Cycling in Pakistan

[ghazi52]

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Jutial Gah, Gilgit

Looking towards Nomal valley. Gilgit

Beautiful view of Nomal village

The slope right after Gilgit

Near Danyor, Gilgit

After setting and organizing our camping paraphernalia, the same local boys as mentioned came with a plate of fresh apricots and later join us for dinner. We have not tasted such apricots before, as said fruits in Jutal Village taste extraordinarily different. “The garden is all yours, eat as much as you can Shair Ali motioned”.

Near Danyor Nalla, Gilgit

At Danyor nalla, Gilgit

At Danyor nalla, Gilgit


We were honored by “Tajmul Hussain” for the dinner with “Lassi, Makhan, Beans, Roti, and Salad”. The Gilgit-Baltistan bread is bigger than our own Punjab and we were afraid if we end up eating only one out of 4 bread offered us. It was a memorable dinner that night. Sitting at the apricot garden in the open benevolent sky and surrounded by locals who were really so glad to witness our great feeling of delight, content and leisure. It was unfortunate that “Tehzeeb” didn’t know Urdu, as he declined to speak anything as I personally didn’t feel very comfortable with him. We thanked Allah for reaching Jutal safely. It became so dark and the temperature somewhat dropped so rapidly that we were started to feel the cold at Ishah.

Near Jutal village, Gilgit

Jutal village, Gilgit

School teachers of Jutal village stopped by and offered to spend a night in the village.

Our camp at Jutal village.

A lot of locals came to visit us as if we were celebrities. They came by and sit with us for some time and ask the general questions. They felt happy knowing the purpose of our bicycle trek. They all appreciated much our effort in this bikaton endeavour that we have organized and invest too much effort and dedication. Some elderly folks of the village also joined us and spoke with us. It’s somewhat a privileged time for them to relate to us the tales of their lives and how they feel about life. They all gave us the conclusion of their lives which we thought were the golden words and experiences of their life’s story an opportune time they ought to voice out to us as these experiences are bereft to other people.

We meet a local named “Sayed Tajmul Hussain”. He was the resident of this village. We have lengthy discussion with him as the village. He told his story that he was a Chef at “Diran Guest House” in Minapin, Nagar. He left the job because his job site is too far from his home as what is primordial to him was his closeness and ready availability to his family. The “Diran guest house” was the best known hotel in Pakistan in 2009. Sayed is now devoted in his fishery farm in “Jaglot, Gour”, Nagar and a proud father of five (5) lovable children. The warm welcome afforded us in Jutal was really beyond our expectation as everyone in the village was trying to reach us and desiring to talk with us making an instant celebrity out of us in person that we endearingly value. We were then unaware of the passage of time as we were preoccupied with “gupshup” / gossips with the local folks and slept at about twelve (12) midnight. It was a very fulfilling night to remember and cherish.

 

[ghazi52]

DAY 5: JUTAL - GHULMET(NAGAR)

WEDNESDAY JUNE 19, 2013, 69 KM (42 MILES)

We camped last in the apricot orchard in Jutal Village. It was our first ever experience of camping. I must say it came out really enjoyable and entertaining with the local folks as our audience. The temperature fell immensely last night but the camp served us well. We woke up around 5 A.M. and saw the sunrise over the rugged mountains.

Our camp in apricot orchard, Jutal

These kids came to greet us while we were leaving Jutal.

Local kids of Jutal, Gilgit


We were leaving for Rakaposhi view point in Ghulmat (Ghulmet), Nagar today. When we woke up, some locals showed up and queried “what we like to have for breakfast?” That was really friendly and hospitable from them. We said, “We didn’t ask for it” but they insisted we are their guests. They brought us breakfast. While we were finishing it, we also took some fresh apricots with us. Meanwhile when we were about to leave Jutal we were greeted by aggregate of local Jutal kids. They were all smiling as if it’s their first visual encounter for an outsider in our person. Later, we gained their confidence and trust and all of them came closer to us. We played cricket with them in the apricot orchard, which was itself an amazing experience.

Playing cricket in appricot orchard, Jutal

Our cricket team in Jutal, Gilgit
Time passed so quickly as we were busy playing with the kids. We had to hurry and pack our bags and start our journey. We left Jutal around 10 AM. The folks and children join chorus to bade us goodbye and with all of them saying good bye and wishing us “Saffar Mubarak”. We really would remember all the lovable kids of Jutal as they made us feel extra special.

