Jonny's Monthly Travel News
(Latest installment posted 31.08.10)
Before I head off on my biggest adventure of the year - to walk to K2 base camp, which gets underway this Friday, 03 September - I thought I'd fill you in on our latest news, including an eventful summer, Pakistan charity appeal, and some great Christmas getaways. I hope you enjoy
An Eventful Summer on the Road
As head of an adventure travel company, August is rarely a relaxing month but this year saw more sleepless nights than most with a number of our summer trips affected by the heavy rains that swept through parts of Central Asia and the Indian sub-continent. Our Hindu Kush Adventure, Lhasa to Kashgar Expedition, Karakoram Adventure and Afghan Wakhan Corridor Trek were all caught up in what we now know were the most devastating floods on record. Despite the tough conditions, from torrential rain to snow (as pictured) and a whole host of other obstacles, all the groups miraculously completed their itineraries with our gang of hardy trekkers making it to Chakmatine Lake, the final and ultimate point on our Wakhan Corridor trek in Afghanistan - or so they thought!
The jubilation of reaching the end was short lived however as the bad weather prevented vehicles from reaching the pick-up point and the group were forced to make an about turn and trek a further 15kms out of the valley. From there they spent a crazy few days negotiating their way through the flooding rivers back to the Afghan town of Ishkashim and back over the border to Tajikistan. Quite the adventure!
We are continuing to receive photos and feedback from clients who were on trips affected by the floods – crossing rivers by very imaginative means, driving remote mountain routes not taken in years, walking kilometre after kilometre to get to vehicles which were unable to pass over washed out roads, sleeping in the front garden of a very accommodating family and finally hitching a ride to freedom on a Pakistan air force C130 Hercules. See the above banner for images that have been sent through to us.
As many of you will know Pakistan and its people are very close to our hearts and our thoughts continue to go out to those who have been so badly affected by this disaster. As reported last month we were pleased to confirm that our friends in Chitral, Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu and the Kalash Valleys are fine and although many of them have suffered damage to property, fields and communications, they have remained relatively unaffected compared to the utter devastation of lower NWFP and the south of the country.
The Wild Frontiers Foundation has now donated £1000 to the British Red Cross Pakistan flood relief effort. .. adding to the £30 million plus so far given by the British people. For any of you that also want to help, please donate directly to the Red Cross Flood Appeal.
In addition to this we have also donated a further £500 to the Kalash of Rumbur, where a 30ft flash flood tour away the main bridge into Balanguru and three water mills. Saifullah, our main contact in the region, has used the money to buy floor for the village.
Pakistan – K2 fundraising and blogs
Continuing on this theme, both myself and many of the group that will be joining me tomorrow on our trip to K2 (which you will be able to follow on our blog page), would like thank all of you that have so generously donated funds to our primary school project in Skardu. We aimed to raise £5000 to help Baleygon School by building a new classroom and providing desks, uniforms and an extra teacher for a year. I am delighted to report that it looks like we will double that target, meaning we should also be able to provide winter clothing to the 74 pupils and guarantee a teacher for 5 years. But is it right to go?
Travelling to a place at a time of national disaster is always an tricky issue and raises the question, are we right to go? I had the same dilemma when I took a group to Pakistan a week after the devastating earthquake in 2005. But I feel the thing to remember - as we did then - is that the Pakistani people gain nothing if we stay away. The drivers, guides, porters, hoteliers etc that rely so heavily on us lose their income at a time they desperately need it. Then, as now, our contacts implored us not to cancel. With my earthquake group, at the end of the trip we went to an aid distribution centre and everyone gave away all their warm winter cloths - including sleeping bags - so ordinary local people gained again by our presence.
So the long and the short of it is that while this is a horrendous time in Pakistan I feel we should not turn our backs on them and simply pity from afar... but go there and spend our money.
I will be blogging daily from the satellite phone, so please keep up with our progress by logging on to our blog page
First Group to Cross New Hunza Lake
In other news our clients on the Karakoram Adventure were the first group of travellers to cross the new lake at Hunza in northern Pakistan. As you may remember a massive rockslide north of Hunza earlier this year caused the creation of a new dam in the valley, ultimately cutting off 22kms of the Karakoram Highway. Our group approached the Hunza Valley from the north after making their way down the Karakoram Highway from China, negotiating the lake by boat (about 1 ½ trip) before continuing south along the KKH and a remote mountain road through the Kaghan Valley. You could do the same on our October 2010 and 2011 Karakoram trips.
