-O9Gn-0LbVxihykKyCPb0KclOqx8DKw9PIBpPFEwdsaw-7tNwDVBax8Uz7ytcTXsFmMIec2xCLoomIRkGsb47QpaDtj6kMUMaiwOx0PDXWMrbw2dS1yKo7hk9e_B4qwI1/s640/FlyingthruOD1.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48iDUijISpvDSLMo4Y3ruu3QskKgNktYFfN1nHvx6QK0cvYM91p49svtbQoIqRVGJn6-r3yZhs-TPxcI2vJ_DMv-CraVpkKOnSvhXTiRW0el92TItu4weUGlwWb3wa5fmqcXKLRXlgDqI/s640/FlyinthruOD2.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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I end up spending a bit of time in the white room and when I pop out I've lost everyone—I'm sure that Grey and Dimitri were thermalling just below me? The contrast of the snow against the rock here make it really difficult to spot a paraglider once you lose sight of them for more than a few seconds, particularly when they're some distance away. I lose a bit of height trying to work out where everyone's got to and which way to fly. One of the problems that I created for myself on this trip was my lack of research of the terrain in the area—before I'd left Australia, I'd assumed that I could just pick up some maps in Islamabad, or maybe even Chitral… not a chance! I went to one of the biggest bookshops in ISL looking for maps and there is nothing apart from some non-topo tourist maps, and asking around 'Pindi got me nowhere as well. Even the idea of 'maps' seems to be anathema to most folk here… Consequently I'm reliant on Rob and Grey for directions as they've been flying here before and know the area well. Without our radio's I'd be guessing which way to go more than I'd like. Ok, more like screwed.<br />
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Finally I locate Rob and Grey, but not Dimitri or Glenn. The obvious route north east along the western side of the Booni valley is the direction we head, making for the Zani Pass to spend the night. Rob gets there ahead of me and waits for me to catch up so we can land in the same place. As I'll soon learn, you really don't want to be walking up the hills here with a full pack. At over 3000m, even without a pack it's exhausting.<br />
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As we're coming in to land, we spot Dimi around 400m lower down the slope, landing on a nice looking grassy flat. Dimitri doesn't fly with a radio, so there's no chance to let him know we're just above him, and we don't want to get any lower as we'll just have to walk back up in the morning to take off. Rob lands on the dirt track that heads up to the pass, and I misjudge my timing to crash and bounce land inelegantly on the bouldered slope—thankfully no damage to me or the wing. We pack up and head down a gully to a small stone hut about 100m below us. It's the perfect place to spend a night here, at 3200m with a grassy slope and a clear snow melt spring emerging from the hill above.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWQtblBOZzUt90VhJSvvvVFnvbwvxHv2ZXiolwsmdPY0UNJ4dLy_RjukwsFVx-qus-EMqUV3WJdT5Ghy1MflOY-ANdPFuw8bz6HMRgWwYJpsZa16PmTTbS8aHxeDsMpRk6_jak9yT4Ev6/s1600/ZaniBivy1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWQtblBOZzUt90VhJSvvvVFnvbwvxHv2ZXiolwsmdPY0UNJ4dLy_RjukwsFVx-qus-EMqUV3WJdT5Ghy1MflOY-ANdPFuw8bz6HMRgWwYJpsZa16PmTTbS8aHxeDsMpRk6_jak9yT4Ev6/s640/ZaniBivy1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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As we're setting up camp, Grey comes in over the radio trying to find us. Having spotted us, he then decides to land a good 300m higher than us—not as picturesque as our spot, but at least he wont be carrying all his shit up the hill in the morning…<br />
Rob chooses to sleep in the hut while I set my bivy/tent up on a flat spot nearby.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismfspRK13LejeoEDDzdCepivmvFM6NwIZN-3LROyzRJAQzXu-mNNIyR0jTB4N5A5hZ1mBvmP9ldWun0EqgZbTxbj-on4zejLHyU1YuPxrx2K0FHDz8HguAAvodjZ_bCB7YKqCP55IM7k9/s1600/ZaniBivy2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismfspRK13LejeoEDDzdCepivmvFM6NwIZN-3LROyzRJAQzXu-mNNIyR0jTB4N5A5hZ1mBvmP9ldWun0EqgZbTxbj-on4zejLHyU1YuPxrx2K0FHDz8HguAAvodjZ_bCB7YKqCP55IM7k9/s640/ZaniBivy2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Grey walks down sans gear to see what food we have be sociable, while Rob cooks up some noodles. This is when I really wish my harness had a bit more room—we're all ravenous after the days flight and as much as I love dates and nuts, I'd kill for some hot noodles right now…<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlShDlpSSvH9zI4Q74p-ub5wqZDd9oRGS5MnQmqq7qs8w91SoiR6FA629ZRsc0zfO3dyzcXWOsJfnszeVCLGPiafxhCug_WRBsXZrmyhaWEPFNIPpj5dTG-pHPH5-6y5z0EW-54Fp83W3I/s1600/ZaniBivy3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlShDlpSSvH9zI4Q74p-ub5wqZDd9oRGS5MnQmqq7qs8w91SoiR6FA629ZRsc0zfO3dyzcXWOsJfnszeVCLGPiafxhCug_WRBsXZrmyhaWEPFNIPpj5dTG-pHPH5-6y5z0EW-54Fp83W3I/s640/ZaniBivy3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXySrDE9rxItQ5rVVvwRSuzu0nuwuW9FjP3Yx58527a-yURhOUrJU2GlSWqN5UDIigVcdBhZnM56ELwZSIvhylGL4k3UOPIo4pzmBg6zLQPSunFPZesgBZ-YauLBxXImDpBFAhTa1Jf4i/s1600/ZaniBivy4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXySrDE9rxItQ5rVVvwRSuzu0nuwuW9FjP3Yx58527a-yURhOUrJU2GlSWqN5UDIigVcdBhZnM56ELwZSIvhylGL4k3UOPIo4pzmBg6zLQPSunFPZesgBZ-YauLBxXImDpBFAhTa1Jf4i/s640/ZaniBivy4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lwVkgF22Is9FRim7Q-fhmpZgl1gzl5616sZpwBIudlzBcxVgthwlSb7M_bBQypCUU-SQttYn99TXEZyk8zkPey7Xj_T_begCCMQsmqSr9h1NI2FUT2Bz4YbRujqqgW1KZanE7ZaKnXmo/s1600/ZaniBivy5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lwVkgF22Is9FRim7Q-fhmpZgl1gzl5616sZpwBIudlzBcxVgthwlSb7M_bBQypCUU-SQttYn99TXEZyk8zkPey7Xj_T_begCCMQsmqSr9h1NI2FUT2Bz4YbRujqqgW1KZanE7ZaKnXmo/s640/ZaniBivy5.