Hiking to Fairy Meadows and Nanga Parbat Base Camp
15th June 2017
Pakistan has 5 of the world's 14 highest peaks which are above 8,000m tall. One of these is the Nanga Parbat (8,126m) located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. Many of the 8,000m mountains are far from civilisation and difficult to be seen up close by anyone who is not a high altitude mountaineer.
Nanga Parbat, however, is an exception. This great mountain can be viewed fairly conveniently in its full glory by hiking to the scintillating Fairy Meadows, Pakistan.
Fairy Meadow's location is in a remote part of Gilgit-Baltistan. I had always heard the tales of Fairy Meadows' spectacle from my friends. I had to visit the place myself to experience its magic. In May of 2017, I finaly got the chance to do so.
Jump to:
- Hike Overview
- Trip Overview
- How to Reach
- Jeep to Fairy Meadows
- Hike to Fairy Meadows
- Camping on the Meadows
- Hike to Beyal Camp and Base Camp
- Equipment
Overview of Hike to Fairy Meadows
- Hike Difficulty: Easy / Moderate
- Typical Hike Duration (One-way): 3 Hours
- Trail Head: Tattu Village
- Hike Season: Ideally May to September but accessible all year around
- Campsite: Fairy Meadows, Beyal Camp
- Guide: Available from Tattu Village
- Porters: Available from Tattu Village
- Car Parking: Available at Raikot Bridge
Overview of Hike to Nanga Parbat Base Camp
- Hike Difficulty: Moderate
- Typical Hike Duration (One-way): 4 Hours
- Trail Head: Fairy Meadows
- Hike Season: June to September
- Campsite: Beyal Camp
- Nanga Parbat Base Camp Weather: Cold
- Nanga Parbat Base Camp Height: above 4,000m
Note: Preserving nature is the responsibility of every tourist / hiker. Please DO NOT LITTER, DO NOT DRAW GRAFFITI, DO NOT CUT TREES.
Trip Overview & Itinerary
| Day | Time | Journey | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 / Day 1 | 06:00am to 06:00pm |  Islamabad to Chilas (via Babusar) |
12 hours |
| 10:00pm to 03:00pm (+1) | Islamabad to Chilas (via KKH) |
17 hours | |
| Day 2 | 08:00am to 09:30am | Chilas to Raikot Bridge |
1.5 hours |
| 10:00am to 01:00pm |  Raikot Bridge to Tattu |
3 hours | |
| 01:30pm to 04:30pm |  Tattu to Fairy Meadows |
3 hours | |
| Day 3 | 08:00am to 10:00am | Fairy Meadows to Beyal Camp |
2 hours |
| 10:00am to 12:00pm | Beyal Camp to Base Camp |
2 hours | |
| 01:00pm to 04:00pm | Base Camp to Fairy Meadows |
3 hours | |
| Day 4 | 08:00am to 10:30am | Fairy Meadows to Tattu |
2.5 hours |
| 11:00am to 01:30pm | Tattu to Raikot Bridge |
2.5 hours | |
| 02:30pm to 04:00pm | Raikot Bridge to Chilas |
1.5 hours | |
| Day 5 | 08:00am to 07:00pm | Chilas to Islamabad (via Babusar) |
11 hours |
| 07:00am to 11:00pm | Chilas to Islamabad (via KKH) |
16 hours |
How to Reach Fairy Meadows?
My trip to Fairy Meadows was managed by a group touring company. We set off from I-8 Islamabad at 10pm in a Toyota Coaster. We travelled overnight and then all through the day to reach Chilas by afternoon the following day. Since it was May and Babusar Pass does not usually open till mid-to-end June, we had to travel on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) which is a much longer and much less enjoyable route.
After spending the night in Chilas, we set off for Fairy Meadows the next morning. We travelled about two hours till Raikot Bridge from where we got into jeeps that would take us up to Tattu Village through a 2.5 - 3 hour jeep ride.
If you are travelling through Babusar Pass, the distance of Fairy Meadows from Islamabad would be 432 km and if you traveling from KKH, the distance will be 518 km.
When the Babusar pass is open it offers a shorter route and is undoubtedly the preferred choice. The entire route is surrounded by green mountians and temperature is cool. The pass itself offers beautiful views of the valleys beneath. On the other side of the pass the road will join the Karakoram Highway (KKH) near the town of Chilas.
If, however, the Babusar pass is closed then your only other option is KKH. This route has a very poor road condition and its considerably longer, about 5 hours more, but it is open throughout the year. The weather on the KKH is hot and the surrounding mountains are mostly barren.
The start point of the jeep track to Tattu village, which is the trail head for Fairy Meadows trek, is marked by a row of jeeps parked on the side of the road just before Raikot bridge which transfers the traffic from the right side of the lndus river to the left.
Car Parking: You can park your car at one of the hotels at near Raikot Bridge. Make sure you let the hotel administration know about your car and inquire about parking charges. Make sure your car is properly locked and the windows are up. Remember that you car will be parked here for several nights.