Another view of Nomal valley

Time to rest and watch the breath-taking view of a village on KKH.
After Jutal we saw the first tunnel on Karakorum Highway just in front of “Nomal Valley”. We witness a lot of Chinese engineers working on the road and they were also glad to see us. We stopped at “Rahimabad” for an hour rest. The place was also surrounded by natural garden and orchards. We ate apricots, drank glacier cold water and recharged ourselves and moved on. Karakorum Highway presented stunning view after “Rahimabad” with exceptional road condition.

Tunnel on KKH

Beautiful view of Hunza river with KKH

Lunch time in Jaglot, Gour


Our stop for the lunch and midday rest was “Jaglot-Gour”. We were glad to find a lot of hotels and shops in such stunning beautiful small village. There we met “Jamshaid”, a local boy who befriend us and became instantly close to us. We took our lunch and ate mulberry thereby having sweet taste of the wonderful environment of “Gour”. We left “Gour” at past noon and surprisingly we saw “Sayed Tajmul Hussain” that he have already met in Jutal. That was a really a pleasant surprise for us to see him again and we were enticed to join him to his trout fish farm. He gave us good briefing about the fishing methods for trout fishes. Sadly, we still had some distance to cover to reach Ghulmet but we were determined to accomplish it.

Near Rahimabad, Gilgit


The road condition was perfect but there was a lot of ascending incline of the highway structures. It’s the secret of cycling that if one successfully pedalled through uphill one should persevere hard pedalling and feel relaxed of his pace and gearing and stop whenever his muscular efforts are consumed/exhausted to provide the muscle legs to relax for a brief moment. Conversely, the halting breather should not last more than two (2) minutes as the body temperature and momentum would subside. Move after gaining momentum from your instant physical stop breather as you could condition your psyche/mind that there would be no road so high that you could conquer.

Guys at PSO, Rakaposhi view point invited us a cold drinks

Soon on the Karakorum highway, we saw a P.S.O. pump. We do need some fuel but in the form of water to recharge ourselves. We met some locals there who were businessmen. During our discussion, one man from “Mingora, Swat” said, “You will not find such people (People of Hunza) even in Swat”. That was a big statement for the “Hunza/Nagar” people. We were treated well there and drank enough water and felt re-charged as we move on towards our next destination. The day seemed long enough as we calculated our destination is yet a fair distance afar.

Near Ghulmet, Nagar


Our exhausted bodies gained a new life when we saw a first fantastic compelling view of the Rakaposhi Mountain. We erstwhile stopped, took a good hard long look of the beautiful mountain before we set off again. The Rakaposhi is known for its beauty and height. This peak provided stunning view the whole day on Karakorum Highway and in Hunza and Nagar Valleys. Now we felt a little satisfied that “Rakaposhi View Point” would not be very far away to reach.

First sight of Rakaposhi, Nagar

 

[ghazi52]

It was getting cold as the sun was hidden behind the high peaks. It also cued us to be quick otherwise we are forced to camp before Ghulmet. We then moved on and keep on frequently asking the locals for place identification but all were in unison that our destination is yet a little far.

We reached our destination before sunset. It was a long day of physical exhaustion and anguish that came to an end. The Rakaposhi mountain was beautiful and shining in front of our hotel. We met some locals at the “Rakaposhi Viewpoint Hotel” and soon became familiar with each other and we planned trekking along Pissian glacier towards Rakaposhi. The trekking was an unplanned idea but we love to adopt it. We met and befriended “Raja Ali Kayni”, a well known local in Nagar Valley. Our trek was set for tomorrow as we plan to sleep in peace and serenity in front of Rakaposhi.

Old silk road, Hunza/Nagar

Rakaposhi view point, Ghulmet Nagar

Sunset at Rakaposhi

DAY 6: RAKAPOSHI TREK

THRUSDAY JUNE 20, 2013

With a great plan set for today, we slept more than the normal sleeping hours with the hope that our physical rest might help us endure the trekking towards Rakaposhi. After waking up, we went for a late morning walk in Ghulmet, Nagar Village hoping to find some fresh fruits. There, we got acquainted with an educated boy named Ali Abbas who took us to his home where he offered us a lot of cherries. We enjoyed a lot plucking cherries from the trees which was an amazing experience by itself. He gifted us a bunch of cherries that we took with us going back to our hotel. Along the way, we saw local boys and girls going to the school providing us of nostalgic memorable flashback memories of our childhood days.

