24th TERRA Festival - ABOUT PATHS AND PEOPLE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF PAKISTAN. AROUND NANGI PARBAT AND UNDER K2

ABOUT THE PATHS AND PEOPLE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF PAKISTAN. AROUND NANGI PARBAT AND UNDER K2

Trekking around Nangi Parbat leads on a wild road, without infrastructure, demanding and at times difficult. Shrinking glaciers surprise with sudden changes in the surface, which forces the search for new variants. For this reason, this hike has not gained as much popularity as trekking under K2, but the wildness of nature and the beauty of the massif magnetize. It happens, therefore, that organized groups of tourists pass through the Mazeno Pass (5,358 m above sea level), which is the main difficulty.

The hike is then based on trust in guides and porters, without whose help the transition from the southern Rupal valley to the western Diamir valley could not succeed. What role do people play in the mountains of Pakistan supporting expeditions and high mountain hikes? How is the growing popularity of tourism in the world's highest mountains changing their lives? I dedicate the story to Michael Beek and Soahil Sakhi, the people who loved the mountains of Pakistan the most.

Magda Ionczyk

Magda Jończyk, guide and organizer of treks in the Himalayas and Karakorum. The founder of the Wysoko Foundation, which supports the inhabitants of the high mountains, promotes safety in the highest mountains and sustainable tourism by conducting trekking with respect and understanding of culture and nature. He is happy to tell about the high-mountain world, and especially about the people of the mountains. He photographs. www.magdajonczyk.com