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Name : Florian
Job :
High schooll teacher of geography
Projet (s) : Mountaineering exploration in northern Pakistan and China
Passions :
Unknown mountains, cartographic literature, mountain climbing, skiing, rock climbing, mountain walking.
Contact : florian.tolle@univ-fcomte.fr

During the summer 2000, after three months solo across Asia and China, I spent the Khunjerab Pass and discover the northern Pakistan. For me it was a revelation. I spent a few days to savor life Hunza Shangrila. In Gilgit, I met an Italian retired in Chitral, which takes me to chat with his driver (she does not like). We cross the pass Shandur and again I am overwhelmed by the beauty of landscapes and paradise area we croosed. In Chitral, Tirich Mir dominates the background. A few days in the Kalash and joint Peshawar by plane (the road is blocked). A few days later I'm back in France and I swear to return there, find those lights, those looks, incredible cathedrals.
In 2002, the planned trip to Pakistan with my girlfriend in the footsteps of the Great Game was canceled at the last minute due to anti-French attack in Karachi. We finally leave for China, including Qinghai, where we spend three weeks in a walk in the massive desert. Superb trip among the Tibetan nomads Karakoram but appetite is still there.
A geography thesis later, in 2007, I get an expedition with 3 friends from my mountain club in Besançon: the Alpine Buc. Rather meeting crowding Baltoro, we traget a peak at about 6500m, no need a license and just need the minimum . The idea to climb a virgin peak we like also. Soon the choice is the Hindu Raj and Dasbar Valley was chosen as part of our stay. We spent three weeks on the dream of a fairy base camp, surrounded by beautiful mountains but technical. Ascend the 6058m a summit that we have named Chotar Zom (mean small top). We traversed the valley in every direction and we really enjoyed the discovery of the nearest valleys and different angles on these majestic mountains. Our Pakistani friends from the base camp have largely contributed to the success of our stay and the inhabitants of the valley which we made regular visits.
There remains much to do in the Hindu Raj whether treeking in the magical landscapes, or engaged in mountaineering peaks. The jewels are countless and we are anxious to return confronting these countries so hard but so beautifull.


Pictures of Florian here

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Prénom : Christian
Job :
Mountain's guide
Projet (s) : 08/2008 - South america- 10/2008 - Northern india - 04 or 05/2009 -Yunnan and Thibet -08/09/2009 Northern areas of Kashmir in Palistan !
Passions :
Nature, moutains by foots. It is especially through the mountain that the meetings are multiplied, natural or human. To better know the old or modern cultures of these High Places, to collect and divide by all the means, in particularly with photographs, books.
Contact : ghm.chabert@wanadoo.fr

The banks of the river have been very early used as a natural and principal means of communication. It already went for more that 500 Km from its spring in the east over the high "Great Tibet" plains, to finally collapse in the west between the Zanskar and Ladakh massifs. The latter is still more dry (90 mm of water per yr) and more mineral than the opposite. The living areas were thus set up along the mountain streams coming from crests and the vast dejecting cones of the rivers that flow into the Indus. The inhabitable zones serve as in between the two gravel terraces, two tight gorges, two practically deserted zones. The volume and violence of the flowing water have re-enforced the importance of some key points that allow a crossing. These areas had also to be without floods. The capital of "Little Tibet" - Leh represents all these characteristics. Ideally situated under the Kardung pass (5300m), its situation in all four directions, has made of its " bazaar" the unavoidable junction for caravans coming from Central Asia, China, India, Cachemir and Tibet. The first petroglyphic studies in this part of the Himalaya were mainly made by Hermann Francke. To add also those of Karl Jettmar of the rocks situated close to Pakistan. To note is that one of the main affluent of the legendary river, flows in this area. In the north south part of the Hunza river, the Karokoram Hwy was completed in 19/82. Many trucks, beautifully decorated, now replace the caravans, as well as the army, that ever since antiquity had no other choice but to use this natural passage between Central Asia and the Indian continent or go over the high passes of the Himalaya.


