Fairy Meadows
A meadow at 3,300 metres with Nanga Parbat filling the sky
Altitude
3,300 m
Worth going
May–Oct
How long to stay
2–3 nights
Getting a signal
No signal. Plan for it.
A grass shelf above the Raikot glacier, looking straight at the 8,126-metre Nanga Parbat. Getting there is part of it: a jeep up one of the more committing roads in the country, then an hour and a half on foot or by mule. There is no road to the meadow itself and that is precisely why it is worth the trouble.
- Nanga Parbat from the meadow at first light
- The day walk to Beyal camp and on to the Nanga Parbat base camp viewpoint
- Wooden huts and no electricity beyond a generator hour
- The Raikot jeep track, which you will talk about afterwards
The honest downsides
- The jeep road is exposed and unnerving. If heights bother you, this is not for you.
- Accommodation is basic wooden huts with shared bathrooms. Bring a warm sleeping bag.
- No mobile signal at all. Tell people at home before you go up.
