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In Pakistan's Karakoram Mountains, a new hiking route is helping to break down barriers and promote sustainable livelihoods.
It’s been a while since I picked up a cricket bat. But here I was, high in the snow-capped mountains of northern Pakistan, with no phone signal or other distractions except for a surreal panorama of the rugged peaks and seeping glaciers of the Namma Valley, giving me no reason not to enjoy the high altitude with our porters. The meadows at the top of the valley where we'd been hiking for the past two days were nice enough, and the porters had bats and balls ready, ready to take their chance on indulging in the national obsession.
Few porters speak English, but the common language of movement allows our international trekking group to communicate at varying altitudes, up to 4000 meters (13,000 feet) above sea level. To my relief, after a day of hiking, my limited cricketing skills and energy proved to be no problem as the game got underway on a freezing afternoon.
The Pakistani bowlers took no prisoners when their fellow porters came up to bat, but they went easy on me when it was my turn. One kind porter was more accommodating to the oxygen levels at our lower altitude and even offered to run for me while I was batting so I could bat longer. These small acts of kindness are prime examples of Pakistan’s deeply ingrained culture of hospitality, making our cricket matches one of my favorite memories aboard the Intrepid Hike Pakistan’s Nanma Valley and Karakoram Mountains travel.
Take us from the busy streets of the capital, Islamabad, to the majestic Karakoram Mountains in the administrative region of Gilgit-Baltistan – a feature of Intrepid 2025 unpopular list My intrepid trip was subsequently featured in The New York Times and Time Magazine, providing me with a humbling experience of one of the most misunderstood countries in the world. It also provides the opportunity to play a small but meaningful role in the sustainable development of one of Pakistan’s poorest regions.
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Job close to home
Moving is a physically and mentally exhausting profession. Porters are often underpaid, poorly equipped and lack proper insurance, making them extremely vulnerable in some of the world's harshest environments. Umer Latif, a Lahore-based trekking enthusiast and founder of guided trekking company Beyond the Valley, pioneered trekking tours in the remote and then little-known Nangma Valley in 2023 to address these issues and more.
“When we embarked on this new trail, we also set a new standard for porter care,” Ulmer said. All porters and support staff contracted by Beyond the Valley (Intrepid’s local partner) have access to adequate food, shelter and insurance, and are paid above the government minimum wage (approximately 1,700 rupees or approximately $6.10 per day). These may seem like basic human rights, but in Pakistan, providing them is not common. Fortunately, this is changing.
“Our guides provide regular awareness sessions and training during trekking expeditions, and these efforts help porters better understand their rights and welfare standards,” Ulmer said. This has had a knock-on effect, Umer adds, with porters now advocating for improved welfare standards in Nangma and other trekking areas in Gilgit-Baltistan, home to five of the world's 14 mountain ranges over 8,000 meters above sea level.
Hiking in the Namma Valley also creates opportunities for local porters to work more frequently, closer to home, and in “relaxed” conditions. Before starting a trek here, most local porters make the trek to Askol, which can take two days, to be employed on the long and challenging trek to K2 Base Camp during the main trekking season from June to September.
“I’m glad the tourism industry started here because it’s an easy job – it only takes a few days,” explains Munir Kotakpa Kanday, a Nangma Valley porter who aspires to be a tour guide like Muneer Alam, our tireless and ever-smiling Intrepid tour leader. There's also a lower risk of injury or illness on a “soft” hike like the Namma Valley, and porters only need a few hours a day. This gives them extra time and energy to have fun at work, while cricket matches create easy opportunities for cultural exchange with travelers.
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A great inning for everyone
Muneer shares Umer's passion for sustainable tourism and is Beyond the Valley's chief tour guide and head of sustainability. After three seasons of traveling to the Namma Valley, the experienced guide from Gilgit-Baltistan's Hunza Valley took a closer look at how responsible tourism has a positive impact not only on local porters and their families, but also on the valley floor village of Kanday and the surrounding mountain communities.
Businesses directly benefiting include transport providers, restaurants, hotels, homestays and other small businesses visited by tour groups, he said. “We prioritize local sourcing as much as possible and farmers get an income,” he added.
Many other trekking companies now operate Nangma Valley trekking along with Intrepid and Beyond the Valley, which creates more employment opportunities for locals.
“When I founded Beyond the Valley in 2022, there wasn’t a hiking group in Southern Malaysia that year,” Ulmer said. “Last year there were more than 50.” Beyond the Valley has also grown its workforce, with women making up 50 percent of the workforce (excluding seasonal contractors like porters). Its gender balance sets an important example in Pakistan, which ranks last among 148 countries. World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index 2025.
One of Muneer's responsibilities is to run awareness campaigns on sustainable tourism for office and operations staff, suppliers, and schools and university students in the region, helping locals future-proof their emerging tourism industry and diversify away from traditional reliance on agriculture amid increasing climate-related pressures.
“Conservation committees have now been formed in Kandai village and several other areas,” Munir said. “These communities also charge nominal trekking fees, develop their own guidelines for travelers and porters, and actively monitor compliance.”
Munir added that many schools now celebrate World Environment Day, Mountain Day and other global environmental initiatives. They also carry out clean-up campaigns and awareness-raising campaigns, reflecting a growing understanding of environmental responsibility and the principles of sustainable tourism.
“It's really encouraging to witness the progress,” said Munir, who was a competitive cricketer as a fast bowler before starting a career in the tourism industry.
Munir played a few cricket matches, with the glaciers on the pitch glistening in the afternoon sun and some healthy competition between Pakistan and the more competitive visiting players from Australia and England. But the amateur Canadian turned out to be the game's surprise player, sending several balls over the heads of the defense and into the alpine abyss, leaving some confused looks on the porters' faces. Not that anyone was keeping score. It's just a casual cricket match, but it's also a powerful example of how everyday travel choices can change lives.
