Dhoke Jivan Loop revisited Trail #

4-B, Margalla Hills, ISB

25th February, 2017

Shaikh Muhammad Ali

SHAIKH MUHAMMAD ALI 1

A healthy body is a happy body, and one of the best ways to stay healthy is to get
plenty of exercise. Hiking is an economical way to increase your activity level, while
offering a plethora of health benefits. Start slowly, especially if you are a bit out of
shape. Invest in a sturdy pair of hiking boots and do your research first. Many hiking
trails are rated by intensity, so get a hiking guide (pick up the phone and call me) and
start out at the level that is right for you. Get your doctor's advice before hiking if you
are pregnant or have any health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes.

We attempt for the 3rd time to hike the Dhoke Jivan loop i.e. Trail # 4-B in the Margalla
Hills and due to the perseverance of our hiking group; indeed we were able to scale the
first ridge this time around. In the 2nd week of the current year i.e. 2017; I planned to
attempt the Dhoke Jivan loop; a trail which has been abandoned by the local hikers in
Islamabad.

I had planned to invite my hiking group at the Islamabad Zoo parking. I reach there with
Adil and Mohsin by 8:00 a.m. to find that Dr. Fahim Hashmi, his friend Dr. Yasir and his
Chinese wife Ms. Maha Yasir (an ardent hiker) had already reached there. Later Zain
Qureshi, his son Yazdan Zain and his brother in law Muammar Qureshi reached the spot
and ultimately Hassan Nasir Zaidi came too. A group of 10 folks was a healthy lot and
we moved on to the parking area close to the starting point of Trail # 4-B by reaching
there around 8:15 a.m.

As usual, we took our ritual group picture prior to our hiking expedition, offering a little
prayer in my heart that we achieve our goal this time around.

SHAIKH MUHAMMAD ALI 2

 (What a wonderful click by Mohsin Shaikh)

We started to hike by 8:30 a.m. I was very cautious since we had lost our way twice on
this trek and the fear of failure was running foremost in my mind. Heavy vegetation
greeted us very soon on this un-treaded path.

(Lush green trees and vegetation on the way)

SHAIKH MUHAMMAD ALI 3

Mohsin continued to capture the beauty of nature through the lens of his new phone
camera.

Spring was in the air and some flowers were about to blossom.

SHAIKH MUHAMMAD ALI 4

Nature spoke to us in different colors and we continued to enjoy the upward bound
journey.

SHAIKH MUHAMMAD ALI 5

Mohsin continued to shoot one masterpiece after another while he continued to tread
behind us and enjoyed his photography along with the hike.

I realized; being a photographer myself, to take a picture with Mohsin since in his
pursuit of shooting, he was not being included in our group pictures and I thus asked
him to take this selfie with me

(Mohsin with the author)

By 10:30 a.m. we took our first water and snack break and feasted on the chocolates,
fresh fruit and water that we had brought along. We somehow felt that we were on
track and would reach our desired destination which culminated on the first ridge of the
Margalla Hills, was it because of the only female hiker in our group. Maybe

SHAIKH MUHAMMAD ALI 6

 (Snack break close to the end of the trail)

We reached the 6.5 kms half loop by 11:10 a.m. and thanked God almighty that he
helped guide us to achieve our target. Out came our snacks again and while we started
to enjoy our snacks, Hassan Zaidi announced that he could make Ilaichi (Coriander) tea
for us. We thus enjoyed the tea ceremony on top of the 1st ridge along with the views
too.

SHAIKH MUHAMMAD ALI 7

Before we left the 1st ridge, we took this parting picture which would surely remain in
our memories for a long time. We started to retreat by 11:45 a.m. On the way back, we
had an option to complete the full loop, head eastwards and return from the Trail 4-A
side and walk another 5 6 kms or return from the same path through which we came
up. Only two hikers out of 10 wanted to take Trail # 4A and thus majority ruled.

We stopped by around 1:15 p.m. to take the picture below and slowly and gradually
descended discussing the ups and downs of this hike.

(Hikers are all smiles on the way back)

We continued our descent while enjoying the company of old timers in our group and
new comers who we had met for the first time. Through these hikes, we get into
religious, educational and political debates and since practically all of us are highly
educated people thus the discussions and environment lead to new friendships and
lasting bonds among my team members.

SHAIKH MUHAMMAD ALI 8

The wandering dervish is leading his herd towards the finish line. We reached the
parking lot by 2:30 p.m. although tired but rejuvenated by this sojourn since hiking adds
to your health and pleasure.

As per an application in Mohsins Cell phone, we covered a total distance of 12.253 kms
while taking 17,473 steps. It took us about 6 hours to complete half the loop

Hiking is an excellent way to get outdoors and get some exercise. It offers a wealth of
overall health benefits and may help prolong your life. Moderate-intensity aerobic
exercise, including hiking at your own level; is safe for most people and it adds to your
daily dose of Vitamin D too.

SHAIKH MUHAMMAD ALI 9

So please be ready for my next call

Shaikh Muhammad Ali

The Wandering Dervish
E-mail: dushkashaikh@gmail.com
Cell: +00-92-321-5072996
14 Safar-ul-Muzaffar, 1439 Hijri
4 November, 2017, 02:12 p.m. (PST)
th

1
SHAIKH MUHAMMAD ALI
0