22-Day Trek from Islamabad to Ishkoman Valley via Thui Pass

• Fly to Islamabad, Pakistan.

• Depending on the schedule, we arrive between 1 and 4 am and have to wait a few hours (between 1 and 3 hours) before taking an internal flight to Gilgit, which allows you to enjoy a spectacular view of the majestic Nanga Parbat massif (8,125 m).
• In Gilgit, we take time to settle into the hotel and meet the guide for our trek.
• Depending on your preference, you may rest, or for those who wish, we visit the city with our guide. Gilgit is ideally located on the Silk Road for caravans heading to Kashgar. The Shina language is still the vernacular language in Gilgit, unlike Khowar, which is spoken in Chitral.
• As in the Swat Valley, Buddhism has left its mark here, and we have the opportunity to admire the Kargah Buddha, sculpted on a rocky cliff and dating back to the 7th century. We then visit the Gilgit bazaar before returning for an overnight stay at the hotel.

By plane: about 1 hour 15 minutes

Meals: Meals will be in restaurants in Gilgit

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Gilgit

• From Gilgit, we take the road parallel to the KKH and head north toward Hunza, from where we can admire the imposing views of Rakaposhi (7,788 m) and Hunza Kunji (7,785 m). We then enter the Naltar Valley and continue all the way to Bangla, formerly a mountain pasture for Gujar shepherds. The extension of the track has brought tourism and a few hotels.
• If time permits, we go for a short acclimatization walk around the village and may even see a snow leopard kept in captivity in Naltar Park.
• Overnight at the hotel in Naltar. By private vehicle, the drive takes about 2 hours from Gilgit, at an altitude of about 2,875 m.

Meals: breakfast at the hotel - lunch - dinner in the restaurant

Accommodation: overnight stay at the hotel

• This morning, you will walk for around 3 hours to the lake area from main Naltar (Zero Point), following a jeepable road for part of the route. We use this day to reach the lakes on foot and gently improve our acclimatization.
• Here, you will meet your staff and cook, and prepare loads for the porters for the next day. You may hike around further, and the overnight stay will be in a tent - your first camp on this trek.
• These high-altitude lakes, with their various shapes and different depths, offer magnificent contrasting colours. We extend our walk a little farther and set up our camp in peace at the foot of the mountains, setting the atmosphere for the rest of our trek.
• 3-4 hours of trekking/hiking with around 550 m of ascent, at an altitude of about 3,270 m.

Meals: breakfast at the hotel - picnic lunch - dinner at the bivouac

Accommodation: night in a tent

• This is where the trek properly begins as we head to Lower Shani, a place where Gujar shepherds reside in summer.
• As we climb, we can look back and enjoy beautiful views of the Naltar lakes behind us.
• We continue between birch forests and mountain pastures before reaching Shani camp at the foot of the glacier of the same name.
• The trek takes around 4-5 hours, covering about 10 km, and reaches an altitude of 3,700 m.

Meals: breakfast in tent, picnic lunch - dinner in tent

Accommodation: night in a tent

• Today, we follow the undulating moraine along mountainside trails that offer an impressive view of the glacier.
• We then continue our progression toward the pass and set up camp at Shani (3,960 m), facing the superb Shani Peak (5,887 m).
• Once settled, we take a short hike to continue our acclimatization by climbing higher to see the superb valley spread out before us and admire the majestic glacier and summit towering above.
• This is a short day to better prepare for the next day, when we will cross the pass. Night in bivouac.
• The trek takes about 3-4 hours, covering 6 km, with 250 m of ascent, at an altitude of around 3,960 m.

Meals: breakfast in a bivouac - picnic lunch - dinner in a bivouac

Accommodation: night in a tent

• Today, a big day awaits us with the crossing of the Pakora Pass, located at 4,630 meters above sea level.
• We follow a route where the greenery gives way to rocky passages, sometimes covered in snow, before arriving at the flatter area near the top.
• We reach the pass after a good three hours of walking.
• Once at the pass, we are rewarded with a superb view of the surrounding peaks.
• We continue down the moraine and scree, following a snowy path that leads us to a beautiful glacier.
• After a few more technical passages, we reach a peaceful and relaxing mountain pasture at 3,350 meters above sea level in the small hamlet of Utz, which means spring in Khowar.
• This is where we set up our camp for the night. The day involves about 8 hours of trekking over roughly 14 km, crossing the 4,630 m pass with 780 m of ascent and 1,360 m of descent.

