In a bid to come out of the tedious routine of a metropolis, I pack my rucksack and leave for the mountains to calm my wanderlust nature. It happens routinely in different seasons of a year.
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Every year I plan a trip to rediscover Hunza Valley in October.
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The valley, famous for mighty mountains, is the most emerging tourist spot of the region in recent years.
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This is the time when the valley in the deep Karakoram Range offers melodious sceneries of fall.
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Shades of falling yellow, green, golden and red leaves of cherries, apricot, apple and poplar trees transform the whole spectrum of the valley.
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Turquoise water of Hunza River augments the scenery of autumn.
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Sitting at a bank of river at dawn not only nurtures the souls but also diminishes the anxieties and delight in the captivating grandeur nature.
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In evenings of October, cold breezes floated gasping leaves through the air before touching the ground.
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Such a spectacular sight heals all of your distresses all of a sudden.
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One cannot express truly feelings of seeing a falling leaves and a crispy melodious sound of leaves under the foot.
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The enthralling emblem of the colorful valley brings the splendid transfusion into the souls.
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This season also brings fruits, particularly apples, plums and peaches.
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Hunza Valley, enclosed with Karakoram Range, is situated at a distance of 100 kilometer from Gilgit, the capital city of the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
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It was a princely state bordering Xinjiang in the northeast and Pamir in the West.
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With a hundred percent literacy rate, people of Hunza are hospitable, loving and caring.
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It is the most peaceful region of the country with almost zero percentage of crime.
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The fair-skinned inhabitants of Hunza speak Burushaski, Shina and Wakhi languages.
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I started my journey late night from Islamabad and crossed Babusar Pass, 13691 feet, in the early morning. From April to last week of October, one can use this route to go to Gilgit-Baltistan.
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In winters, Babusar is closed and Karakorum Highway through Basham route is used to reach the mountainous region.
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I reached Hunza in the evening and witnessed exquisiteness of fall by standing amid such vivid colors of the valley. First glimpse of ‘mother of mists’, Rakaposhi, the 27th highest mountain in the world and the 12th highest in Pakistan, put me into trance.
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The mighty mountains in Hunza Valley put up a ringside show of muscle power, surrounding the valley with peaks with heights of more than 7,000 metres: Rakaposhi, Ultar-1 and 2, Diran, Spantik (also known as Golden-Peak), Hunza Peak, Lady Finger and Dastgil Sir.
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I was so hypnotized with the fascinating background, layers of mountains, colors of autumns and snow that was covering the Rakaposhi. I forgot everything; every single thought was out of my mind. From Ganesh village you can have a panoramic view of Lady inger, Hunza Peak, Golden Peak and Rakaposhi all at once.
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After watching the first rays of sunrise at Rakaposhi, I left for Karimabad. Sitting atop a hill overlooking the valley, is scenery of a different world. Karimabad was the ancient capital of the valley and is filled with shops and hotels.
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Baltit Fort is situated at the top of the town of Karimabad. This is where Mirs of Hunza ruled over the valley in the ancient times.
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This fortified mud fort, built in the 13th century, witnessed tales of politics and wars for centuries. It has been on the Unesco World Heritage Tentative list.
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Next is the Altit village that consists of alleyways and ancient houses. Unique ancient look of the village still exists in the architecture. Children running into the alleys, elders sitting at corners of the streets and women doing their chores are common scenes of the village. In the centre of town is Altit fort, which is quite similar to Baltit in many ways, but hundreds of years older.
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It has not only survived many aggressions but also endured several earthquakes since it was built, making it one of the most bewildering architectural structures of its time. The royal garden of Altit Fort is one of the fascinating sceneries of autumn colours.
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The unique structure is over 1,000 feet above the Hunza River, and its only tower known as the Shikari Tower (hunters' tower) was built strategically to monitor the entire land, especially during war-time.
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For a complete view of the valley, Duikar or Eagle Nest is the best place. Village of Duikar is nothing but few small homes and few hotels. Nevertheless, the real surprise is the panoramic view of the Hunza and Nagar with six seven thousands high peaks. Sunrise or sunsets are the best time to go to this place as the transition of time takes you into another world.
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I visited Hunza multiple times but found unique sceneries on every trip. Every visit was incomplete in terms of seeing all colors and places of the valley.
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If you are looking for autumn in Pakistan, look no further than the azure skies and corn yellows of Gilgit-Baltistan.
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The photographer is a wanderlust traveller who aspires to experience the beauty of this earth and show it to others through his eyes.
Image Credit: Faisal Farooq (instagram @_the.lost.soul)/Gulf News reader
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