Another solo trip - a tribute to KKH

[Wanderlust]

Crossing a brown glacier, unlike "chittay" glacier of naran.

[discovery77]

Common yar, you should have clean your car once in the trip, the only thing i dont like in this travelogue. But what a detail documentry. Your writing & images should also be part of wikipedia.

[Wanderlust]

Common yar, you should have clean your car once in the trip, the only thing i dont like in this travelogue. But what a detail documentry. Your writing & images should also be part of wikipedia.

Buddy, I did service my car once in the trip....it was last day of the trip at a service area in Abbottabad. I will post the picture of clean car then.

BTW, I did not get time to clean the car earlier as when I reached Gilgit in the afternoon, i was trying to reach Gupis before sunset. Similarly when I returned to Gilgit, I was rushing to reach Hunza before it gets dark.

In mountains, I dont go for car wash other than service areas.

[bahsan]

Thank you bhai....next time!

any time... forget to tell u... mogambo ko watch achi lagi

[Wanderlust]

After sometime, I have to stop again at a barrier erected by police. This was the last Pakistani checkpost before the final push up to Khunjerab pass. Policeman got my id card for recording purposes in his office but was looking concerned about why I am alone.

He came back after about 5 minutes with a smile and "let me accompany you to the top as you are alone.....there are risks like animals, glaciers and landslide.....Ok?" I have no option but to say yes thinking that he may not have bought my explanation about my solo trip....may be he was thinking I might slip into China.

Still I am thankful for usual courtesy of Gilgit/Baltistan police.....I am still thankful to the policeman on KKH who in 2012 had replaced flat tyre of my car.

If I was in Punjab or Sindh, police there either have ordered me to go back or have ordered their guest to arrange for "chai pani".

That policeman proved to be a good company to Khunjerab.

[Wanderlust]

After this checkpost, car started feeling lack of oxygen as altitude was increasing and increasing..... it was like six people were in the car.....but it was moving steadily while I pressed accelerator a bit more.

[Wanderlust]

Wow....it was out of world experience so early in the season with a lot of snow around.

[Wanderlust]

Zero point was so close....AlhamduLillah...my dream of driving the entire length of KKH was about to come true.....

[Wanderlust]

And finally, when my watch was indicating height of 4,510m..... I was at the boarder.

[joinami]

@wanderlust

Very Excellent Trip and the details .
Really there is no match driving on the KKH .
i think i am among the last few who drove (though a very old 1984 sedan) till KKH before attaabad incident...that year.
after looking at your trip The KKH Bug again got some energy inside ...

Thanks For Sharing .

[usmansameen]

I seriously feel like standing up and clapping for you dude. You are an inspiration.

[Abdullahnoor007]

Awesome Khunjerab. Bravo Sir.
Waiting to see more.

[Wanderlust]

@wanderlust

Very Excellent Trip and the details .
Really there is no match driving on the KKH .
i think i am among the last few who drove (though a very old 1984 sedan) till KKH before attaabad incident...that year.
after looking at your trip The KKH Bug again got some energy inside ...

Thanks For Sharing .

Thank you for liking my thread. I have gone through your posts on SUV's and hope to get in touch with you on the off road machines.

[Wanderlust]

I seriously feel like standing up and clapping for you dude. You are an inspiration.

Thanks for the complements...its just that I love the sound of rain knocking the second skin of my tent.....rather than staying at star hotels.

[Wanderlust]

I was near the zero point when this chinese dog on duty stopped in the middle of road to sniff my intentions. He returned back when I took u turn and parked my car on my Pakistani side.

[Wanderlust]

Dog must have been sent by the Chinese officials from their watch tower.

[Wanderlust]

As advised by my companion the policeman, we can go near that watch tower but not further as Chinese authorities are very strict....they should be and we should also be....this is the way to go.

So we started walking towards the Chinese gate.

[Wanderlust]

Photos of border line

[Wanderlust]

It was out of world experience at 4,500m. Snow covered mountains, feeling of loneliness and howling winds.....after 30 minutes or so I started feeling pain in my ears owing to icy cold winds....ohhhh! I did not have earbuds handy, so just squeezed rolled up pieces of tissue papers in my ears....it became comfortable

and I drove back to 20 years old dreams. It was first week of Nov when my friend and I had reached Khunjerab pass on a jeep from Sust....there was nothing but a bamboo separating the two sides with small Chinese Pakistani metallic flags nailed in the bamboo. That day it was so cold that we had rushed down just after 15 minutes.

So I was back at the same place after two decades.... You and I have to arrange for extra money other than pocket money, then you and I have to arrange for time while generating money, and then......time and money both trying to yield health and energy to visit places where I was standing.

[Wanderlust]

And then a lot of shouting and noises forced me out of my dreams....Chinese tourists from Kashgir started arriving at the border followed by their border security staff who have to get out of the tower just to ensure that they do not enter "our" territory. Like most of the people of the south east Asian countries, these Chinese tourists were just focusing on photo taking, mainly taking their photos in front of Pakistani milestone