Meals: Breakfast in bivouac - picnic lunch - dinner in bivouac

Accommodation: night in a tent at an altitude of 3,350 m

• In the morning, we descend to the village of Pakora by a superb path, sometimes dug into the rock and used for centuries by local people.
• We return to the atmosphere of the middle altitudes and re-enter the Ishkomen Valley, populated by Wakhis of the Ismaili religion, where the main language is still Shina, along with Burushaski.
• This unique language is linked to no other. It was once spoken throughout Gilgit-Baltistan and is now used only by the inhabitants of the valleys of Yasin, Ishkomen, and Nagar.
• Night in a guesthouse.
• The trek takes about 5-6 hours and covers 15 km, with 130 m of ascent and 1,300 m of descent, reaching an altitude of 2,200 m.

Meals: breakfast in bivouac - picnic lunch - dinner in guest house

Accommodation: Night in guesthouse

• Today is dedicated to rest.
• We reach the neighbouring village by track.
• A jeep takes us to Asumbar, located in the Ishkomen Valley, where we prepare for the next day's trek, this time using donkeys and mules for portage.
• We sleep, if possible, in a local inhabitant's house or in a tent.
• This day can also serve as a buffer day in case we need an additional acclimatization day or if bad weather affects the first trek.
• By 4x4 jeep, the drive is around 1 hour through the village, at an altitude of 2,200 m.

Meals: breakfast in the inn - picnic lunch - dinner in the bivouac

Accommodation: in a tent

• In the morning, we resume our walk with a long and gradual climb on a well-marked path that takes us higher in the shade of pines, birches, and cedars.
• We then walk along the river, lined with rocks and large trees, revealing an atmosphere worthy of the great Canadian spaces.
• After a few hours of walking, we set up our camp in the large Charinj mountain pasture, where wood and water abound.
• This is where shepherds sometimes come with their flocks between May and October.
• If luck is on our side, we may be able to meet them and share a little time together. Night in a tent.
• The trek takes about 6-7 hours, covering 15 km, with 1,200 m of ascent and 50 m of descent, at an altitude of 3,400 m.

Meals: breakfast at a local's house - picnic lunch - dinner in a bivouac

Accommodation: night in a tent at 3,400 m

• In the morning, we continue our gradual ascent along the river on a pleasant path.
• We set up camp once again in a peaceful setting, surrounded by mountains and potentially inhabited by shepherds and their yaks.
• The trek takes about 4-5 hours, covering 9 km, with 760 m of ascent, at an altitude of 4,240 m.

Meals: breakfast in bivouac - picnic lunch - dinner in bivouac

Accommodation: night in a tent

• Today, we cross a new pass, the Asumbar Pass, located at an altitude of 4,440 meters.
• It is the only pass in the region that our mules and donkeys can take.
• Another path leads to the Borta Pass, which appears more accessible, but its descent is often snowy and makes it impassable for our pack animals.
• From Asumbar Pass, the view is breathtaking, with the peaks of Hunza on one side and, to the west, those of the Hindu Kush massif on the other.
• It is sometimes possible to see its highest point, Tirich Mir, which rises to an altitude of 7,708 meters.
• Finally, we descend to camp, where we pitch our tents at an altitude of around 3,550 meters. The day takes about 6-7 hours over 11 km, crossing the 4,400 m pass with 320 m of ascent and 920 m of descent.

Meals: breakfast in bivouac - picnic lunch - dinner in bivouac

Accommodation: night in a tent at an altitude of around 3,550 m

• In the morning, we resume our walk and continue our descent, long but pleasant this time, toward the Yasin Valley.
• The same population lives here, and the same language is spoken.
• The Yasin Valley is an isolated valley which, like Ishkomen, leads north toward Darkot Pass.
• Beyond lies the Broghil Valley and Afghanistan, a succession of passes once often used by merchant caravans, but currently still closed and forbidden to tourism.
• We finish our journey by vehicle and go to sleep in a guesthouse in the neighbouring village of Thaus.
• The day includes about 5-6 hours of trekking and 1 hour by 4x4 jeep, covering 17 km with 50 m of ascent and 1,100 m of descent, at an altitude of 2,600 m.

Meals: breakfast at the bivouac - picnic lunch - dinner at the inn

Accommodation: overnight stay in a guesthouse

• In the morning, we take the jeeps again to reach the start of our third trek, which will allow us to reach the Hindu Kush and the province of KPK (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).
• We begin our hike in the village of Nialthi, where Ismailis reside who are curious to meet us, and with whom we can have tea and chat while the team prepares for the trek.
• To reach our evening camp, we head back up the green valley and mountain pastures before setting up camp on green and welcoming ground, bordered by small houses marked out by stone walls - evidence of a local life that is still very much present.
• The day includes around 2 hours by jeep and 3-4 hours of trekking over 11 km, with 300 m of ascent, at an altitude of 3,100 m.

