People

Kalash Woman Portrait

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An elder of the Kalash people at the annual spring festival of Chillam Josh. The isolated Kalash Valley in Chitral has helped to preserve this ancient tribe’s culture and practices.

Photography

Pigeons at the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardez

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Shah Yousaf Gardez was an 11th century saint who settled in Multan and is associated with many miraculous feats. It is said that he arrived riding a lion and using a live serpent as a whip. A pair of pigeons also followed him and came to nest at the place of his burial. The shrine’s […]

Nature

Pond at Rama, Astore

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Rama is a forested hill resort in Gilgit Baltistan’s Astore District. Rama Lake is a couple of hours trek from here. This pond was found in the surrounding forest, on the way back from the lake. Covered in pine needles, it made for quite a soothing sight.

Landscapes

Halo above Miranjani Top

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Miranjani Peak (2,992 metres/9,816 ft) is the highest point in the Galiyat/Hazarajat/Murree region. This includes the Abbottabad and Rawalpindi districts, as well as the Islamabad federal area. Depending on fitness and weather conditions, it takes between 2 to 4 hours to reach the top from the holiday retreat of Nathia Gali. Last Saturday was my […]

Landscapes

Snow Flare at Makra and Paye

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The morning sun casts its rays across the icy meadows of Paye and over Makra Peak. In March, the rolling green meadows are covered in several meters of snow and pose quite an obstacle for anyone attempting to reach the top.

Featured

Makra Peak and Siri Paye Winter Expedition

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An Improbable Journey A few weeks back I received an invite from Maaz for a winter expedition to climb Makra Peak. We had planned similar expeditions before, only to have them canceled at the last minute for one reason or another. So, despite already having an extremely busy schedule, I accepted the invite with a […]

Landscapes

Wall of Rock and Ice

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The mighty Nanga Parbat (8,126 m/26,660 ft), as seen from Buhl Camp (locally pronounced as Biyaal Camp). The camp is named after Hermann Buhl, the first person to successfully climb the deadly mountain. The mountain’s north face (Raikot Face) that can be seen here looks deceptively small, yet is roughly 4000 meters (4km or 2.5 […]

Landscapes

Where Mountains Meet the Skies

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The River Indus originates in the highest sections of the Himalayas and lends its name to a major world religion (Hinduism), a group of languages and a whole subcontinent. For over 300km, it flows next to the world’s highest paved international highway, the Karakoram Highway (KKH). At Raikot, the highway crosses north and continues on […]