I stood there amongst the trees, the wind moving through the leaves, making a whistling sound. The entire campsite was bathed in bright moonlight, so bright that you did not need a torch to cook something. Before me, the Hingol River flowed along lazily between the mountains, a silver serpent in a landscape that is otherwise harsh.

This reads like an excerpt from a fiction novel, does it not? Well one need only travel 240 kilometres from Karachi to make this fiction a reality. That is, if you have the gumption to make it out to Hingol National Park in Balochistan.

I recently had the chance to do so with the team of adventure travellers known as Offroad Pakistan. I refer to them as a team and not a group of individuals because that's what they are, and that's what one needs to make it through the terrain of Balochistan, which comprises bogs, jungle, mountains, and quicksand with a few wahgus (local slang for crocodiles) standing in as an audience. On this trip, the team included inventors, photojournalists, lawyers, doctors and a few lowly scribes such as myself, all with one thing in common: "the love of nature."

Off-roading is a peculiar pastime -- it is neither camping nor hunting, but sometimes requires the use of both to survive. Off-roading involves a triumvirate of man, machine, and terrain, with the last pitting itself against the first two to see who will win. Well, we won, but it took us about a day of jolts, stuck jeeps, winching, and general mayhem to do so.

Our adventure began at around 8:00 a.m. on a Friday morning, and we made it to our campsite in Hingol National Park by nightfall. Along the way we visited some schools where the 'off-roaders' distributed books and toys to children as well as planted saplings. The first school was just off the coastal highway near the Aghore coast guard base and was aptly named Aghore Secondary School. The other school, Hinglaj Secondary School, was in the middle of nowhere, in a part of Hingol from where villagers have to trek for eight hours to get water every single day. To my pleasant surprise, both schools were functioning and the children seemed bright and alert, excited about the books and stationary, but reluctant due to a lack of exposure to strangers.

Besides getting school books to the happy recipients, the point of this recent expedition was to off-road to a remote mountain gorge known as Pol Dat. This site was about 28 kilometres upstream from our campsite in the national park and is the point at which five different rivers merge to create the Hingol River, which then flows in to the Arabian Sea. About five years ago, some off-roaders from the group, which included Dr Mansoor, Taimur Mirza and Hamid Omar, had arrived at this location with some difficulty. Now it was our turn.

We started the climb up to Pol Dat early Saturday morning, stopping along the way for rest and strategic discussions. People think off-roading is similar to dune bashing practiced in the Middle East. On the contrary, off-roading requires strategising about how to navigate vehicles in and around a difficult landscape.

Suffice to say it took us about four hours to reach the dead end which the gorge before Pol Dat represents. The gorge is home to a blue lagoon and is surrounded by majestic mountains. The spot is absolutely untouched and so beautiful that it sets something primal racing within a person. Not being satisfied with this final hurdle, some members of the group made a further 40-minute-long trek to get to the other side of the gorge and the actual Pol Dat point beyond it.

This wasn't the last of our thrills, though. On the way back to Karachi, we stopped at a 5,000-year-old Hindu temple called Nani Mandir. At the mandir, Hindu yatris from all over the world sang bhajans that echoed in the mountains, producing a very sombre and spiritual effect. The temple boasts a fertility tunnel through which those who desire children pass to earn their wish.

A couple who had travelled from Mumbai to visit the mandir explained that the entire yatra involves visiting all three temple altars, passing through the tunnel, trekking up into the mountains, and finally bathing in a waterfall.

Hearing about my trip, some people may be tempted to ask, so, what's the point? In response I can only say, what is the point of getting to a place where hardly a handful of people from this city will ever go, seeing nature in its full glory, eating food cooked on a camp fire made by pulling branches from trees, and bathing in a river dotted with crocs along its banks? One achieves a sense of being out of touch that only the wild can provide, where there are no laptops and no mobile phones, where the day does not revolve around Facebook or Twitter.

As a fellow off-roader quipped, "the rules of society do not apply here." A brief sojourn such as this makes one wonder about the true worth of our greedy, rat-race societies. One also realises somewhere along the way that what we seek on vacations all over this world is available at a stone's throw from one's doorstep. All you need is the spirit to let go and off-road to the glory of nature.

Faisal Kapadia is a Karachi-based entrepreneur and writer. He blogs at Deadpan Thoughts. This article was first published on DAWN Blog on 17 March 2010.

KARACHI, Pakistan -- The road into Baluchistan is dual carriage, the topography is flat. There are fronds in the sand, an occasional crooked tree and the intimation of the sea. Narrow scratched paths lead inland and close to the horizon, we can make out clusters of structures -- mud rooms, thatched tents -- and the local population: tanned fishermen and women and children.

Not more than two hours into the journey, we turn left at a solitary petrol pump attached to a roadside restaurant. After announcing ourselves at a checkpoint -- hum Hingol ja rahay hain -- we cruise down the Makran Coastal Highway.

We have entered the badlands of Pakistan, the purported seat of the resurgent Taliban. Somewhere across the expanse lurks Mullah Omar, the murderous, indefatigable, one-eyed leader of the shura. Although there is strength in numbers -- we are traveling in a caravan of 11 vehicles comprising the Off Roaders Club - we are only armed with poles, pegs, hammers and other camping equipment. I'm no outdoorsman, no adventurer. I wonder what the hell I am doing in Baluchistan.

Another hour or two on the road, we turn again, presumably north, into Hingol National Park. Before suggesting that I ride with somebody else -- we have to pick up a local guide from a teahouse -- my reluctant host mentions in passing that the park receives funding from the World Bank. I don't understand why at first -- the place seems godforsaken -- but a kilometer in, it becomes plain: spectacularly bare, veiny, windswept mountains rise in the distance. In the shadow of a crag, we happen upon a pelican languidly flapping in a pool of azure water. It is a sudden, ethereal sight. Then somebody points out an alligator basking upstream.

Hingol National Park is a vast nature reserve, two and a half times the size of Luxembourg (about 600,000 hectares or 2,400 square miles). The terrain is populated by jirds and lizards, caracals and urials, by badgers, porcupines, foxes, jackals, wolves, boars and hyenas. According to a no-nonsense, middle-aged lady, a veteran of the motley, ballsy Off Roaders, an almost mythical snow leopard also haunts these parts. And there are many fancifully named birds: kestrel, shrike, stone curlew, brown rock pipit, redheaded merlin, Houbara bustard, Bonnelli's eagle, Eurasian griffon vulture, Laggar falcon, Lichtenstein's sandgrouse, Hume's chat, hoopoe.

