New Zealand citizen poisoned by tainted alcohol in Laos returns home
A New Zealand citizen who fell ill after drinking contaminated alcohol in Laos has returned home following the deaths of six tourists due to supected methanol poisoning.
New Zealand’s foreign ministry had earlier reported that one of its citizens fell ill in Laos and was believed to be a victim of the poisoning.
The victims, including two Danes, two Australians, a Briton, and an American, had visited Vang Vieng, a popular tourist town in Laos. Earlier, the US State Department also released a health alert for its citizens travelling to Laos, citing “suspected methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng, possibly through the consumption of methanol-laced alcoholic drinks”.
This followed warnings issued by other nations whose citizens have been affected.
“The New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok has been providing assistance to one New Zealander who we believe to have been poisoned with methanol in Laos. They have now departed Laos and returned home,” a New Zealand foreign ministry spokesperson said.
Details about the individual’s condition were not disclosed.
The Laos government has pledged to prosecute those responsible, and investigations are ongoing.
The government also expressed its “sincere sympathy and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased”. Authorities in Laos also detained the manager and owner of a backpacker hostel in Vang Vieng on Friday.
Lao state-run news agency KPL said earlier that authorities were gathering evidence and witness accounts following the foreigners’ deaths due to suspected “consumption of tainted alcoholic beverages”.
The government has been “conducting investigations to find causes of the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law”, it said in its first official comments published on the foreign affairs ministry website.
Methanol poisoning from counterfeit and homemade alcohol has prompted warnings from multiple countries, including Australia, the US, and the UK. It is a toxic alcohol that is used industrially as a solvent, pesticide, and alternative fuel source, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Crazy Rich Asians director shares update on long-awaited sequel status
Jon M Chu has provided an update on the long awaited sequel to his 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians sequel, but said that he would not bring the cast back unless “it’s worth it”.
The first Crazy Rich Asians film, written by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, directed by Chu, and based on the 2013 novel of the same title by Kevin Kwan, followed Chinese-American professor Rachel Chu who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick Young and is shocked to discover that his family is one of the richest there.
The romantic comedy-drama was lauded for its predominantly Asian cast, with Constance Wu starring as Rachel Chu, Henry Golding as Nick Young, along with Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, and Sonoya Mizuno. Crazy Rich Asians grossed $239m globally, and opened to mostly favourable reviews.
A sequel was announced by Warner Bros Pictures in 2018, with Chiarelli and Lim returning to write the script, based on the book’s sequel, China Rich Girlfriend. Later the same year, it was announced that the third film, based on the final novel in the trilogy, Rich People Problems, would be filmed back-to-back in 2020.
In 2022, Chinese-Australian writer Amy Wang was hired to replace the writers following Lim’s exit from the film in 2019 after it was revealed that Chiarelli was allegedly going to be paid almost 10 times more than her.
In a podcast appearance, fresh off the success of recent directorial venture Wicked, Chu provided fans with a disappointing update on the fate of the sequel.
“I won’t bring everyone back unless it’s worth it. There’s too much on the line for everybody,” Chu said on Deadline’s Crew Call.
“I want the best thing. I want it to be worthy of what Crazy Rich Asians 1 was. We’ve tried all different versions. It’s hard because people think the first movie is like the book, but it actually is not. It’s the right spirit, but the plotting is very different. And so, you can’t just go and translate. And we’ve tried versions and the fact is, is that we just haven’t gotten there.”
“And there’s no way I’m dragging the audience back. There’s no way the bar is too high. So, in time when we get there, we will.”
“To me, that sequel right now is the Broadway musical that we’re working on. That’s very exciting and very fun,” he added, referring to the forthcoming musical adaptation in development, set to be directed by Chu.
Chu’s Wicked, along with Gladiator 2, is being credited for fans rushing to theatres this past weekend, with the lavish musical, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuting with $114m domestically and $164.2m globally for Universal Pictures, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey gave Wicked three stars, writing that stars “Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande showcase phenomenal vocal ability in this adaptation of the blockbuster musical, but they’re let down by a film that is aggressively overlit and shot like a TV advert.”
Jimmy Lai’s son condemns ‘show trial’ in Hong Kong
As pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai faces a potential life sentence in the high-stakes national security case in Hong Kong, his son Sebastien Lai has denounced the proceedings as a politically motivated “show trial” driven by a China-led crackdown on dissent.
Lai, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, is facing charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials, all of which are crimes under Hong Kong’s controversial national security law, which was imposed by Beijing. Lai denies all the charges.
Sebastien paints a harrowing picture of his father’s ordeal – years of detention under dire conditions – and underscores his unwavering commitment to democracy, press freedom, and the people of Hong Kong in an interview with The Independent.
Condemning his father’s ongoing prosecution, Sebastien says that the 77-year-old media tycoon should never have been arrested. “The trial shouldn’t even be happening. He shouldn’t have been arrested in the first place,” he says.
Introduced in 2020, the law marked a turning point in the city’s pro-democracy movement, coming a year after grassroots-led protests against Beijing’s increasing influence erupted in 2019. Sparked by a controversial extradition bill, the protests saw hundreds of thousands march in defiance, with some demonstrators vowing to fight to the death for democracy.
Prominent figures like Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow became faces of the movement, but the crackdown that followed the protests led to mass arrests and the exile of many activists. On Tuesday, Wong was among 45 pro-democracy activists sentenced to up to 10 years in prison under the national security law.
Lai was another prominent target of Beijing’s clampdown. His newspaper, known for its critical coverage and pro-democracy stance, became a lightning rod for the Chinese government’s ire during the protests.
In August 2020, 200 police officers raided Apple Daily’s offices and arrested Lai. Less than a year later, in June 2021, a second raid involving hundreds of officers led to the arrests of five executives, including the editor-in-chief and CEO. A week later, the paper ceased publication.
“Jimmy Lai is the principal mastermind and perpetrator behind the series of riots that shook Hong Kong. He is an agent and henchman of those hostile to China,” Lin Jian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, declared during a press briefing in Beijing.
Now in custody for more 1,400 days, Lai faces three charges: two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one of sedition. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. If convicted, he faces a life sentence. Lai has already been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison for a separate fraud case linked to Apple Daily.
Sebastien calls the case politically motivated, designed to silence his father’s pro-democracy voice and the broader freedom of speech movement in Hong Kong.
“Raising concern to an elected official abroad is not a collusion,” Sebastien says, when asked about Lai’s meeting in 2019 with the then-US vice president Mike Pence and secretary of state Mike Pompeo to discuss the political crisis in Hong Kong.
“Collusion suggests that there’s some nefarious benefit. That is what you ‘collude for’ right? And in my father’s case, the biggest stretch, and I mean, the only stretch you can make is this – that the benefit was democracy,” he says, calling the charges “insane”.
Sebastien raises concerns about his father’s health as he describes the torment he has endured during solitary confinement.
“The goal of solitary confinement is to break the person,” he says. “He’s been kept in horrible prison conditions … no natural light, and the idea is to break him – physically, mentally, and spiritually.
“That’s a level of isolation beyond what is legally acceptable. It’s not looking good for him physically,” he says.
At his age and with pre-existing health conditions like diabetes, Lai is frail. “Physically, he is not doing too well,” his son admits. “He’s got back problems, diabetes. It’s a cocktail that doesn’t bode well for one’s health.”
Despite the toll, he says there is a bittersweet comfort in knowing his father’s mental and spiritual resilience remains intact. “I saw the testimony with everybody else on Twitter, but he seemed to be doing well mentally – still very sharp. His testimony was strong,” he shared.
“He’s committed to journalism and to the importance of journalism in Hong Kong.”
During the trial, Lai denied allegations that he had sought foreign intervention in Hong Kong’s affairs. Specifically, he rejected claims that he had tried to influence US officials, including Pence and Pompeo, to support Hong Kong’s democracy protests. “I would not dare to ask the vice-president to do anything,” Lai testified in court.
He described his interactions with these officials as merely relaying information about the situation in Hong Kong. In a case that has drawn international attention, diplomats from the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Switzerland, and Ireland attended the court in support of Lai, with many Western nations having denounced the charges against Lai and his trial. The United Nations’ Working Group on Arbitrary Detention recently called for his immediate release, echoing concerns that the trial is a violation of his rights.
Critics, including human rights organisations and Western governments, argue that Lai’s prosecution is part of a systematic effort by Beijing to erase dissent and suppress the press in Hong Kong.
Yet, despite all, Lai’s commitment to Hong Kong’s democracy remains unshaken, his son says. “He knew he was a target from the start … but he stayed to defend his people. He made the right choice.
“My father is a deeply faithful man. It gives him tremendous strength. I think what keeps him going is knowing he did the right thing.” Sebastien urges people to “say a prayer for him”.
“If a man who fought for freedom for the last 30 years deserves anything, it’s to be free immediately,” he says.
Kohli stops play as six hits security guard on head
Virat Kohli stopped playing during the first Test against Australia when the former India captain’s six struck a security guard on the head in Perth.
Kohli was concerned when he found the boundary with the penultimate ball of the second innings, as his shot bounced just over the boundary cushions and caught the young security guard on the head while he was looking towards the crowd.
Rather than celebrating his first six of the match, Kohli directed the attention of the physios to the security guard as Australia spinner Nathan Lyon checked on him.
India declared their second innings closed at 487-6 late on day three, setting Australia a record victory target of 534 in the first test, with Kohli 100 not out.
The visitors have built a comprehensive lead in the opening match of the five-test series, having scored 150 in their first innings before bowling out Australia for 104.
Modi’s party and allies set for big election win in richest state
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies are set to retain power in India’s richest state, in a major boost to prime minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist party.
The Mahayuti alliance, led by Mr Modi’s BJP, is on course to win 221 of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, home to India’s financial and entertainment capital Mumbai. The BJP alone is set to take more than 100 seats.
Senior state BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said the new chief minister will be chosen after a consultation with all allied parties. “The Mahayuti government has achieved undisputed and resounding success,” said incumbent chief minister Eknath Shinde, of the Shiv Sena party.
The result is a shot in the arm for Mr Modi’s party after what a disappointing general election performance earlier in the year. The BJP lost its parliamentary majority in May and had to depend on mercurial regional allies to rule.
The party regained some momentum last month when it won the election in the northern state of Haryana, defying expectations.
The result in Maharashtra is seen as more significant given the western state carries far greater economic, electoral and political heft. The BJP, in fact, is on its way to register its best electoral performance ever in the state.
The main opposition Congress party and its partners, meanwhile, are set to keep power in the eastern Jharkhand state, with 47 of the 81 seats, according to latest figures from the election commission.
The alliance, by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party, is expected to defeat the BJP and its allies, who were criticised during the campaign for trying to polarise voters along Hindu-Muslim religious lines.
These victories can help the political parties have more of their representatives in the upper house of parliament, which is key for passing countrywide legislation.
The campaign for the elections saw the BJP seek to attract voters by promising INR1,500 ($18) a month to more 20 million women in the 21-65 age group whose families earn less than 250,000 ($3,010) annually.
The Congress party promised to provide double that amount along with free rides on public buses.
The final results are expected later on Saturday.
Kiran Rao discusses Lost Ladies journey to the Oscars
Kiran Rao is ready for the Oscars.
Come January, we’ll know if Rao’s second directorial venture, Lost Ladies, India’s official nomination for best international film in 2025, has a chance at winning at the 97th Academy Awards.
Lost Ladies follows Phool and Jaya, two young newlywed brides, who get exchanged during a train ride to their husband’s homes. Rao’s second film after Dhobi Ghat in 2010, Lost Ladies was screened at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival last year in September and released theatrically in March 2024.
Based on a screenplay by Biplab Goswami, the script was brought to Rao by her former husband, the actor and producer Aamir Khan.
Speaking to The Independent, Rao describes the journey the film took, from a script to become India’s official entry to the Oscars.
“The original script by Biplab actually had a lot of the bones of what finally made it to the film,” Rao says.
“And the idea of the swap was, of course, central to how the story played out. And that in itself was very exciting to me because it’s a journey film, and they give you a lot of potential to develop adventures along the way, revelations that the journey can throw up, the growth in the characters as they progress through that journey.”
Rao credits Goswami’s writing as a “great place to start building very interesting characters”, which were built further with writer Sneha Desai.
Rao decided that a comedic, more satirical treatment of the idea that two brides, dressed similarly in bridal finery with their faces covered by their veils, could end up with the wrong husbands would be more fitting.
Because the idea is absurd, and yet oddly plausible, if one looks at the cultural context.
“The idea of the two brides getting swapped because of a confusion with the veil is funny, but it was also a great way to satirise and then address a lot of the themes I wanted to layer into the screenplay,” she said.
“We wanted to build interesting characters, the experiences of women, and really focus on the idea of women’s potentials being perhaps limited by society’s expectations of them.”
Lost Ladies is set in 2001, a fact absolutely integral to the plot not just because it was a time before mobile phones became as common as they are now, but also because the same technology was just starting to find its way into the hands of resourceful young women.