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Grey has only just headed back up the hill to spend the night in his sleeping bag (it's gone catabolic and is getting cold) under his wing, when we hear the drone of a motor vehicle. It's starting to get dark and the road to the pass is blocked by snow, wtf? Then we hear Dimitri calling out from the road above—he'd landed and started to walk up, realised that was pretty silly and instead walked downhill to the first village where he paid someone to drive him up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8HveZsGkSvb27pO9rsyKt_mRvXk7hkyhZ-mMis9a3ZXBVII0NBvnlh8SPNSghepPe1xu45VO7asy_hHiFEv1sovq3572u79VzhnkH-E510BgwTG08y47tTQWUN_2JqEL_F6UTzqPHP56/s1600/ZaniBivy6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8HveZsGkSvb27pO9rsyKt_mRvXk7hkyhZ-mMis9a3ZXBVII0NBvnlh8SPNSghepPe1xu45VO7asy_hHiFEv1sovq3572u79VzhnkH-E510BgwTG08y47tTQWUN_2JqEL_F6UTzqPHP56/s640/ZaniBivy6.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We're enjoying an incredibly beautiful evening, watching the clouds across the valley dump on the mountains above the village of Booni, when Glen sends an sms to let us know he's just landed there, and will be driving up in the morning with some of the local paraglider pilots—and he'll bring some breakfast…<br />
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<img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZD4n61Y2QKXuICx5kQN9zkjFM_-HxIJDba-Pcs-o-1OjvyOyxGwTnzJ76Ccg93wXFv8llL0gcs5DgTaVpf_NtgMpCYarY0xZwFaNUSFA38-e2bnKS4PIWHNc_JcWEqCpkZX4dkST7QaDm/s640/ZaniBivy7.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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It's a still, surprisingly warm night as I drift off to sleep with the Booni Zum mountains as the backdrop to a wonderful day…<br />
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<img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOtLIxqiBv1MkqhNwAuey4YIAbs1cGHd_ihiZmCrbA6fwA3wwHuB5xBw1QsSINsdMpX2yR2__M67qZ5jlPREJa5_fgdDXw9JPE5wT0Ge3061ZTsUptGEYjKkCvNr8j-I3L5QB0GK7367b/s640/ZaniBivy8.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/614112">http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/614112</a><br />
<br /></div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-19283111467384303742012-05-24T12:45:00.000+05:002012-05-26T12:52:42.655+05:00Thur 24th May 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday was a fizzer with high winds aloft and cloud again causing difficulties on launch. I launched just before it started to drizzle and come from the back, and had a sleddy, landing at the airport. Dimitri and Glen both packed their gear up and came back down in the car. After a long walk and taxi ride back to town, I'm pooped. My pack would be close to 30kg's I reckon, making it a bit too uncomfortable for any extended walking.<br />
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In the evening Rob and Grey both turn up, after having a similar day to us—they managed to launch but couldn't get away, so landed back in Booni and decided to taxi it the three and a half hours back to Chitral. It's actually quite reasonable to do this here as the fares are so cheap; Chitral to Booni is ~75km, which cost them only 140 rps each, around $2. I don't know how the drivers make a living like this though as fuel here is nearly the same as in Australia, currently petrol is around $1.10 a litre and diesel $1.20.<br />
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Today there's a lot of high cirrus moving in from the south west, and it looks pretty inverted. So no flying again—I think if i come back here again it will be a couple of weeks later, around June when the weather has settled a bit. Spring here seems to be a bit too unstable making the strike rate for flights a bit low. The season's are running around 25 days late according to the locals, which is causing them concern as they still need to get another crop of maize in before winter sets in.<br />
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After breakfast at the Tirich-Mir hotel, Glenn, Rob and I go for a walk through town to fill Rob's O2 bottle, then we cross the bridge and head upriver towards one of the local villages perched on the mountain side. We've become quite friendly with our guard (the whole five guard thing petered out pretty quickly, we now only have one) and he proves quite handy when asking for directions or where to find things. We wander up through groves of walnut, mulberry and fig trees, though only the mulberries are ripe enough to eat. The marijuana here grows literally everywhere lining the sides of the paths, the wheat fields, along the creek banks—maybe this is where the name 'weed' originated? I'm assured by the locals I ask that it's a non-narcotic variety and that nobody smokes it… <br />
