Follow me on trip of lifetime

CHALLENGE . . . Chronicle reporter Iram Ramzan who will be taking part in a charity trek in Pakistan next month

"CAMPING in northern Pakistan? What on earth are you doing that for?"

That was my mum's reaction when I dropped the bombshell about my adventure of a lifetime.

Next month I will be flying out to Pakistan to trek to Rakaposhi Base Camp, which is part of the Karakoram mountain range in the north, bordering the Himalayan mountain range.

At 7,788m, Rakaposhi is the 27th highest mountain in the world and the 12th highest in Pakistan. It is 100km north of the capital city Gilgit of the semi-autonomous Gilgit-Baltistan region in northern Pakistan.

The Karakoram range also includes the infamous K2 - known as "Savage Mountain" due to its high fatality rate - which is the second highest mountain in the world.

With the mesmerising views of Hunza Valley, amazing landscape and the spectacular views of the Karakoram giants, it is no wonder this place is often described as paradise on earth.

Although I have been to Pakistan several times before, I have never been to the mountainous parts of the north, which has some of the most breathtaking views in the world. What makes this trip more interesting is that I will be in the company of 16 fabulous women from the UK - of Pakistani and non-Pakistani origin - so it should be a really fun adventure.

We will be trekking for four days straight, covering a distance of 18km reaching an altitude of about 3,000m, and camping for three nights under the stars. The reset of our days will be spent sightseeing and, most importantly, shopping. Friends and colleagues have expressed concerns, as Pakistan's tourism industry has declined since 2001 due to security threats that plague the nation.

Is it safe? many have asked. Of course, I have insisted, it's all perfectly fine. The truth is that, although I'm excited, I'm petrified of running into a bear in the middle of the night!

I decided to do this trek for a charity which is doing some good work in the area where I will be travelling. My initial target was to raise at least £500 for Dil Trust UK, which has established more than 250 girls' schools in some of the poorest, most remote areas in Pakistan.

The charity aims is to provide quality, secular education, primarily free of cost. At its 123 schools, 66 per cent of the students are girls.

Pakistan has the world's third highest out-of-school population. Girls who complete primary education are less likely to get married before 18. Statistics also show that 21 per cent of girls in the country are married under the age of 18.

It is a subject that is close to my heart and one that I am so passionate about, hence why I chose this particular charity.

And within 12 hours I smashed my target of £500 on JustGiving, so I increased the target to £1,000. I have now raised just over £2,000, with funds continuing to come in.

I have been training for two months - my favourite spot being at Dovestone Reservoir, which has some very high, steep climbs that have been extremely challenging in the warm weather we have been experiencing this month. And being Asian does not stop you from getting sunburn, as I painfully discovered last week.

All that's left for me to do is to remember the high-factor sunblock ­- and have plenty of fun!

Check out my JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/iram-ramzan.