Here the petroglyphs pictures by Christian Chabert

Herejoint the documentarie write by Christian

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Prénom : Jozef
Job : Doctor
Project (s) : Climbing in Himalaya and Karakoram.
Passion :
Mountians and isolated tribes
Contact : jozef.houben2@telenet.be

Our plan was to go from Shimshal to the Braldu, cross Lukpe La and then dependent on weather conditions and physical state to cross Khurdopin or Hispar La. We got 3 weeks of splendid sunshine so we gave Khurdopin a try. We crossed Khurdopin ascending on the south side (Snow Lake) and descending on the north side (Shimshal side), guided by one of Pakistan's top climbers Qudrat Ali and 4 Shimshal porters : Eid Mohammad, Mohammad Abdul, Bulbul Karim, Laili Shah. 5 days after arrival in Pakistan I was sitting in high camp at 4900m on the Shimshal Pamir because that night Qudrat Ali and Aziz Karim would try a new route on Mingli Sar but as I was not acclimatized I got breathing problems and decided not to join them,they succeeded in climbing the new route in 3 hours and 45 minutes. They succeeded in climbing a new route early morning. Two days later we made the third ascent on Walyoo Sar, the 6000 er dominating the Braldu glacier at Chikor. We didn't climb Lukpe Brakk because of many blue ice plates on the lower slopes.

See pictures of the Kurdopin Pass

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Name : Pierre
Job : Mountain guide.
Project (s) : Ski traverse in the great Karakoram.
Passion :
Mountain adventures, skiing.
Contact : info@karakoram-ski-expedition.com
Web site: http://www.karakoram-ski-expedition.com

In 1993, during a long trip in Asia, I discovered Northern Pakistan, a true revelation. In love with wild and great nature, impassioned by climbing since the beginning, and attracted for a few years by travelling, I found in this country all what I love. Wilderness and brutality, adventure, friendly people. I like the solid Pakistani friendships and I could prouve which it's not factitious.
While dropping my work from data processing specialist, I began my new work, combining my love for mountains areas, trip, photography and the writing. I had the guiding diploma and starts to publish for Terre Sauvage, Vertical, Montagnes Magazine and Trek magazine. I writed articles about Shimshal, Hindu Kouch mountains, Karakoram highway, and other Himalayan countries. In 1996, I took part in writing and logistics for a TV documentary about Shimshal, which shows the transhumance of the herds from High pastures in pamirs, a fantastic experience. The project to publish a book was growing in my spirit. I multiply departures towards Islamabad, sometimes manage groups for Allibert trekking agency, for treks along the Afghan border or on the Baltoro, and resting few months to traverse the vast areas of Shimshal. In 2003, I discovered the incredible glacial heart of Karakoram by skis while crossing the Hispar Biafo glaciers. Then borned the Karakoram Ski Expedition (http://www.karakoram-ski-expedition.com) which I organize each spring. After trekking around Nanga Parbat in August 2003, I launch the project of the book " Hautes vallées du Pakistan " (High valleys of Pakistan - http://www.hautesvalleesdupakistan.com), finished in october 2005. An history is completed, started with Geraldine Benestar who accomplished the work. But the adventure continue, with the Ogre skis trip in spring 2006, and new projects are growing to find the delicious armoise perfumes of the most beautiful mountains of Central Asia.

See pictures the ski expedition around The Ogre (Biantha Brakk)

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Names : Philippe
Job :
Paraglider teacher (school in Saint Hilaire de Touvet). I collaborate also regularly for flight and mountaineering newspaper
Project (s) : Lot of paragliders projects , in Karakoram and away.
Passion :
Mountain adventures, skis, treks, and flight. And reading travellers books.
Contact : phil.nodet@wanadoo.fr

I have practised the paraglider for 16 years, intensely, passionately. An obsession : the bivouac flight; It is art way to travelling with paraglider, from climbs to climbs. In the evening, we are arriving where we begin to fly the next morning, and if the aerological conditions are not favorable for the flight, one has the choice between walk (flight equipment, for bivouac, clothes and food do not exceed 25 kg) or meditation.

I traced my way through the Pyrenees, Alps, Moroccan Atlas, Tians shans range (Kirghisie) in the two-seater with my wife in the Himalayas (From Dharamsala to the Nepal border, that is to say 500kms in ten days). The magic of the flight bivouac is to fly in space, of course, but perhaps more still in the meetings people; From the sky, we are meetin pepope with open arms, sometimes with people who had never seen tourists! Then it is not rare that they claps their hands, by thanking us passionately.