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We climb through the village and emerge on a knoll above with a view over Chitral and the valley, then go over the back to scramble down the gorge behind and through another village. If there's a patch of land anywhere here that can be settled and a crop sown, then it's been done. We see houses being built on the sides of slopes that you can barely walk up, though there isn't the terracing that I saw in places like Nepal—there's actually very little soil here, just plenty of rock. At least your basic building material is free and plentiful.<br />
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The gorge has a small, clear snow-melt stream running down it, and the water is used to power the numerous small stone mills along the banks. None are working at the moment unfortunately as I'd love to see them in action, but in a few weeks time when the wheat is harvested they should be getting fired up. I'm definitely coming back to see them working and take some pics. I'm really starting to regret not bringing along a proper camera—the iphone just doesn't cut it I'm afraid.<br />
We stop for lunch at Iqbal's home (the driver who's been taking us up to launch), and we gorge ourselves on fresh cherries and mulberries before a meal of hand made noodles with a bean and potato stew, and a great garlic and chilli relish. <br />
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The food we've had at people's homes has been far superior to anything we can get off the street, contrary to back home where if you want a really nice meal you tend to go out for it. Even the bread, which is made in a tandoor style oven is great;<br />
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Back to the hotel for a snooze, then I go get some veggies for a salad and we have fresh bread and a big garden salad for tea—absolutely delicious when most of the food that we eat off the street tends to have a bit too much oil for most of us. Food is super cheap too; a kilo of tomatoes, 4 big cucumbers, onions, garlic, some coriander and a couple of peppers cost less than a dollar…<br />
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</div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486339538600727514.post-63655533889029924262012-05-22T12:33:00.000+05:002012-05-26T12:53:58.034+05:00Tues 22nd May 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today was epic. Not in terms of distance, or height, but the scale…<br />
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The morning is looking promising with blue skies and very little wind, but as we're eating breakfast, the cu's are starting to crank off the peaks big time. We quickly get our gear on the car and head up the hill—thankfully our police guards are becoming more relaxed and are much more amenable to just tagging along. We get to the launch just after 10am, and are ready to go at 11am—just as our side of the valley is getting shaded in by the development off the peaks behind us. I launch into a light drizzle and scratch on the ridge for a while, only managing to gain a hundred metres above take-off before committing to the transition to the sunny side of the valley. I manage to get there with enough height (love that mentor…) to get some light lift and start the climb out. Grey joins me after about 20 min and we work together to find the cores, with base slowly getting higher over the next couple of hours. As we cross a large bowl I notice what looks like rain coming towards us, then realise that it's snowing! I though it was supposed to be summer here in the northern hemisphere… thankfully it's only light and we fly through without any problems.<br />
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I had trouble with my hands getting cold on the last flight, so this time I'd brought along some down mitts to try. About an hour into the flight when we started to get some height I pulled them on and they seem to help somewhat, but it's still only just bearable—my fingers ache for a good hour after I land. I'm not sure what else to do, if I get any higher it's going to be a real problem. Also there's not enough room in the brake loops for big gloves/mitts which makes it difficult to get your hands in and out which is a pain.<br />
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I took the oxygen kit today to try out but the amount of gear in and on my harness is starting to get ridiculous. I'm find I'm now carrying; a lightweight bivy tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag (replacing the foam under the seat), sleeping bag liner, oxygen bottle with the associated electronics and hoses, a couple of litres of water, my sandals plus all the clothes I'm wearing. I feel like the michelin man… But overall I'm not cold apart from my hands which is good. A light pair of windproof fleece pants, thick socks with good boots, a couple of wool layers under a fleece top and a down jacket. The Impress 3 I'm flying is a fantastic harness, but I do wish it had a bit more room for bivy flying—I'd like to be able to take a stove and some food, but there just isn't the room. The pod's nice and warm though…<br />
