The north of Pakistan is blessed with some of the highest and most beautiful peaks in the world and also some of the longest glaciers in the world and many of these mountains are located in Hunza or you can say the best view is from Hunza, it might not have any 8 thousand meter peak but what it has is the view of many 7 and 6 thousand peak view from streets of the valley, and it’s very rare all over the world you get to seven thousand peaks from you hotel room peaks such as Rakaposhi(7788m) which prominent from every village of Hunza, Diran peak(7200m) golden peak(7030m), Ultar(7388m)
What makes it so special is that even if you are not up for climbing or trekking you can see some of the mesmerizing highest mountains and longest glaciers in the world from your hotel window or just driving through KKH you keep seeing these beautiful wonders of nature.
Mountains like Rakaposhi for many travelers and writers mention Rakaposhi as one the most beautiful peaks on earth and you also have one of the longest glaciers the Batura Glacier which is 57 km long making it the 3rd longest glacier in the world.
Amazing viewpoints
Apart from mountains, you have an eagle’s eye view from the Duikar valley which is one of the iconic views of the valley. Going along to the KKH you see the famous Attabad Lake going further North you have picturesque Passu Cones and Passu Valley where you can have a view of Batura Glacier(57 km)
Unique culture and traditions
Along with all these iconic places you have a unique culture, food, hospitality, and history. You see the 1200-year-old Altit Fort and 800-year-old Baltit Fort which shows the past lifestyle who ruled over this great land and how it has been shaped into what it is now.
You have traditional food restaurants with delicious Indigenous food like the food pavilion a hidden paradise Karimabad town offers locally made handicrafts hand mand carpets and rugs showcasing the creed of the Hunza valley, the literacy rate of Hunza is over 90 percent where almost every person understands and speaks good English
Beautiful remote valleys
Hunza is home to beautiful remote valleys like Shimshal, Chupursan, Misgar, etc, going to these remote valleys is an adventure in itself, taking a jeep ride on some of the most dangerous roads in the world, but they are equally rewarding they are carved from the mountains with each turn takes your breath away the road Shimshal is 3-hour jeep ride from Passu which is one of the remotest valleys in Pakistan, Shimshal is home many mountains passes such the Pamir pass at 4700m, connecting the two mountains ranges the Karakoram and the Pamir, while Chupursan valley is another 2 hours drive from Sost it connects to Wakhan corridor through the Irshad pass 4700m in the north and Misgar valley another 2-hour drive from south the last valley of Hunza it home to the famous old silk route connection it to china via Kilik and Mintaka pass the valley also connects Tajikistan and Wakhan corridor
Crossing the highest passes by road
Hunza, the northernmost part of Pakistan is a heavily mountainous region bordering China via Khunjerab Pass, you cross some of the highest mountain passes by road taking a backseat and just enjoying the beautiful landscape, taking stunning pictures is so easy
Khunjarab Pass is one of the highest passes in the world with an elevation of 4,700m, many people who are not into hiking or climbing and can’t go to such altitudes go to Khunjarab Pass by car or by bus, the ride is smooth and safe surrounded by giant peaks of the Karakoram
Amazing hikes and long trek
From 1 day hikes to multiple-day treks, they are very accessible and there are no permits required to do any of these treks some of the most famous multiple-day treks are Patundas Trek which is a 3-day trek from Borith Lake in Upper Hunza, Batura Peak basecamp another 3 to 4-day trek, rush lake 4-day trek, Shispar meadows 3 days, and many more and day hikes include Avdegar meadows, Rakaposhi basecamp, Hon pass, Ultar peak basecamp, Basckochi meadows. So it has everything to offer for trekkers and so many treks that I haven’t mentioned if you are a trekker and you want to visit Hunza you should stay at least a month to explore the true beauty of Hunza because there are so many places to go and trek you can go to lesser known treks which are equally beautiful and mesmerizing.
Unclimbed peaks/adventure sports
As we have mentioned the richness of peaks in Hunza if you are an elite climber or adventure freak like a paraglider, ski mountaineer, or wingsuit flyer this is one of the places to be, Hunza is known to be an elite paraglider place, because it surrounded by the high peaks and wind presser is hard to predict so you have to be at top of the podium of paragliding to come to Hunza valley every year some of the best paragliders come to Hunza to fly, same is for mountaineers a lot of elite climbers some of the best climbers come here to test their strength ability to climb new routes, try to summit unclimbed peaks and open new mountains to the peak, the highest unclimbed in the world some of them are in Hunza like the Muchuchhish(7,453m) which was climbed 4 months ago after multiple attempts every year
Photographers/content creators’ dream
It is so easy to capture because wherever you look there are amazing peaks, being a photographer myself experimenting in every genre of photography there are a lot of things to capture in Hunza everybody knows about the landscapes but strolling along the Karimabad market you capture amazing street shoots portraits and document aspiring stories of the locals, there music festivals, sports events which you can capture and tell a story, if you visit the center of any town specially Altit or Karimabad their old people sitting around they will tell you their stories you can capture and document of these old interesting people and of course you can document videograph the along the amazing glacier and mountains on the trek, many influencer, vloggers and filmmakers have come in past and they keep on coming every year to tell stories through their art forms and many got famous because of their content of Hunza so it is also a lucky charm for many new people who want to start making content
About the author
Salim khan is a trekking guide/travel/adventure photographer and travel writer from Hunza Pakistan. He has been hiking and climbing in the Himalayas for the past 8 years and has captured and compiled many stories along the way on these adventures. his photographs, articles, and photo essays have been featured on several big platforms such as Worldnomads, Everyday Pakistan, Dawndotcom, Geomorphic Landscapes, Pamir Times, etc
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