The Jeep Ride is an integral part of any adventure in the Karakoram. The one to Thungol was no exception. Not only did we have a death grip on the grab bar at all times but had to surmount some major obstacles nature had thrown in the path. The first was a washed out section of the track. When I looked at the torrent blocking out path and asked Ayub, our guide, what we were going to do, he calmly said it would take no more than 2 hours to fix it. Sure enough, the guides and the local who are used to taking matters into their own hands created a ford over which we quickly crossed. The second obstacle where the road had slid into the Braldu river. Here we had to dismount and cross by foot to the other side where more jeeps were waiting. It was a marvel to see the ingenuity and initiative of the Baltis.
