In a far-flung corner of China’s Xinjiang say lies a corridor that has been drawing adventurers, explorers too ancient traders for millennia. Bridging the gap betwixt Islamic Republic of Pakistan too China, skirting the borders of Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan too Tajikistan, the fabled Karakoram Highway begins at the border of the Uyghur metropolis of Kashgar too rises through the Pamir Mountains to live the highest major route on the entire planet. Once business office of the historic Silk Road, immediately it acts equally a thoroughfare for Pakistani importers too exporters sending goods from their homeland into the vastness of Western China.
Our journeying to Kashgar was made with the intention of exploring the Karakoram Highway too trekking with its colossal mountains. It was to live our finally jeopardy inwards PRC earlier tackling Central Asia, too nosotros couldn’t live to a greater extent than excited. Knowing that it was really hard to make this independently, nosotros teamed upwardly with the reputable tour fellowship Old Road Tours to organise our permits, carry too a guide, too sat downwards with them to innovation our route.
The pearls of the Karakoram Highway are the glass-like Karakul Lake too the imposing mount of Mutzagh Ata. Studying a map with the possessor Abdul Wahab, nosotros drew a line from a lakeside hamlet to the base of operations military camp of Mutzagh Ata too decided this three-day trek would live our ultimate mission. With Old Road Tours taking attention of the logistics, all nosotros had to make was stock upwardly on nutrient too H2O too gear upwardly ourselves mentally for the challenge.
Monday forenoon arrived too nosotros met our affable too experienced guide Musa at the Seman Hotel, which doubled equally both our accommodation too the headquarters for Old Road Tours. We felt an instant connectedness with Musa too couldn’t hold off to exit into the rugged landscapes of the Karakoram with him. We waved goodbye to culture too got on the road.
45 minutes from Kashgar nosotros stopped at the little hamlet of Upal to cheque out their local market. We wandered through the dusty bazaar eyeing off the amazing diversity of items for sale. From meat too create to kitchen utensils too clothing, it seemed near anything could live bought at the Upal market. At the dorsum of the grounds at that spot was a little yet bustling livestock marketplace with cows, goats, sheep too yaks beingness exchanged inwards rapid negotiations. While non equally large equally the Kashgar livestock bazaar, the Upal marketplace was every chip equally exciting too authentic equally ane could hope. Deciding against buying a fat-tailed sheep, nosotros jumped dorsum inwards the van too continued our journey.
The Karakoram Highway rapidly turned into a quagmire of construction, with loaders too graders standing idle with the potholed mess. The Chinese authorities plainly has large ambitions for the hereafter of this high-alpine motorway, but for immediately over 100km of it is hideous too os crunching. Unfortunately the scarring too litter left behind yesteryear the structure crews really destroys the stark beauty of the surroundings. Tourism inwards PRC has seen intense development, too few places tin escape this onslaught. Tiger Leaping Gorge is ane identify that has survived, too nosotros pray the Karakoram Highway tin make the same. One tin entirely promise that when operate has finished on the highway that the rehabilitation of the surface area volition live swift too intense.
Despite the tragic scenic introduction, arriving at Karakul Lake was every chip equally impressive equally nosotros could convey hoped. Mutzagh Ata towered ahead of us similar a looming white giant too rounding a corner the glistening azure of the lake contrasted brilliantly against a barren landscape.
We jumped out at a little hamlet on the shores of Karakul Lake too checked into our homestay. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lovely Kyrgyz lady welcomed us with yak milk tea too staff of life too made us experience at identify inwards her cozy stone dwelling. Not wanting to waste materials a min of the gorgeous day, Alesha too I went for a rambling hike to soak upwardly the pristine vistas. Before also long the Sun began to laid too the chill of the eventide kicked in. We gorged ourselves on a huge vegetarian repast prepared yesteryear our host too headed into our ain individual concrete yurt for the night.
Sneaking out equally the Sun was rising nosotros were amazed to uncovering that non a unmarried cloud was inwards the crisp forenoon sky. Before us lay Karakul Lake, equally nonetheless equally a frozen pond, with the summit of Mutzagh Ata piercing the heaven at 7546m higher upwardly bounding main level. We had heard the tale of a pitiful Japanese traveller who had visited this exact location ix times too nonetheless had non seen the summit. Today on our outset see nosotros were graced with its extraordinary presence. Luck was definitely on our side.
Musa rose presently later us too nosotros ate a low-cal but delicious breakfast with our host. Bidding farewell, nosotros began our trek yesteryear circumnavigating Karakul Lake. At every betoken Mutzagh Ata watched over us, its permanently snow-capped silhouette glowing brighter too brighter equally the hours passed.
It entirely took a few hours earlier nosotros wandered through our 2nd Kyrgyz village, too local children came running from hidden corners to yell too greet us. We threw high-5s too snapped some photos earlier pushing on towards higher ground.