Boys were going to school early morning in Ghulmet, Nagar

Ghulmet, Nagar

Cherry garden, Ghulmet, Nagar

Bazar of Ghulmet, Nagar

Ghulmet, Nagar


Finally, back to our hotel, we had our breakfast. We called “Ali Kyani” who was taking us near to Rakaposhi to get ready so that we could leave immediately with him.

Breakfast in Ghulmet, Nagar with Hunza water.


Today we departed for the Rakaposhi Trek seemingly late as the fleeting sunshine vividly reminded us. Ali and Israr were both on Motorcycles so they have to be gentle to be in motion pace with us with our bicycles. The road was a fluidly smooth with the Hunza River neatly flowing just the below our road.

Work on KKH on the way to Pissan, Nagar

View towards Hunza from Pissan-Nagar

 

[ghazi52]

Along the way, we had an experiment as the trekkers in motorcycles wanted to test-ride our bicycles. We told them it would be difficult, but they insisted. So we stopped at the Pissian Village Link Road and exchanged our bicycles with their motorcycles. Funny moments started on the road with the bicycles they were maneuvering to make fast and faster attained less progress in physical speed. In so doing, their bicycle road navigation was a futile one that seems to consume much of their physical strength. At this juncture, we made a wise decision to take back our bicycles and let them feel relaxed and mentally organized with their motorcycles.

We reached at Ali’s place by 12 PM. We had a lot of time before we can set off as our plan was around 3 PM. We saw a beautiful garden at his place and we had fresh cherries for our welcome. Roaming around his garden and nearby places of the Pissian Village was an amazing experience. We also saw the collapsed Nagar Fort which was located in Pissian Village.

We all agreed to have a lunch at Rakaposhi Pissian Meadows. We prepared all the necessary trekking and cooking stuff and set off at about 1 PM for the adventurous trek. The trek starts from the middle of Pissian Village. Difficulty seemed normal for the first half an hour, but, then the rocky path made it a bit difficult to pass. Notwithstanding, the rocky pathways, each snap view of the Rakaposhi refreshes and recharges us. On the way, we saw some Nalla’s stream flow coming from Rakaposhi glaciers.

Traditional home of Hunza

Starting trek to Rakaposhi, Nagar

View from of KKH from the Trek to Rakaposhi, Nagar

On the trek to Rakaposhi

On the way to towards Rakaposhi

We reached at the top of Pissan Meadows at 3:45 PM and saw beautiful Pissian Meadow juxtaposed in front of Rakaposhi. That was a view which fascinated us. We saw some goats and buffalos below the meadows having their lunch. We stopped and had some rest as Israr started collecting sticks for making lunch as if feeling the pangs of hunger. He was a tough guy as he went further up the hill and to the glacier and came back with a piece of ice and water that became helpful for our cooking.

On the way to Rakhaposhi


While Israr was cooking, myself, Ifzaal and Ali also thought of to ascend up the hill and see the Pissian Glacier. We started climbing, and saw some view of the glacier that doesn’t seem to satisfy our souls. We went closer and closer hoping to see a grand view. The grand view seemed quite a long way so we returned back after one 1 hour. It was really a total bewilderment that the Rakaposhi Grand View was so far yet from our sight being a futile attempt despite our physical struggle uphill and we were so dismayed that the Rakaposhi grandeur view was a total illusion as it’s physically apparent the Rakaposhi is too far away from our camp.

The Rakaposhi glacier

Beautiful meadow with the Rakaposhi view.


A much coveted tempting meal was waiting for us as we came back. We had our late lunch at 4:40 PM that we thought tasted better than any restaurant in Karachi as we were all hungry by then. We were then having lunch in front of Rakaposhi sitting on a stone considered as a “memorable lunch” ever in our lives. Some goats joined company with us during lunch and it was really a unique fantasy and entertainment being in company with animals in distant elevated mountain places. We finished our lunch at 5.30 PM. The sunset glared our eyes and we had the feel of the immense coldness breezing from Rakaposhi Glacier. We then decided we packed ourselves and had a final group photo at Pissian Meadows, viewed Rakaposhi over and over again being hard to say goodbye to such a beautiful mountain sight. We saw sunset on the Rakaposhi on our way back. Rakaposhi by sunset turn to an astonishing yellow structural color being a memorable landscape view by then. We reached back at Ali’s place around 7:30 PM. Our tired bodies fell in the beautiful garden and we wanted to have rest for some time.

