Attabad Lake: From Tragedy to Tranquility – A Stunning Transformation! Karakoram adventures continued...

"I think nature's imagination is so much greater than man's, she's never going to let us relax."

~Richard Feynman

"Humankind has either fought or worked to harness nature's power as long as we've existed, but Mother Nature never ceases to try something new."

Yes, I am talking about Attabad Lake: Attabad Lake stands as a remarkable example of how a disaster can be turned into a thriving tourist paradise.

GILGIT-BALTISTAN, Aug 25 (APP): In 2010 a massive landslide triggered by an earthquake damaged Attabad village in breathtaking Hunza Valley, some 150 km away from Gilgit city. The disaster unleashed a torrent of boulders that badly affected the village and four neighboring settlements – Ainabad, Shishkat, Gulmit, and Gulkin. The tragedy claimed 20 lives and left over 6,000 villagers homeless.
However, from the ashes of this devastation, a stunning natural wonder emerged. The landslide blocked the flow of Hunza River, creating a new lake that stretched 21 km long and 100 meters deep.
_sr

I told you in my previous post, didn’t I, that while going from Karimabad to Khunjerab Pass, we took a picture of Attabad Lake from the car because we had planned to stop at Attabad Lake on our way back for boating. And of course, for some photography as well...

Here, the water is very calm, and like the other lakes of Gilgit and its surrounding areas, it has a turquoise hue. Do the lakes where you live have the same kind of water? A light greenish-blue? The kind that just by looking at it makes a person feel refreshed and uplifted.

_{sr: Instagram, Attabad Tuunnel}

Oh, I see. When I looked up from the lake towards the road, I got a clear understanding of the tunnel's shape and utility. Okay, I have an obsession with passing through tunnels and their significance. So, even while boating, I kept looking at how humans created this miracle by cutting through the heart of such a massive and tough mountain.

I have two types of phobias...
One is of going up in the air, meaning sitting in an airplane, and the other is of boating on water...

But whenever I get the chance, I always try to overcome this fear. Sitting in the boat, the first 2-3 minutes were quite difficult, but then I started to enjoy it a bit. My picture above gives away my anxiety in the beginning!

I started enjoying the stunning, surreal turquoise color of Attabad Lake, which contrasted beautifully with the rugged, towering mountains surrounding it. I have tried to capture this contrast. The water against these mighty rocks...The serenity of the water versus the resilience of rocks!

An Instagram user has captioned under his capture of Attabad Lake:

"Those who have been seeing this lake for years would know that the lake is being filled with sand and it's only a matter of time that the lake will disappear eventually, but lets enjoy the views while we can."

This is not what captured my attention, it is a comment by a user that gave me goosebumps:

"Attabad? As it is, it is a cemetery! Saddest lake ever known. It's death will only be ironic."

I say: Yes, it is true, nature plays you, you get played and you will be always at the mercy of it. So enjoy while it lasts...

To be continued...

_{also, enjoy this gif by me: 2× speed}