“In more ways than one, we could see what may happen when technology is put in the hands of a woman. And it was also a time when modernity and the conventional, traditional world were also changing quite drastically in India, with technology going into small towns and villages. It was a great time to set the film in as a backdrop for these characters who were going to navigate a journey with very rigid expectations that were set for them to something unexpected,” Rao says.
Rao makes a pertinent point about lost potential of women and what could happen —her film was selected for the Oscars by the same country whose film certification body denied clearance to a film by a female filmmaker in 2017 for being too “lady oriented”.
This year, Lost Ladies went up against 29 shortlisted films which included two other frontrunners to be India’s entry—Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light and the National Award-winner Aattam.
All three films happen to follow women’s stories, and show how far the country has come.
“Honestly, I’m really honoured to be in the company of people like Payal, Sandhya Suri from the UK, whose film [Santosh] is England’s entry. And I think it’s quite an interesting and exciting moment for women, Indian women in cinema,” Rao says.
“You know, we’ve had Guneet [Monga] and Kartiki [Gonsalves] who won best documentary at the Oscars, and we had Shuchi Talati’s film Girls Will Be Girls at Sundance. We had Anasuya [Sengupta] and Payal winning at Cannes, so I’m hoping that it’s the start of a wave that continues for a very long time.
“We do stand on the backs of a lot of work that was done in the last few decades by women who have been in the film industry, pushing their stories and their perspectives into what is a very strongly male-dominated industry. The fact that there are so many women from India representing storytelling is a great sign for times to come.
“We see women filmmakers now in practically every industry, so we are now seeing a lot more women who are able to bring their stories into a space where perhaps the norm was that the men are the protagonists, they’re the ones saving the day. But I think this has definitely changed across the country, and while I know the change is small because in real terms, we still don’t have parity with men.
“But I think there’s been a clear movement in the last 20 years and we’ve been pushing wherever we are—women filmmakers like Reema [Kagti], Zoya [Akhtar], Alankrita [Shrivastava], Leena [Yadav], Ashwiny [Iyer Tiwari]. So it’s so nice that there’s a space now where it’s not an anomaly and you’re not the minority; we want to be equally represented, at least within the Indian context.”
As more stories about women are being told, there are also more women watching these stories. While critics and the audience responded largely positively to Lost Ladies, some felt that the film lacked nuance and that its feminist themes seemed too limiting, too simplistic.
On such criticism, Rao chooses to look at the silver lining. “When we made this film, we really wanted to address certain struggles that women face pretty broadly. And I think if one tries to put the film to every single test, then perhaps we didn’t address caste or every issue that women go through either,” she says.
“But I think the idea was to also look at a spectrum of women from mothers, grandmothers, sisters-in-law, from characters like Manju Maai to the two young girls, to look at the experiences that women have in a certain sort of rural environment, but also in many ways, issues that are faced in very, very urban spaces as well. So I feel that we achieved what we set out to achieve in terms of what we wanted to talk about.
“And I’m glad that it opens the space for discussion about perhaps all the other things that could have been there, or maybe the things that we addressed that people have different perspectives on. So I’m always open to that discussion.”
There are high hopes pinned on Rao’s film. Despite the record-breaking numbers of films India releases in a year, only three Indian films have earned a nomination at the Oscars. None have won.
The last Indian film to be nominated in the best international feature category was the 2001 period film Lagaan, starring Aamir Khan as the lead.
One might safely assume that with this being Khan’s second time with an Oscars campaign, Lost Ladies is in safe hands.
“Things are both the same and different since Lagaan had been sent as India’s entry. There are, of course, a lot more countries, and it takes a lot of money, power, perception building, holding screenings for people all over the world, to simply get people to register that this film is in the running,” Rao says.
“I think for us, the job is to just get people to watch the film, because that’s the best way, or rather, the only way to make it—if you get the voters in your category to watch the film.
On her chances at the Oscars, Rao stays optimistic. “I feel like while there are much, much bigger Goliaths out there, I’m hoping Lost Ladies will be a little David.”
Lost Ladies is available for streaming on Netflix.
Disney star removes snake from plane, earning him free drink
Australian Disney star Andre Rerekura removed a snake from his flight — earning him a free drink as a reward.
Speaking to Australia’s ABC News, Rerekura shared that before his Virgin Airlines flight from Broome to Perth took off on November 21, a passenger yelled about a snake being aboard. The initial take-off time was ultimately pushed back, as the crew tried to figure out how to handle the situation.
