Image 1: Shyok River, a tributary of the Indus ;Image 2: Drying apricots by the side of the road at Khaplu ;Image 3: Bridge over the Shyok River This marks the end of the road for foreigners: a few miles further on we hit the Line of Control;Image 4: A tributary of the Shyok River ;Image 5: Contrasts ;Image 6: Satpara valley ;Image 7: Sadpara Lake, above Skardu ;Image 8: Sadpara valley ;Image 9: Sadpara valley ;Image 10: Deosai Plains Looks a wee bit like Scotland, except it's the second highest plateau in the world after the Thang Plateau in Tibet with an average elevation of 4,114m (13,497ft);Image 11: An orchid on the Deosai Plains The Deosai Plains are famous for its flora, and we were lucky enough to be there during the brief flowering season;Image 12: A marmot on the Deosai Plains The critically endangered Himalayan brown bear lives on the Deosai Plains, but unfortunately we didn't see one - just this, its prey;Image 13: Alpine meadow on the Rupal Valley road Up from Tarishing, the start of the trek to Nanga Parbat Base Camp, you pass through the Rupal valley;Image 14: Mazino Base Camp This is the same Base Camp from where Herman Buhl set off on the first successful ascent of the Naga Parbat in 1953. ;Image 15: First glimpse of the Nanga Parbat massif ;Image 16: Mazino Base Camp with Nanga Parbat That is the summit at 8,126m. And the camp is around 3,500m - that's about 4,500m straight up...;Image 17: Rupal valley ;Image 18: A gentian We were trekking during the brief alpine flowering season - the variety of flowers was amazing;Image 19: Rupal valley ;Image 20: The midday sun striking the summit of Nanga Parbat ;Image 21: Ice: Tashain Glacier ;Image 22: Ice: Tashain Glacier ;Image 23: Bazhin Glacier ;Image 24: Rashida crossing the Bazhin Glacier ;Image 25: A sedum Lots more pictures of flowers coming up…;Image 26: Rock jasmine ;Image 27: Tashain Glacier ;Image 28: Alpine flower ;Image 29: Himalayan bistort and sunflower ;Image 30: Leyla ;Image 31: Two sedums ;Image 32: High alpine meadow, above the Tashain Glacier ;Image 33: Himalayan cranesbill ;Image 34: A lousewort ;Image 35: Nanga Parbat ;Image 36: A saxifrage ;Image 37: Tashain Glacier ;Image 38: Himalayan edelweiss Yup, the same one as featured in the Sound of Music;Image 39: High altitude rockery ;Image 40: Two of our guides ;Image 41: Another gentian ;Image 42: Towards the head of the Rupal valley ;Image 43: Rupal valley ;Image 44: Gentian ;Image 45: Rupal valley ;Image 46: Nanga Parbat ;Image 47: Breakfast at Mazino Base Camp That's the Rupal Face, over 4,600m straight up to the summit;Image 48: Buddha's feet from Taxila Taxila is a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 20 miles outside Islamabad. David and I went to have a look while the rest of the party stayed in Islamabad and shopped…;Image 49: Nanga Parbat