Postcard from the Karakoram Highway ‘life is a journey not a destination’

We are driving along the Karakoram Highway from Hunza, through Skardu to Shigar in Gilgit-Baltistan.  It seemed like a good idea to drive, to see more of Pakistan, to experience what has been described as the eighth wonder of the wonder.  I also wanted to continue our journey along the Old Silk Road.

This section of the Highway is 325 kilometres and according to Google maps will take 7 hours to drive.  Our guide mentioned it was more likely to take 8 to 9 hours depending on road conditions and road works.  

The Karakoram Highway, also known as the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway is 1,300 kilometres in length and starts in Hasan Abdal in the Punjab Province and ends at the Khunjerab Pass in Gilgit-Baltistan (the subject of a previous blog).  Started in 1959 and finished in 1979 it is one of the highest paved roads in the world.  From the Highway you can see three mountain ranges, The Hindukush, the Himalayas and the Karakoram.  As part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor the Highway is being upgraded.  In the building of the Highway 810 Pakistanis and over 200 Chinese workers have lost their lives due to extremely difficult working conditions.

I had been told that the journey along the Highway is spectacular but also that the road conditions can be very difficult.  Work to upgrade this stretch of the Highway is underway, with impossibly large equipment scattered along side the road. The Highway moves from a single paved road to a double paved road (it still looked like a single road to me), to gravel, and back to being paved again.  Landslides are a common occurrence.   A large portion is still gravel, with no guard rail and a steep drop to the valley below.  

Being forewarned didn’t prepare me for how difficult parts of the road were to drive along.  The single laned parts of the Highway made me grip the handle of the passenger car door and breath in when cars and trucks tried to pass.  The gravel threw up lots of dust and at times it was difficult to see the road ahead.  When a truck broke down on a tight, single lane, hairpin turn I thought we were in for a long wait.  I was more horrified when our driver decided to edge slowly around the truck.  Local workers were extremely helpful helping us navigate around the truck, but I was then also concerned for their safety.  

When the road widened and was smooth, I could sit and enjoy the passing scenery.  We would turn a corner and in front of us would be the most beautiful green valley with neat terraces climbing high up the mountainside.  We would turn another corner and see mountains rising high above us.  Another turn brought back my fears as I saw the remains of a large landslide flowing down the mountain.  One of the most spectacular sights was Nanga Parbat, at 8,126 metres.  Nanga Parbat stands at the western end of the Himalayas, it is the ninth highest peak in the world.  There are fourteen mountains in the world that are 8,000 metres or higher, five are located in Pakistan.  

There is a quote, attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, that ‘life is a journey not a destination’. The Karakoram Highway is a spectacular, if somewhat terrifying, journey.

Leaving Hunza

Nanga Parbat in the far distance

Nanga Parbat a little closer

Part of the newly sealed Highway

Stopping for a rest and watching the trucks and vans drive past

Small truck about to leave to continue their journey

The dusty edge of the Highway

Road workers taking a break

Small tents along the Highway to house workers

So much dust it was hard to see the road

Trucks approaching

My view of a truck from my passenger seat

The dusty road winds on

Landslide, thankfully across from the road

Goats ignoring the stop, blast area, sign

Zig-zag path of the Old Silk Road

Rocks, stones and dust

The edge of the Highway. The strings you can just see are mapping out future road works

Building a retaining wall and bridge

New retaining wall and man hanging off the back of a small truck

Still hanging on

Suddenly it turns green

Amazingly green fields after hours of dust

Skardu Valley, where the Indus and Shigar rivers meet

Postcard from Rakaposhi

Today we drive from Gilgit to Hunza, just over 100 kilometres along the Karakoram Highway.  We are looking forward to seeing a number of mountains: Rakaposhi; Diran Peak; Hunza Peak; Ulter 1 and 2; and Dastgil Sar Peak.

This part of the Highway has been completed and is smooth but sometimes very narrow.  There are a number of memorials along the highway to honour the workers who died building it.  We stop at one memorial and meet the custodian who tells us about the workers who died building this stretch of the Highway.  The inscription reads ‘In memory of their gallant men who preferred to make the Karakorams their permanent abode’ 1966-1972.

Our next stop is to see Rakaposhi, a mountain in the Karakoram Mountains about a two hour drive north of Gilgit.  At 7,788m it is the 27th highest mountain in the world or the 12th highest mountain in Pakistan.  Despite only coming in at 27th, well behind K2, this mountain is loved in Pakistan and we were keen to see it up close.  

Rakaposhi means ‘snow covered’ locally but the mountain is also called Dumani ‘Mother of Mist’ or ‘Mother of Clouds’.   We had an exceptionally clear day and there was only the faintest hint of a cloud around the summit.  Ragaposhi is situated in the Nagar Valley and as we drove along the Karakoram Highway we kept seeing enticing views.

The place to get the best views of Rakaposhi is at the Rakaposhi Viewpoint in Ghulmet where we stopped for morning tea.  According to the sign at the viewpoint we were at 1,950m and we could see the highest, unbroken slope on earth.  The summit is almost 6 kilometres above us and only 11 kilometres away.  It is the only mountain on earth that plummets directly, uninterrupted, for almost 6,000 metres from the summit to its base.  

The Viewpoint has a small café and gift shop, the tea was very good, and I couldn’t resist buying a souvenir.   As we were travelling during Ramadan we were the only ones there enjoying the spectacular scenery and peace and quiet.  

Travelling along the Karakoram Highway from Gilgit to Hunza

Karakoram Highway Memorial

Memorial and cemetery custodian

Seating area next to memorial

We are driving alongside the Hunza River

Beautiful vistas keep opening up

The milky green of the Hunza River

Roadway on other side of the valley, tall Poplar trees along each ridge

Down below in the valley, terraced farms covering every available piece of land

View from our car - the road can be very narrow

At least you get to see Truck art details up close

Rakaposhi Viewpoint Cafe

My souvenir purchase - a traditional hat from Hunza - hand embroidered on cloth. Women wear them with a scarf over the top

Rakaposhi Viewpoint Cafe

Rakaposhi

A final road stop before continuing on to Hunza

My favourite view of Rakaposhi, terraced farms, flags flying in the wind