While planning a vacation one tries to find a place that has a mixture of everything, the comfort, the fun, the thrill, the romance and the adventure. Similarly, while planning a vacation to the ever increasingly beautiful northern areas of Pakistan that have a huge variety of geographical palates, one tends to find a bit of everything like forests, plains, rocky roads, snow capped mountains, towering glaciers, sun, snow and lots of rain. Surprisingly, there is a place in Pakistan, quite easily accessible, that has an amazing amalgamation of all the beautiful aspects mentioned.
Fairy Meadows, or locally known as Joot is a beautiful, lush green grassland near one of the base camps of Nanga Parbat Mountain and Raikot Glacier. Named so by a Japanese photography Fujita Heroki, the name justifies all it’s worth. After a continuous travel for about 24 hours from Islamabad, the first glimpse at Nanga Parbat acts as a magic wand and all your fatigue vanishes.
A 19-hour drive from Pirwadhai Bus station in Islamabad preferably from NATCO (Northern Areas Transport Corporation) to the Raikot Bridge is quite tiring because of two reasons: one being the condition of the road, second being an almost three hour break at three cities namely Mansehra, Bhasham and Chillas to make convoys due to the security laws in the region; however you are allowed to move as you wish on your own car so you will reach Raikot in about 16 hours.
Then, you grab a jeep from the Raikot Bridge that will take you to Fairy point (jeeps can move after this point) this takes about one and a half hour. The road is extremely adventurous and will give you high doses of adrenaline and scare. However, about half way through you get a spell binding peek at the Killer Mountain Nanga Parbat which motivates you for the 4 hour trek on foot up to the Fairy Meadows. The trek is tiring for an amateur but not that difficult if you have done it before. There is an option of a luggage porter that will take your luggage up the trekking track on very reasonable rates; the porter really makes lives easier.
On the way up you will again get peeks at Nanga Parbat and will keep you moving steadily. Also, right besides the mountain on which you are trekking flows the melted water of Raikot Glacier and Nanga Parbat which doesn’t make the trek boring or monotonous. Make sure that you have rain coats (it rains almost every day), shoes with good grip (the track is narrow and rocky, you need a good grip), sun screen (the sunlight is too harsh because of the height) and lights (if you think that night would fall before you reach). The guides are also very friendly and economical, they help you climb, show you places, make food for you, help you in almost everything and will always go out of the way to help you.
After you reach fairy meadows you see a huge grassy ground that has a great view of the Nanga Parbat and the adjacent peaks. However, the Fairy Meadow Cottages gives a view like no other. You get an up close and beautiful view of the mighty and gigantic peak of Nanga Parbat (highest peak). There is a proper living area (indoor and camping) with a capacity to accommodate more than 150 people at once. Mr. Farman, a great person and an excellent host is at Fairy Meadow Cottages all the time (and is the owner of the place) to assist you and help you if needed.
The area is like none. There are different trekking tracks or different expertise levels. You can go to the View Point, Signal Point, Bhayal Camp, Raikot Glacier and Nanga Parbat Base Camp all within one day however it is preferable if you have a stay of a few hours and divide you trekking over few days to enjoy the views to the fullest.
Zain Abbas Butt is a passionate photographer and loves travelling. He is the editor for travel at Kluchit.com
Leave a Reply