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General Information

Climate:
Pakistan contains a variety of climatic conditions ranging from heat in the south to the freezing cold of the high Himalaya and Karakorum. In the Northern Area there is continental climate. The Swat and the Kaghan valleys and the southern side of Nanga Parbat are just inside the monsoon belt. The time of year to trek in the North is dedicated by how high you plan to go. The weather is hospitable between mid March and mid November. In the South autumn and winter brings bright dry days and cool nights.

Maps:
Good maps for the Northern part are not available in Pakistan. It is advisable that you should bring your own maps. The best maps are published by Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research printed to the scale 1:250 000 and Leomann Maps published to the scale 1:200 000 in four sheets.

Visas:
All foreigners coming to Pakistan need a passport. All foreigners except the nationals of those countries with whom Pakistan have either a formal visa abolition agreement or who allow Pakistani nationals to gain entry into their country without visa, shall require visa before entries.

Trekking Permits:
There is no Permit required up to 6000m in open zones. Trekking Permits are required in restricted zones. Foreigners are prohibited in close zones.

Insurance:
It is recommended to have a good holiday insurance policy. If you are planning a really remote and difficult trekking this should include coverage for rescue by army helicopter.

Health and Hygiene:
Drinking water Beware of all water in Pakistan. Viruses can be killed by purifier or boiling water sufficiently. Safe bottled water and soft drinks are available in towns.

Contaminated food New arrival should remember the motto: Boil it , bake it, peel it or forget it. Altitude sickness can be fatal. Read up on it before you leave home so you know how to recognize and treat it. The best preventative is to gain altitude slowly. The height at which you sleep should not increase by more than 300 meters per day. Immunization we recommend it against typhoid, tetanus, diphtheria and hepatitis A. Malaria exists year round below 2000 meters. Speak with your doctor.

What to bring:
A first aid kit is essential in remote regions and should contain the following:

Dressing and Supplies, Antiseptic, elastic bandage, sterile adhesive ban-dages., triangulate bandage, a knee or ankle brace is useful too, Disposable needles and syringes in case you need injections etc.

Medications:
In Pakistan medications are generally available over the counter at much lower cost than in the West. We suggest you to bring your own medicaments. The generic names for recommended medications are listed below:

Antibiotics, Antidiarrhoel, Antiflamma- tory, Anti Headache medicine, Gastrointestinal tablets, water purifying tablets, Antimalaria tablets, Altitude sickness (Diamox)

Waste disposal:
Set a good example! Do not follow the bad example of others. Being lucky to visit some of the most beautiful spots on earth we can show some respect for this and carry back our garbage. Do not leave anything but your footprints on the trail.

Language:
Urdu is the national language, which is spoken throughout Pakistan. English is extensively used in official and commercial circles. The main regional languages are Balochi, Balti, Burushashki, Khowar, Panjabi, Pushto, Sindi, Shina.