Written by: Muhammad Umer Farooq
Posted on: July 15, 2019 | 
| 中文
Mount Miar
We reached the guesthouse in Hopar village in Nagar valley, about two hours away from the Karakoram Highway. From there, we walked uphill towards the viewpoint of Bualtar glacier after crossing a local market. The view of the valley was better from above. One could see a contrast between the irrigated land of greenery and the beautiful brown mountains on both sides. The setting sun cast light on some sections of the valley, making the trees shimmer as they moved with the wind. We were to camp outside a guesthouse for the night and start the trek tomorrow.
After breakfast, the team packed up the tents and equipment and descended into the steep and slippery Bualtar glacier, from where the trek was to begin. The Bualtar glacier that we were traversing through came from the same white mountain we saw the night before. The Miar and Diran peaks were connected to the glacier. It was only when we were on the glacier that we could see the rocks and rubble which covered it. On the left, stood the Batura Muztagh range, home to famous peaks like Lady Finger, Hunza Peak and Ultar Sar.
However, on our right, the Bualtar glacier was melting and the team had to cross quickly. Every now and then, we would hear a thudding sound of ice collapsing around us. The thought of standing between these crumbling walls gave me the jitters.
The team crossed this hurdle, and took a quick but well-deserved brief break before descending onto the second glacier of the trek. The second glacier was called Bharpoo glacier, and this one was not melting as fast as Bualtar. The only technical part on Bharpoo was that there were loose rocks and a few slippery climbs to watch out for.
After crossing both glaciers, the team trekked through a narrow valley. The incline was gradual and there was not much difficulty covering this part. However, we came across a group of giant lizards, some of them almost 2 meters long. They were frightening at first because they were indistinguishable from the surroundings. They saw us approaching and sped by quickly, almost touching us. But they were harmless, simply wary of our presence. My fellow trekkers who had visited Passu and Patundas told me that such lizards are found there as well.
We walked between the valleys and pasts the lizards, and the terrain simply transformed. From glaciers, hills and rocks, the path changed to a small desert and flatland. After another easy hour of trekking, we would reach Berichkor, our camping site,. The mountain on our left became larger as we proceeded, till it was all we could see. It was the same very mountain which we had to climb to reach Rush Lake the next day.
In this last hour of our trek to Berichkor, big cotton clouds in the clear blue sky followed us to the campsite. Berichkor was at the start of a small pasture with wild bushes and stunted trees (due to the altitude and weather conditions). A herd of sheep was grazing peacefully, and we were to feast on one of them after reaching the lake.
Upon reaching the campsite, we rested for an hour, and then a few of us decided to climb the hill that separated us from Bharpoo glacier. It was then that I got a chance to truly appreciate the beauty of the glacier we had crossed. We could see how it was connected to Mount Miar, and I had not seen a prettier white glacier than this before. That, along with the small emerald green lake on the glacier and the breathtaking sunset on Bharpoo, made this day favorite.
Today was the real challenge: the team had to ascend nearly 1500 meters to Rush Lake. We left behind our belongings at Berichkor, and began with good spirits. But no one except our guide, was really aware of the treacherous climb that lay ahead for us.
After spending significant time simply climbing, one of the team members asked the guide if we had done half of the climb. The guide simply responded that we had done only ten percent of the climb. At least three other times, I thought there were only a few meters left. But, after reaching a little further there would be a bigger climb ahead.
Lack of acclimatization and low oxygen levels made every step from here onwards difficult. For the expedition to be successful, it was important to keep everyone positive and motivated. At over 4500m, with aching bodies, we spent more time gasping for air than talking to each other. We could no longer refill our bottles because the streams had frozen. Progress became slow, and breaks came more frequently. We were walking on fields of snow now, and although it was better than walking on rocks, it was tiring and exhausting to make the extra effort, even for the seasoned trekkers.
After trekking in these extreme conditions, we realized that our expedition to this 4694m alpine lake was too early in the season, and that the lake was submerged in snow. Even the outline of the lake could not be distinguished, and the snow would not melt for another few weeks. Because the sun was making the snow soft, we could not spend much time at this elevation. We hurriedly took group photos before returning to Berichkor . The clouds were so low that they submerged with the lake, and we had not realized it.
But it didn’t matter! I had trekked to one of the world’s highest Alpine lakes, and saw some of the most beautiful views in all my trekking experience. I learnt a lot on this day about perseverance and strong will. Now at Berichkor, it was time to enjoy the feast, and to exalt in our sense of conquest and achievement.
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