Pakistan

The Kalash Valleys are the hidden gems of Northern Pakistan. The lush green landscapes with dense deodar and pine forest and pristine rivers have the towering snow-capped peaks of the Karakoram Range as a breathtaking backdrop. These valleys are home to the Kalash people, an indigenous community known for its unique culture and traditions, and believed to be descendants of Alexander the Great’s soldiers.

We will explore the alpine meadows and the wonderful highlands forests of Chitral based at the beautiful Ayun Fort. Here are magnificent stands of Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii), Deodar (Cedrus deodar), and both Abies pindrow and Picea smithiana. Kashmir Nuthatch, White-cheeked Tit and Rufous-naped Tit are the characteristic avian inhabitants of these forests. Above the forests are colourful shrubberies of Rhododendrons. Creamy Clematis grata and yellow Clematis graveolens trail through the vegetation and the tubby bells of Codonopsis rotundifolia and Codonopsis clematidea are a fine sight. Streams are lined with Rhodiola coccinea and both Bergenia himalaica and Bergenia stracheyi. Some particularly lovely birds make this habitat their home – White-tailed Rubythroat, Indian Blue Robin, Himalayan Bluetail, and White-capped and Blue-capped Redstarts. The flowers of the subalpine meadows are truly marvellous. Drifts of white Anemone polyanthes and lovely blue Geranium wallichianum colour meadows where we can find such gems as Muscari armeniacum and purple-blue Iris hookeriana. Golden Marmots piercing whistles mark our progress from one superb Cypripedium cordigerum to another; this Ladies Slipper Orchid is a beauty with large white pouches and olive tepals. Nearby there’s deep-mauve dark-centred Primula macrophylla and cowslip-like Primula officinalis. Golden Eagle, Lammergeier, Cinereous Vulture and Himalayan Griffon soar in the clear mountain air. Pretty pink drumsticks of Primula capitellata decorate boggy ground alongside various Saussurea species. On the high ground of the Kundayak Pass there’s yellow Colchicum luteum, Gagea chitralensis, beautiful yellow Chorispora macropoda and the fabulous blue trumpets of Gentiana kurroo. This alpine ground is the home of rosefinches – White-browed Rosefinch, Red-mantled Rosefinch and Red-fronted Rosefinch – beauties all. There is an abundance of cliff, boulder and scree of course in these vertically challenging landscape and many of the finest species prefer these habitats. The stately Markhor, an ‘ibex’ of great stature and elegance, is one such – these animals are not uncommon here and with only a little effort we can see them. Another is the glorious Himalayan Monal, an iridescent symphony of green, blue, yellow and orange. Wallcreepers flutter butterfly-like from rocky pinnacles as we admire rare Delphinium nordhageni, a lovely species with large-flowers on dwarfed heads, and dionysia-like Primula floribunda.

A pre-tour will take us into the subtropical broadleaf evergreen forests of Galayat. Based in the famous hill station at Murree we’ll explore the forest communities dominated by Olea paniculata, Quercus dilatata and Berberis calliobotrys. The forests have a diverse flora with for instance half a dozen species of Swertia as well as Arisaema flavum, and orchids such as Epipactis gigantea and Calanthe tricarinata.