I have two famous adventures companions, Gildas Moussali (who's yet a sailor) and Julien Wirtz (also paraglider monitor in Prévol). When we fly together, we are not joind by a rope but we are connected only by radio. We discovered mountains of Karakoram together, the most beautiful mountains of the earth, capped with a an incredible aerology. In the karakoram, it is not rare to climb almost 4000 meters in less than half hour, with the only power of thermics! We can fly at nearly 7000 meters, travelling 100 km in a day, on routes opened by famous Shipton, Tilman and Thesiger... in some longs days walk !

Then we lived beautiful adventures, even more beautiful are waiting us next months. The air exploration of North Pakistan is not finished as Shipton wrote in " beyond this mountain ": " There is so much to discover for explorers, in these mountains ranges, as once in the game, it seems that it should never finish". We are damned !


See pictures of the great Karakoram traverse with paragliders

See the Hand gliding topic

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Names : Matthieu & Mareile Paley
Job : Photographer and graphic designer
Passion :
Photographe, travelling and treks, treks, treks

Project (s) : Full of projects in Pamir zone, Karakoram & Hindoukouch
Contact : info@paleyphoto.com
Site Web :
http://www.paleyphoto.com/home.html

Hello. I am a photographer and my wife Mareile is a graphic designer. I started photography in 1998 in Mongolia and quickly was assigned my first job as photographer. Back from Bhutan in 1999, a Pakistani friend in New York offered us to start a trekking agency in Northern Pakistan. Our answer: " Ah, there are mountains in Pakistan ? Well let’s have a look then... " Since 1999, we lived more than 3 years in this area. We stayed one year in Skardu, then spent several months in Gilgit, Chitral and high Hunza, the Gojal area etc. We worked to produce books and booklets (text, photograph, design layout, post-production, etc) for various NGO’s like the Aga Khan Foundation, IUCN (World Conservation Union), Focus Humanitarian etc We were also briefly guides & translators for Ushuaïa TV program, for individual trekkers etc. We spent lots of time trekking in Northern Areas, always drown to isolated passes, smiles and hugs of dear friends... We now speak Urdu and rather well Wakhi. Wakhi and Kyrgyz cultures, at the crossroads of 5 countries (Pakistan, India, China, Tajikistan and Afghanistan) are especially close to our hearts. We concentrated on this subject for a few years and published various articles in Géo, Time, Discovery etc.
Some memories?
From 1999 to 2000, we lived one year in Skardu and explored remote corners of Baltistan for the Aga Khan Foundation - our house beside the Indus, our musician friends, poets, the bears of Deosai... Then the discovery with the Chapursan Valley where we return each year since.
In 2001, we opened a pass with a Wakhi friend on the Pakistani-Afghan border – a pass that we called Ghulam-Ali pass, named after a friend who died the year before in an accident.
In 2003, we worked 5 months on a really interesting project: a visual and written documentation of the various points of interests (history, treks, fauna and flora etc) of the newly created "Gojal Conservancy Area", declared by World Conservation Union. We were the first to go over the Khyber pass which joins the Shirin Maidun glacier, adjacent to the Batura glacier. First or not first, it’s not so important. We think the “lightness” in which we travel is the most important. Yes, we love people like Shipton indeed… This “lightness”, that we can now enjoy after gaining experience in these mountains, and of course speaking the language, gives us such great joy, we always try to share it as much as we can. Ofg course, the simplicity and “joie de vivre” of these mountain people inspires us and amazes us every time!
In 2004, to celebrate our marriage properly, we leave together with our donkey Clémentine from Lasht village in Yarkhun valley (Chitral) to Baba Ghundi, at the end of Chapursan valley. We became addicted to "donkey travel", far, very far from the crowded Baltoro glacier... And off we are again for 2 months in 2005 in the Afghan Wakhan corridor with Donkey G. We reached the far eastern corner of Afghanistan, bringing letters from the exiled Kyrgyz community in Turkey to the Afghan Kyrgyz community from the Little Pamir... a story which began in September 2000 and which is still going on.
Yes, we are entangled in this beautiful Pamir-Hindukush-Karakoram creature and I believe we might never get back from there! Thanks Bruno for this web site… thank you! – and please make sure there is always a blank corner on the map that nobody talks about…