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The O2 kit that I'm using is the Summit brand from the states (I think?) that Brad has organised for us to hire. He sent in a bunch of full systems and hires them out for $240 for however long it's needed. A great deal considering the kit costs around $1000 AU to buy back home and wouldn't get much use in Australia. I end up strapping the bottle inside the pod along my left thigh so I can reach the main valve and see the gauge. It's pretty awkward on launch but isn't too bad once you're in the air. The system is controlled by a small electronic 'pulse dose meter', about the size of a big pack of cigarettes which I've strapped across my chest. It's adjustable via a large knob on the top which delivers a measured amount of O2 at the start of each inhalation, from zero to 6 litres a minute. Today I got to around 4700m and tried it out a few times above 4000m to see how it all works. Unfortunately I didn't get the warmth flowing instantly into my fingers (one of the nice side effects of O2 apparently) but it seemed to work OK. I'm trying to acclimatise as much as possible, so am keeping the O2 use to a minimum—today I didn't get any headaches as I had previously which is good.<br />
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Grey and I get to a large bowl that has us scratching around for a bit before we take different directions looking for lift and get separated. I get a ripper of a thermal which takes me to 4500m while Grey keeps searching till I lose sight of him. I'm heading north east, hugging the mountain sides to my right and there's kilometres of air below me, yet the peaks are still way above my head. Getting in close to the terrain here is awe inspiring—massive crags jutting through the snow, sheer rock faces that go on forever, and all the exposed rock is fractured and loose. It would be impossible to climb in this area as nothing is stable and everything looks as if it's about to come crashing down any second. I feel incredibly small flying here,<br />
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I continue on towards the town of Booni with base getting higher, but there's significant overdevelopment up the valley I'm heading, with rain or possibly snow falling and the whole area shaded out. The valley below me is pretty narrow and I'm starting to worry about a gust front from the OD so decide to get down before it turns nasty. Right when it's getting good too—4700m and going up like a train… <br />
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I work my way down to the valley floor looking for indications of wind and somewhere to land. The valleys here are completely barren apart from the numerous small and verdant villages, green oasis' that contrast with the shades of reds, browns and greys that make up the mountain sides. All the villages have plenty of green fields of wheat at this time of year making it easy to find a landing spot, though you try not to land in the middle of a crop of cause any damage if at all possible. <br />
The wind increases and gets more turbulent the lower I get and I have an interesting vertical descent to land safely on the edge of a wheat field next to the main road. Within seconds I'm surrounded again, but this time by school girls! I landed just as they finished school and right across the road from the front gate of course. Women of any age aren't a common sight in this part of the world, so it's actually quite nice to see so many, particularly as they are quite happy to check me and my gear out and not avert their eyes if I look directly at them. There are plenty of tracks and roads on the side of really steep hills around here, and I've actually been concerned that women I've walked past would tumble off the path when they realised that a non-moslem foreigner was walking towards them, and they hurriedly re-wrap their scarfs more tightly around their heads till I'm sure they can't see where they're going. But sadly, when I pull out a camera the girls tear off screaming and laughing…<br />
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As I'm packing my gear and talking to one of the locals, I learn that I've landed in the village of Reshun, about 10km short of Booni. He invites me to his home for tea which I gratefully accept—it's way past lunch. The generosity of everyone here is incredible, and the villages are beautiful—tea is had in a grove of apricot and white mulberry trees with lush grass and wheat fields as a back drop. Fresh cottage cheese with bread still warm from the oven and the obligatory sweet milk tea. <br />
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I get a lift back to Chitral after lunch on one of the old jeeps that ply the highway, and again find myself in awe of the landscape here. The building of the roads here would have been a monumental task, as the mountains are constantly raining fresh rock down into the valley, with scree slopes hard up to the edge of the bitumen. We have a flat tyre on the way back, which allows me to wander around and take it all in. I reckon the drive back is nearly as good as the flight out…<br />
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When i get back to town I learn that both Rob and Grey have made it to Booni and will stay the night there, flying on tomorrow if possible towards the Shandur Pass and Gilgit. Dimitri and Glenn had a crappy start and didn't manage to get out of the valley unfortunately. The clouds are developing quite early in the day and making it difficult to get away if left too late, so we decide to make an earlier start tomorrow.</div>ayashkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05090644864120773477noreply@blogger.com0