“I was only five when dad passed away. Mom worked hard to raise us. My elder sister and I helped her with everything, at home, in farming the land and raising animals. Once mom had to go to the Yazghil Pasture at over 3,500 meters. There was no one to accompany her, so I went … Read more
“When I took the first step on Melvin Jones Peak, all I was thinking was we have to bring him back. But we cannot challenge a mountain. For the next two days, we followed footprints in the snow. Then we saw a black spot from a distance. There it was, what we had come for, … Read more
They are Passu Cones, the 6000-m tall pointy peaks in Gilgit Baltistan of Pakistan. When I look at them, over and over again, every time, I see something different in them. Passu Cones are a fence of thorns growing from earth to protect the jewels of the north. They are the shattered pieces of glass … Read more
Gul Banafsha is a traditional song from the Northern Areas of Pakistan which symbolizes the beauty of the beloved girl to a unique flower called “Banafsha”. The word “Gul” means flower. During my recent visit to Shimshal, I met Sifat Shimshalee who played this song to us on Rubab at Sifat Guest House. The minute … Read more
KAHANI MERI is a song based on the true story of Kaavan, the world’s loneliest elephant. After spending 35 years of his life in chains at Islamabad Zoo, on November 29, Kaavan is leaving for a sanctuary in Cambodia. Soon he will be roaming free with three other elephants in a wildlife sanctuary, but around … Read more
Today, I went to to see Kaavan. It is his last day at Islamabad Zoo as he flies to Cambodia tomorrow. Kaavan now weighs about 4.7 tons while his custom crate weighs nearly 5 tons. No ordinary cargo plane can carry such bulk and volume, so the world’s largest aircraft, Antonov, is coming to Islamabad … Read more
This is the story of Kaavan—the world’s loneliest elephant. Kaavan was born in 1985 in Srilanka, and at the age of 1, gifted to Pakistan. He endured almost 35 years of his life in chains at Islamabad Zoo. An elephant named Saheli was brought in and remained as Kaavan’s partner for 22 years until her … Read more
“Imtiyaz was one class ahead of me in school. We liked each other a lot. We were distant relatives, so we convinced our families and got married in 1998. We were so happy together. He was such a soft-spoken man. Everyone in Shimshal loved him. He always helped others.” Imtiyaz’s wife, Zeenat, couldn’t speak further. … Read more
It is the story of two 8,000s and Shakila. In 2019, seven mountaineers from Italian-Pak expedition were pushing for the summit of 5,800m Melvin Jones Peak in Pakistan when an avalanche swept them down for 600m. Three members of the team were from Shimshal. One of them lost his life on the spot. His name … Read more
“We all thought it was our day. It was beautiful and sunny out there. We were only 500 metres from the summit, seven climbers strung together by ropes on a steep slope. The last thing I remember from the climb is the sight of our lead climber lifting his ice axe and sinking it into … Read more
From Passu, a jeep track covered with dust and shadows clings to steep mountains and zigzags on its way to Shimshal—The Valley of Mountaineers. Over 20 Shimshalis from 250 households here have climbed 8000ers. Qudrat Ali is one of them. He is among the top climbers of Pakistan. His first adventure was a 3-day trek … Read more
“If you love mountains, you cannot ignore the hardships of people living in the mountains.” These are the words by Saad Munawar (Saad Munawar – The Mountain Writer), who is a mountaineer and a writer from Islamabad. He is the author of two books. In 2019, he and Qudrat Ali made a world record by … Read more
A couple of days ago, together with some Pakistani trekkers, we had a benefit dinner in Karimabad, Hunza where we raised funds for a local porter who got injured while guiding a group of tourists in the mountains. The next day, we had a bicycle ride from Gulmit to Passu to help raise … Read more
In Gulmit, I see a man carrying a rope on his back and walking with the help of an axe. He greets me with a smile. His name is Ayub Khan. He is 85 years old. He is heading up the mountains to herd his goats. “I was a high altitude porter for 25 years. … Read more
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