The Hussaini Suspension Bridge in the Hunza Valley (Pakistan)

 

I've just read quite by chance: "Many people have died on this bridge. Nevertheless, the structure is considered a tourist attraction." [1] And then I watched the video about it [2]. A few thoughts immediately went through my head:

the bridge looks good
you've crossed a similar bridge there before
it used to be much more dangerous
it didn't cost anything

And then I went through my photos of my trip to Hunza in 2005. We stayed at the Silk Road Lodge in Gulmit. We liked Gulmit, and after a tour to Tashkurgan and Kashgar, we used it again as our base for excursions into various valleys. I haven't written about this trip at all yet. But let's get back to the suspension bridge. Yes, I crossed a suspension bridge at this spot with a friend on our trip from Hussaini to Zarabad and back. Whether the bridge was already called the Hussaini Suspension Bridge (Urdu: حسینی سسپنشن پل) [3] back then, I don't know, but it's likely. The bridge was in a deplorable state, and the villagers overtook us because we were too slow. Some children climbed onto a sandbank in the middle. We, however, climbed the precarious steps hewn into the rock, but at the time we didn't see a village there, only meadows and potato fields with small shelters, so we thought it was an extension of Hussaini's agricultural land. There are very beautiful views from the bridge, and also from Zarabad.

Why is the bridge made with such thin planks? So that it has a chance of surviving the winter. Frozen snow would be too much of a load and would most likely pull the steel cables out of their moorings. Why so high above the river? So that the bridge has a chance against the flooding during the snowmelt.

I've read villagers pay 30 ct (US, €???) and tourists double. I'd say tourists should pay more.

I enjoy crossing suspension bridges; I've already reported on some [4], and I'll certainly do so for one in Bhutan, for example.

Links and Annotations:
[1] Original text: Auf dieser Brücke sind schon viele Menschen tödlich verunglückt. Dennoch gilt das Bauwerk als Touristenattraktion.
Hussaini Bridge in Pakistan: Deadly danger for tourists
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcE2tjE8xD0
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussaini_Suspension_Bridge
[4] There are some real gems here:
Suspension Bridges in Tibet
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2018/08/suspension-bridges-in-tibet.html
Suspension Bridges
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2018/06/suspension-bridges_15.html

 

 

PS. I've just found two picture I'd like to add:

 

 

.P

Suspension Bridges

During my travels I’ve crossed a few weird bridges. Some really interesting ones were suspension bridges, of which I’ve selected a few examples.

 

Food Bridge in Hunza

Car Bridge in Hunza

Bridge in Yünnan / Tibet

Tibet

Car Bridge in Tibet

Food Bridge in Tibet

Also Tibet

Famous Kawarau Bridge in New Zealand (Bunjee Jumping)

Food Bridge

Also New Zealand

Road / Car Bridge in New Zealand

Old Bridge in Bolivia

Food Bridge in Kyrgyzstan

Not a suspension bridge

Kyrgyzstan

Tajikistan - border to Afghanistan

 

 

Gilgit – Pakistan – Gateway to Hunza

120 foreigners have been evacuated from Gilgit, mostly Japanese, who come to watch the apricot blossoms in Hunza. There have been violent incidents between Sunni and minority Shia. See more under: http://tribune.com.pk/story/361564/scores-of-japanese-tourists-evacuated-from-gilgit/
The number 120 is according to a newscast on Radio in Germany.


Gilgit has been dangerous, even years ago, when I visited the small town together with two friends in 2005. Gilgit has a good airport and is used to access Hunza. We stayed a couple of days organizing our journey to Gulmit and then further to Tashkurgan and Kashgar across the border in China/Xinjiang and back then around Hunza.
We were told that 70 people already had been shot dead during first 8 months of the year. There weren´t open clashes of sunnies and shiites, but “you shoot my mullah, I shoot your mullah” as someone explained it to us.

Here are a couple of pictures from Gilgit: