Top of the World
Near the foot of one of the world's highest mountains (Nanga Parbat), Fairy Meadows offers sublime mountain scenery and wildlife, including brown bears, markhor, and Himalayan ibex. Fairy Meadows, named by German Climbers (German Märchenwiese, “fairy tale meadows” and locally known as Joot, is a grassland near one of the base camp sites of the Mount Nanga Parbat (an 8000r peak), located in Diamer District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.
At an altitude of about 3,300 meters above the sea level, it serves as the launching point for trekkers summiting on the RakhiotFace of the Nanga Parbat.
In 1995, the Government of Pakistandeclared Fairy Meadows a National Park. Fairy Meadows is approachable by a twelve kilometer-long jeep-able trek starting from Raikhot bridge on Karakoram Highway to the village Tato. Further from Tato, it takes about three to four hours hiking by a five kilometer trek to Fairy Meadows.
The grassland is located in the Rakhiot valley, at one end of the Rakhiot Glacier which originates from the Nanga Parbat and feeds a stream that finally falls in the River Indus. Since 1992, locals have operated camping sites in the area. The six-month tourist season at Fairy Meadows starts in April and continues until the end of September. Tourists lodge at the camping site spread over 800 hectares (2 acres), known as "RakhiotSerai".
