The Karakoram, my way

Last year in Annecy, my friend Matt Wilkes turned to me and, almost under his breath, raised the topic of the Karakoram. He was planning a trip to Hunza and was looking for a flying partner. It was clear that neither of us were sure whether I was ready for such a trip. I’d only been flying for a year and a half at that point and, though very committed, being based in Scotland hadn’t had much experience in the big mountains.

It’s difficult to judge what it takes to fly somewhere like the Karakoram safely. There’s very little to compare it to, and it’s not like I can calibrate based on the pilots who usually fly out there. Matt and I had an upcoming trip to the Indian Himalayas (Bir) so decided to test the waters before making a final decision. We estimated we could get ourselves ready for the Hunza Valley in Pakistan in the following nine months  at least. 

Once we got back from India,...