The snow face
Nanga Parbat above the pines.
M.Awais — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Omarfarooqhamid — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hussainian786 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fassifarooq — CC BY-SA 4.0 · M. Ali Alam — CC BY-SA 4.0
Fairy Meadows, known locally as Joot, is an area of grassland near a base camp of Nanga Parbat in Diamer District, Gilgit-Baltistan, at about 3,300 m. It has been part of Nanga Parbat National Park since 2021. It offers one of the finest mountain views in the world, with the huge snow mountain looking very close above the pines. The government declared it a national park in 1995, and it is the launching point for climbers heading up Nanga Parbat by the Rakhiot face. Curiously, the point visitors take for the summit is actually the North Peak at 7,816 m, while the true summit at 8,126 m stays hidden behind it and cannot be seen from here. You walk among green meadows, pines and wooden huts, with streams and snowmelt running around you. In the morning the snow face is clear before clouds gather, and at sunset the snow turns red. You can walk on towards Beyal and the base camp with a guide. The weather changes fast, so come prepared. The trip begins at Raikot Bridge with a 15 km jeep track, followed by hours of uphill walking. The UK Foreign Office advises against travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, so visitors usually come from the Gilgit side, about 64 km in a straight line. You need to stay at least one night.
Nanga Parbat above the pines.
Streams and wooden huts.
A walk towards base camp.
Near Nanga Parbat, Diamer District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
No, it is the North Peak, and the true summit is hidden behind it.
The jeep track is narrow and scary, followed by hours of uphill walking, so you need reasonable fitness.