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West and South Asia From Turkey to Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Ladakh and Bangladesh
Photo by Stephan Hahnel, Kradwanderer, in Northern Argentina

I haven't been everywhere...
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Photo by Stephan Hahnel,
www.krad-wanderer.de,
in Northern Argentina



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Old 17 Jan 2006
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KKH heights
Does anyone know what sort of altitudes the Karakorum Highway gets to? I have a medical condition that means I have to avoid altitudes much over 3000m and I try to avoid sleeping over 2500m. Any info. appreciated.
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Old 17 Jan 2006
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4600m.
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Old 17 Jan 2006
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Bugger! Anybody have any idea how far up it I could get before turning back or of some cartographic resource that might give me some idea of the altitudes along it's length?
Matt
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Old 17 Jan 2006
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Lonely planet did a book on the KKH. Local library has a copy, I've glanced through it... think it mentions that the altitude only rises in teh last bit just on the China border. It did have some maps referred too. Try your local library?

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Old 17 Jan 2006
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Maybe Gilgit. That way you could get a look at Nanga Parbat. If you can make it to Passu the bridges are f'n brilliantly scary.
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Old 17 Jan 2006
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The highest point of the KKH is on the Pak/China border at 4733 meters. From this point south, its all downhill.

The Pakistani border post at Sost is at 3000 meters and most of the Hunza Valley (the highlight of the KKH) is around 2400-2500 meters. The towns of Passu and Gulmit are around 2700 meters, if I recall. Karimibad (the center of Hunza) is at 2450 meters or so.

If 2500 meters is ok, you should be able to get to the Hunza Valley, anything past that will be a gradual uphill along the river to Sost. You should be able to turn back at that point if things get difficult.

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Old 17 Jan 2006
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Nice one, thanks for the info folks. Looks like I'll be able to get a reasonable way up it anyway.
Matt
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Old 17 Jan 2006
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If you download Google Earth and follow the KKH with the mouse pointer you can read off the elevation at the bottom of the screen.

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Old 18 Jan 2006
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Gilgit's about 1500m, we just got back, brrrrr.
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Old 19 Jan 2006
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Speaking of Google Earth. Has anyone tried the new software that allows you to overlay your GPS waypoints on Google Earth?

I was looking at Northern Pakistan last night and it would be nice to see exactly where some of the roads are. If someone has some KKH waypoints to donate, I will have a go and see if it works.

Nick
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