The Venture of My Life (Part 2): Rupal Nangaparbat base camp

 

 

What! Am I seeing? Is it real or am I day dreaming? Butterflies! Many of them; colorful and gentle; chasing each other in lush green fields full of flowers, surrounded by majestic mountains of Himalaya in bright sunlight.

Yes! It was a sunny day when we started our hiking from Tarshing village to Rupal base camp of Nanga Parbat. We were fifteen people including my two kids. Locals were doubtful about me and my family to be able to reach to the base camp but we were very determined. I had arranged that trip and was the only one who had come to Tarhing before but I too had never been to Rupal base camp.

 

Those who went to see the world’s highest mountain face of mighty Nanga Parbat (This picture was taken next day after visit to Rupal base-camp)

 

When we left the guest house I saw little children going to school. It always excites me when I see children from these remote areas of Pakistan going to school. There is no electricity in this village but it has a school for children, which was amazing for me. I shacked hands with all of them the smile on their faces gave me a feeling of happiness which some time is missing in big cities.

Children of Tarshing going to school

 

Our Land Cruisers (locally hired form Astore) dropped us to the end of Tarshing village at moving glacier after five minutes ride. The driver said that Land Cruiser could not go to Rupal which later on turned to us was a lie. Anyways we were more interested in hiking so we started our hike from the moving glacier.

Me and my family at Moving Glacier at the end of Tarshing village with Nanga Parbat and Rakhiot peak in the background

 

Nangaparbat is like a huge wall with many subsidiary peaks. The most prominent peak in the middle of above picture is Rakhiot peak its not  the highest peak of Nanga Parbat one can see the highest peak of Nanaga Parbat with shining snow on the left side behind prominent Rakhiot peak in the above picture. I had already been to this point with my cousin Haroon in 2017.  Back then we came to this point not knowing how far was the Rupal base camp took some pictures of Rakhiot peak assuming it the highest peak of Nanga Parbat and went back to Tarshing. This time I knew which was the highest peak and to see the full peak one has to go to Rupal base camp. It was rocky down the hill journey from this point. Everyone was excited to reach to the base camp so all of young group members were almost running down the hill and soon they were out of sight and I and my family were alone. My five years old daughter Isra was with me and she was also running with lightning speed (you can imagine what I mean) to be the first to reach base camp but her tiny steps were no match with grownup.

Beautiful view of Rupal Village from the Moving Glacier point

 

Isra was exhausted and she was disappointed as we both were left behind and were at last position in the race to the base camp so after trying her best she asked me Baba can you pick me up and run fast I am tired but I want to win the race and be the first. Now Isra was sitting on my shoulders, riding me and instructing me to move faster.

Me and Isra

 

It was a clear shiny day and we (I and Isra) were now passing through the fields of Rupal village. We both were alone as all others had gone too far and we both were unusually quite. Isra was not insisting me to move fast and both of us were now in no hurry because both of us were spell bounded by the beauty of this place.

Rupal village

 

Hundreds of butterflies were around us chasing each other, playing hide and seek like fairies in fairyland. It was so quit that we could hear the sound of a small stream flowing beside the track.

“Look baba, how many butterflies there are around us”, Isra said with excitement.

“Put me down I want to play with them”, She said.

Isra was running behind butterflies, trying to catch them. Though she did not catch any but she chased them as if she was playing with them.

Look baba, there is water flowing over there, can I touch the water? She asked me thinking that I would deny this.

“Off course”, I replied with a smile.

She did not believe me first and then without wasting a second she ran to the stream.

“Oh, it is too cold baba”, She said with shocking face and then started playing with water.

Isra playing with water

 

Isra with beautiful fields of Rupal village behind her

 

We were enjoying a lot but now we had to move as all others were already gone too far from us.

So I asked Isra, “Do you want to tell Amma about these butterflies?”

“Yes”, she said.

“Then let us run fast to reach Amma, look she has already gone too far”, I said.

So we started running towards Amma who was about to enter the Rupal village, shouting Amma! Amma!!

After hearing Isra calling her Amma stopped and soon Isra was hiking with Amma and Fizba.

Isra rejoining the rest of the family after chasing butterflies and playing with cold and fresh water of stream

 

After reaching Rupal we stayed for a while, rested a little under a tree while eating pears and apples. Here we met few young boys coming back from Rupal base camp and they told us that It would take at least two more hours to reach base camp.

They asked us, “Are you going to stay at base camp?”

I did not know, that one could stay at base camp that’s why I had planned that we would spend few hours at base camp and would come back to Tarshing village for stay for night.

I asked them,”Can we stay there? Is there any hotel to stay?”

“No hotels but there are camps available and if you want to see the peak of Nanga Parbat you should stay there as the peak is always covered with clouds and one gets very little chance to see it. So if you will stay there just only for few hours you might not see the magnificent peak of Nanga Parbat and you will not be able to take its pictures as well”, one of those boys said.

“Best of luck but if you would not see the peak we will send you the pictures”, another boy said while smiling.

They were happy that they made right decision to stay at base camp and they made me a little worried that I might miss the chance of seeing the world highest mountain face.