Ditch the Turkey Dinner This Christmas
If you fancy something a little more exotic than turkey and sprouts this festive season, we still have places on our Christmas trips to India, Bhutan, Cambodia & Oman. Our new trip to Mozambique is already sold out and there is only one place left on Ethiopia - be quick if you want to snap that up!
If you prefer to spend Christmas at home, but are keen to see in the New Year in another land, we also have a great combo trip to Mali & Burkina Faso, taking in the famous Festival in the Desert. Click here for a full list of our Christmas & New Year trips
Early Bird Discount Extended for Latest Trips
As you will know we offered a 5% early bird discount on all 2010 booked during August. Since that promotion we have put on a couple of new trips and thought we would extend the same offer to anyone wishing to book on these during September. Adding to our adventures in 2011 programme are - Silk Road: Journey around the Caspian Sea (Recce) - Turkmenistan, Iran, Armenia & Georgia; Classic Libya (New Tour); and a new tour to Mali and Burkina Faso.
Silk Road: Journey around the Caspian Sea (Recce) - Turkmenistan, Iran, Armenia & Georgia - 22 days- 17 Sep 2011 to 08 Oct 2011
Following in the footsteps of the traders of old, we pass along some of the lesser well known ancient routes that meander across the deserts and mountains of Central Asia, undertaking a journey that takes us from Turkmenistan to Georgia. Along the way we will visit mountain strongholds and ornate caravanserai, explore some of the oldest monastic retreats in the world and meet many of the varied peoples who inhabit these lands. This is a journey that encompasses the cultures and traditions of countless ages and, as we cross the Karakum Desert and head up into the Alborz Mountains of Iran, we continue a tradition that has endured for three millennia. Download a trip dossier.
Classical Libya (New Tour) -10 days - 16 Sep 2011 to Sun 25 Sep 2011
This trip offers a classic route between ancient ruins (world heritage site after world heritage site!), the southern shores of the Mediterranean coast and lively cities. From Tripoli, the country’s capital, with its fascinating, bustling old town and colourful souks, we journey out to the stunningly preserved ancient city of Sabratha, before turning east to visit the coastal region of Cyrenaica, with its rich fertile land and Greek pioneering history. We continue our journey to Ghadames, which was once an important stop on the trans-Saharan caravan route, and still claims the title of ‘The Pearl of the Desert’, before ending on a high with the pièce de résistance – Leptis Magna! Download a trip dossier.
Along the Niger to Timbuktu - Mali & Burkina Faso (New Tour) -16 days -18 Nov to 03 Dec 2011
This new tour to West Africa includes the world-class sights of Mali as well as some of the hidden delights of its lesser visited neighbour, Burkina Faso. Highlights include visiting Dogon Country on the Bandiagara escarpment where we will spend 3 nights amongst this fascinating people, learning about their traditions and witnessing one of their memorable masked dances; Later, travelling slowly down the River Niger on our pinasse, a traditional boat, there will be time to meet some of the people who live along the river; and crossing the Niger to sleep under the stars in the Gandamia Mountains. Download a trip dossier.
Photo Competition 2010
Calling all budding photographers! Just reminder that we are current running a photo competition, giving you the chance to win a £200 voucher to put towards your next Wild Frontiers adventure. To enter simply submit up to 3 images you have taken while on a Wild Frontiers trip, that capture the essence of the place or the nature of the trip…
Whatever shots you have we’d love to see them. As they come in we will load them onto our Facebook page (Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel) giving everyone the chance to comment on them. The top 10 images (as judged by Jonny & Dave) will be shortlisted in December, after which we will ask all our Facebook fans to again vote for the ultimate winner. The winner will receive a £200 WF gift voucher. Find Wild Frontiers on Facebook
Competition Terms and Conditions:
i. Maximum of 3 pics entered per person (the hard part is deciding which ones!)
ii. Pics must be taken on a Wild Frontiers trip
iii. By entering you giving us permission to feature your pics on our website/promotional material
To enter, please e-mail your pics to Nardia on Nardia@wildfrontiers.co.uk and remember to tell us your name and which trip they were taken on.