There is, however, no sign of Taliban anywhere. But there are suggestions of other violence: The twisted remains of a concrete bridge, like an arm ripped from the socket, span a wide, empty riverbed. The guide, a wiry, weathered character, an employee of the Bridge and Works Department, informs me that the torrent in the rainy season is vehement. The area is mostly uninhabitable. The trees, I notice, are all bowed. The signs, however, remain strangely erect. One heralds ibex territory. Another announces "Nani Mandir." I repeat the phrase in my head. It sounds vaguely ominous.

The southern swath of Baluchistan is anything but godforsaken. It is, I learn, hallowed land: When Kali, the Dark Mother of the Hindu religion, the Goddess of Death, shattered millennia ago, her torso landed in the mountains.

Baluchistan, then, is not simply hallowed; it is one of the holiest tracts in Hindu mythology. Several years ago, L.K. Adavni, then-leader of the Hindu fundamentalist party in India, was stirred when he visited Nani Mandir. (On his return, he was temporarily dismissed from the party because of "pro-Pakistan" statements he made to the press.) Asphalt roads were paved in anticipation of his advent.

The approach to the temple is unremarkable: An iron gate opens into a narrow esplanade nestled in a valley, presumably a riverbed in the rainy season. Simple single-story cement rooms stand on either side. A makeshift cupboard-sized shrine houses a statuette of Kali, arms perpendicularly extended, tongue rolled out like Gene Simmons. Burnt incense sticks are pitched in the surrounding earth and empty coconut husks litter the periphery. In April, thousands of Hindu pilgrims, both local and from across the border, make the journey on foot. They shave their hair and shed their clothes. We follow in their tracks, passing mossy pools littered with Frooto boxes and floating locks. There is graffiti in Sanskrit on the boulders, and a pair of vertiginous eyes.

Unlike the temples in and around Karachi -- Sri Swami Narayan on Bandar Road, Ratneshwar Mahadev in Clifton -- Nani Mandir is not grand; there are no spires, arches, no detailed stonework. The structure seems to have been carved into rock. The surrounding whitewashed walls are recent, an afterthought, like the billboard outside featuring the busts of prominent members of the community. Steps lead up to a two-tiered tiled clearing girded in saffron flags where Kali presides. You have to see it to believe it. Who would have thought that a Hindu goddess reigns in Taliban country?

Under her throne, there is an opening, a portal into the unknown: A miniature wooden door opens into a tunnel that can only be entered on all fours. It is dark inside, very dark, stygian; it is meant to represent Kali's womb. I decide to crawl inside. About halfway through the horseshoe-shaped passage, I am compelled to reach for my lighter. It is tough going. It would be tougher later in the year. The weather turns hot in April, and the rite is probably performed at night. Sweaty hoards must jostle to enter. When you emerge, you thank God. Smoking a cigarette afterwards, I figure that's the point.

The next morning we set out for another holy Hindu site: Chandar Gup, one of the famed mud volcanoes of Baluchistan. On the way, however, we detour for a dip in the Arabian Sea. Kund Malir, a pristine beach on the Makran coast, is like heaven on earth. It is set against a cliff. The sand is powdery, the water lucid. On the horizon, fishermen troll the waters in launches. The Off Roaders dive in. The guide saunters seaside. A burqa-clad lady is unable to resist. Shedding her garb, she wades into the water, shalwar rolled up to her fair knees. God, she figures, won't mind.

The caravan skids across sand dunes and sandy expanses, leaving billowing plumes of dust in its wake. There is nothing on the horizon in any direction for hours. Then a solitary mountain materializes. It becomes larger and larger as we drive closer and closer. There are two routes up. You can scale the winding eastern side, the way the pilgrims do, or scale the steep northern face. For some reason that remains inscrutable to me, I decide on the latter. It's an arduous climb, punctuated by smoke breaks. The gradient is almost 45 degrees. The height is 100 meters (or 300 feet). About halfway up, I consider climbing down.

When I reach the top, the vista is epic. There is a breeze and the sun is large and red and setting. But the vista is not as remarkable as the mouth of the volcano. Amid cracked slabs of gray mud, a pool of putty wells and bubbles. I pitch a stone. It is swallowed soundlessly. Pilgrims pitch offerings of coconut. It is said that the volcano empties into the sea. This is myth.

The taciturn adventurer will tell you that the surrounding area rests on three tectonic plates, a unique confluence: the Eurasian, Subcontinental and Arabian. Mysterious subterranean pressures inform Chandar Gup. It is a beautiful, bizarre natural oddity, worthy of worship, worthy of awe.

On the way back, I mull the rocks, the sand, the sea, the mud volcano, the goddess of Taliban country. On the way back, I become a believer.

By H.M. Naqvi -- Special to GlobalPost, First Published: March 14, 2010 09:21 ET

In Eposide 17 of the Laidback Show, Dr. Awab Alvi and Faisal Kapadia head towards Hingol National Park for a three day Expedition with offroaders from OffroadPakistan to conquer a natural gorge called Poldat in the Hingol National Park.

"The world's greatest museum of shape and form" is how Italian mountaineer/author Fosco Maraini described Concordia in his book, Karakoram. Galen Rowell called it the "Throne of the Mountain Gods". Come 2007, somehow or the other, 5 of us from Karachi ended up hiking to Concordia, and on to K2 base camp.

Click here to see the pictures of the hike along with captions, and go here to see the travelogue of the hike.

