Around Pakistan's North

“Those towers up there are the mountain pass,” we were told as we approached Babusar Pass. In my mind, it would be yet another mountain pass: pretty, scenic, with dramatic views of the surrounding mountains, especially since it was almost sunset and that often means pretty pictures. I imagined those towers were just the typical infrastructure you often find in high places like these, but to my surprise, that wasn’t the case at all. Instead, there were ziplines, swings, and even a Ferris wheel. All around them, food vendors sold chai, snacks, and small meals from basic stalls and huts, while all kinds of people, many escaping the heat of nearby valleys, milled about. Even a man holding an eagle for yet another selfie for who wanted to pay.

At 4,200 meters high, at the top of a mountain and in the middle of nowhere, with towering white peaks on the horizon, an amusement park somehow materialized on what was probably once just a road stop. Despite having been in Pakistan for almost a week, wandering the streets of Lahore, this was the moment I felt the trip had truly started.

These kinds of unexpected, out-of-place things often have the effect of giving you an overall boost, and that was certainly true here. But it was also because ahead of us were the mighty mountain ranges of Northern Pakistan, and those had been in my mind for a very, very long time. A lot of my visual references come from photographers who built their impressive work in those mountain ranges, and more recently, some of my closer friends, like Bernardo or Paski, have been seducing me even more with stories from their own trips.

After Babusar, it was time to head north, me and Fernando. For the next few weeks, that meant hopping valleys all the way to Upper Hunza and then down to Peshawar. We started with the long and bumpy trip through Astore Valley to the small villages at the base of the mighty Nanga Parbat mountain. There, we were able to roam peacefully in the villages and even ended up enjoying chai at an elementary school. As we continued north along the Karakoram Highway, the mountains grew more dramatic and scenic, especially in Hunza where the valleys became incredibly narrow. Later, on the way back south, we spent time in the Kalash valleys close to the Afghanistan border, where the Kalash people live and hold to their traditions. Their special and unique culture, which maintains an ancient way of life where death involves the entire community (and that’s a story for another day), was truly unforgettable.

We followed rivers and mountain ranges, navigating steep and narrow valleys with mighty peaks always above us. As always in mountainous regions, we faced the fact that roads aren’t perfect and delays happen, including when locals close the road in protest. We also met plenty of people, always welcoming and curious, sometimes just asking where we were from, and other times offering tea and help in so many ways. And while the postcard-perfect shot was a pretty mountain range, the people were the true highlight of my time in Pakistan.