Fruits of Nagar

In the garden of Nagar


We left for “Diran Guest House” after having dinner. This was the same hotel where “Sayed Tajamal Hussain” of Ishah, Jutal Village used to cook. No doubt, the hotel was beautiful in structure adorned with luxuriant garden robust with fruits. Some famous personalities were also found like “Mustansar Hussain Tarrar”, “Nadeem Khawar”, “Waqar Ahmed Malik” et. al. After we had our dinner, we visited the hotel where we saw a lot of antique artifacts making this hotel one of the best in Pakistan. We had an amazing time at this hotel but it was the time to leave say goodbye. We stayed at Ali’s place that night.

 

[ghazi52]

It was Day#7, we set off early to reach Hunza in time. We cooked breakfast for ourselves at Ali’s place and took some group photos before leaving. Soon we were back on Mighty KKH. We left Nagar and entered Hunza valley after crossing Hunza bridge. Amazing views of Rakaposhi welcomed us passing from Nasirabad & Murtazabad. Our next stop was “Murtazabad”, amazing & compelling views of Rakaposhi continued all along the way.



DAY 7: PISSIAN TO HUNZA

FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2013, 108KM (67 MILES)

Before leaving Pissian village for Hunza Valley

Beautiful garden in Pissian, Hunza.

Bridge on Indus river. Enter Hunza valley from Nagar after crossing this.


We stopped in Murtazabad and finally found locals to talk with. Those kids offered us cherries while they were packing. "These cherries will be exported to Punjab" Faiz Ahmed mentioned. He also told us about his village and culture of Hunza. We had a good time with them and left for Aliabad. We were at Aliabad bridge when the sun got so warm and stopped in search of shadow and avoid the virulent heat of the sun. After offering our Friday prayers in the nearby mosque we came out in search of food, unfortunately, we could only find juice and biscuits. We left for Aliabad at 3PM.

Faiz Ahmed (L) with his friends packing cherries in Murtazabad.

Faiz Ahmed (L) with his friends packing cherries in Murtazabad.

Aliabad bridge, just before Alibad town.



Aliabad seems a city after crossing so many villages or rather a remote distant mountain town. It has a unique character of people as all were busy and preoccupied in their work. There's no time to bother other people business. We took our lunch after which we hired a van to take us to “Duikher Village”. Tourists are especially guided to go to Eagle's Nest and witness the dramatic views of sunset and sunrise.

Stopped at Aliabaad for Lunch.

View of Aliabaad bazaar.


The road traversing to the top of the mountain is etched with continuous and/or circuitous ascent of rugged mountain terrain. Amazing and perplexing landscapes were waiting for us at Duikher as we reached there at 5 PM. We sat on a rock and saw an amazing view of the sunset. From here we see the panoramic views of the entire Hunza valley, distinctly beautiful Altit & Ganish villages, Altit Fort and the amazing Karakoram Highway. All the famous peaks e.g. “Ultar Sar”, “Lady Finger”, “Golden Peak”, “Rakaposhi” and others are visible from Duikher. We were glued to the top of Duiker and sat there until it was dark. Finally, we set up our camp for the night and had an ample rest.

View of entire Hunza valley can be seen from Duikher.

Lady finger & Ultar sar seen from Duikher, Hunza

Hunza Valley: The snowy mountain is Rakaposhi (7788m). It is ranked 27th highest in the world and 12th highest in Pakistan

After the sunset at Duikher.


We were informed that sunrise from Duiker is also an extraordinary joy to watch so we woke up early to witness the sunrise on and above the beautiful peaks.

Sunrise at Duikher is also special.

 

[I.R.A]

People look Central Asian. Slight mongoloid. Like Uzbeks or Tajiks?

I have few boarding school friends from there, we used to call one of them Cheena ......... and most probably this was missed by your forces as well when they said Chinese were also involved in Kargil.

 

[padamchen]

I have few boarding school friends from there, we used to call one of them Cheena ......... and most probably this was missed by your forces as well when they said Chinese were also involved in Kargil.

Yup. I saw momos! Same fiery red paste chutney.

Cheers, Doc

 

[I.R.A]

Breakfast in Ghulmet, Nagar with Hunza water.

Hunza water as in Hunza water or simple plain water?

 

[ghazi52]

DAY 8: HUNZA TO ATTABAD

SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013, 119 KM (74 MILES)

It was a splendid morning in Hunza. We woke up early in the morning to see the beautiful sunrise over the peaks. It’s the month of June and the cold breeze of the morning is physically penetrating. We have to return back to our camp and took another 2-3 hours sleep.

