ISLAMABAD: A group of eight tourists (four from the UK and one each from Italy, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands), departed Saturday morning for Kanjrab (Gilgit Baltistan) on a journey of almost 745 kilometres from Islamabad purely for the sake of mountain tourism and adventure sports.
The journey will be the first-ever of its kind to be covered in auto-rickshaws.
A day prior to their departure, the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) and the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) organised a sendoff reception for the tourists. The reception will also be attended by the members of the Gilgit Baltistan (GB) tourism department and the media.
This is what adventure is all about
The team leader, Julian Rohann Carnall said they were thrilled to explore the hidden beauty of the northern areas of Pakistan. We know we have to cover a huge distance. The journey is quite tough but this is what the adventure is all about, he said.
The team members will explore what they said the scenic beauty and sights of the northern region of Pakistan—GB and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) — that is considered ‘a paradise on earth.’
Reaching there in the rickshaws is quite challenging. But we’ve years of experience as we have already been taking part in such voyages in India, Nepal, Thailand and Sri Lanka. We’ve also practiced here in Pakistan and are confident to complete the mission, he added.
One-week mission
This is going to be a unique way of incorporating rickshaws into an adventure and the tourists plan to accomplish their mission in one week.
Julian Rohann Carnall said the majestic sights of GB and KP were second to none. The snow-laden peaks and sky-kissing valleys along with winding roads at highly dizzying altitudes make the region a perfect tourist destination. We want the world to know about it, he said adding, it would definitely be a lifetime experience.
Plan to highlight tourism on social media
They plan to release short video clips, v-logs, stories and pictures of mountains located in GB and KP. Julian Carnall, who has also travelled to Nepal, India and Thailand, would have their first stopover in Balakot. There, they will spend the night there. The next day would be spent in Batakundi. They will be crossing the Babusar Top on the third day of their journey and reach Chilas, where they will spend a night.
Gilgit will be their next stop and then Hunza before finally reaching Khunjerab. The GB government and Special Communication Organization would then hold a reception for the team.
Shahid Islam, Deputy Director General, Pakistan Sports Board, commended the adventurous spirit of the tourists. He also appreciated the efforts of the APC for promoting mountain sports and tourism. SCO and the GB government would provide all the mechanical and technical support to these adventurers, he said.
ACP Secretary Karrar Haidri said the foreign tourists’ travel to the GB on auto-rickshaws would promote mountain tourism and sports in the country. He said the tour operators also played an important role for development of mountain tourism and the government should also facilitate them in their efforts.