“They pretty much shut the whole plane down and everyone was going to get disembarked and sent off the plane, which we weren’t that keen for because everyone wanted to go home,” he recalled to ABC News.
He added: “It was a little bit of a weird story to think it was true, to hear that there was a snake on the plane, so I don’t think a lot of people believed it.”
However, Rerekura — who starred in Disney Plus’s Shipwreck Hunters Australia miniseries — said that he noticed the “crazy cute” Stimson’s python, a non-poisonous snake, next to his seat.
“As soon as I saw it, I identified it pretty easily… so I knew it was safe [and] I knew it was just scared and super shy,” he explained, noting that he didn’t have a problem picking up the snake and taking it off the aircraft.
He shared that everyone on the flight was so grateful for his bravery that the flight crew even gave him a token of appreciation: a free drink.
“I think everyone was relieved that they didn’t have to get off the plane and then a lot of people were happy that the snake was safe,” he explained, adding the flight was only delayed 20 minutes due to the incident. “The staff were awesome, they gave me a complimentary drink, I had a soda water.”
Another video of the flight posted to Instagram by 7News Australia showed the passengers applauding Rerekura, as he was seen reentering the plane after removing the snake.
“There is never a dull moment in aviation, but that certainly takes the cake,” a flight attendant said over the intercom. “We do have a gentleman onboard who has safely taken it off the aircraft.”
Stimson’s pythons, which are non-venomous, have a “pattern of large reddish-brown blotches along their body with a paler background,” according to the Australian Museum.
This isn’t the first time that a snake has made its way onto an aircraft. In January, passengers on a Thai AirAsia flight from Bangkok to Phuket were shocked when they spotted a snake in the cabin’s overhead compartment.
At the time, the tiny snake was seen slithering over the cabin lights on an AirAsia Airbus A320 plane. One of the cabin crew members reportedly tried to capture the snake inside an empty plastic water bottle. The snake was later swept into a garbage bag using a plastic bottle.
In May, a passenger traveling from Miami International Airport in Florida was stopped by security after he was found with a bag of snakes hidden down his trousers. A TSA spokesman told The Independent that the passenger was attempting to take an international flight but had “basically admitted there were snakes in his pants” when the alarms had sounded.
The man was subsequently forbidden to board his flight, the spokesperson said, adding that such incidents were not “commonplace”.
Why you should swap overwhelmed Everest for the beauty of K2
After a bone-shaking ride through the saw-toothed peaks of northern Pakistan, we find that floodwaters have wiped away the road ahead. Fortunately, Rashid, our driver, spots another Jeep across the roaring river, which swirls and leaps like a tempestuous sea.
Quickly we transfer our dusty bags and hurry over a rickety footbridge before the ferocious glacial waters devour it too. And this is just the beginning. My husband, Mark, and I are on our way to Askole, the gateway to K2 base camp – and the start of one of the world’s most remote and challenging treks.
Until the 1980s, the journey to this frontier village was only possible on foot, extending what today is a two-week trek. The construction of a dirt track connecting Skardu, the town we flew into from the capital, Islamabad, to Askole, shortened the distance, but the route remains rugged.
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Askole sits in the region of Baltistan: home to five of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres and more than 100 surpassing 7,000 metres. K2, the second-tallest mountain on Earth, is the poster child of the Karakoram range, which was thrown up millions of years ago when the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates smashed together.
Trekking to K2’s base camp gives an alternative to the more commercialised Everest route in nearby Nepal, which sees 40,000 hikers annually compared to just 1,000 visitors here. While K2’s numbers are growing, Everest base camp is still more crowded with tea houses and lodges along the way, whereas K2 offers no such comforts – only rock, ice and wilderness. Recent images of Everest show climbers lined up like ants to reach the summit, yet K2 is far more technical, reserved only for the most experienced.
On our first day, we leave the pin-bright, emerald-green terraces of Askole – our last glimpse of civilisation – and head onto a vast, stony plateau. Our gear is carried by a colourful caravan of mules and eight porters with homemade rucksacks; one has a cage of live chickens strapped to the top, and another leads a goat on a rope, both destined to become our future meals. Again, the path in front is washed away; we watch another group attempt a river crossing, only to lose a mule and tents to the current.
Instead, we press on to a further footbridge, a couple of hours away, under stormy skies. “We used to walk across Dumordo River. Now it’s so fast and furious because of global warming,” Bashir, our guide, says. It becomes a recurring theme, Bashir, urging us to move fast before the rising waters consume the flimsy bridges.
