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Fairy Meadows Road

ghazi52

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Fairy Meadows Road


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Fairy Meadows Road is a spectacular and dangerous high mountain track with a length of 16,2km, located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. The gravel road is completely unmaintained, there are no guardrails to protect you, and it gets so narrow that near the end you’ll have to cover the last section by walking or biking.

This trail, one of the most dangerous in the world, starts on the Karakoram Highway and ends in the village of Tato, near Fairy Meadows, a picturesque destination at an altitude of about 3,300 meters above the sea level. It’s a treacherous high altitude, unstable and narrow mountain road. Getting to Fairy Meadows is a huge risk that prevents many from enjoying the view. The most dangerous part of the road up to Fairy Meadow involves a narrow 6-mile ascend on an unpaved and uneven road. There are no barriers to prevent a vehicle from falling off the cliff to a fiery death.



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The gravel road has not undergone any repair since it was built by the ethnic villagers of the Nanga Parbat Mountain hundreds of years ago which makes it one of the dangerous roads on this list. The road was built by the local people, and is therefore a private toll road. It’s steep and just the width of the jeep, with unstable gravel road hacked out of the barren hills.


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Fairy Meadows is the launching point for trekkers who wants to climb the the Nanga Parbat, the 9th highest mountain in the world and second in Pakistan after K2. The first part of the road can be driven by a 4x4 vehicle, but the concluding sections, all the way to Fairy Meadows, needs to be traversed by foot or by a bicycle owing to the congested narrow lane.


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This road is closed in winter, and is accessible only in summer. Anytime can be closed when the access is not cleared of snow. June and July are the best months to visit this place. This drive is only recommended for the people who are serious mountain lovers and have strong nerves. In 2013 the road was ranked as the second deadliest highway in the world, because of its ‘treacherous high altitude, unstable and narrow mountain roads.


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Avalanches and heavy snowfalls can sometimes block some sections of the road and can be extremely dangerous cue to frequent patches of ice. It’s an unforgettable experience. Starting high in the Himalayas near the Indus river, the steep and bumpy rocky road swirls up almost 8000 feet on its horrifying 10 km path which surely can be called "Road of Death". One subtle mistake can lead you to a disastrous outcome.


The road is an unforgettable experience. It’s winding, in some places only wide enough for one vehicle, and in many places bordered by a drop of hundreds of meters (many hundreds of feet) unprotected by guardrails. Words can’t describe the road and pictures don’t do it justice.This drive is only recommended for the people who are serious mountain lovers and have strong nerves. This is a stunning place for photographers and nature lovers. But this road is definitely not for the faint of heart, so, if you want to go there - bring a lot of courage with you!
 
My elder brother has crossed this 16 kilometers track on 125 CC bike at night.....and he was lucky to get back alive, plus you cannot walk on this road on the middle of the day due to intense heat, one can easily get heat stroke if you haven't got enough supply of water. One has to leave at 3 AM in the morning to reach fairy meadows in 5 hours or so because mid day heat can literally roast you alive there.
 
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Camping Ground,Fairy Meadows.

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The stark beauty of spring is said to be the highlight of the meadows and the best time to visit is from mid-July till end August. During the summer, the heat of the valley becomes unbearable and landslides are all too common, therefore, the village dwellers of Tato load their important possessions on donkeys and trek up to the Fairy Meadows for all of summer.


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Houses are nestled amongst the mountains like hobbit holes, built out of pine logs with flattened birch barks used for the roof. The men play polo, sip tea and cut firewood with the echoing thuds of their axes. The women pick wild mulberries, raspberries, and strawberries in the meadows as well as tend to their vegetable gardens.


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At night, Nanga Parbat glows white in the still darkness, and men lounge on Pakistani rugs around small wood-fired iron stoves relaying tales of the killer mountain.
 
Close view of Nanga Parbat from Fairy meadows - Pakistan

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if it would have been in some western country then there would have been a proper metaled road. in pakistan nothing is on the right path.
 
Close view of Nanga Parbat from Fairy meadows - Pakistan

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i just want to sell everything and move there

if it would have been in some western country then there would have been a proper metaled road. in pakistan nothing is on the right path.
its a blessing in disguise....if the roads were better we'd have F###ed up that place with traffic and trash
 
i just want to sell everything and move there


its a blessing in disguise....if the roads were better we'd have F###ed up that place with traffic and trash
i also think the same way when i visit such places but the people living there are pakistanis and they also have the rights of better means of transportation and communication. laws can be implemented regarding the design, color of hotels at such places and cutting of trees. but laws are never followed in pakistan that;s why i said that nothing is on the right track in pakistan. just few months back i visited kalam . i really enjoyed journey till bahrain but ahead of bahrain was a nightmare.
 
i just want to sell everything and move there


its a blessing in disguise....if the roads were better we'd have F###ed up that place with traffic and trash

Unfortunately, thousands still make it every summer (all you have to do is hire a jeep with an experienced driver and they take you across this road) and pollute the hell out of these beautiful areas. I have personally seen both Army Officers and Civil Services Officers pollute --- the vast majority of our population thinks it's okay. It's incredibly sad.
 
i always wanted to go there but none of my friends are willing to go there. its my luck. but heard that this place is more beautiful and divine then shown in pics.
 
My elder brother has crossed this 16 kilometers track on 125 CC bike at night.....and he was lucky to get back alive, plus you cannot walk on this road on the middle of the day due to intense heat, one can easily get heat stroke if you haven't got enough supply of water. One has to leave at 3 AM in the morning to reach fairy meadows in 5 hours or so because mid day heat can literally roast you alive there.
It looks like hilly area which supposed to be cool where exactly this located and why too hot, is that area hot in winters also?
 

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