When a massive landslide dammed the Hunza River, it destroyed villages – and created one of the most breathtaking lakes in Pakistan.

When Lauren Winslow-Llewellyn saw a photo of Attabad Lake in Pakistan's Hunza Valley pop up on her social media feed, she immediately went into planning mode.

"[It] was taken from up high, not from a drone but a hiking trail... someone was precariously sitting on the edge of a cliff above vibrant blue water," she said.

Based in south-east England, Winslow-Llewellyn and partner Craig Hubbard, known online as the Non Stop Travelling couple, work seasonal hospitality jobs between their trips to save up for their next adventure. After studying foreign travel advisory sites, mapping safe paths and scouring Google Earth, all that was left was to reach Hunza's capital, Karimabad, as their base camp and hitch a ride to the trailhead.

Perched atop an open truck piled high with rugs and appliances, the couple and a local family barrelled through tunnels, wind whipping their faces and laughter spilling into the air – until, suddenly, Attabad Lake burst into view, majestically blue and breathtaking, ringed by arid peaks jutting straight out of glacial water. "It's probably my favourite memory of our time in Pakistan," said Winslow-Llewellyn. "It felt like we were on a crazy rollercoaster ride."

Pakistan was their 88th country, but even for seasoned travellers, the drama of the Gilgit-Baltistan region stood out. "We've become a little spoilt to say the least," Winslow-Llewellyn smiled. But, "the views in Gilgit-Baltistan were dramatic, even before the hikes began".

"The Karakoram ranges are [one of] the highest, steepest mountains on Earth – greater even than the Himalaya," said Professor Mike Searle, Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford. From riverbed to mountaintop, Hunza Valley doesn't rise; it lunges from 1,850m to 7,788m. The 6km vertical gain is a stretch of earth and stone so steep it turns roads into legends. Chief among them is the Karakoram Highway, the highest paved road on Earth, often called the world's eighth wonder.

Plan your trip:

How to get there: Fly from Islamabad to Gilgit (approximately one hour) followed by a three-hour drive along the Karakoram Highway to Attabad Lake. A more scenic route, says Talpur, is to fly from Islamabad to Skardu with a longer, seven- to eight-hour drive to Attabad via Jaglot and Gilgit.

Best time to visit: Temperate weather, fewer flight cancellations and the open Babusar Pass make June to September peak tourist season. Mid-March to April is cherry blossom bloom in Hunza Valley, while colder months offer a fairy tale-like ice-skating experience on the lake.

Where to stay: Attabad Lake offers many luxurious lakeshore stays, including Luxus Hunza, Famree Resort and Lodges by Baron, as well as glamping eco-domes. For a more budget-friendly and less crowded stay – albeit without the stunning lakeshore views – try guest houses in Hunza and near the Hussaini Bridge.

But such epic terrain comes with danger stitched into every slope. Along the Karakoram Highway, hand-built barricades and hours-long delays due to landslides are routine. Winslow-Llewellyn recalls a harrowing encounter with a fresh mudslide – a........

© BBC