Apricot blossom and orchard life in Hunza

Each spring, as snowmelt begins, apricot trees across Hunza flower in pale pink and white against bare brown slopes and snow peaks. A gentle walk links orchards and villages around Karimabad and Altit, with stops to talk with farmers about the season ahead.

The apricot is central to life here. In summer, halved fruit is spread on rooftops and rock ledges to dry for the winter, and the kernels are pressed for oil used in cooking and on the skin. The walk explains this cycle and ends with tea and dried apricots in a village home or café.