Karakoram Highway runs through the second highest mountain range in the
world, and its jaw-dropping scenery will remain in your memory for a long time.impeccable asphalt roads. But the area immediately after
the border required riding some pretty rough roads with
few asphalt sections. Today, it’s a completely different
story. As part of its economic cooperation with Pakistan,
China financed a beautiful asphalt road from the northern
border to the southern fringe of the country.
However, keep in mind it’s a high-mountain road, so you
should expect loose rocks falling from the slopes around
every corner and frequent landslide roadblocks. Despite
that, it can easily be crossed on a sport bike.ATTABAD LAKE
Another sign of the times is the Attabad Lake passage. The
lake was created as a result of flooding over 20 kilometers
of the Karakoram Highway, caused by a major landslide.
Tragically, many villages are gone as a result.
Six years ago, a passage through the lake was considered
something of a tourist attraction. Why? Because cars and
motorcycles were loaded on wooden boats in a very provi-
sional way, the only method of getting across. There was no
infrastructure. You drove, carried or pushed your bike across
often rickety boards to get it loaded. One boat could take
12 motorcycles, as it was in our case. They also transported
trucks packed with goods—some of which ended up at the
lake bottom. So, six years later such procedures were banned
although the lake now offers motorboat tourist trips and water
scooter services. And to get around the lake they’ve tunneled
through the mountains. Before entering the first tunnel, you can
stop for coffee and lunch in small eateries.WHAT ALTERNATIVES ARE
THERE TO THE KARAKORAM
HIGHWAY?If you want off-road adventures, you need to get off the
Karakoram Highway and onto the valley roads. There are plenty
of them, although some are considered some of the most
dangerous roads in the world. In my case, before leaving Poland,
I watched many YouTubes of travelers riding the narrow, rocky
roads along the edges of rock cliffs. I wanted to experience it,
too, and discovered it was a good ride through the Shimsal
Valley. The entire route is 50 km one way, of which 30 km is...
let’s just call it “challenging.”
That 30 km segment is at the beginning. The fun starts
immediately, bringing with it many thoughts including the
impulse to turn back! I got into a couple of bad situations, one
where my cases were caught on a rock wall, and another where
a case was knocked off and I got pushed to the edge. Without
exaggeration, the mark of my front wheel was somewhere
around 10 cm from the edge of a sheer drop-off. In a worst-case
scenario, I would have broken a few bones. However, the route
goes up and up along amazing scenery. When you stop for
photos, you look around and down below, and it makes you
weak in the knees. Am I trying to scare you? Absolutely not.
The route to the Shimsal Valley is incredible, but it requires
your full and complete attention, and I recommend it only for
experienced motorcyclists.62 July/August 2019