1. Engine Oil & Filter: If a change is due, it is wise to change it before setting out. The engine goes through a lot more stress in a couple of days offroad than it does in a month onroad, so good engine oil is a must.
2. Air Filter: Just inspect it to make sure it's not clogged with dust. A good rule of thumb is to hold it up against the sun - if light shines through, the filter is good. If too much light shines through, then your filter is gone! If you use compressed air to clean a paper filter, point the nozzle at the clean side of the filter no closer than 6" from the media. This will force the dirt out back the same way it came in. If you blow compressed air on the dirty side, it will force the dirt into the filter and enlarge the holes in the media, effectively rendering your air filter useless.
3. Gearbox fluid: This isn't easy to check on a manual - usually through a bolt hole about midway up the side of the tranny. Automatic trannies feature a handy dipstick for the tranny fluid. With an auto gearbox, always keep a liter bottle of automatic transmission fluid as spare. (Though generally no one ever checks this...)
4. Differential fluid: Check by removing the bolt about halfway up the differential cover, also known as the 'handi' in local lingo. You should be able to dip your finger into the oil. Top it up with the correct viscosity fluid if it is low, at least 90 weight for most differentials, although 140 weight is a better choice for our hot climate. Also make sure the fluid is not contaminated with water. It will look like coffee if it is.
5. Radiator: This should have a mixture of Japanese coolant and water. Always keep extra water in the car to top up the radiator. This extra water comes in handy for washing up, bathroom duties, etc.
6. Undercarriage greasing: Grease everything which has a grease nipple, especially the driveshafts. Check driveshaft u-joints, popularly known as crosses, and grease them. Carry spare u-joints.
7. Undercarriage Nuts and Bolts: Tighten all nuts and bolts, especially the suspension bolts on older vehicles.
8. Battery water levels: Better yet, get a maintanence free battery.
9. Fan Belts and hosepipes: Take a look at them for obvious cracks or slippage. Fanbelts can loosen over time, so they might need to be tightened up.
10. Brakes and clutch: Have a close look at the brake fluid in the reservoir, if it looks blackish in color it's about time you got that serviced before you go offroading, the same goes for the hydraulic clutch cylinder. The black coloring is due to the degradation of the washers and needs your attention.

On getting back, the same things which were checked before setting out should be checked again. A basic to-do upon getting back is:

1. Change engine oil and filter, especially if the terrain was taxing on the engine. If not, than just change with the regular cycle.
2. Servicing! A high pressure wash is essential.
3. If it was very dusty, the air filter should be changed, otherwise just clean it out with compressed air.

List of essential spares:

1. Hosepipes: Make sure they are the right size and shape for your vehicle!
2. Hoseclamps (jubilee clips): Easily broken while removing an old hosepipe.
3. Fanbelts: They should be the correct length for your vehicle. Don't throw away your old belts if they haven't broken - you can reuse them at least to get back to civilization.
4. Driveshaft u-joints & cross: These take the entire load of the vehicle, and bear a lot of stress offroad. They're also designed to be the first part to break when too much power is applied (to get the 4×4 unstuck for example). The breakable design is a safety feature, because if the cross doesn't break, then the driveshaft itself, or the gearbox or the axles could break, and those are a lot more expensive (and difficult) to fix. In a vehicle with selectable 2wd, you only need spare crosses for the rear driveshaft.
5. Air filter: Required in case your air filter gets ruined with dirt and water.
6. Fuel filter: Essential item for diesel vehicles. Don't leave home without it!
7. Engine oil: Keep a 4 litre jug of engine oil. This is important for older engines which burn oil.
8. ATF fluid: Essential for automatic gearboxes. Also an excellent lubricant for silencing any annoying squeaks.
9. Brake fluid: Keep at least a can of brake fluid on hand for topping up the brake system and/or clutch system or refilling after field repairs.
10. Front brake pads. You won't use the brakes as much offroad as you would in the city, but for an automatic vehicle they're essential, especially in hilly terrain where you might have to ride the brakes. Ideally, make sure your brakes have plenty of life left BEFORE you even leave home.
11. Assorted fuses: Especially important for modern EFI vehicles.
12. A can of brake oil serves as an excellent medication for minor cuts besides coming in handy in case of a leak in the brake system.

Essential toolbox items

1. Wheel wrench
2. Hydraulic jack
3. Flat block of wood for jacking in sandy/muddy terrain
4. Toolbox, see details below
5. Puncture repair kit - plug type for tubeless tyres, and patch type for others.
6. Spare valve stems - the rubber rots over time, and it can easily break off in rocky terrain.
7. Araldite Putty - good for repairing all sorts of leaks. For example, Yaseen managed to put a hole in the oil chamber by hitting a rock, and we sealed it with putty. Without it, the car wouldn't have been driveable short of a welding plant.
8. Magic Depoxy Steel
9. Super Elfy
10. Electrical wires and test light - Essential for troubleshooting electrical problems. Carry a selection of different gauges, for repairing fuses, tying up things, and what not.
11. Stiff steel wire - Essential for tying up and suspending things like mangled exhaust pipes and silencers. Wire hangers are ideal.
12. A small LED torch - Besides your personal led torch, keep a spare one permanently in the toolbox.
13. Radiator Sealant -. More commonly known in Pakistan as naswar.
14. Teflon tape
15. Electric tape
16. Duct tape
17. Repair manual for the vehicle - this is important for new SUV's. These are available online for most vehicles.

Toolbox

1. A set of metric wrenches (open end or box wrench) 7 mm through 21 mm for Japanese or American vehicles, and similarly sized SAE wrenches for older English vehicles
2. Adjustable wrench
3. Large pliers
4. Needle nose pliers
5. Vise grips (aka locking pliers)
6. Channel lock pliers
7. Large flatblade screwdriver
8. Phillips head screwdrivers (large and small)
9. Torx (star) wrenches for American vehicles
10. Mini sledge hammer
11. Small metal block to use as an anvil
12. Hacksaw
13. Utility knife
14. Wire cutters

The best way to gather these parts is to keep the old ones whenever you replace them. Generally, most parts are in working condition when changed, so they do just fine as spares.

Now, don't panic if much of the above doesn't make sense to you! Building a toolkit over time is pretty easy, as most people who get the offroad bug stick to it for the long term, so over time a comprehensive toolkit develops. The difficult part is learning how to use it, for as yet the tools can't fix broken stuff all by their lonesome selves.

For any serious offroad trip there should always be someone in the group able to perform field repairs, and ideally over time one should learn enough about their vehicle to be able to do the basic stuff themselves. The point is, don't let someone else fix up a tool kit for you without knowing what is in it, how to use the tools, and having a reference manual/shop book to help figure it all out.

The Expedition traversed through rural Pakistan at its roots and saw the people in their sincerest form. The experiences, fun and incidents are memorable. Camps were set up along 'patans' (ports) along the way and the evening discourse with the village folks and the story telling can never be forgotten. We saw cave dwellings in Makhad Sharif, 'mooli' (white radish) the size of men in Kalabagh, the huge river cargo boats being towed along the shore in upper Sindh.

