hussainipk

TREKING AROUND HUSSAINI

Though many fine treks start from Hussaini, only day-hikes and few overnight trips described here. All can be done on your own minimal equipment.
Several local people are good source of information about trips, who can also come with occasional tents, sleeping bags and other items.
If you want assistance you can get it trough your hotel. For trips of more than a day into the Shimshal valley, Batura, avdegar, putondas or extended treks anywhere, an experience guide is recommended, some of the best live right in Hussaini. As a rule, guide experts Rs 800 to Rs 1500 per day. For other trips, a knowledgeable local person can be hired as a porter, to show you the best trails and help you with cooking and carrying, four Rs 280 per stage.

ZARABAD AND HUSSAINI

This trip crosses the Hunza River on two long suspension bridges, and has fine views of the Passu and Hussaini Glaciers from the other sides. It takes four to five hours from Passu and to Hussaini, plus a hitch-hike or walk back (8 to 10 km along the KKH, or via Borih Lake)
From the KKH, at the first hairpin turn past the Shisper View Hotel, a trail trop s to the river stay to right of the hamlet (Yashfandan) below. The first bridge is about an hour downstream, with a trail. The bridge is about 700 feet long and is just a cluster of steel cabels with plaks woven in, and it hair-rising to cross on a windy day. On the far side the trail forks at a pile of stones, continue straight on. Climb toward the canyon walls and cross the ravine as high as possible, to the small seasonal settlement Zarabad. A dramatic narrow trek then crosses a sheer rock face to the second suspension bridge.
Hussaini, on the other side, is a hollow below the KKH. It has a hot spring by the rivers edge, too small to get into and usually the source area is covered by Hunza River in summer. On the north end is a gleaming white shrine to Shah Talib, a Muslim missionary active around the 14th century. A path climbs to the highway near the shrine.

VADEGAR

East acroos the river is a 4900 metre ridge offering the best views of all, a panorama from Sost to Shishkat, the length (over 20 km) of the Passu glacier, and the highest peaks of the Batura Muztagh. This is an overnight trip, and only for the very fit. It's probably best done in early autumn when the risk of sudden storms is low, but it would be a good idea to talk to local people before you go.
Cross the footbridge toward Zarabad and on the far side take the left fork, witch climbs, via tiny Khramabad village, steepy upa side canyon. At the top, a full day the Khunzhrav Pass itself, is a shallow pass called Vadegar, sublime (though very cold place to the sun come up. From this top you can view the main three glaciers Hussaini, Passu and Batura.

GHULKIN VILLAGE

From Gulmit up to Kamaris and from Kamaris a footpath crosses the stresm below Gulmit Glacier, then becomes a jeep trek up to Ghulkin village, and returns to the KKH. The entire loop back to Gulmit takes four to five hours.

HUSSAINI GLACIER, BORITH LAKE AND PASSU

From Ghulkin a footpath crosses the grey Hussaini Glacier to Botith Lake, two hours away. It's about
1 Â¼ km across the glacier, although the way ismarked by rocks pile on the south moraine, it's easy to your bearings.

Borith Lake is although about five hours (about 12 km) from Gulmit via kamaris, or two to three hours (about 8 km) via the KKH to Ghulkin or half an hour from Hussaini. you can spend the night at Borith Lake Hotel is at the east-south corner of the lake. Passu is about two hours from the lake (closer to three if you walk on the KKH).

GLACIERS VIEWS

An easy trail goes to the lake below Passu glacier, from the stone barns on the KKH about 500 metres southwest of the Batura Inn. Better views of this beautiful glacier are are from the trails to Yunz Valley and Passu Gar.
The toe of the Batura Glacier is four km from Baura Inn, along the KKH or over the adjacent low plateau. The views improve as you climb the moraine (glacial rubble) along its south side.

YUNZ VALLEY

The massive caramel-coloured rock behind Passu is called Skazart (Wakhi for High Yellow). A vigorous six to seven hours loop climbs to the Yunz valley behind Skazart, offering excellent views of both glaciers. There is no water along this trail.
South of the Batura Inn, high on the rock wall is an old channel. Where the channel comes to the ground level the trail begins, immediately climbing up the wall to the right (if you end up to the Passu glacierlake, you began too far to the left). From the Yunz valleya 1 hour detour goes to a view-point over the Hunza River. At the end of the valley, bear left by some shepherds huts and descend to the moraine beside the Batura glacier. At the toe of the glacier cross the low plateau to the right, back to Passu.
An overnight option is to climb the far side of Yunz valley onto 4300 metre Patondas (Arid Plain), the first rise on the ridge that separates the Passu and Batura Glaciers.

PASSU GAR

This hike clims to shepherds huts along the south is 3 to 4 hours out and two or three hours back. The trail leaves the KKH at a highway sign 1½ km beyond the Shisper View Hotel, and the huts are about two hours beyond the bottom of the glacier.
An option from here is a traverse toward Borith Sar, with almost 3600 views of the Passu Glacier, Hussaini Glacier to the south, borith Lake below and the Karakoram crest behind. This adds at least 1 Â½ hours to the trip.

SHIMSHAL VALLEY

It is quite feassible to take a day-hike up the new Shimshal Valley road, but stay away on rainy or windy days, when there is a high rock hazard. You can also hire a jeep to the end of the roadway (ask at your hotel) for a longer trip, unles you're a world-class mountaineer, take a local terrain. From the KKH, at the hairpin turn about 1 Â½ km the Batura Inn (and also from near the Batura bridge), a track crosses a jeep bridge and enters the valley.

Piczo