Before setting off, Duikher


We departed from Duikher at 9:40 AM after having a breakfast within the outdoor sunshine facade. We have to descend from Duikher until we reconnect to Karakoram Highway. During our stopovers, fresh water canals were common along the road. But, the water from Ultar Sar Glacier appeared not potable for drinking as it looks “gold like” our first ever encounter of this kind of water.

Common freshwater canals along the road.


We then reached Karimabad, a tourist town whose main streets/avenues were adorn with gift shops, guesthouses, hotels and cafeterias. We enjoyed the spectacular view of the structures built alongside elevated valley walls.

View of Hunza valley while descending from Duiker.


After being surprised about the Ultar-Sar’s water, we kept moving down. Along the way, amazing views of Hunza Valley is revealed. We stopped at several points and enjoyed astonishing views. We plan to head towards “Altit Fort”. The word Altit means “this side down” being a Tibetan word. Altit Fort is situated in the village of Altit, about 3 km. from Karimabad. Altit Fort and in particular the Shikari Tower is around 900 years old being the oldest structural monument in the Gilgit-Baltistan. It has been built on a sheer rock cliff that falls 300 meters (1000 feet) into the Hunza River and is much older than the Baltit Fort. Altit is the birthplace of the Hunza Kingdom and the Altit Fort is the first fort of the region.

Before continuing our journey on KKH, explored Altit fort.

An ancient Altit fort in the Hunza valley.

Altit town can be seen from the fort.

Garden of Altit fort, Hunza.


We decided to reach Attabad with the option to cross Attabad Lake but have to be quick. When we entered Altit Fort, we saw Hunza women working with woods being carpenters. Later, we came to know that these women handled all the woodcraft of the fort and are proud of it.

We crossed the famous bridge of Ganish at 1:00 PM. The waterfall of Ganish can be seen from the Bridge. As we crossed the bridge Ifzaal's bicycle tire got punctured and deflated. It took us a while to get back on wheels.

A late start and back on Karakorum Highway.

A late start and back on Karakorum Highway.


We stopped at Frontier Works Organization (F.W.O.) camp for dinner and took some rest. We were greatly welcomed at the camp. With still 10 km. remaining to reach Attabad, we then proceeded our bicycle trek and we arrived at Attabad at 9:30 PM and stayed for the night with the FWO contractor.

Getting dark on Karakorum Highway

The sleepy tractor guy who guided us for our stopover.


The bike ride on Karakorum Highway at night was unintentional. But, we enjoy every bit of it. We were forced had to ride at night to reach Attabad which turned out to be a unique experience for us.

 

[ghazi52]

Now in Attabad, we woke up early and started packing. We were served with a delightful breakfast by “Mr. Rasul Din” before leaving the camp. We reached at Attabad Lake in the span of one (1) hour. By this time, there was a huge landslide to cross before reaching Attabad Lake. We went up the huge boulders of the land slide to reach the lake. I dragged rather than push- ride up to reach the top of the boulder.



DAY 9: ATTABAD TO PASSU


SUNDAY JUNE 23, 2013, 144 KM (90 MILES)

Our last night's camp at Attabad Lake.

The first view of the lake was some sort of a feast of viewing as we were compelled to stop, view and remain perplexed for some time of its natural beauty to watch. We stopped at the top portion of Attabad Lake and enjoyed the satiating beauty and vastness of the Lake. All the cargo trucks unloaded at Attabad Lake. Cargoes, luggage are then loaded and transferred to the boats that are situated on the opposite side of the lake. This cargo process is repeated on the other side as the cargo transport heads towards Sost dry port.

Stopover at Attabad lake

We took a boat ferry ride to cross Attabad lake.


The Attabad Lake was formed on January 4th, 2010. The lake was formed due to a massive landslide at Attabad village. The landslide killed twenty people and blocked the flow of the Hunza River for five months. The landslide caused irreparable loss to the area, submerged cultivated lands, eroded great portions of the Karakoram Highway, and squeezed the tourist inflow. The entire population of Domaki Tribe was displaced from their village (Shishkat).

Soon, it was our turn to be called by the boatman who is scheduled to ferry passengers. I still cannot remember the last time I was on a boat ride? But, as far as I could recall, it had already been a long time ago passed. This boat ride is was going to be a new adventure and experience in the Attabad Lake which is 21 meters in length and 100 meters in Depth. Soon we reach the Sost Dry Port. The atmosphere at the port was amazing as everyone was busy and noisy seemingly shouting at each other’s ears aloud.

