2020 GeoEx Catalog

GARY KROSIN

on dizzy cliff-tops, and romantic castles built on crags.” Onward to discover Gilgit’s centuries-old Buddhist manuscripts, Khaplu’s wooden mosques, and Shigar’s cultural monuments before heading home via Islamabad. Along the way are scenic rambles, intriguing stops, off-the-beaten-track explorations by four-wheel-drive vehicle, and time-traveling at a host of ancient forts. We take in carpet making, a polo match, and a dance perfor- mance, gaining a deeper understanding of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. Naturally, there’s time to bask in mind- blowing views of majestic peaks, including 25,500-foot Rakaposhi, 23,800-foot Diran, and the 19,600-foot rock- spiring Bublimotin (also known as Lady Finger). We leave captivated by the grandeur of the mountains and by the people who live here. Day 1  arrive in Kashgar ✦  2  Kashgar with Sunday bazaar ✦ 3  Karakoram Highway to Tashkurgan ✦  4  Khunjerab Pass to Passu ✦  5  Attabad Lake by boat, drive to Karimabad ✦  6  Baltit Fort, Aga Khan Academy ✦  7  by road to Nagir Valley, Hopper Glacier ✦  8  Altit Fort, drive to Duiker ✦  9  drive to Gilgit and explore ✦  10  on to Skardu via Indus River Gorge ✦  11  Skardu bazaar, continue to Khaplu ✦ 12  Khaplu sights ✦  13  drive to Shigar ✦  14  Shigar and polo match ✦  15  across Deosai Plateau to Rama ✦  16  drive to Naran via Babusar Pass ✦  17  on to Islamabad ✦  18  Islamabad exploring ✦  19  depart. june 20–july 8; aug. 29–sept. 16 from $10,775

Pakistan’s HunzaValley

WHERE THREE EMPIRES MEET

TOURING | 19 DAYS · GROUP

O ur Asia aficionados praise the Hunza Valley’s otherworldly scenery, Silk Road history, enthralling mythology, and tightly knit communities. This one-of- a-kind expedition explores the northeastern corner of this country along with the westernmost edge of China, traveling along the deservedly world-famous Karakoram Highway. (A civil-engineering marvel built at unimagi- nable altitudes, the KKH connects Pakistan and China, linking philosophies and religions as much as trade.) From the desert to the snowcapped Hindu Kush, we delve into peaceful, hidden corners of the old kingdom of Hunza—called “the epitome of mountain grandeur” by Eric Shipton—meet amiable locals, and drink in galactic Karakoram peaks. Alighting in Kashgar, we’re immersed in the invig­ oratingly tumultuous Sunday bazaar, getting our first taste of the region’s energetic markets. Then on to the tomb of the Fragrant Concubine, where we hear the legend of Emperor Qianlong and the consort whose natural perfume entranced him. Continuing along the heart- stopping KKH, we ascend over Khunjerab Pass, crossing from China into Pakistan, and make our way past Attabad Lake’s turquoise waters and canyon walls to Karimabad, which Sir Claremont Skrine once described as bearing “villages imbedded in foliage, neat terraced fields over- hung by glaciers and icy needle-peaks, orchards perched

ABOVE  The fields and orchards of the Hunza Valley are irrigated with water carried from distant melting glaciers through channels that the local population has carved—mostly out of rock.

Pakistan

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