Moving farther too farther from Karakul Lake nosotros climbed upwardly a steep too testing loma too caught our outset glimpse of the mighty glacier that scarred the valleys of Mutzagh Ata. With this equally our inspiration nosotros dragged our exhausted bodies into a tiny hamlet too introduced ourselves to some other local family. The woman rear of the line of piece of job solid was away but their 14-year-old immature adult woman ushered us within too prepared a delicious dinner. Eventually the manly someone rear returned from working inwards the fields too joined us for some milk tea too joking conversation. Rolling out some blankets on the flooring of their stone hut, nosotros nuzzled upwardly yesteryear the burn too slept inwards the fellowship of the family.
The early on forenoon Sun peaked through the cracks inwards the ceiling too nosotros packed our bags create for departure. We snacked on staff of life too fruit too said goodbye to our generous hosts. The toe of the glacier seemed to live within arm’s attain but nosotros knew that many hours of intense scrambling lay earlier us too the groaning ice.
With every aching stride nosotros inched our means towards the frozen river, traversing over issue rocks too steep crevasses. Our movements slowed equally nosotros crept into thinner oxygen. With each little advancement nosotros had to dig deep to notice to a greater extent than willpower. The glacier of Mutzagh Ata urged us forward, with its tumbling H2O ice spilling downwards the ravine inwards glorious fashion. Nothing could motivate us to a greater extent than than its commanding existence.
Each min passed inwards breathless means too nosotros finally reached the toe of the glacier. Dropping our backpacks on the solid earth, Musa, Alesha too I walked gingerly across the creaking ice. Already 100m deep nosotros could hear the fast flowing melt-water beneath us. Musa too I moved downwards to the glacial river too scooped handfuls of refreshing H2O to our mouths. There is really piddling that could brand us experience therefore min equally beingness hidden inwards a crevice of a mighty glacier.
We spent over 2 hours simply admiring our location on a slice of frozen H2O ice that has forged the surround to a greater extent than or less us over thousands of years. Eventually Musa suggested nosotros brand our means towards the base of operations military camp too nosotros reluctantly trudged on.
Not fifty-fifty an hour’s trek was required to attain the immediately abandoned base of operations camp. During the months of June too July it is supposedly a hive of activity. Now at the terminate of August the entirely sign of life that remained was the abundance of litter left over from the careless climbers. Feeling anti-climatic, nosotros rapidly moved out of the trash-filled epicentre too downwards the valley towards our adjacent village.
It is really hard to encompass the unique location that these Kyrgyz villagers telephone telephone home. The children run to a greater extent than or less inwards wearing apparel too equipment donated from previous climbers, which entirely increases their wishing to climb the peak that soars higher upwardly them. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few kilometres downwards the valley the Karakoram Highway continues its journeying betwixt PRC too Pakistan. To a Westerner every management screams the appeal of addictive exploration. To them, this is their backyard.
A immature identify unit of measurement too their canvass yurt was to live our concluding identify for the trek too nosotros rapidly became acquainted with the children too neighbours. One adolescent kid convinced me to ride his half-broken motorbike to a greater extent than or less the quaint hamlet spell his parents watched on with cautious apprehension. The afternoon passed yesteryear inwards relaxed fashion too nosotros sat on a stone too watched the yaks graze on the alpine grass. Another delectable dinner was given to us from our novel hosts too nosotros retired early on equally the stars higher upwardly sparkled brightly.
Only a brusk iii sixty minutes hike awaited us on our concluding day, too fifty-fifty though nosotros tried our best to relish a sleep-in, the wishing to witness ane finally sunrise from the base of operations of Mutzagh Ata was also tempting. We crawled out of the warmness of the yurt too dashed to a highpoint to scout the dawn. As tin live expected, nosotros were non disappointed. Returning to the identify nosotros packed our bags, ate some staff of life too nuts for breakfast too trekked downwards towards the Karakoram Highway.
Even with our lungs aching too our legs throbbing, nosotros couldn’t aid but stare dorsum at Mutzagh Ata equally nosotros made our means dorsum to the route that nosotros had waited years to move down. The finally few kilometres seemed to drag on equally nosotros struggled to attain our waiting car. It was a mix of tiredness too reluctance to leave of absence the mountainous surround that had been our identify for iii days. But nosotros knew it had to eventually come upwardly to an end, too with wintertime approaching too Central Asia calling our names, nosotros were create to start planning the adjacent journey.
Musa walked adjacent to us too asked if everything had been equally nosotros hoped. Having wanted to trek along the Karakoram Highway since equally long equally nosotros could remember, at that spot was ever a fearfulness that it may non convey lived upwardly to the expectations. Luckily for us, this was non the case. The hike from Karakul Lake to Mutzagh Ata had surpassed all nosotros could convey anticipated. With the mountains towering higher upwardly us too the pale bluish heaven glowing inwards all directions, nosotros were completely satisfied. Chances are nosotros volition never provide to this business office of the world, but ane matter for certain is that it volition ever remain inwards our memories equally ane of our fondest adventures.
Our trekking tour of the Karakoram Highway was done with the back upwardly of Old Road Tours. All thoughts too opinions are of course of didactics our own.
Pin It For Later
Mari berteman dengan saya
Follow my Instagram _yudha58
0 Response to "Karakul To Mutzagh Ata – Trekking The Karakoram Highway"
Posting Komentar