The water of the lake was very cold but muddy at its bank. The fascinating journey started with a cold gale of the wind as if freezing and blowing the huge Rocky Mountains above of our heads. The color of the lake became greenish blue as we moved into the lake. At this instance, we feel totally enchanted as if we were at Astola Island. Astola Island is the island of Seven Hills (“Haft Talar”), Pakistan’s largest offshore Island whose highest point is 246 ft. (75 meters) above sea level.

The island consists of a large tilted plateau and a series of seven small hillocks with deep chasms and crevices which are several feet wide. There are several natural caves and coves on the island. The south face, wherein the island slopes off gradually as the north face is clifflike. The isolated location of the island had helped maintained several endemic forms of life like the endangered green turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, endemic reptiles, Sooty Gull Breeding Colony but soon ceased because of the presence of rodents/rats. The vegetation of Astola Island is sparse consisting only of shrubs (“Prosopis Juliflora”-the largest shrubs) and large bushes . There’s no fresh water and the vegetation depends on the occasional rainfall and soil moisture for survival. But, what is different in Astola is it being the home of coral reefs. Astola’s topography pales in comparison with Attabad that sooner we corrected ourselves with our daydreaming that we are instead in Gojal, Hunza. The enjoyable journey lasted for an hour then we reached Gulmit Village. The boat only stopped at one place at “Shiskat Village”.

Passed Attabad Lake on a ferry and reached Gulmit.

Passu Cathedrals seen from Gulmit village.


We were determined to bike again 12:15 PM. But, the penetrating heat of the sun was right above our heads and soon we had to find some place for a rest and for passing 2-3 hours in Gulmit Village. The word Gulmit is formed with two words, Gul (Flower) and Mit (garden) and together it meant Flower Garden. After riding a couple of mins, we reached and stopped in a café at Gulmit Village. We had lunch in front of Passu Cones and/or Passu Cathedrals in “Stone Age Cafe”. We rested and had a midday afternoon nap in the garden of the café under the apricot trees.

We left Gulmit Village around 4 PM were headed towards Passu. After Gulmit Village, is the Village of Ghulkin. This village is situated beside the Ghulkin Glacier. The road normally is wet in this part as there are a lot of water sources coming from the glacier and they all fall on the road and then mix with Hunza River. The wet road patch is about 3 km. in distance. Soon after we were head on to the Ghulkin Village with the huge Ghulkin Glacier situated near to the road. The glacier's ice water mix with mud and stones in the process of its movement downstream in the mountain canals that in the end, it is difficult to ascertain at first sight that these indeed are the natural movement of water derivative and/or coming from the glaciers.

Water coming from Ghulkin Glacier, Ghulkin Village


Ghulkin Glacier has two main huge tributaries ( Nalla’s). The water seems not portable as it doesn’t look crystal clean. But, for the locals, this is water they drink daily. We stopped near one of the Ghulkin Nalla/sources and had a cup of tea. The area of water from the Hunza River increases in size and area as it flows and traverses to Gulmit extending to Hussani Village and Passu.

At Hussani and Passu Villages the water flows smoothly and calmly. Hussani is a small but beautiful village. In here we could find one of the most notorious dangerous bridge. This bridge was damaged in one of the recent floods as the locals informed us. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see or examine why this bridge was tagged as one of the dangerous bridges in the world.

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Lucky enough to capture local drinking water, Ghulkin

Near Hussani village

Passu Cathedrals as seen from Hussani village


There is a tremendous tedious ascent from Hussani towards Passu Village. From our bicycle trekking, this seems to be the longest ascent we are to be confronted after Attabad. The difficult road ascents forced us to stop after each 500 meter to 700-meter bike trek distance to be able to reach the top of the mountain roadway. AS we reached the top, we managed to have a hard long look at the Passu Glacier at the seemingly elevated pinnacle portion of the highway. From this point, the road starts to descend. We could not quantify in words our mixed emotions being traumatized by the ascending and descend of the road engineering as we are forced to flex our understanding and physical endurance to this type of mountain roads.

Welcome to Passu.

KKH and Passu glacier before entering Passu village.


Upon reaching Passu Valley, a funny incident happened when we passed by one of the locals wandering along the road and we decided to stop and talk with him. The sudden stop of our bike brakes seems to frighten the old man as he motioned that our sudden stop had taken his breath away. We apologized for his distraction but our good intention was to engage him in a pleasant conversation. We gathered, that the old man was silently walking along the highway to his mind thanking the Chinese Engineers having done an outstanding job installing protectors and gutters on both sides of the road that suddenly we appeared within his midst distracting his mindset. Finally, the old man gains confidence with our friendship. We left him with a memorable smile painted on his face.

