Pakistan?

[The Ditch]

If you have a wife and or kids then I wouldn't do it, not because you probably won't make it back in one piece but if on chance you do kick the bucket you're really messing up their lives and I hope you have a life insurance policy that pays out regardless of the situation.

[automaton 3]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I think the most likely outcome would be a safe round trip but with no way of knowing what the risk might actually be. You're always safe until you are not.

You have clearly put alot of thought into this and you seem to recognize that there are unknowns that you can't possibly predict or hope to control. The security issues aside, are you confident in the outfitter's equipment and training. What happens if you get hurt for any random reason, are they going to carry you back down the mountain and how far are you from good medical care.

I look at this through the lens of a husband, father and small business owner though. Many people depend on me and taking a risk like this does not even compute. If you have only yourself to answer to that might change the equation.

Good luck with your decision.

[OMG!WTF!]

More great information. Thanks again and again.

#32-great quote about k-2. That's pretty much it right there.

#36-about trusting your instincts. I tend to wander off a lot, follow glittery things and believe what people tell me. My instinct says I'm not qualified for this.

#37- dependents and responsibilities...I wouldn't consider going if I was anything other than free and easy.

#39-A COUPLE MINOR SCARES!?! Holy hell. Like what? And thanks for the personal account. That's awesome.

#40- I just remember learning about this great big mountain with a cool name...Lohtse. Some scared, crazy, poorly adjusted kids meet hockey players. Others meet hippies. I guess it's what spoke to me first. I still think today that the most impressive physical accomplishments belong to climbers and mountaineers. It's the art of suffering.

I think it really is about finding a different purpose in life for a while. My goal in 2010 was to never deal with another economic downturn or another federal election. Maybe that's what's telling me it's time to go. Good luck finding me in Pakistan Harper.

#42-good points. I believe you have to leave 5k with the military for evacuation insurance. There are helicopters and satellite phones and people do get lifted out every year. Approaching from the Chinese side is apparently a 100% solo venture. No flying out of that mess.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Zarley

I've never been to Pakistan but recently did a trip through India including border areas with Pakistan where the Government of Canada advises against non-essential travel. I had no problems whatsoever in these areas and came across several backpackers who had been through Pakistan. I'd hoped to cross over to Pakistan myself but a friend I was travelling with is an Indian citizen and wasn't comfortable going there (in most areas, it's safer for a westerner than an Indian given the tensions between the two countries). Based on conversations with these people, the majority of the country is safe to travel with the exception of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the Swat Valley, and areas surrounding Peshawar in Northwest Frontier Province. These are along Pakistan's northwestern border and not near your destination. In fact, the province where the Karakoram range is located is considered one of the safest for tourists.

There is certainly a risk to going there, but as long as you prepare yourself and do your homework much of it can be mitigated. I'd suggest doing research on Wikitravel Pakistan and reading the pages of individual destinations to get a sense of what these places are like from travellers who've actually been there.

I'm sure many of the people on here telling you not to go would have no problem going to Mexico or the Dominican on vacation. Both of these places have higher murder rates than Pakistan even when the ongoing insurgency is considered. I see your trip as similar to a trip to Mexico - it's possible that bad things can happen anywhere, but the vast majority of danger can be avoided by staying away from problem areas.

The huge difference between Mexico and Pakistan is that if something happens to you in Mexico it was at best random, more likely because you did something dumb, tried to buy weed or just went to the wrong part of town, if someone pulls a gun on you you give them your wallet and they leave you alone.
If something goes wrong in Pakistan they are targeting you as a Canadian for a specific reason and your death will likely be pretty bloody horrible after several months captivity. The concept of 'safe areas' only applies if nothing outside your control happens, if the US accidentally drone strikes a school and kills 70 kids in Peshwar there will be no safe zones for any westerners there for a while.

[sharkov]

I have a feeling that if you go through with this, you won't be able to complete any other items on your bucket list of things to do before you die.....

[northcrunk]

2 of the killers at Nanga Parbat in 2013 escaped prison:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31656227

They basicly shot dead 10 climers forcing them to kneel down before shooting them.

[Hack&Lube]

The mountains of Pakistan are where the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS are having a marshmallow cook-off.

Why pray-tell are you going to Pakistan rather than a mountain any where else in the developed world?

[Zarley]

Don't listen to the naysayers! It's obviously not the safest place you can go, but there are places that Canadians commonly holiday that are statistically worse.

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Ya, if you're going to do that trip you should be going for K2. Then at the very least you get to see the baddest mountain around.


"...just the bare bones of a name, all rock and ice and storm and abyss. It makes no attempt to sound human. It is atoms and stars. It has the nakedness of the world before the first man – or of the cindered planet after the last"

They need to put NFL films music with deep voice guy behind this

[Scrambler]

I would suggest going to the Pamirs via Kashgent. Climb Muztaghata a behemoth 7546m Get their via Beijing and Urumqi. I can help you get there if you like.

[worth]

I was in the "area" last year. Not in Pakistan but in western China, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. You can climb in China in the Tien Shen range, and another really good place I can recommend is Kyrgyzstan. Spent a month there in august and it was great. Kyrgyzstan is really safe (now) and the mountains are beautiful.

I met some people in China from Calgary who were going to climb in China but the Chinese would not give them the permit so they went to Kyrgyzstan instead.

I met a lot of cyclists in central Asia and didn't meet anyone who was willing to go through Pakistan. Everyone goes Uzbekistan>Kyrgyzstan/Tajikistan>China.

You'd probably be fine in Pakistan, but there are places in the region that are likely safer and will give you the same sort of trip.