When I said I was going trekking for a week I bet you all thought that meant me packing my bag getting a sleeping bag and going out to some lovely meadow or something for a week. Sorry for the confusion, because what I really meant was spend a day riding in really packed vans, 20 people inside plus at least 2 on the back bumper, into the depths of Baltistan. First to the quaint town of Skardu and then to Khapalu, where we were informed that we could not take public transportation on to Hushe but for a mere 3000 Rupees ($50) we could hire a jeep to take us. The following morning we found out that there was a bus, but only one a day, and that we needed to hire a guide. None of us had the requisite funds but while we were debating whether to press on and try to talk our way through the MP checkpost, because we weren't doing high altitude trekking just little hikes, the transport left. Well we weren't going to sit around for another day to find out whether we needed a guide or not so we headed back to Skardu, spent the night, and then pressed on back to the Karakorum Highway. On the way to the highway we planned to go to different trek, but that one too had a 3000 Rupee jeep drive, this one because it's a private road was compulsery so the other gentlemen went there I I returned to Gilgit.
Tomorrow if all goes well I will press on to Karimabad then to Sost and then to Kashgar. There was an Avalanche near the Pass where I cross into china so the highway is closed for about 3 more days. Keep your fingers crossed that i'll be able to make it across. Anyway I'm glad that I was able to go into Baltistan beacuse the mountains were very pretty. The terrain was deep glacial valleys and the mountains were the vertical walls. That being said more importantly I was able to be cold, you have no idea how long I have searched for a place where I could be cold, and I ended up having to wear my long underwear scarf hat etc. And when I woke up, staring me in the face was a range of mountains that put even the rockies to shame. Very cool. From here Karimabad is supposed to be an amazing stop, it receives high marks from all who have been there and from the lonely planet as well. I've tried to post a couple more pictures on this one so hopefully things work out and you can see the places where I have been recently. Yay the pictures worked and they only took 45min to load. The first pic is me in Skardu waiting for the bus. The second is the view of the mountains accross the valley from Skardu and the last one is me just below the Fort of Skardu with the background being the Valley streching east towards where I was in Khapalu. I can already tell I'm losing weight. I was 163+/- in Delhi, India and I'm already telling a difference. Must be the revised diet. Don't worry though I'm not going anorexic on y'all. Alright, catch you all another time and another place. Au revior.
Walker
6 comments:
Cool hat!!! Too bad about the trekking, but the ride into deepest, darkest Baltistan sounds interesting and the scenery in your pix are splendid! Ah, cold, a delightful relief. What are the people like in that area? Tell us about your trekking mates. Love the pix and the writing.
They're interesting, but I got the feeling that they were more interested in making a quick rupee off us than being ordinary people. But I guess that's what trekking does to poor places. Guides make tons of money and so everyone wants to do it. It's anoying but I understand it.
Think you may enjoy the below link, a travelog to Kashgar.
http://berclo.net/page97/97en-china-16.html
It looks like an interesting place.
Sweet pics!
Paul had a minor score in the most recent WSOP heads up event. Glad you are in good spirits and cool weather.
T.
Amazing pictures! You look so handome and rugged! ;-) I´m glad you got some use out of that scarf, too! It sounds like you ran into the same thing we found trying to see the Sahara: guides just want to make a buck and it´s hard to tell the legit ones from the less well-equiped scammers. I´m glad you´re getting to see it all though, I love the untamed wilderness that is inherent in great mountain ranges, and am quite jealous. I´ll keep my fingers crossed for your pass to open soon!
x J
The beard makes you look like a local and I don't mean a Boulderite.
Your not missing much here but wind and heat. Stay healthy and cool.
-the barber
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