Isra , Sadia (my wife) and Fizba (my elder daughter) while eating pears under a tree in Rupal village

 

Isra was tired and was not willing to hike farther. So I decided to ask for a horse from locals. There were no horses, only donkey was available. So we hired a boy with a donkey from Rupal village to base camp and back to Tarshing village for 1500 Rs. Isra was now ridding on donkey and all of us were walking. I offered Fizba to ride on donkey with Isra but she refused as she want to reach to the base camp on foot. I knew that would be very difficult for her but at the same time I was happy that she show that much strength and courage.

A highway to Nanga Parbat just at the end of Rupal village

 

A very small village of small huts made of mud and stones, situated 15 minutes after Rupal main village

 

After half an hour Isra gave her donkey to Fizba and now me and Isra were walking together again.

Look baba how beautiful painting is it, God has painted it, isn’t it, Isra suddenly shouted while walking on the track.

I literally look around to see if there was any painting but then I realized that she was not talking about any painting in literal meaning rather she was calling the scenery around us the painting of God.

I was really surprise to hear this from her. I did not believe my ears so I asked. What painting are you talking about?

A beautiful scene (toward Rupal village) and one can see that small village of mud and stone huts in the fields

 

A beautiful conversation with Isra

 

 

A motorway to Nangaparbat Rupal base camp

 

She replied to my surprise, “look baba these beautiful mountain and green grass and the sun in the sky, this is the painting made by God.”

She is just five years old and I was looking at her and was very much surprised how she could think like this.

I asked her, “Who told you that?”

“What?” She asked.

“That this is a painting of God” I inquired again.

“Nobody, I have figured it out by myself”, She innocently replied.

I was so much surprised and happy and I gave her a hug .

 

A look of the track and valley (while looking back toward Rupal village)

 

After one hour of hike Fizba and Sadia were tired too, luckily there were some locals coming from Rupal with their children on and luggage on the donkeys. We asked them if we could ride on one of their donkey to Rupal base camp. They happily accepted our request and now all my ladies were riding on donkeys.

 

Rupal valley

 

I was alone now as the entire group including my family had gone ahead. I am slow hiker so I was as usual left behind. After 15 minutes of hike I saw one of our porters waiting for me and he then accompanied me to the end.

When I reached the base camp I was so much excited and happy to see that the peak of Nanga Parbat was visible and I could see the whole mountain face. Without wasting any time I took pictures of it and then I met my family and asked them whether they took picture with world’s highest mountain face and their reply was “No”. When took their picture with Nanga Parbat the peak went behind the clouds and never came out in our presence again.

Me and my family at Rupal base camp

 

Nangaparbat (Highest mountain face of the world) Rupal Face rises 4,600 m (15,090 ft) above its base. If one stack five and half Burj Khalifa (World’s tallest building) on one another then it will be equal to this mountain face in picture.

 

Our group taking pictures with the one of the best Alpine style climber of the world

 

There we met a climber who was preparing to climb the world’s deadliest mountain. While sitting his camp I started interviewing him.

How many of eight thousanders have you climbed? I asked.

“A few but that is not what I am interested in”, he replied with a smile.

I thought he has just started climbing the world’s greatest mountains and it will take him a while to achieve something. While I was thinking this he went out of his camp.

“You were asking him the wrong question”, his photographer tried to explain me.

“Wrong question? What do you mean by this?” I asked.

“He is “Marek Holeček” an alpine style climber and he is interested in finding new route to climb these deadly mountains”, the photographer replied.

Alpine style? And now I knew how stupid I was.

“He won the Golden Ice Axe award this year and that award goes to the best of the best alpine climbers”, the photographer farther explained it to me.

Now I was quiet and had no words and was laughing on myself. Then I went out and told every one of my group that how lucky they were to met the legend mountain climber. I explained them that alpine style mean free style climbing, no ropes and no proper camping on the way to the peak.

Later I recorded an interesting conversation with Marek Holeček. He is a gem of a person, very brave and at the same time very humble.

 

Marek Holeček ready to discover new route to climb Nanga Parbat in Alpine style

 

We had lots of fun and spend amazing time there but now it was getting late so we decided to go back. Fizba and Isra shared a donkey this time and rest of us were on preferred to hike back. Going back was easy as we were going downhill. But nothing goes easy for me and I fell sick. I felt like throwing up and there was something wrong with my stomach.

I was again left behind and have not yet reached to Rupal village. I was thinking that it is getting dark and we had to go too far to reach Tarshing village and my condition was becoming worse. I was thinking to find some jeep and while I was thinking that, I saw a jeep full of my group members waiting me for me come. I still think I could have wished for something else that may have also come true.

Now we all were sitting in jeep and going back to Tarshing all other who were ahead of us took the jeep option expect Qasim and Sara (They came back on foot). We were at Tarshing just before sunset.

Qasim and Sara came back after 2 hours and they were happy too as they had very good experience with local villagers. I also must say that people of Rupal were amazing almost all of them who met us on the way asked us for tea. Some of us offered us to stay at their home for night and they were generous. Children were waving and shouting with happiness.

 

On our way back from Rupal base camp.

 

A selfie taken in jeep while coming back from Rupal village. (Isra is tired and sleeping)

 

All of those who were in the race to reach at base camp did not even notice the treasures of nature spread all around us on the way. It’s not the destination it’s the journey which matters. I and Isra both had enjoyed each and every moment of our journey to the Nanga Parbat base camp.