Pictures comments : Like many others, we are fascinated by borders: be it physical, geographical or religious. The Pamir mountains, at the "beginning" (or the "end", depending on how you look at it) of the Himalayan arc (the " greater Himalaya"), are of particular interest to us, because of their position at the crossroad of many cultures and countries. Here is a small series of pictures (landscapes and Wakhi ethnic group) taken between 2002 and 2004 at the southern edge of the Pamir knot, where the Pamir range takes a leap to become Hindukuch and Karakoram, where roundness becomes dynamism, where the colors are changing.
Voila!... You can see a bigger selection of images and stories on my web site :
http://www.paleyphoto.com

See pictures

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Name : Christophe
Job : Doctor
Passion :
Alpinisme (Aconcagua, Cho Oyu, GII, Daulagiri, Noshaq, Kun)
Project (s) : Ascension au Baltoro
Contact : christophe.faisy@wanadoo.fr

Karakoram, Hindu-Kush, Himalayas: these names resound in the unconscious and the spirit of those who travel to recall them that the territories of the most improbable dreams surely exist at the end of the World. Major and vital desire to leave to go to see and feel the last border of the Earth before the Sky. It is thus necessary to raise very high the head to see over there gods of a Pantheon who decide the luck or misfortune of mountaineers: mountains. But not any mountains, the highest and most isolated places on the Earth. There is here the fascination of men for the unknown and the magnetism of the summits whose sides have the memory of the efforts and of the sorrow of those which become exhausted on their slopes. Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum, Noshaq and all others: at the same time territories of the dreams and gardens of the suffering. Altitude resounds like the accomplished perception of something total, final. And then, after the suffering, a strange world emerges bathed by the light and the thin certainty to achieve its destiny. Asceticism. We perspires on these gigantic mountains. We perspires eternity by all the skins pores: clims of these summits look like a long prayer which goes up to the Sky and whose significance belongs only to that which pray it. Karakoram, Hindu-Kush, the Himalayas: mountains of eternity. I do not forget loneliness and doubt as moments seemed impossible. The adventure. I do not forget the lost friends and the memories which could fly away. Since always men rise and always falling down... These mountains keep the memory of those which believed in the dreams and eternity. Definitively
.


See pictures of Nanga Parbat climb

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Name : Vincent
Job : Ingenieer
Passion :
Ski pulka and deep zones
Project (s) : Baffin, Patagonia and Pakistan
Contact : vincent.dumas@hp.com

See pictures of Biafo Hispar ski traverse
i

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Name: Jean-Louis
Job : Ingeneerr
Passion :
Alpinism & exploration
Project (s) : Lupke La pass to Khurdopin Pass from Shimshal
Contact : jlbrabet@free.fr

Skardu on June 29 2004: I find with much emotion and pleasure my shimshalis friends Qudrat, Wahab, Bari, Amir Ali, Fazel... who accompanied me twice already in the Karakoram range. The fourth time I climb in these mountains, discovered in 1987 during a Broad Peak climb stopped at 7500 meters by the bad weather. This time, with my friends Christian, Louis like Tayyab, Karavan Leaders, we want discover isolated zones, less traversed than the glacier of Baltoro. in four weeks we will meet any other expedition and no trekking groups.
It was initially the climb on Panmah glacier then the Chiring glacier until West Mustagh Pass (5350 m). Then Nobande Sobande glacier to cross Skam la pass (5670 m), splendid view-point on the 7 000's Hispar Mustagh. From there we joined Sim Gang glacier and Lupke La pass (5620m) : the bad weather prevented us to climb the close Lupke Brakk (6029 m). Then, very disturbed weather blocqued our other projects. Stay two days and half on Snow Lake by strong snow falls (more than 80 cm), we have to give up crossing Kurdopin Pass (approximately 5800 m) cause of avalanches and returning by Hispar Pass (5151 m).
Return to Shimshal we made, in spite of this, a great festival with the wondefull team of the fifteen shimshalis which accompanied us throughout this trip. We went back with regret, with bonds of friendship tightened very strongly by the shared joys and efforts and with the desire to meet us again, to live together other adventures in the heart of the lightenings moutains of Karakoram.


