Town or village
Raikot Bridge
Diamer district · 1,200 m
Raikot Bridge is the turn off the Karakoram Highway where the jeeps take over for Fairy Meadows.
Raikot Bridge is a crossing on the highway, and from here everything points up. The Raikot stream runs deep and swift below it, and the way on to Fairy Meadows and Nanga Parbat is the track that leaves from this spot.
Kind Town or villageDistrict DiamerElevation 1,200 mPosition 35.493° N, 74.592° E
About Raikot Bridge
That track is about 15 km long and runs to Tato, which the book also calls Jhel. It is a narrow, winding jeep road, an adventure in itself, and it is the one most people have seen photographed.
Wheels stop at Tato. From there Fairy Meadows is an easy walk of two to three hours through the trees, and the rest of the approach to Nanga Parbat is on foot, which is the best way to take it in.
Elsewhere in Diamer
Swipe along the district, from the valley floor to the summits.
- 1,265 m
Town or village
Chilas
Chilas is the old crossing place of the Indus, and the rocks around it carry more than 30,000 petroglyphs.
Base camp · 3,300 m
Fairy Meadows
Fairy Meadows is a grass terrace in the pines at 3,300 m, facing the Rakhiot face of Nanga Parbat.
- 8,126 m
Summit
Nanga Parbat
Nanga Parbat rises to 8,126 m as the western anchor of the Himalaya, and its Rakhiot face stands 4,600 m above the camp.
- 4,173 m
Pass
Babusar Pass
Babusar Pass reaches 4,173 m and is the summer short cut between the Kaghan valley and Chilas.
- 1,700 m
Town or village
Darel
Darel is a forested side valley north of the Indus with cedar stands, Buddhist ruins and a wonderfully quiet welcome.
- 1,800 m
Town or village
Tangir
Tangir is the valley west of Darel, and both were independent republics until 1952.