Fueling: On the Babusar Pass route, petrol stations are frequently available up till Balakot. After Balakot the next proper pump is at Chilas, which is 200 km away. It is stongly recommended that you fill up at Balakot. At Naran, if you have less than half a tank of fuel, it is recommended to purchase some fuel from one of the vendors selling from their roadside tents since there aren't any conventionals petrol stations here.
Jeep Track to Fairy Meadows
The Fairy Meadows road is notoriously dangerous. It is unpaved and unmetalled, with a drop of several hundred feet on one side. A single track serves both directions of traffic and the track truly lives upto its reputation when you have to cross an oncoming jeep for which your driver will utilise the entire width of the track. This is even more scary when your jeep is on the outside, inches away from the cliff.
This not-for-the-faint-hearted off-road jeep track serves to keep the tourist traffic at Fairy Meadows somewhat regulated. Otherwise, a paved Fairy Meadows road would increase tourist influx manyfold which usually has devastating effects on nature.
The jeep track starts near Raikot bridge and goes perpendicularly from the KKH in towards the mountains. The jeeps at nearly all such jeep tracks across Pakistan are from the 1960s and 1970s with primitive suspention systems and hence they are unsurprisingly uncomfortable.
Throughout the jeep journey, you are constantly gaining altitude and the drop is constantly getting deeper.
Trek to Fairy Meadows
At the end of the jeep track we disembarked from the scary and tiring ride. Just up ahead there was a water stream which we crossed using a wooden plank. Immediately after there was a small restaurant, a masjid and a toilet. We had our lunch at this restaurant where the only thing on the menu was 'Daal Chawal' (Lentils on Rice).
After lunch we started our hike to Fairy Meadows. The initial section of the hike is through tall pine trees with water streams available at a couple of places along the way.
The trail eventually opened up as we emerged from the pine forest. Soon after, the enormity of Nanga Parbat started to come into view. Its glacial run-off was raging deep down on our left as we climbed up towards the meadow.
After hiking for about 2.5 hours, we started to see sign boards to the many huts (hotels) on Fairy Meadows. We kept moving along the Fairy Meadows track, turning towards the left of the first split in trail. After about 15 to 20 mins we finally reached the meadows. At last the grandeur of Fairy Meadows was all around us. We sat down on the meadow and absorbed the amazing panoramic view of the gigantic 8,000m high Nanga Parbat right in front us.
Camping on the Meadows
Fairy Meadows had many huts and camps available in 2017 and I have been told that today there are many many more. Our accomodation was prebooked with Raikot Sarai, which was one of the better located huts on the meadows. We had an option to stay in either tents or huts.
For food, there was a single restuarant which served a decent menu at prices according to the location (higher than usual). At night, we sat around a bonfire but in hindsight this is not recommended as it is one of the preventable causes of deforestation in the region. Fairy Meadows night view was a little bit disappointing, because although light pollution is fairly low, the milky way still wasn't visible to the naked eye.
Available Facilities at Campsite
| Facilities | Availability |
|---|---|
| Tents |  |
| Water | |
| Food | |
| Toilet | |
| Phone Signals |  |
Hike to Beyal Camp and Base Camp
The next morning our aim was to hike to Beyal camp and the base camp but not before having breakfast of fried eggs and paratha. Having breakfast outdoors on the meadow on a sunny day was definitely one of the best breakfast experiences I have ever had.
For me, the trek from the campsite to Beyal Camp was the climax of the entire trip. Up till Beyal Camp the trail was generally flat with very little elevation gain. In this section of the trail we were hiking through a valley surrounded by tall pine trees on one side, a gentle water stream on the other side. The brown and green of the trees, combined. with grey of the rocks and white of the mountain, all the while listening to the sound of the water is what elevated the experience of this place.
At Beyal Camp, there were a few huts where you can choose to camp if you wish. A little up ahead was the Nanga Parbat view point, not that the mountain ever went away from view. The vast glacier which resides at the foot of Nanga Parbat was in full view from this view point as well.
Beyond the view point the terrain turned rocky since we had gained some altitude. From time to time we could hear the sound of glacial ice cracking sending echoes through the valley. We wanted to proceed forward but since it was very early in the season, the base camp wasn't quite accessible, or so told us our guide. Based on our furthest position, we estimated that Nanga Parbat Base Camp's altitude would be just over 4,000m. At this height, Nanga Parbat Base Camp's temperature would have been quite a lot colder too.
We turned around from this point, sliding our way down ice patches. On the way back we realised how quickly Fairy Meadows' weather can change. It started to rain heavily whilst we were still out on the trail. At the end of the day we reached back to Fairy Meadows to our tents. A warm meal was waiting for us at dinner, followed by another regretful bonfire.
The next day we started our journey back to civilisation. We stopped at Chilas once again to spend the night and the following day we drove to Islamabad, completing a tiring return journey.
Equipment
Having the right equipment and gear is essential for an enjoyable hiking experience. Check out the list of recommended hiking gear.