Postcard from Passu - a glacier, a cathedral, a bridge

PassuPassu ConesPassu GlacierTupopdanHussainiHussaini Suspension BridgeHussaini BridgeHunza ValleyGilgit-BaltistanPakistantravelphotography

Jun 20

Written By Gaynor Shaw

After leaving the Khunjerab National Park we head back to Hunza, stopping in Passu. Pakistan has over 7,000 known glaciers and contains more glacial ice than any other country outside the polar regions. Pakistan has a population of over 220 million people who rely on glacial water for drinking water and farming. However, Pakistan’s glaciers are receding. Rapid glacial melt has lead to flash flooding, avalanches, landslides, destruction of infrastructure and loss of life.

In the south of Passu is the Passu Glacier. This glacier links up with a number of other glaciers in the region. The Passu Glacier is 20.5 kilometres long, spread over 115 square kilometres. Behind the glacier sits Passu Peak at 7,478m.

The view from the road is breathtaking, on the left is the Passu Glacier and on the right is Tupopdan, also known as Passu Cones or Passu Cathedral. This mountain range stands at 6,106 metres above the Hunza River. Tupopdan is the local name for the mountains and it means ‘sun gulping mountains’ but as we were there on a very cold and overcast day I will have to believe the locals. The sharp peaks made me think of a sleeping dragon, but I could also see the reference to cathedral spires.

We had also stopped in this area to see and perhaps walk across the Hussaini Suspension Bridge. It is a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Hunza River so you can walk to Zarabad Hamlet from Hussaini Village. The Bridge has been washed away a number of times due to flash flooding. It is made of wooden planks, some narrow, some wide, each plank is set at a different width to its neighbour making it very difficult to walk with confidence. It also moves up and down as other people cross the bridge and swings side to side in the wind.

I slowly stepped out onto the bridge, it moved slightly side to side, I kept walking and when someone walked closely behind me the bridge moved up and down and I felt like I was on a trampoline. I waited until they had passed by and kept walking, slow by slow step, holding tightly to the metal wires. As you move further along and further out over the river the bridge moves a lot more, but I was gaining in confidence and started to walk a little bit quicker. I made it to the other side and was feeling pleased with my daring walk only to see two locals quickly walk across the bridge without holding on! I was so fascinated with their progress I forgot to take a photo of them.

I turned around and walked back across the bridge, I was happy to have walked across and even happier to be back on safe, non-rocking ground.