Passu Cathedrals / Passu Cones seen from Passu


We reached Passu at 6:30 PM. Now we could feel the cold wind blowing coming from Passu glacier. We stopped at “Glacier Breeze Hotel” for the dinner. A typical Hunza dinner was extraordinarily delicious. In particular, it was an opportune time to be able to sample regional Hunzai Cuisine prepared from the fresh local produce. The enchanting moments of sunset in Passu, the cold breeze from Passu Glacier, the sunset drama over the Passu Cones and the compelling panoramic beauty view of Passu Village in its entirety are unforgettable encounters.

Delicious local food presented in dinner by Glacier Breeze restaurant


We meet a lot of interesting people in Passu. Some trekkers from Punjab, with whom we become familiar quickly. They were going to Shimshal Valley for trekking. “Mr. Zaffar” along with his friends was a friendly group which appreciated the efforts we were putting by riding a bicycle around Pakistan. “You have taken an initiative to do something different and you have done your best, and look you have gained huge experience of your life. Go on and make the rest possible. Good Luck”, Mr. Zaffar commented on what we’re doing on Karakoram Highway. A fascinating day came blissfully to an end. Attabad Lake is a sure miss and the Gulmit Village where we have captured and experienced unforgettable memories.

 

[ghazi52]

DAY 10: PASSU TO SOST

MONDAY JUNE 24, 2013, 182 KM (113 MILES)

This would be the last day of our cycling tour. We had to be positive in our mindset to achieve this life achievement. Mr. Zaffar whom we met earlier at Passu and whose company were trekking Shimshal Valley had given us enough hope and courage that for sure we can achieve our goal in our cycling safari and it’s just within our reach today. Our breakfast was ready when we wake up and finished it before 9:15 AM. We had some group photos with Mr. Zaffar and his friends before we could actually set off for another long day bicycle ride.

Group photo with Mr. Zaffar and his friends before leaving Passu.
As we negotiate our 10th Day of Bike Ride, the road condition, as usual, was fantastic and enjoyable. We saw a patch of the straight road now. After riding for an hour, we saw 57 kilometers (35 miles) long Batura Glacier being one of the largest and longest glaciers outside the Polar Regions. The lower portions can be described as a gray sea of rocks and gravelly moraine similar like other glaciers. It is hard to point out a glacier as it has become amalgamated with rocks, mud, and ice in the end of its water movements. A stream of water was also coming from this glacier which was forming a beautiful greenish color lake right on the edge of the road which is called Batura Glacier Lake that can be seen right after the Shimshal Link Road.

Sun was very warm while leave Passu towards Khyber Village

Batura Glacier Lake that can be seen right after the Shimshal Link Road on KKH

There was no major village along the road and our day stop was only Khyber which we reached around 1 PM. We stopped at “DJ Middle School at Khyber”.

Diamond Jubilee Middle School Khyber Village, Gojal


Khyber was not a big village. Hence, there are neither hotels nor tea shops to be found. We had our day snacks under a tree and had our nap thereafter. Our feeling cannot be described in words cycling 4 hours non-stop. We could just imagine life to be just simple but we made it more complicated when we initiated our bike tour around Pakistan but in the end finally made it. We left Khyber around 4 PM with the thought that we still had some distance to cover. The road was isolated and lonely with no village and/or human around. After 50 minutes of a ride, we reached a beautiful village of “Ghlapan”. This village consists of 140 families. As we observe, all the available land was utilized properly and expertly. Water canals were seen in place and in order to distribute water in the different corners of the village. We stayed at Ghlapan for awhile then head to Markhun Village.

Avoiding the day heat in Khyber Village.

Sitting at KKH and enjoying so-called day meal. Ghlapan village


Markhun is another beautiful village seen along the way to Sost. Upon reaching Markhun, a group of kids run towards us and greeted us. They were all saying hello and Salam. These kids were all students and were coming back after tuition. They had their Religion Subject Test today and happily uttered they have done well. Their merriment passed through their faces.

We had group souvenir photos with them for their remembrance of us. After a fantastic time with the kids, we left for Sost. It is an hour ride from Markhun. We were in Sost at around 6 PM. Finally, we made it to the penultimate destination of our bicycle journey. We couldn’t believe it. But, ALLAH had worked it out and helped us right from the start to the end of our journey.

