17/05/2026
A Long Ride in the Hindu Kush 🇵🇰
This time last year we flew to Pakistan to try a new itinerary in the Hindu Kush mountains.
We were hosted by the Ul Mulk family, relations of the ruler of Chitral. Our journey started with a stay at their hotel perched up in the mountains. The hotel has hosted intrepid travellers, movie stars, diplomats and many spies.
Chitral was critically important for the British in the Great Game as a power struggle between waring factions of the Ul Mulk culminated in a deadly siege and ultimately the appointment of the British-backed grandfather of our hosts as ruler. The British held on to influence and the Soviets gave up their battle in central asia shortly after.
The area borders Afghanistan and the Wakhan corridor lies a days drive to the north. Marco Polo, Buddhist pilgrims and many nomadic people have passed through this area. The people are tall and some have blue eyes and blonde hair. The locals tell stories of fairies and giants and the area is home to Kalash people rumoured to be descendants of Alexander the Great’s army or even the god Dionysus.
Chitralis are obsessed with polo. Theirs is a mountain style, fast, often violent, where the same horse is ridden for the entire game. Families own a single horse, their ultimate luxury, which has its own stable where the family all sleep in a single central room in the home.
Surrounded by towering mountains cut by roaring, glacial blue rivers, villages of vibrant green cling to the hillsides.
We spent three days riding through villages, camping in stand up luxury tents, with fully catered three course suppers, our host Zainab’s personal masseuse from Lahore on hand to work on any sore muscles.
We visited Shandur due polo ground - the highest in the world.
We crossed Chumarkhun Pass through a foot of snow, our horses bounding behind us as we led them through the most complicated areas.
We followed snow leopard tracks and dodged yaks at 4,300 meters.
Guided by Brit Bertie, who lived in Chitral for three years on and off, Princess Zainab Ul Mulk, and her husband Qublai, once a captain of the Pakistani polo team.
A true adventure through frontier country!
