The day starts with a rescue mission. Hugo's lucky pants have fallen off the balcony.
Ray's room is adjacent to the roof on which they've fallen, but he just can't reach them (although we're not totally convinced this is true). The hotel staff do the honours while we're having breakfast at a local cafe run by two local ladies.
We ride up to the Hopar Valley through Hoppar Village. The valley is cut into what is a very friable rock, which is essentially just rocks and boulders held together by mud; you can crumble it in your fingers. Riding alongside the towering mud cliffs you feel vulnerable with so many large boulders seemingly ready to fall. No wonder this area is so prone to landslides in the rainy season. Already rock fall debris litters the road in places.
We stop for a break and I take the opportunity to wet my neck buff in the stream - this helps cool you as you ride along. But somehow while leaning over the stream I drop both water bottles from my top pockets and let go of my buff. I immediately race after all three now flowing downstream. I manage to catch the priority, my Nomadic Knights buff, but the bottles are gone... Except a small boy has also raced after them. I lose sight of him, but he comes back with both bottles! I give him a handful of small notes from my pocket, which he refuses at first until I insist. We cheer him and take a photo with him.
As we climb higher into the valley we end up on the upper layer of that mud wall. There it is verdant green, lush with vegetation. Crops are growing in the fields and life seems good. But when viewed from even higher, you realise that these fields and houses will be eventually washed away by the river in full swing. Maybe not this year, or next, but it will happen.
We reach the end of the road and climb a short way on foot. There below us is the Hopar Glacier. It's mostly a dirty grey colour, but jagged icy blocks stand out revealing a whiter colour beneath. Tabish says the glacier has gotten smaller since he first saw it. Climate change for sure; We've been experiencing exceptionally hot weather for the time of year, but that looks set to be the norm from now on. We have tea before returning to Karimabad.
We have lunch in Cafe de Hunza where we just have to try their famous walnut cake, which is very nice. We also have the first decent cup of coffee of the trip, which is heavenly after drinking "Nescafé" powder for the last week. 🤮 Although to be fair to Nescafé, it probably isn't Nescafé we've been drinking.
After lunch we ride up to Altit Fort. Some of us do it naked! That is to say without boots, gloves, jacket or helmet, just as the locals do. I would only do this for low speeds, but it is such a relief to ride this way in the heat.
At the fort we have a guide, who speaks in a very strong accent making him difficult to understand. But he's so passionate and engaging that I enjoy listening to him. He tells us how the fort was built 1100 years ago by Buddhists to keep the area secure and to overlook the Silk Road. The King and Queen held court over the village and the King entombed his brother alive when he plotted against him. The tomb is in the centre of the main living area!
At this time they would also execute people by throwing them from the top of the castle to the river 300m below. There's also a pillar of rock which army recruits have to jump on to, across a deadly drop, as the final stage of their training. It must have been a tough life in those days.
Our guide asks if he can use my camera to take our group photo, which I allow and he also creates a video which amazes us with its creativity by simply moving the camera while pointing at us.
Then onto Eagles Nest a highpoint from which you can see the valley and several 7000m+ peaks that surround it. Some of the rocks there have been eroded into strange shapes, one an eagle, but one definitely looks like a frog. The views of the valley and the peaks are spectacular.
Pizza for dinner, which makes a nice change, but we've ordered too much. The leftovers will be road food for tomorrow. Our search for ice cream fails.
I'm sharing a room with Charlie and our room is like an oven when we get back. Even with the balcony door open, the main room door open to get a through flow of air, and the fan in hurricane mode, the room doesn't cool down. I soak my t-shirt and lie under the fan; that works to cool me down, but the night is long and hot.
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