Misc
Information on being 'self-sufficient' for those who would like to accompany us on one of our many off-road + camping trips.
For those of you who haven't camped out in the wilderness under the open sky, here are some helpful hints and advise.
February 3, 2008, by Hamid Omar | Comments
The Ford F1 Story - From California to Karachi
Soon after we got married, my wife Sabiha asked me to get a Ford F1 truck for her. I tried my best but could not find any in Pakistan. Some thirty years later, on one of her visits to America, she found one in a small town called Dry Town near Sacramento, California. She convinced the owner to sell it to her and I think she got it for $140 (exact amount she has not told me - only that it cost more to have it towed to our friend Javed Akber's house in Sacramento). Till we could figure out how to have it shipped to Karachi, for over a year the Ford truck remained parked in Javed's garage (while their own two cars remained out in the open).
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September 29, 2007, by Hamid Omar | Comments
K2 Base camp hike planning
Like any long trip, we started planning this a long time ago. Some (Asad, me) had wanted to do a major hike for years, and Concordia was always at the top of the list of the many, many places to go hiking in Northern Pakistan. "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 decided to finally go.
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.
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September 6, 2007, by Khalid Omar | Comments
The Hingol FAQ
i.e frequently asked questions about the Hingol. We've missed quite a few, so feel free to add your question in the comments, and we'll update this FAQ soonest. Read on....
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February 25, 2006, by Abid Omar | Comments
First Pakistani Motorcycle/Scooter
A view of the first motorcycle/scooter built in Pakistan. Built by Hamid Omar, inspired by plans from Popular Mechanics.
It was built from pine wood because in those days I had no tools available, nor access to welding, steel etc. I needed a transport, and couldn't buy one.
These were the days when nobody ever checked for things like licenses, etc - the old Lahore of 1960s. I used this bike for a few months.
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November 4, 2005, by | Comments
There's no turning back once you've been Jeep-ed
Here's is how it all started for me.
Ever since my childhood I've been riding in Jeeps and dreaming about them. After reading volumes of illustrated War history books, I spent hours in my uncle's CJ-3A imagining myself to be a World War II soldier. A few years later my father bought my eldest brother his first Jeep. It was a Willy's M38. I still remember that day; it was our very first Jeep.
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May 8, 2005, by Yaseen Ali | Comments
Offroaders - Friday Times Article
They were on their way to Khuzdar from Karachi, following the old camel trail, when they came across a wizened old local. He was surprised to come upon this caravan of jeeps on this little used dirt track and asked them where they were headed. To Khuzdar, they said. The old man stared at them in stunned disbelief- "sahib, aap ko malum nahin key Khuzdar tak to eik bohut achhi sarak jati hai." But given the choice, the members of Karachi's Offroaders Club would rather choose a dirt track than a tarred road.
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April 5, 2005, by Umbereen Mirza | Comments
The Red Car - First Pakistani Car
The very first car built & registered in Pakistan.
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January 29, 2005, by Khalid Omar | Comments
Day Trips from Karachi
Just outside Karachi in any direction is some marvelous sightseeing country. Most people living in Karachi do not wander far from the city, at most to the beach and back. Those who do travel, go further away to other cities, or all the way north to the mountains. Like just about any large city, the surrounding areas of Karachi have a lot to offer.
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October 19, 2004, by Khalid Omar | Comments
Jeeps in Pakistan
In Pakistan, there is a limited choice when it comes to choosing a 4×4 vehicle. The major types are listed below, with a short description and rating for each vehicle. With the older 4×4's, their offroad prowess depends mainly on their owners, while with the newer 4×4's, it's mostly up to the vehicle as it cannot be modified much. With these old jeeps, its the driver that's the most important part of the drivetrain, which is what makes them so much fun off the road.
The following jeeps are rated according to Pakistani terrain, where we hardly ever see any mud. We've got rocks, more rocks, even bigger rocks, and lots of fine sand! Most of the local jeeps would do terribly in deep mud, so luckily there isn't any! 4×4 lowrange can compensate for lack of power in any terrain, but with mud you need raw power coupled with fast throttle response.
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October 5, 2003, by Khalid Omar | Comments
Neza-e-Sultan
The knowledge of a monolith almost 900 feet high in the remote region of Baluchistan was based on a narrative by Captain G.P. Tate in his book on travels in Baluchistan and published in 1892. An effort worth every second of the long journey from Karachi to see this Natural Wonder almost at the Pak-Afghan border north of Nok-Kundi, would be remembered by all our members. The topography en-route to the Neza of this area varies to such an extent where one encounters one of the largest salt pan approximately 125 miles wide by 150 miles long a salt crusted flat ground stretching for miles in all directions, the Oases of Mashkel, the extinct volcano called Miri Mountain, a sight to see both in the satellite image by Nasa and yourself, the cascading sand dunes of Kharan, and above all the vastness and open space, un-tampered by modern technology.
Reproduced below is the narrative of Captain G.P. Tate.
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August 6, 2003, by Taimur Mirza | Comments
The Karakoram Highway
The lands route most of the way from Rawalpindi to Gilgit follows the Karakoram Highway up the deep Indus River gorge. The best way to go by road to Gilgit is by following the Grand Trunk road west over the insignificant ridge called the Margella Pass, a place that the noted British historian Sir Olaf Caroe considered being the boundary between the South Asian subcontinent and Central Asia. Then you pass the turnoff to Taxila, and extensive series of archaeological sites from successive civilizations dating from 600 B.C to 600 A.D. that stood at the cultural crossroads of China, India, Central Asia, and the West. Next you swing south of Wah, a town favored by the Moghuls, who built elegant gardens and pavilions here in the sixteenth century. The route turns off the grand Trunk Road cluttered intersection
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July 17, 2003, by Dr. Mansur Ahmed | Comments
Explorers and Adventurers
Mountain exploration began in Europe only in the eighteenth century. Until then the mountains were feared, with most cultures believing them to be home of hungry dragons and fairies able to seduce the unwary to an untimely death. The climbing of Mont Blanc in 1786 created the kind of attitude necessary for the exploration of the greater Himalayan ranges, and this coincided with the expansionist plans of the British East India Company.
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July 17, 2003, by | Comments
History of Pakistan
Pakistan is a land of contrasts; the land of the Indus, which flows through the country for 2500 kilometers. It is a land of snow covered peaks and burning deserts, of fertile mountain valleys and irrigated planes. It is a land of striking variety of colours and customs. Its name means the 'land of the pure' in Urdu. The best way to see this rich countryside is to travel by road. The deserts, the mountains, the rivers, the arid plateaus, the green field all hold a special attraction. Their enormity and grandeur can only be experienced if you have seen them for yourself for it is impossible to appreciate the beauty of the scenery by just reading about it.
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July 17, 2003, by Dr. Mansur Ahmed | Comments
Baluchistan
Having travelled all over Pakistan, I have finally come to the conclusion that Balochistan is one of the least explored and most fascinating place on the blue planet.
An archaeologists paradise, a geologists dream come true, Off-roaders, camping enthusiasts, trekkers, star gazers, nature buffs, desert roamers, history diggers, miners, prospectors, in short every one who is associated with or loves the out doors would find this land pulling like a magnet if once visited.
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June 22, 2003, by Taimur Mirza | Comments
