Fairy Meadows named by German climbers (German Märchenwiese, “fairy tale meadows”) and locally known as Joot, is a grassland near one of the base camp sites of the Nanga Parbat, located in Diamer District, Gilgit-Baltistan. At an altitude of about 3,300 meters above the sea level, it serves as the launching point for trekkers summiting on the Rakhiot face of the Nanga Parbat. In 1995, the Government of Pakistan declared Fairy Meadows a National Park.
Nanga Parbat, locally known as Diamer, is the ninth highest mountain in the world at 8,126 metres (26,660 ft) above sea level. Located in the Diamer District of Gilgit Baltistan region, Nanga Parbat is the western anchor of the Himalayas.The name Nanga Parbat is derived from the Sanskrit words nagna and parvata which together mean “Naked Mountain”. The mountain is locally known by its Tibetan name Diamer or Deo Mir, meaning “huge mountain”.
Nanga Parbat is one of the eight-thousanders. An immense, dramatic peak rising far above its surrounding terrain, Nanga Parbat is also a notoriously difficult climb. Numerous mountaineering deaths in the mid and early-20th century lent it the nickname “Killer Mountain.”
Islamabad Pakistan
3 Hours Before Departure time of Tour
We depart early and drive to Besham via Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra. After a short break at Besham, we resume our drive on Karakoram Highway, along River Indus. We will make photo stops at Shatial Rocks with ancient graffiti’s on it. We reach Chilas and transfer to hotel for night stay.
From Chilas we travel on towards Gilgit. We shall cross the Indus River at Raikot Bridge and along the way we will have a few Nanga Parbat view points from the road including the famous point where we shall see all three mountain ranges (Karakorum, Himalaya and Hindukush) including the confluence of Gilgit River into the Indus. From here we reach Gilgit and check-in our hotels and we depart for Hunza driving on KKH and make a spectacular stop at Rakaposhi viewpoint. Crossing several villages of Nagar and Hunza states, we arrive at Karimabad, the capital town of Hunza Valley. After spending sometime in Hunza, we return back to our hotels for night stay.
After breakfast at hotel, we will drive towards our destination, Fairy Meadows, which is a great but soft adventure. Fairy Meadows is located at the base camp of Nanga Parbat – 8125m, the lone giant of Himalayas and the second highest in Pakistan after K-2. We drive to Raikot Bridge on KKH and onwards to Jail (Tato), by jeeps at foot of Fairy meadows. From the end of jeep track, it is a hike of about three hours to the legendary place Fairy meadows, which is truly named with unsurpassed views of Nanga Parbat. At fairy Meadows tents or log cabins are available for accommodation.
A soft trek of two to three hours, walking through the dense pine forest and later through birch trees and along shallow streams, takes us to Beyal, a summer settlement of shepherds with stunning views of Nanga Parbat – 8125m.
Optional hike to Nanga Parbat base camp crossing tails of glaciers with well identified track. At base camp, a monument had been erected in the memory of climbers died on the mountain. After a packed cold picnic lunch at base camp, we will return to our campsite at Fairy Meadows and enjoy a unique and memorable night at the foot of Nanga Parbat and in the land of fairies with bonfire
In the morning after breakfast we checkout and move back down the mountain to Tato village where our jeeps await to take us to Raikot Bridge. Upon reaching the bridge, we transfer to our vans and travel down along the KKH. We will spend the night in either Chilas or at Besham.
From Chilas or Besham we resume our journey towards Islamabad passing through Mansehra, Abbottabad and Havelian we will reach Islamabad at our designated drop off place.
