Pakistan is a political mess, and with that come the dangers that make it arguably one of the most dangerous countries you could go. You would be much safer with Grizzly Bears here in Greater Yellowstone or Chupacabras farther south.

So in short an absolute no.

I know the peaks are higher and the culture is different, but why would you do that befoer any of the multitude of incredible backpacking here in the States. You could do the Colorado Trail, CDT through the Winds. The JMT.

Well, wherever you end up going I wish you the safest of trails.

It's one of those things you have to make up your own mind on, and accept whatever consequences - which may well be absolutely none at all, except a great trip.

I'd definitely check out this thread over on UKC, which asks the same question, last year:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php? ... 1#x5453512

Generally, the Northern Areas are relatively safe for tourists - that is, the upper KKH and Hunza area (north of Gilgit) and the mountains north of Skardu (Baltoro etc). All the really bad stuff is in other areas further west and south.

Realistically the only trouble spots for tourists are getting through Islamabad, which is mostly very safe but has the odd incident, and one or two sections along the KKH south of Gilgit - the area near where the earthquake was, and the area around Chilas - but mostly tourists travel through here no problem. Western media and government warnings are not a good indicator of the situation in the northern mountain areas where most go trekking or climbing. On the other hand if you go to Baluchistan, Swat, the western tribal areas or hang around in Karachi you're an idiot and deserve whatever problems occur.

I've been to Pakistan four times, climbing and trekking. It's a great place and the people in the northern areas are very safe and friendly.

You definitely should note that a massive rock slide on the KKH north of Karimabad has destroyed the road and created an enormous long lake. The KKH is totally blocked to vehicle traffic and they are using MOTOR BOATS to ferry people and goods along this section. This is a major issue that is having severe ramifications for the whole area, and tourists should take this into account.

D

girl wrote:Hi all,

Im totally new on the forum and dont even know if I am posting in the right section but need a bit of advice.

I would love to go trekking in Pakistan this summer but I am not sure if it safe to do so considering the present situation across and along the border with Afghanistan. Can anyone provide me with any info, please

Thanks
girl

Hi girl,

The current situation in Pakistan is safe. You can trek anywhere in Pakistan with the help of local people. The people of mountain areas are very helpful and friendly and hope you will have no problem in Pakistan. 29 expedition team have applied for climbing permit for climbing of peaks during summer 2010. Beside mountaineering expeditions, many trekking teams have confirmed their arrival in Pakistan. You can contact local tour operators in the matter.

Doublecabin, I'm curious. That's a very unambiguous and decisive answer - I just wonder, upon what do you base it? Meaning your knowledge about the situation in Pakistan? Do you have first hand experience?

The second question I have, is as to why question somebody who wants to have a wider perspective than one own's country? USA is very beautiful and have the most amazing nature, but to only stay in it, as in any country, easily creates rather narrowminded views excluding knowledge about how it is in the rest of the world. And this is a big world. With gorgeous nature of the most diverse kind.

Well, everybody, girl provided no information about herself, location or experience. Since she's worried about safety in Pakistan, you guessed US, but Canada, West Europe, Australia/NZ, and other rich countries are plausible homes. But for all we know she comes from Armenia or Azerbaijan and is more familiar with political risk.

Maybe girl is a complete newbie, in which case Pakistan would be an odd choice for first trekking. Why not (say) Nepal? Or the Alps, or Rockies, or whatever?

But if girl has done those things already, then talking to Afzal & Damien (and Corax and others) about Pakistan strikes me as a very good idea.

So, girl: tell us more about your experience and what you're looking for. Why Pakistan, and why now?

A friend of mine, white female, traveling with a German passport and was trekking in Pakistan solo for a month and she had a fun time. This was her second time traveling solo Pakistan on an extended basis.

Hello Girl,

The area around Shimshal is probably fine, and the valley on the opposite side, the Chapursan Valley, is also nice. You can get into it very cheaply via jeep, from the KKH. Both Shimshal and Chapursan have very good trekking guides available. Alam Jan Dario is the main guide in Chapursan, he has a basic guest house there with his wife and is very famous in the area.

You may want to look into going into the area via China and the Khunjerab Pass. If you come from Kyryzstan or Kazakhstan into Xinjiang (China) then over the Khunjerab Pass into Hunza you avoid the dangerous areas further south and the unpleasant travelling out of Islamabad. It's longer, but if you have the time it would be much more interesting and maybe safer. You would also be on the north side of the new lake, so would not be delayed in getting around it.

However trekking in Pakistan is VERY different from Nepal. There are no lodges or tea-houses, no good paths and the conditions are much harsher - drier, hotter, dustier. The locals are friendly, but not in the same way as the Nepali people. Nepal is much more used to Western trekkers, so the service is much better. Pakistan is much rougher.

D

girl wrote:I want to go there before it all will be changed by us or disappeare becouse of us ...

Not much danger of that right now! Afzal mentions 29 expeditions this year? In 2001 there were nearly 80 expeditions and in 2007 there were more than 60.

Tourist numbers in Pakistan are very low right now, so in some ways it is a good time to go, if you are a careful and go to the right places. You will not have big crowds anywhere!

However if you want to join up with others to do a big trip I'm sure you could find a group crossing the Biafo-Hispar glaciers from Hunza to Baltoro, which is one of the most popular treks, but still very wild and untravelled compared to Nepal, with several days on glaciers and no tracks for much of it. There are shorter treks available in the Chapursan Valley which are very nice. Quite a few Eurpean travellers have visited Chapursan, but hardly any Americans. It is quite close to the border with Afghanistan, but pretty safe and very scenic. Shimshal is drier, but the mountains to the south of Shimshal are much bigger. Going on your own is OK, but sometimes it is good to join up with other people to share the costs of porters etc, as these are necessary because there are no lodges on the routes.

D

I was there many years ago, but I base it on the current political situation. The government is hardly stable and with the vast majority of its military resources dirceted at India right now the people who actually attacked the US and the West and those who harbored them still have relatively free reign over the whole country. The Saudis paid for their nuclear Program and the country is as I understand it an ever more fragile house of cards.I don't even think the country is 40 years old?

That said she asked if it were safe. Given its unequivocally one of the most unsafe countries in the world I thought her question had to be a rhetorical one.

I hope you have a great trip. Culture is ineed something worthy of our time. I've just come to prefer wildlife much more as I get older. Happy trails.

girl wrote:But I have also email some guides from the region and its apparently all cool beans there. So which one is the truth then?

I can't tell you that, but keep in mind that those people are trying to make money. You should look for a more objective source than someone hoping for your business. I'm not saying they're lying or wrong, just that they have a financial incentive to paint things in the best light possible. And that would be the case wherever you went in the world.

Doublecabin, it must have been interesting.

I guess everybody's views of what's "safe" differs.
There's a great quote about that, but can't find it right now.