I did my trip to Skardu from August 23-30, 2013 on my HJ60, road conditions are good provided your drive carefully and reduce the tyre pressure, from Abbottabad to batgram is average, batgram to besham is newly paved amazing road, besham to raikot bridge is average with some bad portions due to land slides etc. raikot to jaglot is newly paved superb road, jaglot to skardu very narrow and in average condition. If you want to stay only in skardu for a week and don't need vehicle there you may avail the flight option. You need atleast two drivers on this route, we were four so we continued to drive turn by turn, its wiser to drive upto chilas in a day leaving early morning from Islamabad and next day you can reach easily skardu by evening.