Ultar Mtn.:  Numerous trails lead past tiny settlements, higher and higher on the mountainside.  Left: Another view up the Ultar mountain (and more apricots) from above Altit.  Right: Climbing much higher, a view down to Altit and Altit Fort on the ledge above the Hunza River; and across the river to the Rakaposhi, as seen from the hamlet of Melishkar.  [Larger]

Ultar Mtn.:  Melishkar is about the highest village, far above Altit.  Left: The Bubulimating, or "Lady Finger" crag is seen beside the peak of the Ultar, above the fields of Melishkar.  [Larger].  Right: Ultar and the Lady Finger above nearer mountains, from the Tokat promontory, above Melishkar.

Ultar Mtn.:  The rock-cut water channels are called gotsils. They are precarious to walk on at this point, but there is little alternative.  Left: View up the Ultar Nala from above Meliskar, following the water channels toward the Ultar Glacier.  Right: View back down from the same point, with another water channel high above on the right, Mt. Diran in the distance.

Ultar Mtn.:  The alternative to walking on the narrow channel edges on these sheer cliffs is to try and climb up through the glacial river itself, around large bolders.  Left: Walking up a water channel toward the Ultar Glacier from Baltit: Peter and Isabel and our very useful guide.  Right: Up the precarious water channel, with the Ultar peak above.  [Much Larger].

Ultar Mtn.:    Left: Half way to the snout of the glacier, we look back at a pool that has been formed in the water channel we just came walked up. The Nagar river valley is in the background.  Right: Nearing the glacier, we rest in a marshy meadow.  [Larger].

Ultar Mtn.:  Just below the current snout of the Ultar Glacier is a meadow where herders bring their flocks to summer pasture!  Left: Looking up into the river of the Ultar Glacier with the mountain above.  Right: At over 3000 meters (10,000 ft.) shepards tend their goats in this meadow near the glacier, staying in this hut for months in the summer. 

Ultar Glacier.:    Left: At the Ultar hut, a shepard "churns" butter the ancient way -- by agitating milk in a bag made of a cow's stomach.  (Some people call the result 'yoghurt'.)  Several travellers look on.  Right: Shepard at the Ultar hut with the Glacier in the background. 

Ultar Glacier.:  The people around Karimabad have been Ismaili Muslims for over 100 years; Karim is the name of the current Agha Khan, leader of the Ismaili sect, which is generally pacificistic and non-political.  Left: Ultar hut with Ultar Glacier to the right.  Right: Ultar Mountain and Glacier from the shepard's hut.  [Larger].  [Close-up].

Ultar Glacier.:    Left: Ultar mountain and Lady Finger with sheep and people in the meadow; the glacier is just out of the picture to the right.  [Larger photo].  Right: Returning to Karimabad, the Baltit Fort is seen from behind with the Karakoram mountain range behind.