See pictures of Nobande Sobande - Sim Gang glacier traverse

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Name : Karim
Job : Alpiniste et guide
Project (s) : Trekking agencie
Passion :
Nature and my country, Hunza valley, Gojal and Shimshal !
Contact : karimkhan_06@yahoo.com

Hunza, the living paradise on earth is also known as Shangrila. The word "Shangrila" comes from the famous book "Lost Horizon" of James Hilton. In his book, the writer has described Hunza as a pure, calm and peaceful place. The area is surrounded by forests, meadows and snow-covered high mountains. In this Fairy Land, people live for more than one hundred years in perfect harmony.
I was born in Shim Shal,a small village of Hunza, situated in the heart of Karakoram at 3000m.of height. It has a magnificent landscape and enormous pastures, bordering China and Skardu up to K2. There are many peaks between 6000 and 8000m, the majority still virgin, are welcoming the mountaineers of the world. The upper Hunza is called Gojal where people speak Wakhi language. According to the linguistic research, this ethnic group of the indo Iranian language is considered to be the oldest form of Persian, which has given birth to the modern Persian. The language is spoken on the borders of five countries, China, northern Pakistan, Afghanistan Pamir, Wakhan Corridor and a small group living in Shioc near Tibet at the border of India still isolated in the mountains.

Rajab Shah is the first Pakistani-mountaineer, who hoisted the flag of Pakistan on all the five highest peaks of above 8000m high situated in the country. He was a climbing instructor in the Alpine Club Pakistan. Many of his students from Shim shal summated the peaks of above 8000m. and today Shim Shal is known as a village of climbers. I learned climbing since my childhood with my uncle Rajab Shah and I made some climbs on 6000/7000m as a mountain guide. Being multi linguist guide, I have been working with French travel agencies: Allibert in North, Nouvelles Frontières in the South and with Tirawa via the local agency " Karavan Leaders " for seven years.

I am recently studying at the Catholic Institute of Paris to improve my French language. In future, with my uncle, I have the project to establish my own trekking company and a climbing school. I organize treks, Jeep Safaris in Northern area of Pakistan. Those who are interested in visiting this area, regarding the safety and other important information can contact me on my e-mail address : Karimkhan_06@yahoo.com

 

See pictures of Karambar Lake trek / Kalash Valley

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Name : David
Job : Alpinist and guide
Project (s) : Climbings projects
Passion :
Guiding
Contact : high.adventure@btinternet.com
Site Web : http://www.highadventure.org.uk

David Hamilton first visited the Karakoram in the summer of 1987 as leader of a 4 man team making exploratory climbs in the Hushe area. Since then he has returned every year leading climbing, trekking and ski touring projects. 2006 will be his 20th season in the mountains of the Pakistan Karakoram. He has been involved in several first ascents of 6000m peaks in the Hushe area as well as organising expeditions to better known peaks such as: Masherbrum (1991), Tirich Mir (1993), Chogolisa (1995), Gasherbrum I (1997), Gasherbrum II (1998, 1999, 2001), Broad Peak (2000), Spantik (2000, 2001, 2005), Muztagh Ata (1998, 2002, 2003). David has led many exploratory treks to remote parts of the Karakoram. He made the 3rd crossing of the Ghondokoro La in 1989 and has now crossed this pass 15 times. He has made several crossings of little known passes such as the Haramosh La and the Skam La, and opened new trekking new linking the Trango and Panmah glaciers. He has combined his experience of the Karakoram with ski skills learnt in other mountain ranges to make 3 ski journeys in Pakistan: the classic Biafo - Hispar traverse (1996 & 1997) and a much longer tour from Shimshal to Hushe in 2004.
While the Karakoram remains the area that David is most passionate about, he has considerable experience of other mountain ranges. He has led 3 expeditions to Mt Everest, reaching the summit twice (from Nepal in 2003 and from Tibet in 2005). He has also led expedition projects in the Soviet Caucasus, Scandinavia, Turkey, Iran, Greenland, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Nepal, China, Tibet and Antarctica.

Pictures of great Karakoram traverse with ski Pulka

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Name : Bruno
Job : Quality manager
Passion : Treks and alpinism
Project (s) : Great traverse Skamri / Nobande Sobande glaciers
Contact : blankonthemap@free.fr
Site Web : http://blankonthemap.free.fr

"Mountains of Karakoram offer the most beautiful landscapes as the eart can offer", It's not what I say, it's Eric Shipton...




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