Hunza Mountain Guides Indispensable to UN Quake Relief

The mountain guides are indispensable for reaching areas that aid workers cannot access. Road assessments by the mountain guides show that many roads are still blocked by landslides and rockfalls, or are too dangerous to negotiate. The guides say that the situation will only worsen with the onset of the rainy season.The fabled Hunza Valley is nestled in the foothills of the Karakoram mountain range and since the 1950s its men have been guiding international climbing expeditions on some of the highest and most technical peaks in the world. The Hunza guides are renowned for their expertise in overseeing expeditions in remote mountain ranges, often involving over 1,000 porters and masses of equipment. The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is using 25 local mountain guides from the Hunza Valley in northern Pakistan.