Written by: Muhammad Umer Farooq
Posted on: October 09, 2018 | 
| 中文
The Rama Meadows
If you want to reach Astore, there are two different routes you can use. The first one is from the Karakoram Highway and the second one is from Skardu via Deosai Plains. My plan is to reach Astore from Bunji, a small town on the Karakoram Highway. A newly constructed road descends from KKH and connects to a bridge over the fast-flowing Indus River. The travel time ahead is roughly 2 hours, in a dry brown landscape. The river is mostly on the left side when travelling towards Astore, and the only green patches of land can be seen while passing through small villages, with tall poplar trees, and lush green fields. The bustling town of Astore has streets full of shop fronts, many of these selling dry fruit that has been gathered from the nearby areas.
From Astore, I travel up to Rama Meadows, which can be reached by tourists in their cars. I am accompanied by two local friends from Astore, who drive me up in their four by four jeep. The drive is a maximum of thirty minutes long, and after leaving Astore, in just a matter of minutes, the landscape changes. Ascending on a road between village houses, the cultivation and plantations are pleasing for the eyes and water streams start appearing frequently, as the town of Astore is left behind. Halfway through the ride, snowy peaks emerge in the surroundings, and amongst these, one stands out in particular. The locals call it Diamer in their local Shina language, and Rama Lake lies right below this massive mountain. In less than twenty-five minutes, we arrive at Rama Meadows.
Small shops appear on the trackside where snacks and tea are available. We pass by the village guesthouse and PTDC, relatively popular places for staying, among other campsites. Finally, we cross the wooden bridge at the meadows, under which the river flows. Since I plan to camp at the meadows, we stop at the last camping site, run by Irfan from Astore who was hospitable towards me on my last visit as well. With green pastures of grass, the meadows have Cedar and Pine trees in abundance. I set up camp quickly, and leave for the trek to the lake.
From this point onwards, the track can only be accessed by jeeps or bikes, and cars are not allowed. Enthusiasts can also opt for an hour long trek to reach the lake. At one point, the trek is so narrow that jeeps will go no further, but there is good news for professional bikers who can go up till the lake.
The hike takes me around sixty minutes, an uphill journey towards the shining white Diamer. After leaving the campsite, you cross a stream of water which starts appearing narrower as you walk further away, though it remains on your right. Although the track does not take you through thick forests, the mountain that I am trekking on is covered with shrubs and grass. On the right side, however, there are flatlands and an adjacent mountain with plenty of trees. Before the Rama Lake, there are around three smaller lakes, where the water accumulates before flowing downstream. People can often be seen trying to catch fish, such as trout, in these waters and many have been lucky.
It is evening by the time I reach the lake, and only a part of the setting sun can be seen behind the tall peaks, playing hide and seek with the clouds. The water of the lake appears green, reflecting the greenery of the surrounding hills. Occasionally, when the clouds allowed the sun to fully take over, the water turns golden. When the wind stops blowing, the lake also offers a reflection of the surrounding valley. I am fortunate enough to watch the sun setting behind Diamer, which is a part of the Himalayan Range connecting to Nanga Parbat Mountain, the 9th highest eight-thousander peak in the world. After observing the golden hour, I hike back towards my camp.
The clouds present shades of golden, yellow and red at this time of the sunset, the sky even more majestic than the lake. The mountains are lit up and glowing in the remaining sunlight. The hike back takes around 40 minutes, and it is dark by the time I reach.
Next morning, after having breakfast from the stall near my campsite, I set out on my journey towards Astore and then towards the Karakoram Highway. I travel further up north towards Nomal Valley, where a local friend is waiting to take me to Naltar, the valley of lakes.
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