The fun loving blind dolphin accompanied us right up to the Sukkur Barrage. Unfortunately, they are unable to come downstream due to absence of a fish ladder. Like true Moenjodarians we got off at the port and went into the 'city'. How ingrained in history we felt! We saw the mighty Indus in all its fury at Attock and then as a tamed stream often running dry in stretches downstream of barrages. We saw the colors of the Indus change and mingle with the swift waters of the Kabul River and then the 'Punj Ab' (Panjnad) at Mithankot and then the finally depositing its rich silt in the Arabian Sea at Keti Bunder. The headgear of the riverside folks translated from the starched 'pagri' in Frontier to the drooped one in Mianwali. The regular full head cap in Punjab got a mehrab style cut and a lot of color in Sindh till the headgear completely vanished near the coast. The friendliness and hospitality all along the way can never be forgotten.

The voyage became historic as it was the longest recorded voyage on the Indus - the closest one was in 510BC by the King of Persia, Darius and his army. There were 5 attempts since then but none was successful. The 30th anniversary would be a good occasion for another attempt! It would be great if our youth comes out and sees the vibrant Pakistan in all its glory along the giant Indus - or should we call it the River Sindh - as the river side people call it along its entire length.

Anyone ready to take the challenge!

KM Ali
Team Leader, Indus River Expedition '78
Seattle, USA

Taimur Mirza and Hamid Omar are going to Uthal this Sunday to meet with the Park authorities to finalize the medical camp logistics. At the present time a total of 6 doctors have volunteered their time and expertise, and two pharm companies are donating medicines, and we are collecting donations from other people (especially Salim Khan!). Please contact us for further details, using the contact form.

We will be camping all three nights, and as always, everyone needs to bring everything which they possibly might need, and for good measure a few things which they might impossibly need.

Medical Camp Details

The management shall set up the Medical Camp with 2 Doctors, a Male and a Lady Doctor. We are arranging for 3-4 senior doctors to accompany us. The common ailments in the area are as follows:

• Stomach
• Sugar
• Liver
• Kidney
• Cold - Flu - ENT
• Pregnancy - Post Pregnancy
• Arthritic pains
• Malaria
• Hepatitis
• Mouth Ulcer
• Eyes
• Leishmaniasis

The help they require from us is in the form of medicines and presence of Senior Doctors for Consultations.

The proposed dates are Friday 14th. March to Monday 17th March.

We need to collect medicines covering the above symptoms and need to finalize a list.

Click here to see the complete picture gallery of the Goran Gatti trip. This trip involved hardcore 4wheeling, as we made our way to the highest mountain, Goran Gatti, which is deep inside Hingol - no vehicle has made it there before. We didn't make it there either, but it was a lot of fun trying!

For those of you who haven't camped out in the wilderness under the open sky, here are some helpful hints and advise.

Baluchistan is a land of extremes (we call that charming) so be prepared for a windy cold night and a humid hot day. To look like a really serious 4X4 off-roader, bring a stupid looking floppy hat and dark glasses. The sun out in the sandy or rocky desert wilderness adds to the charm. Bring clothing that will keep the sun off and sunscreen if you want to avoid sun burns or are afraid of turning dark skinned. T-shirts are great until you can't tell it is getting cold in the evening because you were so hot in the day. Bring jacket and clothing for all seasons.

Beverages and lots of bottled water... bring it, cold in an ice cooler if possible. As mentioned before, nearest hotel or restaurant doesn't exist, so bring food. The nearest rock maybe too big or too small to sit on so bring a folding chair but if you have no problem squatting then no need and in such case you'll have the bonus of traveling lighter.

Now a brief introduction to our 4X4 club chef... that's you. Everyone needs to bring what it takes to prepare his or her own food. You have the option to stay really basic with King Chips, canned fruit and Coke, but most of us bring a gas choola (stove) and cooking utensils and not to forget mentioning, stuff to cook! The 'stuff' includes eggs, onions, potatoes and other vegetables, ghee (or cooking oil), dry soup packets, tobasco, pepper, salt, butter, cheese, sausages, frozen meat (often pre-cooked), nans/roti, bread/French bread, tea, coffee, milk, sugar, etc. Hunter beef from 'Hanifia' (lasts a few days in a cold icebox) is always a good idea to eat on the move. You also need light to cook dinner by, not candles as they may blow out in the wind, so bring a lantern and a good torch that actually works. On the camping trip you will find that the torch is a most useful gadget to have.

You'll need some cash on you to contribute towards payment for the guides we hire and it comes handy to buy fuel etc. Fuel up before you leave home. And fuel up again when rest of the 4X4 members stop for fuel. On the way we always stop at a place called "last petrol pump" to top off our tanks.

Unless you plan sleeping in the back seat of your Jeep, for camping you will need a tent (do practice how to pitch it up), ground sheet or 'durrie', sleeping bag, sleeping mat and an extra blanket if its winters. Bring your toiletries, medications, water enough to wash up and a small towel to dry off. Do not bring a hair dryer (some do!), curling iron, blender/juicer, washing machine, 'istry', etc. unless you are a comedian because we will laugh at you if you do.

If you think there's no possibility of you having any vehicle breakdown, or injury, leave the tools and your first aid kit at home. Fat chance, vehicles do break down and accidents happen. Bring some tools and spares, a tow strap and first aid kit.

Be prepared for outdoors adventure and be delighted if nothing happens and it turns out to be like a drive to your corner shop! The rule of thumb is, if you don't bring it - you won't have it.

Future off-roading plans are sometimes posted on our web site, offroadpakistan.com

If you are interested in going do send an email to us, using the contact form linked to above.

See also

• Vehicle Preparations before and after a trip

In Islamabad, we changed our original plan of trekking up the mountain trail to going only as far as the vehicles could go (Sami's village) considering that Amjad with his injury would not be able to undertake the long walk. But while discussing the next day's plans at the hotel, our hosts (by now their number had grown to no less than half a dozen) convinced us that the trek to their home was a piece of cake and would take no more than a couple of hours or so going one way. Finally, more out of a sense of obligation to our hosts than any real conviction on our part, we decided to undertake the trip next day, "even if it lasted more than a couple of hours". The plan was that we'd drive first to Sami's house in Ranwalia Brah Klay village, situated a five minute walk from a motorable road, about 25km from the town of Besham, have lunch there and then climb up to Shah Aalam's house in Dan, another hour or two's journey from Sami's. The next day we'd return to Besham.

It all seemed so uncomplicated, and we were all so relaxed, that it was almost noon the next day when we started, totally unaware of the adventure ahead and, therefore, mostly unprepared for it. It was, of course, decided that we'd all take the bare minimum of luggage with us in view of the eventual hike. Our mental ease at this stage can be well judged from the fact that when my wife wanted to include a torch in the short-listed baggage, I protested strongly on the grounds that it would only add unnecessary weight. After all, who needs a torch on a "day's hike". Imagine my consternation then when I had to include two torches, instead of one, just to satisfy her whim, as I thought then. Also, and despite his strong protestations regarding his incapability to undertake a mountain hike without great discomfort, poor Amjad was persuaded to accompany us "as far as comfortable” for him. Of course, he was free to discontinue if and when he felt like it.

