Hunza is home to one of the most majestic treks known to mankind. Though the claim can be arguable, I am adamant in my belief that once you trek to Hunza Patundas, you will want to go back immediately.
Patundas Top or the Hunza Patundas Meadows is located between the two beautiful glaciers Passu and Batura. It is situated at an altitude of 4,170m in Gilgit Baltistan. It is surrounded by high peaks of Shispar (7,619 m), Passu Peak (7,388 m), Baltar Peak (7,431 m), Batura (7,885 m), Karoon Koh (7,458), Dastagil SAR, and many 6000 m peaks.
My parents trekked through the majestic Hunza Patundas trek, when they were young. And their pictures from the trip narrated stories about the beauty that lay there. From a very young age, I knew if there was one place I wanted to visit, it was Hunza Patundas. And as soon as I was able to travel, I convinced my friends, and we booked tickets to Islamabad.
Our stay in Islamabad was short yet memorable. We spent our limited time there visiting places like the famous Faisal Mosque, Shakar Parian, Pakistan monument, Damen Koh, and other popular sites. We also went to Rawalpindi to visit Rawalpindi’s old Bazaar and Raja Bazaar. Then we came back to Islamabad to rent a car to travel further.
From Islamabad, we drove for 6 to 7 hours to Naran via Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road. After taking a break for lunch we continued our drive to Chilas for 3 to 4 hours via Babusar Pass (4,173 m). The whole journey consisted of wondrous landscapes that made this lengthy trip entertaining. After a night’s stay in Chilas, we moved to Karimabad in the morning.
The 6-hour drive to Karimabad fell short as the route we took had the striking scenery of the junction point of the three great mountain ranges of Pakistan i.e., the Karakoram, Hindukush, and Himalayas Range. The view was breathtaking, and we stayed there for a while to just revel in the beauty of Pakistan. In the evening we visited the enchanting Borith Lake where everything felt magical. The crystal-clear lake with the mountains surrounding it was truly a beautiful sight. We camped there for the night and started our trek in the morning.
After breakfast, we started our trek to Passugar. We had to cross the hot, dry ridge to Passugar pasture. And after trekking for a while we could also see the strikingly astounding view of the Passu Glacier. For the night we camped near the Shepherd huts to get some sleep before resuming the trek to Luzdher.
To get to Luzdher, we had to cross the white glacier Passu. As the Luzdher camp is at the base of Patundas meadows. While crossing the glacier we had to be very careful because of the complex route. But after the glacier was crossed, the view that was before my eyes was worth all the risk. We had an epic view of Passu Peak, Shisper Peak, Ultar SAR, Popdan Peak, and other majestic mountains. The picturesque view made us stay there for a while before continuing our trek.
Our next stop was the Patundas Pass, to reach there we had to trek for 5 hours but with breaks, it took us a little longer to reach there. The trek to the Pass was steep and rocky but the scenery of upper Hunza made it worthwhile. The Patundas meadows overlooked an astonishing view of an ocean of peaks like Shishper (7,611 m), Dastagil SAR (7,885 m), Momhil SAR (7,343 m), Rakaposhi (7,788 m) and other great mountains. We also camped there underneath the sky full of stars for the night.
The next day, we had a free day at Patundas Pass so we decided to take an excursion to the enthralling Shishper Base Camp. The trek to reach the base camp was comparatively easier than most of the treks on this journey. The base camp was stunning with the lush greenery and the mountains all around the campsite. We camped there and continued our trek the next morning.
In the morning, we trekked down back to Passu where we booked a hotel for a night before renting a four-wheeler to drive back to Karimabad. There in Karimabad, we visited the 700-year-old Baltit fort and Baltit village; it was truly a remarkable sight. In the afternoon, we also visited the historical 900-year-old Altit fort and the village.
After these pleasing visits, we continued our drive to Naran via Babusar pass, and from Naran we drove back to Islamabad. There we stayed for a day to visit popular places like the famous Taxila museum and others. After a day’s stay, we arrived at Islamabad Airport to fly back home.
This trip will forever be an integral part of my life because of the memories I created there and the unforgettable scenery I got the privilege to witness. So, if you want to experience the natural beauty of the world with thrilling routes this trip is just the right option.
For more thrilling adventures like this one, in all the glory of Hunza, check this article out:
