On looking at the north face of the mighty Nanga Parbat lies Fairy Meadows at an altitude of 3,300m. I remember when I was five and there was this one generic picture we would all draw, of cows munching grass, with a forest, snowy mountains, a bright blue sky, and never to forget, the big rainbow that used to fan out across the page. Born and bred in Karachi, where snow capped peaks aren’t exactly found everywhere, yet every child in my class drew that one picture. It was a fanciful image, inspired by fairy tales.
Fourteen years later, that same picture I drew when I was five came to life this June when visiting Fairy Meadows. The image was accompanied by the smell of heather, pine cones and fresh manure, along with the light headed feeling and sausage fingers that come with altitude sickness. Accompanied now with the ability to prance around the cows, to trek through the forest, and to watch falling stars under the night sky which bathed the Naked Mountain with star light.
The surreal feeling that Nanga Parbat was right in front of me, the snout like shape the rocks and snow made on its surface, looking down at me as if challenging me to climb it. I can’t help but snigger at the thought. As if! – Text and photos by Kulsum Ebrahim.
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very nice words .. very nice .. picture .. i always look to fly away in this valley of paradise …
SALAM 2 ALL,
what a lovely set of amazing pictures of our gracefully beautiful land Pakistan.
We all know v love or country so much …….i really miss all these scenes.
I have been also quiet lucky to have witness few of the areas like these.
Back in the late 80s while boarding at APS( Abbotabad Public School), Abbotabad….
visited Naaraan , and nathaigali and few other northen mountainos areas.
I loved those days and the time i have spent there. I miss every moment of it.
Just wish for God sake if these poilticians and the Government start having some fear of God and stop destroying our sweet charming and breathtaking Pakistan , for the sake of the meaningful and shameful fame and lust of money.
I pray to God that Inshallah Insahllah those loveable days will be back soon…..
Kindly plez plez do special prayers and duaas for our nation.
Proud to be Pakistani.
If anyone intends to go please take an electric water heater (2 if possible <1000W or less) as a gift for people over there …. they are burning wood …
They have a nice 3kW (if my memory serves me right) power plant via a sync generator … and need to keep a few lights on to keep it loaded ….
Wonderful pictures, I must say that.
I wish and pray that security situation improves and with good infrastructure, all of us living in other parts of Pakistan are able to visit the place….Thank you for sharing the pictures with us.
Beautiful Pictures, thanks kulsum, May Allah bless our country, Regards
Pakistan is one of the most beautiful countries, If you go to these regions, your soul absorbs a natural fragrance, a melody of leaves and the river, a touch of fresh air and you cannot leave these places metaphysically.
I look at the photos with amazement. God bless your country.
Breathtaking! Perhaps its a good thing that law and order doesn't allow people to visit. Tourists, especially from Pakistan's urban centers, and the corrupt builders mafia would trash this place given what they have done to Pakistan's major (and not so major) cities.
First of all i just want to thank you for these beautiful pictures. I am originally form Machulo but was raised in Islamabad. My family and i use to visit our grandparents and from the roof top and certain places, i spotted Naga Parbath, Siyachin and other beautiful mountains. I never appreciated it until i moved to New York where i am dying to see all these. Sometimes i just close my eyes and imagine to be there surrounded by natural grass, cows and little kids with red cheeks playing in the field. I miss that dirt and dusk that use to follow me. After 5 years i am coming back to Pakistan and i am just counting days
Great pictures. It is heaven on earth indeed. Who would not wish to visit it. But it is our own people and the Government, of course, that have made it now hell on earth. It is shame because the place should be teaming with visitors, instead people are afraid to venture out. But still I'll go and see it again. Becuase it is haeven in Pakistan. Our Pakistan.
its been a long time since ive been up there and seeing these pics is giving me goosebumps !
Wonderful pictures. if only peace comes soon…
I would love to see it with my own eyes.
Leslie
Mumbai
Absolutely a heaven on the earth.
I haven't these areas, but your photos have inspired me a lot, and I strongly wish to see these beautiful sites of my beloved country.
I think mother nature has given us more than ehough, it is us who need to rise above all and make our contribution. Beautiful pictures of I am sure, much more beautiful place. Wish I could be there to experience it.
This is how all of Europe, Russia, N. America is! It is like a fairy land except even the people are like fairies (we call them "hoor"). The houses are modern and there is excellent sanitation and electricity and the most modern books and universities. We need to convert our "non fairy land" or warzone (karachi) and the desert lands (sindh, balochistan) into a fairyland and above all we need to turn our PEOPLE (the most important resource : human resource) into angels and fairies or better.
Brother i couldn,t agree more with,,and can not say batter then you,,,thanks
Thanks for such beautiful picture Kulsum.
Its indeed recalling my memories as I too visited northern areas and saw and feel the beauty of nature which is like paradise. But my heart sheds blood due to insecure environment and no-go areas there. Its all due to insecurity, that no one visit Pakistan though it has one of the most soothing vistas of nature. May Allah bless us all and our country.
I have lived all my life away from the Land of the Pure, but my heart had never left the country. May God bring peace and tranquality to the land of my ancestors, and my our children value the nationhood of the beautiful Fatherland.
Impressive photographs kindly add description of every Photo… so it will become more meaningful
Hi, If you haven't seen this place. You are not alive. I strongly recommend everyone to visit at least once.
Heaven on earth!!!
Thanks for sharing..
Indeed a great experience with all these people…Ahmad Jan at tatoo, Rehmat jeep driver ,Abbas of chai koka at the base camp, farman ali and ghulam nabi.
lovely people and picturesque land to forget.
regards
I hope I get to go 2 these places once in my life time thnx for sharing the pics