We drove in high spirits on the KKH about 25km out of Besham, past the small towns of Shorgrah and Dubair and turned left on a jeepable road to go to Ranwalia Brah Klay and Sami's house for a well deserved lunch. We met the first of many surprises of this trip, when, close to Ranolia village, we were informed that we cannot drive all the way to our first stop as the approach road had been washed away by recent flash floods. (How recent, we did not ask, but surely not while we were en route!!). Luckily where the road ended, arrangements had been made to park one vehicle in someone's garage and two on the steep driveway.

Having parked the cars we continued on foot. Luckily also, there were enough villagers in attendance now to carry our luggage. However, the track was totally mountainous, full of boulders of various sizes, winding and forever going up. The presence of an accompanying stream made the walk enjoyable. Soon I discovered that Amjad was in possession of a proper walking stick and, like a child, I demanded one for myself, which was promptly provided by Sabiha who had the second of the available pair. After a good hour's walk, we finally reached Sami's house at around 3 pm and got busy taking pictures, walking around the small village and generally feeling happy at our achievements so far. By the time we finished with our lunch, it was close to 4.30 pm. Once again, there was a debate about whether to continue or to stay here for the night, but once again Shah Aalam was there to tell us anew that we only need an hour's climb to reach his house in Dan. We paid no heed to a lot of other people who strongly advised us against the folly of undertaking the climb so late in the day and eventually it was obligation again that won the argument. Once again Amjad protested, albeit very strongly now, that he being in no condition to undertake a mountain climb after the very strenuous activities of the day so far, should be left behind to take some rest, but to no avail.

Our party of seven was diverse in more ways than one; the four males ranged in ages from a euphoric youngster of 20 to the eldest one touching 67 (i.e., yours truly) and had various physical impediments apart from Amjad's weak leg. Likewise, the three females included a camera happy youngster (Mahera is a professional documentary maker) and her two middle aged companions. The one thing common in all of us was our complete ignorance of the current venture and our total lack of previous mountain climbing experience of any significance. Also, none of us had proper shoes or equipment for climbing. After crossing a wide waterway, full of boulders of all sizes interspersed with channels of running water, we made a steep climb to walk a dozen yards along a narrow, meandering water channel and then the climb began in earnest. Every one of us was short of breath within the first ten minutes or so and, looking back, we were amazed at the height we had gained in such a short time. The village was already looking like a group of doll-houses. Encouraged by this, we continued climbing up a narrow, steep, zigzag path more suitable for mountain goats than city-dwellers. This almost vertical path either had sharp-edged stones with very slippery surfaces, or loose gravel and thorny bushes were growing on either side of it. At times, it also served as the passageway of mountain streams, making it even more slippery, wet and difficult to climb. At places, the stones were two feet in height, requiring extraordinary skills to climb in one go – the ladies invariably resorting to using both hands and feet to climb them toddler-like. We lost sight of the village very soon and, with it, lost any reference to the height that we were gaining. All that we knew was that we were perpetually going up and up and up. Everyone was exhausted in about an hour and we started pestering our hosts and guides with questions about how far in distance and time we still had to go and when would the track become a little bearable. Their unwavering response all along, and respectively, was about another hour and soon, very soon. I must admit that they were absolutely resolute about these issues throughout the duration of this hike.

We were now climbing in the diffused light of the dusk; the sun had already gone down. Every once in a while we'd be pleased to notice the approaching top, as the destination was "just at the top", only to find that this was merely another outcrop and the actual summit was farther ahead, much further ahead! By now we had quietly split into three groups: the youngsters being in the lead, the two ladies and self in the middle, with Hamid and Amjad bringing the rear. Our half a dozen hosts cum guides were following their own schedules, but always staying at distances comfortable to us. I also noticed that my two companions were now carrying stout, though rough-cut, tree branches to serve as walking sticks. There were no villages on the mountain, there being not enough room anywhere to build more than one house at a site. Climbing by a location named Darkhaid, we come to another called Ishtial by about 6.30 pm in almost total darkness. We were met by a kindly house owner here who served us 'sherbet' (soft drink) from an aluminum "lota" (pot) and, after being told of our intentions took Shah Aalam and his friends to task for planning to put us through a neigh-impossible ordeal in the growing darkness of the night. He also tried to warn us by telling us that, of the few people who ever visited Shah Aalam's house way up in the mountains, nobody so far had attempted to do so during night time. He suggested that we spend the night with him and start early the next morning, if we must climb up to the peak. Another hastily convened meeting agreed to his proposal, but Shah Aalam was so persistent in saying that the worst was over and that we'd reach his house in the "proverbial" hour now, that a few of us finally relented, while the others joined them out of a sense of companionship. It was, however, unanimously agreed that Amjad had really had enough for the day and would stay here for the night.

Thus started the most unforgettable part of the journey up a never-ending incline of this rugged mountain --- or was it series of mountains? It was pitch dark by now and the going was getting rougher by the foot. Imagine our utter surprise then to find Amjad shortly following us, helped by our Kohistani friend Aalam. Finding him missing from the party, Shah Aalam hastened back to Amjad and told him that we were all planning to abandon our pursuit because of his absence. Poor Amjad was thus emotionally blackmailed once again to join the party. We could only see as far as the range of our small torches would allow, with each passing moment adding to our fatigue. In our haste and inexperience, we had not even distributed our belongings in any rational order, so that if one carrier had all the water bottles, the other had the eatables, while still another was carrying our medicines, etc. The result was that we could neither see each other now, nor could shout for any supply as nobody knew how far the other was. We also became frightfully aware of the sound of falling water emanating from the stream flowing a few hundred feet or so below in a gorge along the track. Even though the stream had faithfully been following the track all along, we became aware of it only now that a deep silence accompanied the total darkness. It was one painful step at a time now along a path that could barely be discerned in the pitch darkness, Our routine could best be described as: climb a few feet in the weak light of a pocket torch, stop for a while to catch your breath, pray that the journey will be over soon, encourage each other that the only way now was up, console yourself that each step was taking you closer to the unknown destination!

