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The Fearless – Mirza Aman from Shimshal
Updated: 6 hours ago
I was attending a wedding celebration in Gulmit (Upper Hunza) this summer and discussing my travel plans for the next day with the bride’s family. “Shimshal?” a young girl asked, “Have you been there before? Do you have any idea what the road is like?!” Another one commented with a broad smile, “Are you ready for an adventurous ride!” It was not a question but a humour filled statement which left many amused. Nonchalantly and slightly defensive I responded, “I have travelled to Fairy Meadows so I am used to rocky, death-defying rides on the treacherous mountains of Gilgit Baltistan”. To which the women sitting there only smiled and nodded. They offered a handful of apricot kernels to stuff my pockets with to keep me company throughout my 3 hour journey. Shimshal situated at an altitude of 3100meters (10700ft) and is 53km from Passu is the most gorgeous villages in Hunza district. A tourist heaven one would say, more so for foreigners than for locals.
Until October 2003 Shimshal was inaccessible by road. The construction of non-metallic jeep-able road started in 1985 and was completed in 2003. 18 years of laborious effort, pure dedication and self-help finally paid-off. Earlier one had to cross 3 high passes (about 5.000 m) and trek for 3 days to reach the valley. With the roads and bridges constructed to almost-perfection, one must expect hundreds of sharp turns along the fearsome gorges of the Shimshal River, a gigantic canyon at a height of more than 2000 m. In many places the road is bordered by a drop of hundreds of meters /many hundreds of feet and unprotected by guardrails. One must avoid travelling this road in severe weather conditions as they remain covered by snow 7-8 months of the year.
I thoroughly enjoyed the thrilling drive and reached my destination way into the night, which was overwhelming and surreal. The drivers transporting the luggage and passengers every day from Passu to Shimshal, cover a distance of 60 kilometers, are all highly skilled. Shimshal still is the remotest valley in Hunza with large patches of green and yellow pastures reminiscing one of an oasis in the desert. The landscape, the views, the people, food, the simplicity, the unanimity, the mountain expertise is truly magnificent to experience and cannot be compared to any other village in the region.
Here you will notice men and women working together, attending their herds, working in the fields and doing other chores inside and outside the homes. Women dressed in shalwar kameez (traditional three piece Pakistani outfit) long-sleeved tunic, loose trousers and a big light scarf wrapped around the neck or covering their heads, sometimes complemented with the colorfully embroidered cap typical of Hunza. Kids attend regular and religious school regularly; help the elderly during the day or mostly head out to play. Most homes do not have flowing water. The small hydropower station ensures electricity only for five or six months, but each home has their own solar panels through which they generate electricity during the rest of the year. Cooking food is mostly done on wooden stoves used for heating as well.
After spending 3 days in this stunning valley with the most amazing people, we were ready for our bumpy drive along the river. As I sat in the double cabin 4x4 I was informed by our guide Mujahid Ali that we were being escorted back with the most experienced driver of the region – Mirza Aman sahab. “He happens to be the same guy who made history by driving his 4x4 in reverse gear from Tupopndon (Passu) to Shimshal, covering this tough 60 kilometers track in a mere 4 and a half hours!” Mujahid expressed. And I am staring at the sloppy mud road carved between the country's mountainous north, watching the wheels running with breathtaking precision along the very edge, where nothing but air lies between them and the snake-like river winding hundreds of feet below. More than 3,000 metres above sea level the vehicle has no room for error, just inches from scraping along the rock face. Amazed ad relaxed, I kept thinking that I will reach Passu quite safely now.
Mirza Aman sahab achieved this extra ordinary feat, which requires nerves of steel and exceptional driving skills. “He knows every corner stone, sharp turns, bends, landslide zones,” Mujahid said proudly. Just then we stopped and Mirza Aman sahab pulled out his shovel to remove the large pieces of stone using his hands and a couple of men travelling with us.
Professionally he used side mirrors in 60 kilometers drive, when driving in reverse. Concept behind this mission was “respect, community service, and power of blessings”. This was yet another addition to the countless achievements of Shimshali people.
Removing large boulders after the landslide - Shimshal road
I looked at the track more closely admiring how this man drove on the narrow, winding, high, unpaved road and even after gaining recognition he was extremely humble, chirpy and respectful. That is exactly how people of Shimshal are; you come across a mountain expert, an Everest, K2 or Nanga Parbat climber (just to name a few), a rescuer of the highest, most dangerous mountain peaks and yet when they will meet with utmost humility – unpretentious, modest and hospitable that’s how I see them.
When he reached Shimshal in reverse gear, the locals stood at the entrance of the village to welcome him, awe-inspired by the unbelievable task. This remarkable journey was captured by no one but Ali Ahmad, a local photographer. Speaking about the event Mirza sahab says, “Self-taught by Google I am a local guide and feel proud to have filmed this video. It was an amazing experience of my life, though it was a risky event but the power of blessing really protected all of us on the way to Shimshal on a very tough and rough road. My spouse is from this village and when I got married there was no road and it was almost a 4 day track back in 1993. The road was constructed in 2003 after 18 years of struggle of our local community, hard work and sacrifices made by the community; it was a huge achievement, with no outside help. I have updated all the local names on the way to Shimshal when Google mapmaker was available”.
