Stuart Bailey

In the footsteps of Wilfred Thesiger, who in his own words 'messed up' his crossing of the Darkot Pass in 1957, our trek really was to a wild frontier, and we appeared to be the only foreigners to cross this year. As soon as you step up off the scree on to the untouched snow of the Darkot Glacier you know the most exciting moments are ahead. This is stunning mountain scenery in the extreme. The Darkot trek was my 4th and favourite trip with Wildfrontiers, in a lifetime of travel, and no one gets you closer to the real people that inhabit this hard place in which to live. Our best memories are not just of the tough and rough adventure we had and were looking for, but also of the astounding hospitality and friendliness of the people we met. This was a trek of shaking hands with everyone we met en route, as is the custom, and we felt entirely safe and well protected amongst the people and mountains of the Hindu Kush. An epic adventure!