After three days, we reach the 39-mile-long Baltoro Glacier – cracked with unseen crevasses – which we’ll traverse over the next few days. Pakistan boasts more glaciers than any other country outside the polar regions. The glacier’s jagged jaws resemble a dragon, with icy black fangs firing out a torrent of water-like flames. The river’s waves surge like a battalion of raging stallions, rearing up over big rocky boulders in a frenzied dance.
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Aside from guiding, Bashir is a gem miner – these mountains are as spectacular inside as out, with amethyst, rubies and aquamarine glittering below. “After 9/11, I was like a fish on dry ground,” Bashir says, explaining why he added another job to guiding. That evening, following a hot, shadeless walk, we camp at Liligo, where even the “long drop” loo has magnificent views, surrounded by mythical Tolkienesque towers and spires shawled in sparkling snow.
The landscape continues to surprise as we venture deeper. Despite the altitude, candy-pink asters and purple gentians gleam unexpectedly in the rocky terrain. In places, the glacier gapes like opening clams to reveal brilliant turquoise ice inside. We step onto an expanse of white sand dunes, dazzling amongst a constellation of peaks.
As we approach Khuburse, our next campsite, with its stone terraces cut into the rock, mist suddenly swallows the mountains. “This country’s politics is like the weather on Baltoro, it changes every minute,” Bashir laughs.
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Even exhausted, I’m moved by the drama of the landscape – waterfalls tumble down, rivers carve under the glacier and rocks crash into blue glacial pools. At the campsite we meet fellow trekkers from Switzerland, and I comment on their home country’s mountains. “Nothing compares to the grandeur of these mountains,” they reply.
Then, for miles, we hike between giant ice arches, domes, and pyramids, which lift from the glacier like raised eyebrows. That night, wrapped in puffer jackets and thermals, we camp directly on the ice, the darkness punctuated with shooting stars. Morning finds the porters huddled together in a makeshift longhouse, built from stones and a tarpaulin, drinking Balti tea. “It’s made from butter, salt, and green tea, and gives us power,” says Mohammed Ali, one of the porters.
Power is what we need for today’s tough, uphill climb. Scattered kerosene canisters near an army post are a reminder that we’re near the disputed Indian border. Then, suddenly, we see K2 – other mountains jostle for space, yet K2 stands majestically alone. This trek feels like a pilgrimage for a peak, and here it is, in front of us.
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As I marvel, a Korean trekker pulls out his phone, and another begins preening for photos against K2. The sight is jarring – mobiles, though useful, especially for climbers, make these far-flung places seem more accessible, stripping away their magic.
We’re camping at Concordia, often called the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods, as it was once proclaimed by a renowned photographer. The scenery is almost otherworldly but rather than solitude, there’s a festival-like feel with all the tents. I think back to treks I’ve made in Mongolia and Chad – places of equal, if not greater, beauty, yet untouched by tourism. There’s something, however, about man’s need to conquer the big names, like K2 and Everest, akin to planting flags throughout history, as symbols of victory.
While we settle in, I notice that sadly vivid yellow loo cabins rise in front of K2, unused dustbins lie toppled, and litter is evident everywhere. Despite the Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP) being paid to clear the rubbish, the government service falls short. An ethical dilemma looms: if the numbers to K2 keep increasing, and the waste continues to pile up, should we reconsider our presence here?
On our final day before we turn around to return to Askole (there’s an alternative, yet more technical, route out, over the Gondogoro La pass), we make our way towards K2 base camp. We walk along the Godwin-Austen Glacier, a long sherbet-white tail leading from K2, glittering with ice and pearlised channels of crystal-clear water snaking down its sides. As the evening light daggers in like searchlights, a rose armoury is cast over the mountains and I’m convinced this is a holy, inviolable land: mysterious, volatile and alluring. You only have to look at the many plaques to those who have lost their lives to know who has the upper hand.
Waljis (waljis.com), Pakistan’s first and longest-serving travel company, offers an 18-day K2 base camp trek from £2,295 per person including all camping, a guide, porters, mules, meals prepared by a chef and cooking staff, and transfers with a car and driver from Shigar to Askole. Also included are two nights in the Serena Shigar either side of the trek, a return internal flight from Skardu to Islamabad (daily flights, weather dependent) and two nights in Islamabad. British nationals require a visa to enter Pakistan.
Flights with British Airways start at £658 return from London to Islamabad. Book with Flight Centre; flightcentre.co.uk
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