2012 - Pakistan: Skardu

During Easter 2012 we went to Skardu in Pakistan - on the upper Indus. To the West were the Himalayas to the East the Karakoram. This was my first trip to the roof of the world, and it was truly spectacular. We were very early in the season in time for subtle colours of spring in the valleys, set against the harsh desolate mountains. We spent a few days in Shangri-La (not quite as mythical as perhaps you would expect) and the then a week at the Shigar Fort hotel. For three nights we went trekking up into the mountains, but as we were very early in the season we didn't get very high due to the snow still lying at low altitudes.

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The Karakoram in spring: valleys in the subtle greens and pinks of the emerging vegetation, low river levels, snow on the peaks and passes, cold nights... Beautiful.