As we departed the car after our bumpy ride from the hills, past the Ram meadows, we were about to start our trek towards Rama Lake. We were not prepared, but if we had been, perhaps we would have worn different clothes or even bought some water. Some granola or snacks wouldn’t have gone a miss either, but nope, we were not told we would have to trek to Rama Lake until we reached a point where the car could not go any further.

The good news was that motorbikes were available, but we opted to walk. This was an effort to prove that we could still perform fitness activities post covid, and we didn’t quite fancy motorbiking these bumpy hills with a couple of metres width with horses, goats and cows constantly passing us up and down. We had to play it safe. Ain’t no way we getting on these motorbikes!

The surprise trek to Rama lake was a struggle, but bear in mind that we had not been walking many places apart from Husainabad waterfall. This was predominantly due to being located in Skardu, and Skardu is the jumping-off point for so many epic road tips. Simply put, we had very few places to walk as most Skardus tourist attractions are within a couple of hours’ driving distance.

After an hour of struggling, going up and down these makeshift hiking paths and narrow paths with epic views surrounding us, including Nanga Prabat in the background, we carried on. One exciting part of the hike was where we got to cross a glacier! Yes, that’s right, a glacier! It was the tail end of one, but still, it was a damn glacier! I’m claiming that!

The ice was weak as these large holes formed, but we were told it would be even more challenging to cross in a couple of weeks once the temperatures plummeted and snow swept across the area. We passed a couple of photogenic streams, and we even took an opportunity to drink some more glacier water using our filter bottle whilst taking in those majestic views of our surroundings. The beauty of Pakistan leaves you speechless sometimes.

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Rama lake is challenging but rewards you with epic views all around, we likened it to Fitzroy because the view is just as good (all be it different), but the trek to Rama lake is SO MUCH EASIER than the one to Fitzroy. If we had recorded our trip to Fitzroy, that would have been a hoot, but alas, we took this up in 2021. They’ll be plenty more adventures, don’t you worry.

As we reached the last hill, Rama Lake was coming into the picture as we reached summit, where we could witness Rama Lake in all its wonder. With Nanga Prabat shimmering off the lake’s surface, we had to take a drone shot! We even let the kids enjoying the view fly the drone a teeny bit. In Pakistan, kids are looking at lakes, not at their phones. We could see ourselves coming to Rama Lake with our children in future. As we made our way down to Rama Lake, we saw a ten-year-old child doing tricks off a galloping horse! Mad!

Whilst not having the lure of Fitz Roy or Patagonia, Pakistan indeed has something special. One of which is Rama Lake.

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USEFUL TIPS FOR BACKPACKING PAKISTAN:

How to Visit Rama Lake in Astore, Pakistan

 To visit Rama Lake, you will need first to reach Astore. Read more about Astore here or watch our first video on our visit to Astore. It is a remarkable drop-off in Pakistan and has a town that surprises you. The sights, notably the wonderful Rama Lake and Rama Meadows, will forever be etched in your brain.

As our Astore blog post mentioned, your route to Astore will depend on where you begin your journey exploring the north of Pakistan. If you fly into Gilgit and then first explore the Hunza Valley, you must head south. Shared cars will get you there, and your hotel will help you to arrange it. If you head south from Gilgit, do not miss Fairy Meadows. From the thrilling jeep ride where you’ll dangle off a cliff for ninety minutes on a truck made some sixty years ago to the challenging hike to Fairy Meadows, to the picturesque scenes of fairy Meadows itself, do not miss it. From Rajkot bridge (The drop-off to fairy Meadows), you will be able to take transport down to Astore.

If you start in Skardu, as we did, you will likely be heading to Astore after crossing the Deosai Plains. For this, you will have to take a private car costing in the region of 22,000 PKR. Deosai plains should not be missed. I hope your visit goes smoother than ours did. Deosai Plains is also an exciting place to camp; check out the blog post on what camping in Deosai is like and our travel vlog here.

Your accommodation within Astore will likely be on the hill; I can not recommend the hotel we stayed at, which you can read all about why here.

For a visit to Rama Lake and Rama Meadows, you will likely be charged 5,000 PKR. You can get cheaper, but you will travel in a car instead of a Jeep, and a Jeep is integral for this journey. The roads to Rama lake do not play around. After driving past the gorgeous hills of Pakistan, you will reach the get-off point for Rama Lake. From here, it is a stunning one-hour trek to Rama Lake. You will have an option for a motorbike taxi for 1,000 PKR or a horse for 2,500 PKR. The hike is a challenge, but reaching Rama Lake will fill you with a sense of achievement that a shortcut would override.

Pakistan is not quite Patagonia but it has a lure which very few places have.

Enjoy! and don’t forget to tag Calamity Travels on Instagram. We’d love to see if you enjoyed backpacking Pakistan as much as we did!