HUNZA: A man from Gilgit Baltistan has made history by driving his vehicle in reverse gear from Tupopdon (Passu) to Shimshal, covering a tough 60-km track in just in four and a half hours.
The most amazing part of the story is about the road, the Korakoram Highway – one of the highest paved international roads in the world, also dubbed as ‘Eight Wonder of World’.
The road to Shimshal is full of all kind of dangers. It is narrow, winding, very high above the Shimshal River and unpaved.
For all these reasons, the Shimshal road is considered very dangerous. The drivers moving passengers and luggage everyday from Passu to Shimshal, covering a distance of 60 kilometers, are highly skilled, but still they drive very carefully, to avoid any calamity.
If the vehicle goes off the road, deaths are imminent.
But Mirza Aman, a driver from Shimshal, achieved this extra ordinary feat, which requires nerves of steel and exceptional driving skills.
When he reached Shimshal in reverse gear, the locals stood at the entrance of the village to welcome him, awe-inspired by the unbelievable task.
Mirza Aman’s reverse journey to Shimshal was captured by Ali Ahmad, a local photographer.
The Passu area, a vast plateau circumscribed by mountains, is also the confluence of the Hunza, or Gojal, and Shimshal rivers. Passu boasts numerous hotels and is the perfect base for multifarious excursions in the great Karakorams. – Samaa
