Hello folks,

I recently returned from North Pakistan and thought I share what I considered to be an incredible adventure. I had a total of 2 weeks and got to enjoy a fantastic hospitality and stunning remote landscapes.

The plan was to land in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, fly from there to Baltistan, a semi-autonomous region, and ride a trusted Suzuku 150cc all the way up to the Chinese border, following the Karakoram Highway (KKH). This was in mid-November, so winter was coming, and it was bitterly cold -- but in turn, I had the streets completely to myself.

My planned route:



After I arrived in Islamabad, I met up with a mutual friend who showed me around. Islamabad is OK for tourists, surrounded by greens, and pretty smoggy, but it's fun for a day.





Unfortunately, my flight got cancelled to Baltistan due to bad weather. Luckily, I met a local Pakistani and his Japanese friend at the airport. They too wanted to head up North, and immediately welcomed me to their home in Islamabad while we made alternative plans. It was day 1 of getting to know the incredible hospitality from the locals. After a good breakfast, we managed to organise a jeep and were on our way.

The route between Islamabad and Gilgit was, for many years, a bit troublesome, being a partial home to the Taliban. Following multiple military operations, the area now is now considered safe, but the locals still didn't portray themselves as overly welcoming or smiling. I had to undergo police checkpoints and escorts, all in the name for my safety, which was appreciated. However, after 2 days on the road, this would all quickly change when arriving in Gilgit, Baltistan. From here I rented my bike, and off I was and in for a change -- people and nature delivered exactly what I had hoped for.

My window view from a $6 hotel in Karimabad:



I think this is the Rakaposhi mountain at 7,788m, but I may stand corrected. Either way, it's gorgeous in line with the autumn colours.





Being surrounded by so many 7000m+ peaks, it comes without saying that the region is a paradise for trekkers. While most hikers head to Skardu (providing an access point to the K2), the Hunza Valley nevertheless had plenty of mountains to explore.

The Ultar Sar Glacier



The Baltit fort on my way back from the glacier (note the peaks in the background)



Enough of hiking, it's about the ride! I managed to make my way up to Sost, a small hub for truck drivers that drive from China to Pakistan and vice versa. It was bitterly cold at that point, and I managed to wear every single clothing item I had brought with me. Being 2 hours away from my goal to reach the Chinese border, I just had to go for it. At 4700m altitude, it's the highest border crossing in the world. My Suzuki worked hard while I froze, but eventually ...

... we made it (see the tiny building in the middle of the photo?)



... that's the official Chinese border checkpoint.



... surrounded by stunning and wild landscapes



It was cold ... very cold ...



I eventually drove off south again to stay with locals. As I mentioned, the people I met on the way completely overwhelmed me with their welcoming attitude. I would continuously get invited to dinner and tea -- despite me trying to pay -- and was treated as a very special guest. I felt completely safe being by myself in the middle of nowhere; I knew people were here to help if needed.

A guest family I stayed at for a couple of days. Everyone sleeps, eats and lives in the same room.



No electricity means a pleasant sky at night



I was pretty pleased with my adventure, but had one last, sudden item on my bucket list: attending a local wedding! I got invited by a newly met friend in Hunza, and agreed to make my way up to Shimshal. The village is very remote from the main highway, and a tough living spot particularly in winter. I met one road construction worker on my entire trip of 77kms, which nevertheless took me 3.5h due to the rough road conditions.





You can quickly see why I took it easy ... it's a pretty decent drop if you get distracted



... but eventually I made that journey as well, and danced and celebrated with the locals all day long, to a fantastic wedding as well as great end to my holiday.



In a nutshell ... what an amazing adventure. The roads are world class, the people incredible, the Hunza region safe and sound, and the whole experience felt authentic and real. If in doubt ... go for it, you won't regret it.

Best,
Alex


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@fritzography__

Hi There,

Very very cool trip you did, I'm looking at doing something similar and have a few quick questions. What was the rough cost of the trip? Was it easy to hire a bike? I assume not travelling through China on the KKH saved a lot of money?

Thanks,

Sam

Awesome! I have good memories of the KKH, and can recognize half of your pictures. We did not go further after the lake (because that was a hassle with the car and we didn't go to China) but it looks great!

We were there in December. Renting a hotel room with no water (broken because the ice) and a window with no glass in it :P

I'll second that great people and awesome landscapes I will never forget .never did feel threatened .

Thanks for sharing this !

As the other fellow I would be interested in the bike hiring part of the story regarding costs and potential red tape.

Cheers
Chris

__________________

I'm replying a year too late as I never saw any responses to my threat. Sincere apologies.

In the unlikely case people still stumble upon this - hiring the bike was very easy (via https://www.karakorambikers.com/) at $10 / day. No red tape, no police checks on the road other than regular checkpoints, really no problems at all.

Life in general is extremely cheap - guest houses from 5-15$, food costs near to nothing. People are very hospitable and will invite you to tea all the time.

Best
Alex

Thanks for the report and photos (which I missed the first time around)! I'm mainly curious what "bitterly cold" means: above freezing during the days, below at night? Below during the days and -20 at night? Etc. Plus: what passport are you carrying? Thanks in advance for any clarification.

Mark

I did pretty much the same trip last October with similar experiences and possibly on the very same bike, I can recommend going in October as the days are still warmish and the nights not too cold. One of my favourite places in the world to visit and ride.

It was "bitterly cold" on my way from Sost to the Chinese border - I wore every clothing item I had. That's around mid-November. Dragging your bike up at such high altitude just got your body temperature down quickly. In all other parts I was fine; around 10 degrees, blue sky. With the right clothing, no worries. I wouldn't try after November though - the pass will be closed with snow.

I've got a EU passport.