Gilgit: Northern Territory
Once a station along a Silk Road route, Gilgit is the "capital" of
the Upper Norther Territory -- high valleys surrounded by the
Karakoram, Hindu Kush, Pamir, and Himalaya Mountain Ranges.
Left: Yard of the Mount Balore Hotel, a refuge in the dusty
hubub of Gilgit.
Right: The old suspension bridge over the Gilgit River, in town.
Gilgit:
is a 15-hour bus from Rawalpindi, along the Indus River.
Gilgit is 10 km. off of the Karakoram Highway, where the Hunza River
joins the Gilgit River before flowing into the Indus.
Left: On the outskirts of town, the road north looks good
at this point.
Right: Once into the Hunza River valley, rock-slides and
washouts are regular delays along the highway.
Aliabad:
Depending on road conditions, it was another 3 hours from Gilgit
to Karimabad. A couple of hours north of Gilgit, Aliabad is
a truck stop with good views of Karakoram peaks.
Left: Farther east, the Hunza Valley broadens out a bit.
Right: Our bus, regular transport on the Karakoram Highway,
in the shadows of the Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains.
Aliabad:
Aliabad is just past where the Hasanabad Nala (a glacier-cut
ravine) cuts down into the Hunza valley.
Left: A view from Aliabad to The Rakaposhi mountain, 7790 meters
(25,551 ft.).
Right: Another view of The Rakaposhi from Aliabad.
Aliabad:
Not far up the road are the Ultar and Nagar valleys, the traditional
center of the Hunza civilization.
Left: Up the Hunza Valley, the green "valleys" are really the
"deltas" of the glacial flows that feed into the Hunza River. This
one is the Ultar Nala, site of Karimabad.
Right: A closer view of the northern "ledge" above the Hunza River
where Karimabad sits.
Karimabad:
Before I came here, someone told me that for the kind of views you get
from the Hunza, you would have to trek for two weeks in Nepal! Just check
out these views from Karimabad...
Left: View of the Rakaposhi at dawn from my room in Karimabad.
Right: Similar view of The Rakaposhi and Diran (7270m.) peaks.
[Panorama of 2 photos: Small,
Large].
Nagar:
Across the river from Karimabad lie their traditional rivals, the Nagari
people.
Left: View over Karimabad, across the Hunza River
to the cultivated Nagar area. Rock-cut channels carry glacial waters
to fields.
Right: A view to the left shows the Nagar River flowing
from the Bualtar and Borpu Glaciers below Mt. Diran and into the
Hunza River.
Karimabad:
Baltit Fort is the historic seat of the Mir of Hunza, ruler of the entire
area. Karimabad is the more recent town built just below the old fort.
Left: Water channel flows through fields near Karimabad; Rakaposhi
in back.
Right: View up to Karimabad, past the old Baltit Fort (inset)
and up the Ultar Glacier to Mt. Ultar (7390m.).
Karimabad:
Baltit/Karimabad had been completely autonomous and isolated by lack
of any roads until the Karakoram Highway reached here around 1982! The
Hunzakut people remain fairly unspoiled and don't think of themselves
as Pakistanis.
Left: Another view up to Mt. Ultar with Karimabad below.
[Full-length photo].
Right: Baltit Fort and mountains.
Baltit Fort: at an altitude of 8,100 ft (2,477 m.),
was built around 450 years ago and was the residence of the Mir of Hunza
until the latest Mir moved into a more modern new residence in town in 1960.
Left: The fort was built in Tibetan style for a princess of
Baltistan who married the Mir.
Right: Tibetan "sky-light" in the roof of the fort.
Baltit Fort:
Apricots are a staple of the Hunzazuts; they even grind apricot pits to
make bread and oil. Everywhere you see people carrying wicker back-packs full of
apricots from the orchards, and they often offer you some!
Left: Mtns. Rakaposhi and Diran from the roof of Baltit Fort.
Right: From the roof of Baltit Fort down the Hunza Valley and the
Rakaposhi.
![[Full-length photo]](http://www.ease.com/~randyj/ph_18/r18_065lKarmiB_07.jpg){kind=link}
