jamesallen - as mcgiggle states - Gilgit is a no go area. just seen on the local news here in Nepal that they are really really concerned about the dam break - people evacuating etc. and KKH is definitely a no-go. apparently closed to foreigners at the current time.

uk_vette - unfortunately I cant give you any information re Turkey - Iran as we came from Turkmenistan into Iran after having gone through the rest of the 'stans....great region to see BTW. however, there has been a military escort from Bam in Iran and all the way through Pakistan from the border of Iran -Pak to Lahore. when you cross the border into Pak you will be told which route you will take across. they will provide you with a military escort who will be with you all of the way (not the same guys as you change hands a lot of the time with different teams but we found all of them in Pak to be very good and amiable - not so in Iran). from Lahore to Islamabad we were left to our own devices.

Now with the precarious situation in the north I am not too sure if that will still be the case.
there is only one border crossing now open to foreigners crossing from Iran into Pakistan which is the one 18.3 miles away from Zahedan.
and only one you can use to cross from Pak to India is the Attari/Wagah border. when there try not to miss the amazing border closure ceremony. the town of Amritsar will be your first stop probably.
we crossed Pak at the end of 2010. there will be new Pakistan diary up on our website in the next few days so go and check it out.

India into China best via Nepal I would say. though the costs of traveling into China are prohibitive for us and so I don't have much information. although I am sure you will find it in the HUBB.


We have a fully downloadable GPS file with ref points for Iran, Pak and India on the front page of our website.

__________________
Lisa
www.2ridetheworld.com

Am I really expecting an escort form Bam to Lahore. I was under the impression it was from Bam to Taftan border then once in Pakistan I was free. If I will be escorted all this was how long does it take as I here the escort on the Iranian side is very slow progress.

Thanks

Hi,

A bit new to all this, but I'm planning my first major motorbike trip from london and heading through these areas. I know about all the visa troubles and thanks for all the info on here that has been duely noted. However I didn't know about the military escorts.

Can anyone say from where the escort begins and finishes? As well as any other information, like how far its possible to travel with them in a day? I know this info is hard to say but educated guesses are welcome.

Cheers
Bryn

this may give you an idea as to what to expect.
have a read...and there are photos too of lots of military escorts with guns....:-)
this section of diary is for Iran 2ridetheworld.com : diary
the escort commences in the second chapter...
this is for Pakistan 2ridetheworld.com : diary

we had an escort from Bam in Iran to the border with Pak and then were picked up at the border in Pak by a military escort - we had no choice. We were told the route we would be taking with the escort- once again no choice. the escort was all the way with us to the outskirts of Lahore. Again - no choice. there have been quite a few posts on the HUBB in the last 6 months about these military escorts.

I can not see that this situation re military escort will have changed in the last few months as the situation in Pak has not improved. The Pak guards were friendly and as helpful as they could be when you take into account they are 'baby-sitting' a bunch of tourists when they are, in some cases, top military trained individuals. Treat them with respect and be cordial and your trip will be much more fun....however, the guys with us in Iran were a real PITA as you will read in our journal.

the question of 'how far can you travel with them in a day?'....is all dependent upon the guards you are with at the time, their attitude and the attitude of the other travelers you may be with and the ability of the travelers vehicles - this is if you are put with any others....once again - the is not a choice thing.

if you have any questions you can send me an email or just post here and I will try to answer as fast as i can but internet access in Nepal can be a little intermittent.

__________________
Lisa
www.2ridetheworld.com

Who is Olly staring at?




It's James





Well he made it down to Kas, got his bike fettled and now he's off........





.....................EAST





Good luck fella


Cheers,


Dicky