Hiking Trip from Burj to Patriata

(Shaikh Muhammad Ali)

I am always looking for ways, means, and opportunities to hunt for new
places, mountaintops and locations whereby I could take my family for a
one-day trip or an overnight escapade and add another travel related
feather in my cap.
Kale. Meditation. A good night’s sleep. You know all these things are good
for you (even if you do not always incorporate them into your daily routine).
A vital addition to that list is travel, which offers a host of health benefits to
your mind, body and soul.
While searching for a new hiking trail, I chanced upon a travel related group
on Facebook who plans hiking and travel related trips. They had planned a
hike from Burj (a local village in the precincts of Murree Hills) to Patriata on
1st October 2017.

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 (The hiking advertisement)
As soon as I saw this option, I jumped and my adrenaline started to rush
and I became excited to know more. Got in touch with the tour operator and
asked for the details. Made the necessary payments, Mohsin, and I
registered for the hike while Adil took a rain checque since he was
preparing for some test.
Come the designated day i.e. 1st October 2017, we got up at 5:15 a.m. and
offer our Fajr prayers. Woke Sabeen up who prepared our breakfast and
helped us pack our snacks for the trip. We left the house around 7:00 a.m.
This was the first time that we were travelling with ‘Discover Pakistan’, a
local tour group. We reached the designated meeting place i.e. the parking
of Habibi restaurant in I-8 markaz, meet the group of 16 hikers and we start
our journey by 7:30 a.m.
We reached Burj, a small village close to the Murree hills by 10:00 a.m. It
took us around two hours and thirty minutes. We start the trek immediately
i.e. at 10:15 a.m.

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 (The starting point of the Burj – Patriata trail)
The trail was a wonderful route, an old abandoned jeep track that could
never see the light of day.

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 (The jeep track, which served as a walking trail for us)
It was more of a leisurely walk from behind a mountain, which we
completed in about three hours at a slow yet steady pace, finally reaching
the highest point of the Patriata hills around 1:00 p.m.

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 (The 16 hikers, 10 minutes before reaching Patriata)
Although Mohsin & I knew none of the people in this group but I somehow
managed to make friends with Col. Abdul Hakeem who recently joined my
Sajikot Waterfall expedition as well and our friendship is here to stay 
A trip is not a story in itself; it is just a series of events. You may note that
some of these events will be interesting and some may not. As a writer, my
first job is to decide on the particular story I want to tell and the events that
make up that story and then take it from there.
As soon as we hit Patriata, we walk over to the Continental hotel for lunch.
We enjoy a wonderful Chicken Karahi and then top it off with a hot cup of
tea. We then left Patriata around 3:05 p.m. With our stomachs full and the
driver adamant to reach Islamabad early, we all went tipsy turvy in the
Hiace. Although none of us threw up but most of us experienced travel
sickness due to the tight curves on the mountainous road.
We reached Habibi restaurant in I-8 markaz around 4:45 p.m. where our
cars were waiting for us. Hopped on into our vehicles and Mohsin & I

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reached home safely by 5:10 p.m., offered our Asr prayers and had a nap
and thus the day ended with another hiking feather in our caps.

Shaikh Muhammad Ali

‘The Wandering Dervish’
E-mail: dushkashaikh@gmail.com
Cell: +00-92-317-0003623
Tuesday, 12th Shawwal, 1439 H
26th June, 5:31p.m. (PST)

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