Pakistan > Start of the 3-day trek

When I wake up, I take a shower and pack my luggage for the coming days. After breakfast, we are ready for the trek. The luggage is tied to two donkeys. We drive a short distance by car to the start of the hike. Today’s trek is a climb of six kilometers with an altitude difference of 900 meters. The first part is said to go up quite steadily. Then follows a flatter area, and the last section to the tent camp climbs steeply again. I slowly start the ascent. The path zigzags upward. Behind me, I see the village of Minapin quickly getting smaller. The group breaks up. The faster walkers disappear from sight. I walk somewhere in the middle group. After about an hour, I reach the middle plateau. From here, the route is flatter. Some people are working here. They are riding motorcycles uphill. The last part is steeper than expected. I also notice that the altitude affects my breathing. At exactly twelve o’clock, I arrive at the tent camp. This means it took me just over two and a half hours. This is much faster than I had expected. The tents are already set up in a row. Behind them lies the deep gorge we walked through. The valley shows signs of wear from the glacier. Nowadays, the glacier’s end is located much higher up.

Pakistan - The flatter part goes through greenery

Around half past twelve, everyone has arrived at the campsite. The crew has lunch ready—soup, rice, vegetables, and mutton. After the exertion, it tastes excellent. After lunch, I set up my tent. There is already a mat inside. Since the tent is slightly tilted, I decide not to put my air mattress on top. I’m afraid I’ll slide out of the tent during the night. Around half past two, we go for a walk to the glacier. Mahir guides us. The route climbs quickly. I had actually expected we would walk more or less at the same level towards the ice mass. Instead, it’s sometimes scrambling over boulders. While going up, I wonder how I’m going to descend again on the loose gravel. Mohit just keeps walking. Is there a special final destination or viewpoint? I already have a view of the glacier’s extensions. The ice lies in the mountain basin. A magnificent sight. After about three quarters of an hour of climbing, I have a good view of the glacier.

Pakistan - The tents at 2900 meters with Minapin far below

Those who want can still descend to the ice. I decide to walk back. Carefully, I descend. When I am back at the camp, the crew has prepared an afternoon snack—fried onions with fries. After that, I go to the tent to lie down for a while. At half past seven, dinner is ready in the dining tent. This time, rice, vegetables, and goat meat. Around half past eight, I go to bed. After this intense and exhausting day, I am tired. Hopefully, it won’t be as cold tonight as on the Deosai plateau. I quickly fall asleep.