DAY 01: ARRIVAL ISLAMABAD          

Arrival Islamabad today. A member of the Vertical Explorers staff will meet you at the airport and escort you to the hotel. Today either you relax or you can enjoy an exploratory walk in the old part of Rawalpindi; wander past the vegetable and spice markets, beautifully carved old houses and trucks, cows pestering the vegetable vendors,  catch traditional craftsmen at work in silver and gold bazaars .You will then continue on the main street linking the Twin cities - Murree Road - before arriving at the gleaming new capital, Islamabad. You pass shining new buildings and thousands of park areas - a full 50 percent of the 350 square mile site is set aside for parks. You will then stop at the Shakar Parian, " Sweet Hills" to catch a bird's eye view of Islamabad. Our next stop will be Shah Faisal Mosque which is the landmark of Islamabad. This evening you  will enjoy a welcome dinner with other trekkers.

Meals provided: Welcome dinner

Accommodation: Green Palace Hotel, Regency Hotel, Civic Hotel

DAY 02:   ISLAMABAD  - CHILAS

After breakfast drive on KKH to Chilas. The drive is compensated by the beautiful scenery along the Karakoram highway and Indus gorges. The journey on the Karakoram Highway is most exciting and thrilling. It is a monument to the engineering feast and one of the most spectacular roads and the world’s highest metalled border crossing. It connects Pakistan and China stretching over a distance of 1300km between Islamabad and Kashgar, winding through three mountain ranges and following the ancient Silk route along the Indus Valley to the Chinese border at Khunjerab Pass. We pass through the historical town of Taxila, beautiful hill station of Abbottabad, quake affected lush green towns of Mansehra, Shinkiari and finally meet the great Indus on Thakot Bridge. From there onward the road snails along the bank of the Indus with contrasting landscape after every two kilometers. We pass through Besham, Dassu, Komila and Shatial to arrive at Chilas with many rocks carving and inscriptions along the way left by Chinese pilgrims and ancient travelers of 5^th century A.D. Chilas was on the ancient caravan trail over the Babusar Pass into India and on the Indus trail of Besham. The drive through the Indus Gorge is guaranteed to knock your socks off! The view after crossing the Rai kot Bridge of Nanga Parbat is without any parallel. Standing at around 1,000 m. you see a mountain which rises to above 8,000 m! This is the largest land escarpment in the world. This is also where the three greatest mountain ranges meet; Himalaya, Hindukush and Karakoram.

Meals provided: Breakfast
Accommodation: Chilas In Hotel

DAY 03:   CHILAS – FAIRY MEADOW

      After breakfast drive by jeep to Tato & hike to Fairy Meadows.
Tato: The steep and difficult ascent on a rocky trail will lead the group to a small hamlet of Tato which is comprised of few clay lofts scattered around. This village is inhabited by the upright and fierce yet very hospitable Chilasi whose origin is Kohistan.

      Fairy Meadows: The traditional base camp of Nanga Parbat , known as Fairy Meadows. The local people believe that this beautiful place is an abode of fairies and ghosts. The lush green plateau presents some of the most spectacular sights one can ever witness. One forgets the tiring walk up to this magnificent site when one beholds a landscape of rushing torrents with a panoramic back - drop of the mighty Nanga Parbat.

Walk: 05-06 hrs, Grade: Moderate, Altitude: 2900 M

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mobile Camp

DAY 04:   FAIRY MEADOWS  - NANGA PARBAT  B.CAMP

After breakfast trek to Nanga Parbat Base Camp.
This huge mountain is not a single peak but a series of ridges culminating in an ice crest 8,125 meters high - ranked ninth highest in the world and second in Pakistan after K-2. Early disasters on Nanga Parbat gave it the nick name Killer Mountain. Twelve climbers and 18 porters had died there by 1937. The monster was finally conquered in 1953 by the German Expedition.

Walk: 05-06 hrs, Grade: Moderate, Altitude: 3650 M

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mobile Camp

DAY 05:  NANGA PARBAT  B.CAMP – FREE DAY

Day at leisure to explore the area or to hike base camp 1.

