During my time in Karimabad, I was impressed by Hasegawa Memorial Public School and the types of activities and functions the children (and the rest of the community!) were involved in. There always seemed to be something going on, from cultural shows to hockey to public speaking. There was one thing that puzzled me, though – located in Northern Pakistan in the Hunzai village of Karimabad, ‘Hasegawa’ is quite definitely not a local or even Pakistani name. Here’s the story behind that name.
After several weeks in Karimabad, I heard of a trek up into the Karakorams starting behind the village. A colleague dismissed it, saying I was not fit enough. Needless to say, the next morning I left at 6am armed only with a packet of dry biscuits and half a litre of water. Not knowing much about the trek, I aimed for the highest point in the village, following the water channels upwards until I was out of the settlement. As the morning wore on, I enviously watched as several locals overtook me at speed, negotiating the rocky and slippery tracks with ease. Pockets laden with fresh walnuts which they were happy to share, I quickly learnt they were maintaining the water supply channels that Karimabad depends on, undertaking this trek daily until the work was completed.
Several very strenuous hours later involving scree slopes, beautiful (but slippery) landslides of mica sand and a narrow track that curved up on the edge of a steep ravine where the water channel had been carved out of the valley sides….I eventually reached Ultar Meadows. The biting winter winds were bringing the first snows of the season down the slopes and Lady Finger Spire (Bubli Motin, 6000m) was only just visible behind the snowclouds (seen on the left side of the photo). The little stone guesthouse was long closed for winter.
By the time I had reached Ultar Meadows, I was admittedly exhausted. I had well and truly learnt the lesson of good planning and background research before embarking on such a solo trip without prior experience. Somewhat overawed by the glacier dominating the landscape, I took shelter on the grassy slopes opposite, sitting to catch my breath and to listen to the sudden rifle-cracks of the glacier shifting. Occasionally, rumbles from further up indicated an ice fall or small avalanche.
After a while, I noticed a small low-walled compound nearby, and went over to investigate. Flanked by two stone lions on the gate posts, inside the walls was a raised plinth with two graves.
Exactly 21 years before, on the 10th of October, 1991 the famous Japanese alpinist Tsuneo Hasegawa died further up the slopes in an avalanche on the south-east face of Ultar II. He is known for his solo winter ascents of the north faces of three peaks in the Alps (Matterhorn, Eiger and Grandes Jorasses) and also the world’s first winter solo ascent of the south face of Aconcagua.
His grave is up on the meadow, overlooking the glacier and strewn with summer flowers. His climbing partner is buried next to him. Tsuneo’s widow, Masami Hasegawa, used to regularly visit his grave every anniversary and is now known as a patron of the Karimabad school named after her husband. She is regularly involved in promoting quality education and extracurricular activities.
When I was at the meadows in 2012, his widow did not come that year, although on my way down I did pass some scouts heading up with flowers. Years later, I have heard that the trekking route was largely obliterated by a 2018 rockfall and avalanche that caused panic in the settlement of Karimabad. It may no longer be possible to safely reach Ultar Meadows, and the fate of Hasegawa’s grave is unknown.
Interaction between generations; young girls returning from a school function stop to talk to a village elder along the way, in Karimabad, Hunza.
Interaction between generations; young girls returning from a school function stop to talk to a village elder along the way, in Karimabad, Hunza.
Interaction between generations; young girls returning from a school function stop to talk to a village elder along the way, in Karimabad, Hunza.
