Remarkable Rambles - in Wood’s Footsteps
Wander through Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor.
In the first episode, Wood meets the nomadic
people of the Wakhan Corridor, a peaceful
region of Afghanistan never captured by the
Taliban. Those few who have made the journey
deep into the Pamir Mountains only speak of
hospitable and generous people who welcome
the intrepid into their cozy family yurts for warm
freshly baked flatbread and mugs of hot yakmilk tea. It’s a way of life that hasn’t changed
in a thousand years. UK based Secret Compass
will take you there, but don’t forget to set your
watch to one thousand years ago. This is the
closest you’ll get to time travel.
www.Secretcompass.com
Image Tom McShane
Hike the Hunza Valley, Pakistan.
In his book, which accompanies the series,
Lev writes, “We followed footpaths through orchards of apricots, cherries and walnuts. Malang
helped himself to dangling peaches, pears and
plums as we walked, waving at farmers in knitted jumpers.” They are in the fabled Hunza Valley, which is thought to be the inspiration of the
Shrangri-La - an earthly paradise isolated from
the outside world. Melbourne based Snow Leopard Tours owner, Imran Rahim, is originally from
the Hunza and specializes in custom treks www.
snowleopardtours.com
Wander through Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor.
A Spiritual Pilgrimage in India
In his book, Lev speaks of Binod’s emotional reaction on reaching the Ganges for the first time.
“Thank you brother…I never imagined I could
see this river.” Hindus have long made pilgrimages to the source of the Ganga, which starts
from the Gangotri Glacier glaciers high in the Himalayas. Often called the “Land of the Gods”
roads less travelled from glaciers to the Ganges
can be found at www.himachaltourism.gov.in
and www.himalayanwonders.com
Explore Less-known Nepal
In Nepal, Lev returns to Pokhara and is reunited
with Binod’s family. Afterwards he ventures into
“quiet valleys with villages virtually untouched
by modernity.” He notes that Trekkers went there
before the earthquake, but not anymore. If you
want to help the continued recovery of Nepal
and discover the raw landscape in its original
environment, the Upper Dolpo and Makalu region are two examples of many, say The Nepal
Trekking Team. “The people in this region have
preserved their ancient culture, tradition and
lifestyle.” Browse through their treks at www.nepalhikingteam.com
Experience mystical Bhutan
Even in today’s hyper-connected world, Bhutan
retains its mystical status. “Take your pick,” said
Lev’s Bhutan guide, Jamyang. “All the peaks are
unclimbed here.” Lev winds up his six month expedition by scaling an unclimbed peak in the
shadow of the world’s highest unclimbed mountain, Gangkhar Puensum (7570 m), which he describes as “a sheer wall of glistening crystal.” A
ten-day expedition by Secret Compass traces
Lev’s route through Bhutan’s rugged and remote valleys to the conclusion of his Himalayan
journey. To go where few have been and summit an unnamed 5,400m peak register for the
2017 team at www.secretcompass.com