Pakistan~
The Lost Tribes of the Hindu Kush
Celebrating the Kalasha Joshi Spring Festival and 13 to 31 May 2007.

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Experience the mythical lands of Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King, Pakistan's fabulously rugged Northwest Frontier. This land remains an exotic melting pot of tribes and cultures set in a breathtaking backdrop of mountains and valleys cut by mighty rivers. What was once the harshest of Britain's colonial outposts is now open to adventurers who wish to experience this ancient and historic land.

The focus of this exciting program is a visit to the remote animistic Kalash tribesmen whose few remaining settlements exist in only three valleys in the eastern Hindu Kush Mountains. The Kalash are an ancient people dating back over 3000 years and are the last of the "kafirs", or non-believers. We will spend four exciting days with these wonderful people sharing their exotic world of religion and tradition that has remained intact in spite of numerous Islamic invasions. Our program also includes visits to the fabled city of Peshawar, home of the fierce Pathan tribesmen and one of most colorful bazaars in the world. Our path takes us over high passes and along the breathtaking Karakoram Highway that hugs the cliff face thousands of feet above the raging Indus River. We will pass through the lush green fields of Swat and Hunza, mingle with swarthy Afghans in Chitral and thrill at the snow capped crags Nanga Parbat that has been described as "the ultimate manifestation of mountain grandruer". With luck, we will trek to the lairs of the endangered snow leopard and the mountain stronghold of the rare Markor Goats.

This trip will be lead by Barbara Wagner whose 20 years of experience in this area has endeared her to the Kalash where she enjoys a very special relationship. Her unique knowledge of the tribes and their cultures will provide you with an unparalleled adventure of breathtaking beauty and excitement.

Itinerary

Day 01
Evening arrival in Peshawar. Hotel.

Days 02/03
Wander the bazaar, day trip to the Khyber Pass. Hotel.

Day 04
Flight over the snow capped Hindu Raj Mountains to Chitral, visit to bazaar and town. Inn.

Days 05-07
Kalash tribesmen and their Hindu Kush strongholds. Treks to the high country, participate in tribal ceremonies, breathtaking scenery. Guest House.

Days 08/09
Trek over Birir Pass and return to Rumbur for Polo game at a nearby Nuristani village.

Day 10
Drive to Chitral. Inn.

Days 11/12
Cross high Shandur Pass through terraced fields to Gupis. Camping, Guest House.

Days 13/14
Hunza valley and Karimabad, setting for "Lost Horizons", surrounded by towering mountains like Nanga Parbat. Inn.

Day 15
Take Karakoram Highway south following the path of the Silk Road through the Himalayas, Karakorams and Hindu Kush. Hotel.

Day 16
Leaving Hunza past Nanga Parbat for Lower Swat pass through ancient villages and ageless landscapes to Saidu Sharif. Palace Hotel.

Day 17
Return to Peshawar. Hotel.

Day 18
Visit Taxila Buddhist archeological site. Continue to Islamabad. Hotel.

Day 19
Last minute for shopping for carpets, antiques, tribal jewelry before evening departure home.

Degree of Difficulty: Moderate

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