There were some advantages, however dubious, of the night climb also, the foremost being that since we could not see where we were going, we did not get as scared as we should have been, although once or twice a member of the team froze with fear when her torch light swayed form the track into the deep gorge along side. The combination of night chill and body heat generated through the exertion of climbing made the temperature ideal and the "parathas" (fried bread) consumed at lunch did not let us starve. With time the mind became numb with fatigue and a survival instinct took over. All of a sudden, we saw numerous torch lights on the other side of the gorge, accompanied by the ferocious barking of dogs. When a few stones followed this commotion, we stopped cold in our tracks. The fact that these people cultivate a lot of enmities in their lifetimes and that nobody climbs up these mountains during the nighttime scared these residents into thinking that they were being subjected to some kind of an ambush. Well, it scared the daylights (or night darkness!!) out of us all right. Then, after a while Samina suddenly stopped and whispered, "Is that a scorpion on the track?” and sure enough there it was, bang in the middle of our passage. This got us thinking about all the creepy crawlies that must be lurking around us in the dark. And how about foxes and jackals and wild dogs, etc.? Not knowing the answers at this stage was itself quite scary, to say the least.

Another long hour passed without any indication of our getting anywhere. By now, all conversation had more or less stopped, and the only driving force must have been the adrenaline supply in our bodies. Nor did the track improve one little bit. When Samina asked our escort about the "promised” straight path, he replied, "But we are on the straight path now madam, it's just that the earth here is like this”. Beautifully put indeed! All our hopes were dashed by this simple remark and we knew that thinking of an easygoing part of this ascent was a mere dream. So we kept on plodding like robots. At one stage, when we slowed down a bit, Hamid's group caught up with us and Amjad said, "May we have some light, Fasih”. We realized later that they were only carrying one pocket torch amongst their group of six, making their ordeal even more taxing. As more time passed, a member of our group just squatted on the track and refused to budge another inch, saying, "You go ahead and send me a blanket, if you can. I am spending the night here”. In another hour's time, we caught up with the lead group. As someone once said, "Chivalry was not dead, madam, I was", so Samina and I left Sabiha in the care of Mahera to single-mindedly pursue the rest of our ordeal. Our guide took us further up on a zigzag course and presently we came to a cornfield. The corn had ripened and the stalks were as strong as bamboo sticks. Walking through a narrow field of this in pitch darkness was an experience itself. Exhausted as we were, it took the very last reserves of our energy to drag through this fortress of robust, standing sentinels, but we were tremendously relieved to find that it led us to a mountain house where Shah Nazar welcomed us. Thinking that we had finally reached our destination, we simply crashed on the guest room floor and, more or less went into an exhausted coma from which we were roused only by the arrival of the rest of our colleagues in another half an hour's time.

We got up next morning, somewhat refreshed by the night's rest to experience a world of extreme tranquility, peace and beauty. The air was so fresh that it almost hurt our lungs and the sky was an unbelievable tone of blue. The view all around us was breath taking and stunningly captivating. We were surely so high that all surrounding mountain peaks appeared much lower. However, we had hardly finished our sumptuous breakfast of parathas, desi ghee and "makkai ki roti (corn bread)" when who would turn up, with a long drawn face, but Shah Aalam to tell us that we were putting up at his brother's house and that his house at Dan was "just” another half an hour's climb up the mountain. Once again he started beseeching us to climb up to his house, have lunch there and then start on our way down. According to him, it would take us no more than an hour to get back down to Sami's house at the base of these mountains. Luckily, better sense prevailed this time and we agreed to the compromise situation of only Mahera and Shamu going with him to his house, while the rest of us would start our downward journey. It took us five and a half hours to get down to Sami's house. Now that we could see where we were going, we were totally dumbfounded at our ignorance of undertaking such a risky and dangerous climb, and most of it during the night too!! We also learnt anew that going down a mountain track is always more difficult than climbing up it. The knees are the worst sufferers and, after a while, the neck muscles also start aching due the tension of a constant watch on the path. All is well that ends well, as the saying goes, so we all profusely thanked our stars that we had survived this memorable trip without any mishap or injury. Of course, the memories are all ours now to cherish for the rest of our lives (or at least till such time that another such escapade is embarked upon!).

Note: The area in Kohistan where we went is 'off the tourist map' - if anyone wants to visit the place, he or she needs to be invited and accompanied by the locals living there! So do make prior arrangements.

For a while I thought it near impossible that we would be able to get the necessary paperwork done to import it into Pakistan. Then one day we happened to meet a friend in Karachi, who offered to have it delivered to our doorstep in two months. Not really believing him, we asked him to please do so, and to our surprise he did exactly that! There was some delay though at the port as the custom people could not figure out why someone would import such an old beat-up ugly truck. They thought there was something more to it than meets the eye! Eventually they said they will treat it like a new car and charge duty on it accordingly - they too were surprised when we got them the original new Ford F1 price from the Ford Motor Company, it was $1400 for the 1948 model! Eventually they let us take it - we did have one other small delay though, when we were exiting the dock's gate, some guard thought we were actually smuggling out the new looking tow truck with the beat up truck on it as a disguise! Well once the truck was home, I realized that now I was finally faced with the gigantic task of rebuilding the truck to the high expectations of Sabiha!

First something about rebuilding of cars in Pakistan - many people rebuild 4×4 vehicles and that too mostly Jeeps with the original petrol engines replaced often by a rebuilt Toyota diesel engine and transmission. Toyota engines are very popular here as old engines and the new parts needed for them are commonly available and over time they have proven to be very reliable. Labor being relatively cheap, a lot of extensive work on the body, frame including modifications is possible. But it usually takes a long time and personal involvement to get the job done at commercial workshops so one needs to have a lot of patience! I am lucky to work at a place where I have my own workshop with a full time mechanic, electrician, denter and painter. The workshop also has access to an in house machining and fabrication facility.

After just sitting and staring at the old Ford F1 for quite a long time and finally having figured some basic things out with the help of my friend Taimur Mirza, the rebuilding started with dismantling the whole vehicle into its smallest parts. The major decision was to make the vehicle off-road capable (originally it is a two wheel drive with a rather low clearance and a small engine) by installing a 1992 Toyota Land Cruiser 4.2 liter turbo charged diesel engine, 4 speed automatic transmission and drive train. In other words, it would be a Ford F1 with a reliable Toyota Land Cruiser underneath - making it fit for the many future off-road trips.

