Gael warning on the Karakoram Highway

[The Other PaulG]

Thanks Paul. My wife Kit was invited to come but having enjoyed the GS saddle around parts of Africa she was (understandably) not keen on riding pillion on a 150cc including cold and wet off-road .


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I think she has a fair point..!

 

[Micky]

It’s on my avoid list . Mainly because I nearly got blown up there in 2008.
Had a curry in the Marriott as we always did . The following night it was bombed .
Amazingly no crew had gone that night . We were heading home when we heard .
Not been back to Pakistan since and never will .


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Eventually got Sue flown home from Islamabad Airport, in 2009, with a nasty compound fracture of her arm after the accident on the Karakorum Highway.The airport was an utter shambles!
I returned to Abbatobad (Hotel Alpine) to sort the bikes out and arrange recovery to the UK. The hospital in Abbatobad was disgusting. Bed bugs, old bloody bandages on the floor under the beds, mouldy damp cardboard stacked in the corners. Sue refused to use the toilets, they were disgusting, so they allowed her to use the staff toilets which were much better. (so why the difference?)

Pakistan is a shithole and I'll not be going back ....

Even a Consultant back here in Blighty later agreed with me

 

[Arsey]

Eventually got Sue flown home from Islamabad Airport, in 2009, with a nasty compound fracture of her arm after the accident on the Karakorum Highway.The airport was an utter shambles!
I returned to Abbatobad (Hotel Alpine) to sort the bikes out and arrange recovery to the UK. The hospital in Abbatobad was disgusting. Bed bugs, old bloody bandages on the floor under the beds, mouldy damp cardboard stacked in the corners. Sue refused to use the toilets, they were disgusting, so they allowed her to use the staff toilets which were much better. (so why the difference?)

Pakistan is a shithole and I'll not be going back ....

Even a Consultant back here in Blighty later agreed with me

The time before my 2008 visit there was a riot all night outside our hotel . The feds were dispatched and live rounds were fired .

We still get an armed escort to and from our hotel .

Fuck that


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[simondippenhall]

So I met the people I will be doing the full 19 day tour with (others will join for the KKHighway section).

Turns out to be an Australian guy and his two kids. Father is a roadside assistance guy (like RAC) with 40 years experience, his daughter is an ER doctor and his son an electrician.

So I think I I lucked out…what a great set of skills for this journey

The bearded guy is our guide Tabish.

As I write we are halfway to Gilgit where we collect the bikes. Today we cross a 4200 metre pass.

Already glad of the layers and down jacket I brought .

A few views from the van and at lodging

En route lots of evidence of Chinese construction projects for hydro electricity and road work.


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[Doc]

Looks a great trip.

 

[Northern jock]

It would be hard to find a better mix of skills!

 

[simondippenhall]

So today we drove up the Narah valley to Gilgit. Not a bike trip but still hair-raising going through the many areas that had had landslides. Generally they are cleared enough for one lane so vehicles compete to get through with deep mountain valleys yawning alongside .

Some views:

Cold mountain pass at over 4000 metres.

Provincial border official takes all our details as we enter Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan’s northeasterly province (state?£.

We lunch looking across to Ñanga Parbat

And finally, just before we reach Gilgit we stop at the point where three mountain ranges meet: Himalayas (r), Karakoram (c) and Hindu Kush (l), with the river Indus at their foot

And lots of colourful local transport

Often in very close quarters as local buses overtake us

So now we get to choose our bikes for tomorrow (all Suzuki 150s but there is a very new one - not this! - that I am gunning for).

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[gspod]

Excellent, as always, Simon - Have a great time

 

[simondippenhall]

Day 1 on the Suzuki 150s was a relatively easy one, giving the chance to marvel at the stunning surroundings.

The bikes are basic but effective, (mine has drum brakes which seem to do the job) and don’t seem to have too many altitude problems despite the elevation.

We soon get used to the dicing in and out of Pakistan street life whilst giving way to cars and ‘might is right’.

The bikes have 5 speeds, all down from a top neutral …takes some getting used to!

We start the day with a good breakfast (not all pictured) but my squatting is going to have to improve!