Welcoming Kids of Markhun Village, Gojal

Welcoming Kids of Markhun Village, Gojal


SOST was a last village before the Pakistan-China border where you could find all types of people from all over Pakistan. Sost is like Punjab being the meeting point of peoples from all walks of life. Sost have many hotels including PTDC (pls. complete abbreviations) model. All the hotels were available in very suitable economic rate with complete facilities. We planned to visit Khunjrab Pass tomorrow being another exciting journey.

KKH before Sost village

KKH near Sost.


In summary, we could say that our bicycle journey around Pakistan is no joking matter as it involves physical endurance and stamina, especially when encountering the Karakoram Highway. Perhaps it’s so easy to look on the map. But, paddling entails stringent physical exercise and determination. It also provides more leeway for observing the peculiarities of places and peoples’ traits that translate to memorable experiences and encounters.

An end to the ride in Sost village.

Encountering a number of people along the way and knowing their feedbacks of our bicycle safari around Pakistan in a way is a magnanimous experience for us. As the one famous novel writer quoted, “You can enjoy the weather, scenery, fresh air in a better way when you travel on Cycle or Motorcycle”. “They also don’t have to worry about where the normal people stay, you are traveling and if you like the place, stop and camp there”. These were the very kind true words that motivated us. Honestly, we didn’t enjoy much in Gilgit and Karimabad seemingly being like a city where everyone was too busy. We have special nostalgic affection for the Villages of Jutal, Gulmit-Nagar, Passu, Ghlapan and Markhun where we were treated with special friendship and accommodation.

 

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Weekend cycling in Lahore

 

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The day#11 was here and we prepared to take a journey to the highest point which was Khunjrab Pass. We were told beforehand that it was impossible for bicycles to reach Khunjrab because of the high elevation of the road. We decided to visit pass on a motorbike.



DAY 11: SOST – KHUNJRAB PASS

MONDAY 24, 2013, 231 KM (144 MILES)

We left our hotel in Sost at 9:30 AM and started our journey towards the Khunjrab Pass. On the way, we meet a police officer that unlike common police officers motioned us to ride on the left side of the road, wear a helmet and do not drive fast. He also muttered that it’s a 3 hours bike ride to the pass and wished us a safe journey.

Road to the Khunjrab pass


We started riding along the Khunjrab River and passed by Chapurson Valley and Misagr Valley link roads. These two valleys have their own rivers that join the Khunjrab River and further mix with the Hunza River. The colour and flow of the water changed dramatically as we moved uphill of the road. The valley walls are of black, crumbling rock (this is how the Turkish words Kara - Koram translate) and the river cuts through deep beds of gravel being residues of contaminated mud and rock slides.

Mysteries of KKH, the black water stream is a combination of mud and rocks.



The Karakorum/Karakoram Highway is merged between the tall mountains in this section. These tall mountains are on either side or shoulders of the road that you could position your head up and stare at them. The road condition is as was excellent. Chinese workers were still working on the tunnels to ensure the safety of travellers. We reached Die or also called Dhie at 10:30 PM. We had to put our names on the register and pay Khunjrab National Park fee to move along the way in Die (Dhie).

Views of the Karakorum from the main road.


The word Khunjrab is a combination of Khun mean blood and zerav mean stream in Wakhi language. It is Pakistan's third largest National Park & the primary purpose of setting up of this park was to provide protection to the endangered Marco polo sheep that is only found in this area. The Khunjrab Pass is the highest paved international border crossing road in the world and the highest point on the Karakoram Highway.

The temperature started to dwindle down as we moved uphill of the road. The beautiful clouds constant apparition on the sky increases the enchanting beauty of the place. We saw the beautiful mountains covered with snow on the way to the pass. We saw “Yaks” in the Khunjrab Park which was prohibited from hunting. We finally made it to the Khunjrab Pass at 12 PM being the most amazing and beautiful location. The weather temperature was felt below 10°C and we started to feel cold. We meet a “Khunjrab Security Force (KSF)” security guard who allowed us to get into China even without having any visa. This was the best feeling ever we got a friendly treatment being outside Pakistan.

The temperature started to dwindle down as we moved uphill of the road. The beautiful clouds constant apparition on the sky increases the enchanting beauty of the place.

Snow covered peaks near the pass


Exploring the Khunjrab Pass at the size and extent made us decide to move to Sost before getting dark. After reaching Sost we also explored the Sost Dry Port and finally sat down to look the beautiful sunset over the mountains.

The Khunjrab pass

Taking rest at Khunjrab plateau against the rock.

 

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An independence day cycling rally in Islamabad on 14th August.

 

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