Spring in the Mountains
Workshop Details
Spring in the Mountains
This tour has been specifically designed for nature lovers & enthusiast photographers of all skill levels offering an ultimate experience of spring blossoming in the valleys of northern areas of Pakistan. It doesn’t matter what camera you are carrying; you would be able to capture the magical landscapes and learn photography on-location from experienced professionals. We will take you to the locations chosen by the professional photographer himself.
Dates & Place
March End – First Week April
Hunza, Nagar, Gulmit, & Phundar Valley
Tour Type
Travel, Nature, Landscape, Culture and People Photography
Activity Level
Moderate – Medium, Walk & Hike
Group Size
12 Person
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
- Capture and enjoy the ultimate beauty of the Northern Valleys of Pakistan in the Spring Season.
- Experience the taste of Karakoram Highway – the 8th Wonder of the World and witness the confluence point of the world’s biggest mountain ranges; Karakorum’s, Himalayas, and Hindukush.
- Cherish the blissful and spiritual sunrise at Duikar, surrounded by the snow-capped mountains at about 8,000ft where you can experience the whispering winds and capture the magical moments of light travel over the mountain tops before and after the Sunrise.
- Spring is a time of joy in these valleys where you will enjoy the most amazing flowering season in the world.
- Slow-moving water and dissolved minerals in mountain streams and rivers transform them into unique blue and turquoise flow.
- Terracing fields, deep pink and glowing white flowering trees against the sun with towering snow-capped mountains against the deep blue sky make the whole panorama a heavenly combination for Nature Lovers and photographers.
- An experienced and well-known nature photographer Ghulam Rasool would lead this tour. He will not only share his knowledge of photography but take you to the vantage points and give personal coaching and tips on the locations as well.
- Meet the hospitable people, taste the local foods, listen to the cultural music and capture the colors of life.
DETAILED TOUR ITINERARY
We start our tour by exploring the site of Islamabad, the administrative capital of Pakistan. The city is located in the beautiful Margalla Hills at the foothills of the Himalayas. Here, we may visit the most famous vantage of the city and the Faisal Mosque, the largest in South Asia and the sixth largest in the world. We will also visit the famous shopping and eating precincts to get a feel of modern Pakistan.
We will take an early start from Islamabad to our next destination on the most famous Karakoram Highway. On the way we will be travelling along the Indus River which offers tremendous Photo and sight-seeing opportunities and by the late afternoon we will stop for the night rest.
After the Breakfast, we will continue towards our next stop Gilgit / Karimabad, Hunza. Along the way on KKH, we will catch glimpses of Nanga Parbat 8126 m, one of the eight thousands and Rakaposhi 7,788 m. During this wonderful travel we will be witnessing the real adventure of traveling on KKH and seeing the confluence point of the world’s mightiest mountain ranges; Karakoram, Himalayas and Hindukush whereas the Indus River flows beneath it.
We will spend these days in exploring and photographing HUNZA, HOPER and NAGAR Valleys, learning and enjoying nature in the best possible way. Early morning start, walk along the trees and capturing the romance of glowing pink and white flowering trees against the deep blue sky will be our ultimate source of enjoyment. People of this area are very much welcoming with beautiful smiles. Before the evening you will find yourself sitting in the middle of this cup shaped valley which is surrounded by snow clad mountains.
We will also manage to experience the sunrise during the magical hours and pay a visit to the historical Altit and Baltit forts of the ancient rulers of Hunza Valley.
With a cup of coffee and honey-walnut cake, a local speciality made from pure organic ingredients we will cherish our evenings while witnessing the last light on falling on the mountain tops. This will be our lifestyle throughout these days in these Valleys.
We will move towards Gilgit and pay a day visit to Naltar Valley and Lakes. This valley is famous for its unique Alpine Forest and the beautiful turquoise and green colour lakes. This valley offers dramatic landscapes along the beautiful Naltar River.
We will travel along the Ghizer River towards Phundar Valley which is relatively broader valley than Hunza and Naltar. This whole area is famous for its fruits’ orchards. We will be traveling upstream along the Ghizer River to Khalti Lake, Dai-Mal and finally to Phundar Lake which is famous fishing spot for trout lovers.
We will start early to reach Gilgit by the afternoon. Gilgit is the administrative capital of the province Gilgit-Baltistan and has been a famous city along the ancient Silk Road serving as a corridor to spread Buddhism in the Asia. Being one of the busiest cities of this area, it offers opportunities of street photography and capture the buzz of modern life in Karakorams.
Next morning, we will fly back to Islamabad where we will have our good bye dinner and debriefing session.
What To Bring:
We do our best to keep you comfortable but let us know if there is something that you can’t eat, please let us know. The weather in these mountains is unpredictable. During the day it’ll be pleasant but the nights can be really cold so you need to bring warm clothes and a light jacket. A comfortable pair of shoes, a good hat, warm gloves and sunblock is recommended.
Camera Equipment:
In terms of the camera kit, you can bring your kit but a light and sturdy tripod with some lenses for landscapes and general photo opportunities such as a 24-70mm for landscapes is the favourite choice. I would suggest a macro lens of some sort and then maybe an intermediate zoom (70-200 or 100-400) so that you don’t miss anything in terms of opportunity. During the evenings we will have a chance to critique and look at the participants’ work.