And the inevitable (but friendly) engagement with the local police who are keen to be photographed

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[simondippenhall]

From Gilgit we have ridden to Karimabad, a quiet hill town which clearly has a busy domestic tourism business when times are better and earlier in the season, which is close to its end in October. In addition, a big rise in fuel prices (albeit still well below UK prices) has hit tourism hard since many travelled by road from Lahore or even Karachi.

On the way up the Karakoram Highway we see intriguing references to the Silk Road



The town has its own top level hotels (¡)

And the views en route are magnificent.

The riding is relatively easy and no one rides into each other (today, at least) although a wobble or two are evident.

Time to visit the Baltic Fort, home of the local rulers

I am fitting in well with the locals, but decide my hat purchase can wait a little…

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[albatross]

Simon you are indistinguishable from any local…you blend in very well…….

 

[simondippenhall]

Thanks Albert! My Urdu is not quite there yet.

Yesterday we rode from Karimabad to Passu and passing Attabad Lake and a multiplicity of (Chinese built) tunnels.
The road quality is good, the local driving is less so.

The view as I start the day, with rain coming perhaps

The lake turns out to be just the place for a boat ride ….although I regret not bringing my ear plugs out on the ride as the primitive outboard engines are well loud.




The surroundings are more magnificent than I can capture on a phone so I will just record the gorgeous blue of the lake - not as glacial as it looks since 3 of our number take a dip after the boat ride.

After this it’s off to the wobbly suspension bridge, clearly another tourist attraction although used by those who dwell in the village in the facing mountains, into which is carved a long stone staircase (which you can just make out in the photo):

 

[simondippenhall]

From there and in cooling air we ride on to Passu….lunch is yak burgers in a roadside cafe just short of Passu….pretty good nosh but unforgivably I didn’t take a photo- a clear breach of UKGSer protocol and I shall take my punishment like a stoic .

We arrive at our lodgings in cold Passu, home of the famous Passu Cones.

So at considerable personal risk I stand in the middle of the road for the obligatory photo but the full glory of the mountains is sulking in the cloud

I will stop the update now as the WiFi is dying on its feet…and it’s time for dinner


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[Kitsilano]

Simon, safe riding and. excellent adventures! I'm looking forward to 'passive participation' in your latest 'Gael Warning...' explorations.

 

[The Other PaulG]

From there and in cooling air we ride on to Passu….lunch is yak burgers in a roadside cafe just short of Passu….pretty good nosh but unforgivably I didn’t take a photo- a clear breach of UKGSer protocol and I shall take my punishment like a stoic .

We arrive at our lodgings in cold Passu, home of the famous Passu Cones.

So at considerable personal risk I stand in the middle of the road for the obligatory photo but the full glory of the mountains is sulking in the cloud

I will stop the update now as the WiFi is dying on its feet…and it’s time for dinner


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Wow that landscape is absolutely breathtaking.

This seems to be such an interesting region to be exploring - keep it coming!

 

[Redboots]

I will stop the update now as the WiFi is dying on its feet…and it’s time for dinner

Nothings changed since 2007 then

 

[theoneandonly]

Nothings changed since 2007 then

the mountains have moved half an inch to the right.....can't you tell

 

[simondippenhall]

Thanks guys…afraid today internet also vestigial so no pictures for a bit. Next day is an attempt to ride to the Khunjerab Pass where the road crosses into China - a border post which some say is the highest road border at 4,720 metres. However, snow is forecast and our chances uncertain .


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[simondippenhall]

Thanks guys…afraid today internet also vestigial so no pictures for a bit. Next day is an attempt to ride to the Khunjerab Pass where the road crosses into China - a border post which some say is the highest road border at 4,720 metres. However, snow is forecast and our chances uncertain .


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[The Other PaulG]

Anyone amongst us who is a) a naturally critical Brit and b) has ever worn a beret, tends to be very judgmental when we see very poor/comedy examples in other parts of the world.

So in the spirt of balance, we should recognise and applaud his chap who scores an easy 10/10 for exemplary beret-manship. Well done, or should we say, chapeau. Superb work.