All the parts were stripped clean to bare metal using paint remover, sand papers and lots and lots of physical effort! The chassis needed a bit of straightening and the engine mounts were modified to take the new bigger engine and transmission. The chassis was welded and strengthened where needed. The Land Cruiser differentials were originally coil spring mounted - they were modified to take leaf spring suspension. Initially all the welding and modifications was done on a temporary basis in case some changes were needed to be done. Engine, transmission, suspension and differentials were installed and drive shafts fitted. Radiator and transmission oil cooler mount was done within the space of front end grill. With not much space left, it was decided to mount the air conditioning cooling coil underside of the passenger cabin. This would also help keep the engine cooler - an important consideration in our hot climate here. Next the passenger cabin was fixed - the fire wall and the floor were modified to make space for the bigger engine and transmission. The steering wheel and brake pedals etc. was moved to the right hand side and this meant the modification of the whole dash board also. This was done to cater for driving on the left hand side of the roads in Pakistan. Power steering box was fitted taking into account that the linkage etc. did not interfere with anything else. Side walls off engine compartment and front grill were installed. Then in the remaining tight space installation of power assisted brake/master cylinder, air cleaner, radiator over flow water bottle as well as wiper water bottle, fuse box, diesel filter etc. were done.

Next came the work of figuring out the best straight through path for the silencer piping. To ensure longevity this was done all in stainless steel. Pipe used is of 3” diameter to minimize any back pressure. Silencer system was hung using rubber bushings and mounts similar to those used in shock absorbers to ensure no way the system could fail in the beating it gets in the tough off road conditions. On the off road trips, I have seen too many systems fall off literally so I made sure mine wouldn't. All the body trims etc. were ordered from a shop near Sacramento. Nearly every part needed is available from there.

Once the whole truck had been assembled and checked for proper fitting, it was then disassembled again. All temporary welding were strengthened, parts cleaned and painted red and then the final reassembly was done. Then came the work of wiring, upholstery and installation of the rear body wooden floor. After taking a test ride round the block, the paint was rubbed and polished. The truck is now on the road and is being fine tuned to be ready for a trip to the northern areas next month. Meanwhile it can be spotted on the streets of Karachi painting the town red!

Specifications of modified Ford F1:

• Engine: 1HD-T, a 4.2 liter, Turbo charged, in line 6 cylinders, Diesel, non EFI
• Transmission: 4 speed automatic with low/high gearing
• Drive Train: Fulltime 4 wheel drive with limited slip rear differential and electronically controlled center locking differential.
• Suspension: Leaf Springs front and rear, twin shocks
• Steering: Rack and pinion, power steering
• Brakes: Power-assisted 4 wheel disc brakes
• Ground Clearance: 20 inches
• Silencer: Straight through design, stainless steel
• Fuel Tank: 75 liters
• Body Color: Fire Engine Red
• Water Tanks: 2Nos. 30 liters each, for use while camping
• Interior: Bucket Seats - hydraulic mounted, air conditioned, coffee maker etc.
• Winch: Rear mounted, 5,700 Kgs pull, electrically operated
• Tyres: BFgoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A LT 285/75 R16

links elsewhere

• Jay Leno's Garage
• Ford Trucks forums
• Pakwheels forums

A journey to Thar desert in Pakistan. The trailer is viewable here.

Hingol Flood Relief is a documentary about the devastation caused by the cyclone that hit the coastal areas of Baluchistan in the summer of 2007, and the relief efforts of a small group of individuals from Karachi for the scattered settlements in the Hingol National Park.

In the wake of such devastation, a small group of individuals belonging to the 4X4 Offroaders Club of Karachi decided to collect and personally deliver two truckloads of relief goods to the people of Hingol National Park. Situated along the Makran Coast in Baluchistan, and occupying an area of about 1,650 square kilometers, it is the largest National Park in the country. A few Park Wardens were dispatched on camelback to inform the settlements scattered throughout the Park area of the group’s arrival a few days earlier.

Many of the villagers from inside the park walked for up to 2 days to reach the Coast Guard camp at Aghore where the relief goods were to be distributed. Approximately 450 families were provided cooking utensils and food rations that included flour, sugar, salt, ghee, tea, matches, and powdered milk. A medical camp was also set up and medicines for common ailments distributed for a a number of households.

A recent trip of the 4X4 Offroaders Club to Hingol National Park in Baluchistan. The complete version will air on Aaj tv in the near future. The trailer is above, and the full version is below. Click here to read the article about this trip.

The pre-trip preparations involved a lot of research, finding hiking and cold weather equipment, and trying to get into shape for the long hike ahead. Our plan is detailed below, and hopefully anyone else looking for information on planning this hike on their own will find it helpful. The pictures of the hike are up over here, and an article about the actual trip will be up soon.

Our actual trip costing for the five of us to K2 Base camp and back is viewable here.

We bought all food and kitchen supplies in Skardu, which are listed in the spreadsheet above. All our personal equipment was bought from Lunda Bazaar in Karachi, and some from Sunday Bazaar.

The basic arrangements

A good guide and porter sirdar is crucial. The porter sirdar manages the porters, and without a tour company, you have to deal closely with both the porter sirdar and the porters to make sure there are no mishaps on the way.

Some friends from the LUMS Adventure Society had done this trek previously - they recommended us to contact Mhd. Nazir at the Indus Motel (Phone 05831-52608, 52296) to arrange a guide for us. We got in touch with Nazir, and he did a tremendous job, and not only found us a guide/coook/sirdar, but also bought most of our necessary supplies in advance along with the guide. The Indus Motel is a great place to stay, and very helpful. Met a lot of interesting people there also, as it's one of the major mountaineering centers in Pakistan.

We hired Bakar, who did three jobs in one - cooking, guiding and was the porter sirdar. He arranged the porters, and calculated the amount of food and equipment we needed to take up with us. Food plus all necessary utensils, stove etc. were all purchased at Skardu with him.

Another great resource we used was the Mountain Company's K2 brochure which contained stage by stage details of the hike. I found this more useful than most of the guide books I saw. We met their group heading up towards K2 on our way back, and thanked their guide, Roland Hunter for their comprehensive guide.

equipment

This being a cotton country, everyone had cotton shirts. All recent mountaineering literature strictly commands mountaineers to throw away and burn everything cotton, and buy polyester or polypropylene shirts.

Lunda bazaar in Karachi has all the used clothing one would ever want, but in the summer many of the better cold weather jackets are stored up, so they are a bit hard to find. A couple of people were lucky to find used hiking boots there, while 2 of us already had them, and 1 person went 3-4 times to Lunda bazaar before finally finding them. Proper boots with ankle support are a must.