Meals: breakfast in the inn - picnic lunch - dinner in the bivouac

Accommodation: night in a tent

• Today, we gradually leave the houses behind and cross Ramanch camp to find ourselves once again immersed in the wild beauty of the valleys of northern Pakistan.
• After about 1 hour and 30 minutes of walking on a small path, we reach the Aghost Glacier.
• The glacier crossing is not very technical, but it requires great physical effort because of the climb over ice and moraines.
• We must progress as a group to make sure we follow the same route.
• Although the way is sometimes marked with cairns, the indications and directions given by our guide and porters remain much more reliable.
• We set up our camp after the glacier on stony but flat ground, suitable for bivouac and offering a majestic view.
• The trek takes about 8 hours, covering 15 km, with 1,220 m of ascent and 230 m of descent, at an altitude of 4,000 m.

Meals: breakfast in bivouac - picnic lunch - dinner in bivouac

Accommodation: night in a tent at 4,000 m

• Today, we start the day by crossing a long scree slope to Thui Pass (4,510 m), about a two-hour walk.
• This is the last pass to cross on this long 14-day trek. Once at the pass, we finally enter KPK province and the Hindu Kush region.
• From here, we have very beautiful views of the surrounding massifs, including Thui and other peaks between 6,000 and 7,000 meters above sea level.
• The descent is again on a scree slope, and after good passages between rocky blocks, we enjoy a well-deserved break in the greenery.
• We set up our camp in Galpigol at 4,100 meters above sea level, or a little lower.
• Night in a tent with a very beautiful view of the Gazin Glacier.
• The trek takes about 6-7 hours, covering 7 km, with 350 m of ascent and 530 m of descent, crossing the 4,510 m pass and camping at 4,000 m.

Meals: breakfast in bivouac - picnic lunch - dinner in bivouac

Accommodation: night in a tent

• In the morning, we continue our descent along the moraine and cross the last stone-strewn sections before finally reaching the mountain pastures and the valley opening up before us.
• The first shepherds' camps appear, and the first villages are not far away.
• In Nichagh, we finally set up our camp at an altitude of 3,100 meters for our last night in a tent. The trek takes about 4 hours over a distance of 12 km, with 60 m of ascent and 11 m of descent, and camp is at around 3,000 m.

Meals: Breakfast in bivouac - picnic lunch - dinner in bivouac

Accommodation: night in a tent

• Today, we finish our descent, and after about 2 to 3 hours of walking, we arrive at Sholkuch, where we find our jeeps waiting to take us to Mastuj.
• Night in a guesthouse in Mastuj, or a little farther on in Parawak toward Chitral.
• The day includes around 3-4 hours of trekking over 5 km, with 280 m of descent from an altitude of 2,200 m, followed by a 2-hour jeep drive to Mastuj.

Meals: breakfast at the bivouac - picnic lunch - dinner at the inn

Accommodation: overnight stay in a hostel

• In the morning, we continue our journey toward Chitral, the central city of the Hindu Kush.
• We then drive for 2 hours to the Kalash Valley of Bumburet, where we stay overnight at a hotel in Bumburet.

• Early in the morning, we continue our journey back to Islamabad.
• On the way, we visit the historical site of Takht-e-Bahi, an ancient Zoroastrian complex later converted to Buddhism under the art of Gandhara and registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• At the end of the day, we reach Islamabad. Dinner in town and overnight at the hotel. The drive takes 8-9 hours.

Meals: breakfast at the hotel - lunch on the way in a restaurant - dinner at the restaurant

Accommodation: overnight stay at the guest house in Islamabad

• The day is dedicated to visiting the city of Islamabad, including the Shah Faisal Mosque, Daman-e-Koh, or the Lok Virsa Heritage Museum, which offers a very complete and magnificent collection of crafts from the country and Central Asia (entrance fees to be paid on site).
• In the evening, we meet for a last meal together at the Kabul restaurant (or similar), a must.
• This day also serves as a buffer day to compensate for any possible setbacks during the trip.
• In the event of a delay, the visit to Islamabad may not be possible.
• Meals: breakfast at the hotel - lunch on your own (not included) - dinner on your own (not included)
• Accommodation: overnight stay at the hotel

• Depending on the flight schedule, transfer to the airport and flight to homeland.