Walk: 06-07 hrs, Grade: Moderate, Altitude: 3700 M

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mobile Camp

DAY 06:     NANGA PARBAT  B.CAMP – FAIRY MEADOWS 

Resume trek after breakfast  back to Fairy Meadows..

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mobile Camp 

DAY 07:      FAIRY MEADOWS  –  HUNZA

After breakfast descend Tato & drive to Karimabad on Karakoram Highway as it carves a swathe through the mountains of northern Pakistan is an adventure in itself. The final gorge in an arid and rocky landscape suddenly reveals the irrigated green and fertile apricot orchards of Hunza - a true Shangri La. Towering over the green and fertile oasis of the Hunza valley are the ice ridges and peaks of one of the Himalayan giants, Rakaposhi (7788m).

Meals provided: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hunza view Hotel, Eagle’s Nest Hotel 

DAY 08:    HUNZA – FREE DAY

After breakfast full day tour of Hunza including Baltit Fort & Hoper.
Karimabad is the delightful old capital of the Hunza Kingdom. From Karimabad, with its souvenir shop, post office and tea shop, you can obtain a magnificent view of the valley laid out below you and of the peaks behind. The Aliabad / Karimabad area is sprinkled with wild flowers and blossoming fruit orchards. We will spend half our day in these two towns enjoying the greenery and delighting in the sound of babbling brooks. We also visit Altit, Baltit and Ganish village.

 Baltit fort was the old palace of the Mirs of Hunza and was inhabited until 1960. It is about 400 years old. Baltit is a curious rambling old place, four storeys high, sturdily built of stones, sun - dried mud and timber. Baltit is built on a cliff edge; behind it is a ravine and then the Ultar glacier glinting in the sunshine. The architecture here, reflects a Tibetan influence . The view from the top of the fort is well worth the climb.

Meals provided: Breakfast              
Accommodation: Mobile Camp 

DAY 09:   HUNZA  – HAPAKUN

Today we begin trekking through the narrow alleyways of Minnapin village and follow the trail up the wooded valley to reach first the summer settlement of Bungidas then that

of Hapakun, an attractive camp site.

Walk: 06-07 hrs, Grade : Moderate, Altitude : 4000 M

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mobile Camp 

DAY 10:   HAPAKUN - MINAPIN

Today we keep continue a further zigzag ascent through the woods reaches the ridge line of the lateral moraine of the Minnapin Glacier. The view is sublime, dominated by Diran Peak (7266m) and the sparkling ridge connecting to Rakaposhi. Filling the foreground a vast sea of crevassed ice fields of the Minnapin glacier.

Walk: 05-06 hrs, Grade: Moderate, Altitude: 3000 M.

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mobile Camp 

DAY 11:     MINAPIN  - FREE DAY

We spend the day here. It is a magnificent spot and we can climb up a nearby ridge

for more great views of Rakaposhi and Diran and also venture onto the Minnapin glacier itself .

Walk: 06-07 hrs, Grade: Moderate, Altitude: 3400 M.

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mobile Camp 

DAY 12:   MINAPIN  –  GILGIT

We return by the same route all the way back to Minnapin. Our vehicle is waiting

and we drive away down the KKH to Gilgit. A welcome hot shower and some time

to walk round the bustling market area.

Meals provided: Breakfast

Accommodation: Riveria Hotel, Gilgit Continental

    DAY 13:    GILGIT  - ISLAMABAD

A mid morning flight back to Islamabad Or two day drive along the KKH depending

on whether the plane is flying that day to Islamabad. The flights are dependent on

good visibility and so are prone to cancellation at the last minute. It is worth taking the chance though and If the flight is on then we can hope to for tremendous views of the Nanga Parbat massif en route back to Islamabad.

We must however leave a spare day in case the driving option is needed. Extra time

in Islamabad can include a walks in the surrounding Margalla Hills, and lunch at a panoramic view point over the city.

Meals provided: Breakfast

Accommodation: Regency Hotel, Green Palace Hotel

DAY 14:  ISLAMABAD  - FREE DAY

Optional visits can be arranged to the historic Buddhist sites at Taxila  and/or Murree

which is an ex British colonial hill station or Salt mine at Kheora.

Meals provided: Breakfast

Accommodation:  Regency Hotel, Green Palace Hotel

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