Pakistan, Nanga Parbat Basecamp, Episode 2

A jeep safari across Pakistan’s Daiosi Plains to reach the Rupard face of Nanga Parbat (9th highest mountain in the world at 8,125m) and then a short trek to reach the Herlligkoffer Base Camp. Thats all. Sound easy enough? The first part would be a jeep trip across the Deosai Plains followed by a trek, then an indirect return jeep ride.

The driver picked us up in front of the Indus Hotel the first morning, accepted our first half of the payment, filled the fuel tank and then tore out of Skardu as though the world was on fire. Very quickly we left the small town and began to climb the winding dirt road leading to the pass that opens onto the plains, however, I doubted that we would ever reach those plains. The driver seemed to become more and more reckless as we gained altitude. I was in the front seat and my knuckles were white with the strain from holding onto the handgrips, as we fishtailed around the dirt bends. Then as if to remind me of my mortality, another jeep rounded the bend, coming towards us, just as we reached the same bend. Our driver jumped on the breaks, the wheels locked, dust engulfed us, we skidded up and over some low boulders, and came to a stop as the other jeep ground past us with his horn blaring. That was it. I reached over and held the steering wheel firmly and spoke to the driver in clear, forceful English. I explained that we had all day. There was no reason to hurry and that he must drive slowly. He accepted my rebuke with silence and a nod. We continued up the road again at a more sedate speed and I only had to remind the driver to slow down a few more times (usually after he almost ran over a pedestrian) before he gave up any hopes of breaking a land speed record, turned on the radio, and drove like a rational human being.