(left to right) Mujahid - Rayyan - Mirza Aman sahab
I am unsure if this man received any world wide recognition but in his own right he has achieved something exceptional - another feather in Shimshal's cap!
https://nababasar.wixsite.com/mysite/post/the-fearless-mirza-aman-from-shimshal
Updated: 6 hours ago
I was attending a wedding celebration in Gulmit (Upper Hunza) this summer and discussing my travel plans for the next day with the bride’s family. “Shimshal?” a young girl asked, “Have you been there before? Do you have any idea what the road is like?!” Another one commented with a broad smile, “Are you ready for an adventurous ride!” It was not a question but a humour filled statement which left many amused. Nonchalantly and slightly defensive I responded, “I have travelled to Fairy Meadows so I am used to rocky, death-defying rides on the treacherous mountains of Gilgit Baltistan”. To which the women sitting there only smiled and nodded. They offered a handful of apricot kernels to stuff my pockets with to keep me company throughout my 3 hour journey. Shimshal situated at an altitude of 3100meters (10700ft) and is 53km from Passu is the most gorgeous villages in Hunza district. A tourist heaven one would say, more so for foreigners than for locals.
Until October 2003 Shimshal was inaccessible by road. The construction of non-metallic jeep-able road started in 1985 and was completed in 2003. 18 years of laborious effort, pure dedication and self-help finally paid-off. Earlier one had to cross 3 high passes (about 5.000 m) and trek for 3 days to reach the valley. With the roads and bridges constructed to almost-perfection, one must expect hundreds of sharp turns along the fearsome gorges of the Shimshal River, a gigantic canyon at a height of more than 2000 m. In many places the road is bordered by a drop of hundreds of meters /many hundreds of feet and unprotected by guardrails. One must avoid travelling this road in severe weather conditions as they remain covered by snow 7-8 months of the year.
I thoroughly enjoyed the thrilling drive and reached my destination way into the night, which was overwhelming and surreal. The drivers transporting the luggage and passengers every day from Passu to Shimshal, cover a distance of 60 kilometers, are all highly skilled. Shimshal still is the remotest valley in Hunza with large patches of green and yellow pastures reminiscing one of an oasis in the desert. The landscape, the views, the people, food, the simplicity, the unanimity, the mountain expertise is truly magnificent to experience and cannot be compared to any other village in the region.
Here you will notice men and women working together, attending their herds, working in the fields and doing other chores inside and outside the homes. Women dressed in shalwar kameez (traditional three piece Pakistani outfit) long-sleeved tunic, loose trousers and a big light scarf wrapped around the neck or covering their heads, sometimes complemented with the colorfully embroidered cap typical of Hunza. Kids attend regular and religious school regularly; help the elderly during the day or mostly head out to play. Most homes do not have flowing water. The small hydropower station ensures electricity only for five or six months, but each home has their own solar panels through which they generate electricity during the rest of the year. Cooking food is mostly done on wooden stoves used for heating as well.
After spending 3 days in this stunning valley with the most amazing people, we were ready for our bumpy drive along the river. As I sat in the double cabin 4x4 I was informed by our guide Mujahid Ali that we were being escorted back with the most experienced driver of the region – Mirza Aman sahab. “He happens to be the same guy who made history by driving his 4x4 in reverse gear from Tupopndon (Passu) to Shimshal, covering this tough 60 kilometers track in a mere 4 and a half hours!” Mujahid expressed. And I am staring at the sloppy mud road carved between the country's mountainous north, watching the wheels running with breathtaking precision along the very edge, where nothing but air lies between them and the snake-like river winding hundreds of feet below. More than 3,000 metres above sea level the vehicle has no room for error, just inches from scraping along the rock face. Amazed ad relaxed, I kept thinking that I will reach Passu quite safely now.
Mirza Aman sahab achieved this extra ordinary feat, which requires nerves of steel and exceptional driving skills. “He knows every corner stone, sharp turns, bends, landslide zones,” Mujahid said proudly. Just then we stopped and Mirza Aman sahab pulled out his shovel to remove the large pieces of stone using his hands and a couple of men travelling with us.
Professionally he used side mirrors in 60 kilometers drive, when driving in reverse. Concept behind this mission was “respect, community service, and power of blessings”. This was yet another addition to the countless achievements of Shimshali people.
Removing large boulders after the landslide - Shimshal road
I looked at the track more closely admiring how this man drove on the narrow, winding, high, unpaved road and even after gaining recognition he was extremely humble, chirpy and respectful. That is exactly how people of Shimshal are; you come across a mountain expert, an Everest, K2 or Nanga Parbat climber (just to name a few), a rescuer of the highest, most dangerous mountain peaks and yet when they will meet with utmost humility – unpretentious, modest and hospitable that’s how I see them.
When he reached Shimshal in reverse gear, the locals stood at the entrance of the village to welcome him, awe-inspired by the unbelievable task. This remarkable journey was captured by no one but Ali Ahmad, a local photographer. Speaking about the event Mirza sahab says, “Self-taught by Google I am a local guide and feel proud to have filmed this video. It was an amazing experience of my life, though it was a risky event but the power of blessing really protected all of us on the way to Shimshal on a very tough and rough road. My spouse is from this village and when I got married there was no road and it was almost a 4 day track back in 1993. The road was constructed in 2003 after 18 years of struggle of our local community, hard work and sacrifices made by the community; it was a huge achievement, with no outside help. I have updated all the local names on the way to Shimshal when Google mapmaker was available”.
(left to right) Mujahid - Rayyan - Mirza Aman sahab
I am unsure if this man received any world wide recognition but in his own right he has achieved something exceptional - another feather in Shimshal's cap!
https://nababasar.wixsite.com/mysite/post/the-fearless-mirza-aman-from-shimshal
