Rush from peak

We are back in the happy, happy Hunza valley after trekking a speedy day ahead of schedule thanks to, or at least due to, some knowledgeable stage planning from our porter come guide named M.Hussain (the M is for Mohamed but that is reserved fro the prophet). Fitting the route in, or at least a local adaptation of it, in four days kept our heart rates high and our porridge and macaroni fatigued jaws gaping.

We arrived in the Hoper valley - where the weed is real weed - and, with much satisfaction, managed to acquire the services of M.Hussain, no prior booking necessary.
The first day took us across two rocky glaciers and into the dusty pastures of an ablation valley along side the second. We camped at a place named Berichio Kor – the musician’s cave, in which our frequently humming guide slept. On the second day, we climbed up into the mist and decided to stop by a dry shepherds’ hut at Gutens and await views and aclimatisation. We drank tea with the shepherds, one of whom was a local medical student on a summer break. On the third day, we rose again – a lot – climbing the ridge from Gutens to a lake at Rush Phari and, with the last pants of thin air, scrambled up the rocky, snow spattered slopes to the 5098-metre summit of Rush Peak and clearing midday views of the Karakorum range – K2, unfortunately, still clouded. Whether it was the height, the heat or the scenery that was getting to our heads we hurried back to Gutens and made it before sundown. Today compressed two shorter days but we were back in Hoper by twelve: cunningly scurting the contours gently down into the ablation valley and recrossing the first day’s glaciers.

We return to Karimabad with numb feet and high on our own blood at half the height of yesterday.