Fwd: Trek in August
Siraj Ulmulk
I will have no issue if the trek is one week later.Cheers. Siraj
Dear Chitral GroupIs there any chance we could start this trek one week later? That way R and I could attend this wonderful wedding on the California coast on Sat August 18th and then fly out of San Fran. on the 19th and on to Pakistan? Don't mean to be so difficult. Richard will send Siraj our passport info this weekend as I am off skiing in CO. All the best. Hope we can all work this out. By the way, Siraj, we would walk r/t ride a yak or horse if that is possible. Thnaks, Clare and Richard----- Original Message -----From: Hilary WeirTo: 'Siraj Ulmulk'Cc: Clare Rhoades ; Hilary Weir ; Julian Lush ; Malcolm Green ; Richard and Merry Frankel ; Sarah Lush ; Tim Pyper ; Tim SimonSent: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 4:35 AMSubject: RE: Trek in August
Dear Siraj,
I have made a group as in the cc above. I don't know if it will work if others simply copy it but it's worth trying!
Love,
Hilary
From: Siraj Ulmulk [mailto:siraj...@gmail.com]
Sent: 05 February 2007 09:55
To: Hilary Weir; julian...@tiscali.co.uk; sa...@searightlush.com; r.fr...@btinternet.com; leap...@aol.com; tim....@timsim.com; tim....@btinternet.com; malcol...@ic.ac.uk
Subject: Re: Trek in August
Dear Group Members of the Karambar Trek
I am glad to see that, once again, Hillary has persuaded you do come on this trek. Among the new entrants I know Julian and Sarah Lush well.
It will be a pleasure for me to be your trek leader.
As long as you have been following a normal walking routine, and as long as you try not to catch up with Hilary's steps, I do not see any difficulty being confronted in any phase of this 10 day trek.
Both my father ( who will be 94 this year) and I ( I am 62) have done this trek, apart from many other treks in this area, and consider it the very best.
If you want to trace out the path of this trek go to any detailed map of Northern Pakistan. Follow the Chitral River north to its source where it is called the Yarkhun River, near the Baroghil Pass, then go east over the Karambar Pass and follow the Karambar River as it flows through the Ishkoman valley of Gilgit until it starts bending southwards to meet the main valley connecting Chitral to Gilgit. Our trek will start in the Yarkhun valley of Chitral and end in the Ishkoman valley of Gilgit. It will be almost on the boundary line of the map separating Pakistan from the Wakhan province of Afghanistan. Infact there is no trek more north than this one in Pakistan.
Most of the ascent is over gentle terrain dotted with stone hutments where the sparse population are Wakhi people who, a hundred years ago, had fled from communist Russia to settle in this no-man country. They live off yak and goat milk products since no crops can grow at this altitude. When we start our descent into Gilgit we will come across a nomad tribe called "Gujjar" who are darker skinned than the Wakhi's and speak a language which sounds punjabi. Traditionally the Gujjars do not carry loads so our baggage will have to be transferred from the backs of Wakhi porters to the donkeys of the Gujjars.
Crossing the long Chatiboi glacier will be exciting. You will feel like walking through narrow lanes with walls of snow. This glacier changes course so frequently and rapidly that it becomes important to have a guide who has crossed it not more than ten days ago.
Once or twice we will be sitting in wooden "chairs" suspended from steel ropes to cross gushing rivers.
You can ride a horse or a yak on most of this trek. In fact we shall have at least one horse with us as a 'stand-by'.
The trek goes through an old juniper forest and ends up at the banks of a fast-flowing riverlet. The last time I did this trek we lost a donkey load of our camping gear and clothing, along with the poor donkey, in this riverlet.
Julie Green and our jeeps will meet us on the other side of this riverlet. Previously when we were planning this trek Michael was also planning to perhaps meet us at this place. We shall certainly drink a toast to him.
It will help if any of you know how to make an e-mail group for all of us to facilitate correspondance on this subject.
I will wait a while to assess the exact numbers in our group before pricing it for you. I will then also send you a list of items you need to bring with you.
Meanwhile please send me the following passport details:
Name
Date of birth
Nationality
Pasport no.
Date of Issue
Date of Expiry
Warm regards to all of you
Siraj
my e-mail is siraj...@gmail.com
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Hindukush Heights Chitral
Ph ++92-943-413151 and 413152
Fax ++ 92-943-413153
e-mail siraj...@gmail.com
web www.hindukush.com.pk
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Hindukush Heights Chitral
Ph ++92-943-413151 and 413152
Fax ++ 92-943-413153
e-mail siraj...@gmail.com
web www.hindukush.com.pk