Panaroma center in Saddar, just opposite Zainab market has good local winter wear, ranging from warm caps to jackets. Khizer bought his jacket from Panaroma, and it was more than than good enough. The best jacket are ones with a waterproof outer and a removable inner liner. Besides a jacket, a fleece jacket is highly recommended.

We already had a tent, a 5 man tent from Zuflah and while I would have been happier with a better quality tent, it proved it's worth. Most of the trekking companies were using tents made by Higher. There are a couple of other local companies in Pakistan making tents, but Higher seems to be the best one. It's hard to find a used tent, and the prices in Skardu are so high for tents that it's cheaper and better just to buy a new one.

We didn't take a mess tent, basically basic we would have had to buy one, than add a extra porter to carry it, but next time I will get one, as it's very useful. Still, since we had a large tent, it also served as our mess tent.

Lunda Market in Karachi is a used clothing haven. We got all our cold weather gear from there, and it's cheap! If you're lucky you'll find a jacket for 500 Rs. which is worth 500 dollars new. There are jackets plenty available there, but good shoes are much tougher to find. A word of advice - buy new insoles for the shoes, which are available from most shoe stores these days.

Quite a few people had told us that we will be able to buy mountaineering equipment from Skardu, but it's so scarce there, and prices extremely high that you can't rely on getting anything from there - best to arrange everything before hand.

Getting Fit

The fitter you are, the more enjoyable the hike will be, as the less aches and pains you'll have, and you'll be more 'alive'! Hit Google for tons of getting fit resources.

Actual Packing list

This is everything I packed in Karachi, and took on the hike.

1. Cotton pant for hiking (cargo pants would be better). Don't buy very cheap ones from Zainab market as under tough use they fall apart, as Khiz discovered on day two, and had to borrow paints from me!
2. Very lightweight pant for hiking
3. Shorts
4. Cargo shorts
5. Ski pants
6. Four polyester sports t-shirts
7. boxers - about 8
8. Three knee braces - I have a bad knee, but ended up handing them all out. Everyone should carry a knee brace.
9. Backpack - 55 litres
10. Hiking shoes
11. Sandals - useful for campsites
12. Adidas joggers - the backup shoes if the boots die (this happens!)
13. Sunglasses - a must. The sun is so strong that you can burn your retinas without them.
14. head scarf - very useful, good sunshade, scarf, etc. etc.
15. Gloves, thick (new from Lunda Bazaar for 150Rs).
16. Scarf
17. Columbia sports Jacket with liner (from Lunda)
18. Nike jogging trackpants (almost waterproof, to use as rain protection over pants, in backpack)
19. Rain coat lightweight with hood (in backpack entire time)
20. Five polypropylene socks
21. One long sleeves cotton t-shirt (never used it, though)
22. Back support (also never used)
23. Six cotton socks
24. Hiking pole/stick
25. Two books, Catch 22 and Parallel Worlds
26. Diary and pens
27. Harness with figure of eight and carabiners
28. Coils of rope - assorted - to give to porters to tie the saman, and also a climbing rope, which we never used. Gave it to the guide at the end of the trip.
29. Swiss army knife - never used!
30. A Canon A640 digital camera
31. 12 AA batteries for digital camera (it took 4 in one go)
32. handheld GPS with extra batteries
33. Three spare memory cards for camera, 2GB each
34. Sleeping bag, Northface, from Sunday Bazaar in DHA-8
35. About 20 Mars bars (which i gave away)
36. Petzel led headlamp, this is essential. After using a good headlamp for the first time, I'm never going to use a torch again. It lasted a month on the same batteries, and is far more usable than a torch.

This was the total stuff I took along on the hike. A strong waterproof duffel bag is necessary to put all this stuff in, which the porter than carrys. Not all of this was handed over to the porters, the following is the list of my own backpack.

The actual weight of the saman each of us handed over to the porters was around 8kg each, which was of the list above (minus the stuff we packed in our own backpacks) and our sleeping bags.

Backpack packing list

One must have a backpack while hiking, as there are certain items which are absolutely essential. The porters walk at their own pace (they hate walking slow), so you can only access your stuff at camp - not during the hike itself. The only time a porter would walk with you if you pay him extra, or if you are injured.

1. A 1.5 liter bottle for water (A regular Nestle water bottle)
2. A 750ml wide neck water bottle.
3. Sunglasses - essential! Without them, even the retina gets burned!
4. Hat
5. A book to read (a must have for someone like me!)
6. Diary and pens
7. Camera - a Canon A640, with one extra memory card and 4 AA batteries
8. Track pants
9. Rain coat lightweight with hood
10. Scarf - very useful
11. Fleece Jacket
12. Energy bars
13. Cream Cheese
14. Sweets - Foxes
15. Trekking pole
16. Swiss Army knife
17. Raincover for backpack
18. Headlamp - not needed during the day, but it was too important in the evenings to entrust to a porter!
19. Sachets of ORS and Tang
20. A knee brace
21. A few medicines - Panadal Extra, Disprin etc.
22. Sunblock & chapstick
23. Soap - two types! one to use with water, the other a newage type which doesn't need water

The total of the above, including the backpack, was around 9-10kg.

These are the minimum items I would always carry. I got a lot of advice from people to only carry 5kg at the maximum, but there is no way you can fit all the above in 5kg!

I used a Northface 55 litre hiking bag, and it was just the right size for all this. A couple of us had 65 litre bags and those were a bit big. I think a 45-55 litre is about the right size for all this.

Some people just use a school bag sized backpack, and basically carry only water a a few small items. The less weight the better, of course, but then I'd arrange to have a porter carrying my backpack to stay with me throughout the trek. On our limited budget that wasn't a option, so all of us carried about 9-10kg each.

Carrying 10kg is no joke, so a good backpack is essential. The local option is Lunda Bazaar, from where 4 of us found used hiking bags for 400 to 800Rs each, and another is the Lahore based company Higher which makes pretty good backpacks.

Medical kit

We collected all the medicines listed here and put them in a waterproof bag, and also kept a basic guide on how to use them! (very important). This was very useful, as not only we needed everything from painkillers to deep heat, the porters would also ask for medicine. One mistake - we didn't take enough stomach medicines and painkillers, but were lucky enough to get them from a doctor we met on the trail.

links

• Karakorams #
• the Mountain Company's K2 brochure :: download the pdf file linked to from their page

What else

This entry is a work in progress, and will be completed later...