22 Skardu – Askole - 3000m asl I further discovered I was the sole guest. It felt strange and
somewhat uncomfortable to have a crew consisting of Ali, the guide,
Munwar, the cook, and ten porters. Imagine that! Before departing,
more supplies were picked up. I wandered off to one of the second-
hand stores to find a pair of hiking boots that I located at a fraction
of the original price. We didn’t get going until well beyond midday,
and an additional six hours by Jeep took us to Askole.
Askole was the last village reachable by road, and from there the
whole shebang got carried, explaining the need for ten porters.
Shortly before Askole, a landslide made us abandon the Jeep and
carry our luggage across the rubble to where a new vehicle was
waiting. The final stretch to Askole was a slow, bone-jarring drive up
near vertical mountains, including hairpin bends and cliffs down to
the river (not a ride for the faint of heart). Askole camp was set up
(my tent and a large cooking tent) while Ali, the guide, organised
porters.