Pamir Highway, Karakoram Highway and Manali - Leh Route

[RTW2010]

We just did the following three routes on our way from India to Europe and wanted to share a road condition report with anyone that will be riding them soon as well.
Manali - Leh Route (we started in Delhi)
Karakoram Highway (from Islamabad to Kashgar, China)
Pamir Highway (from Sary-Tash to Khorog)

Please see our website: Journey to Dakar

for a blog report posted on August 10th called Special Road Condition Report, which also contains pictures of the roads. We hope you enjoy the rides as much as we have.

[idf000]

Hi,

That's some good information.

How much was the boat trip over the landslide lake on the KKH?

Cheers,

Ian

[RTW2010]

Hi, when we did it we paid about 130 USD, that included 10 people carrying the bike down to the boat and later on off loading it. Needless to say there wasn't any other choice. This option we are told now is no longer available as there is no more fuel for the boats to run. So the KKH is as of right now not passable from what we are told.

[dnicoletti]

hi there,
we're just arrived today in islamabad, coming down from the KKH. we entered in pakistan at khunjerab pass on sept. 1, so it took us 11 days to cross it. road conditions are bad as for reconstruction and continuous landslides and other hassles. going down after sost, by the way, we get our pakistan visa there, with no any LOI, just 5 minutes and 24 $ as italian, there was a broken bridge in husseini. we had to manage with some locals to built up a capable wooden catwalk to let the bikes pass through (10,000 rps for 7 bikes). then the lake; actually the north shore is few kms after passu. we upload the bikes on two boats (10,000 rps each boat), cross the lake and downloaded on the south shore, obiviously by hands. there we had to pay another 3,000 rps for the disembarkment, then we had to push the bikes up on a steepy track in the middle of a crowdy stuff area. after gilgit another landslide has blocked the KKH. 30/40 meters of a narrow & sharp rocky footpath where to get the bike through by hands. after this we took the babusar pass route to get into kaghan valley; beautiful landscapes but reverse thumb for the first 70 kms road coming from chilas.
now i'm waiting to get into india to do once again the manali-leh route.