Description of
the access to the Nanga Parbat region in northern Pakistans Diamir district |
With the opening of the Karakoram Highway in 1978, the Nanga Parbat region is now reached easily by car. Depending on your strength of the nervous-system you can either use a public bus which is very cheap and takes about -in scha Allah- 11hours continous drive. Or you can hire a private car or, more comfortable, a minibus. This can cut down the traveltime to 10 hours and allows you frequent stops on interesting, spectacular waypoints. Because this highway is used heavily by trucks between Pakistan and China, and is exposed to stonefall or area-sliding, the road is sometimes blocked by broken cars or roadwork. Then you need patience and the ability to use the time to relax. |
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Once that you have reached to Chilas area, you have to leave the car or bus and use a jeep for the smaller roads that will -in scha Allah- lead towards the villages near Nanga Parbat. Because the jeep-drive is very strenous to the vehicle and driver, sometimes one of this two can become weak and faulty. So it is a good advice, to have an eye on the driver and situations all the time, that means, YOU are also responsible for what is going on. It is not necessary to be prepared for jumping out all the time, but you have to secure the driver for over-estimating his or his cars capabilities. The simple rules of mechanics are valid in Pakistan too, so if a jeep is heavily loaded the center of weight is very high above the wheels and this will lead unavoidable to instability. Also, the brakes are heavily used and become very hot, so they are not trustworthy all the time, and with weak brakes, you can easily come to an end, of the journey, of your live. So YOU as an person from foreign country with quite sure more experience and knowledge in car-driving, YOU are responsible which jeep and driver you use, and what he is allowed to do with his jeep. Usually the jeeps are very stable, and although there are no security-belts you are safe in minor accidents up to falling down from a ridge. Like the situation in the picture below, due to fading brakes. It is allways important that YOU have an eye that the load of the jeep is stored and fixed with an accident in mind. Local people who can afford it, will never put a whole family in one car, because they have seen many families beeing washed away of the earth. |
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Many times you have to build or find new roads or something like this, because the area is sliding all the time, and everything can change in split-seconds. So be prepared for roadbuilding and/or for crossing small rivers or creeks by foot. Normally the jeeps are able to cross rough area and the drivers do really know how to use 4-wheel-drivingpower. Thats not comparable with the western city-cruising in airconditioned toy-jeeps and smart white-collar drivers. |
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Heavily used roads with government-interest are normally kept in a good shape, because the government has hired persons as permanent road-worker. So many times you can find unbelievable stonework and bridgebuilding done with the material found on the site. |
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Once that every road has to come to an end, you have to complete your tour by foot. That means the path become very narrow, and the bridges become very spectacular because of none-availabilty of construction-material, except that what is found on the site. Here you will understand why upperclass-schools teach elementar rules of mechanics, leverage, but such schools were seldom available to the working mountain peoples. |
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Finally, that all obstacles have seen you as the right person to show up in this area, you will find secluded villages, trails and peoples, waiting for you. Rewarding you with their secrets and rural wisdom. |
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