Out of town we take a road we travelled yesterday by the side of the airport, but don't stop this time. We continue and soon reach a long suspension bridge over the Indus river.
We then head East alongside the Shigar river which has split from the Indus. The tracks are a mix of gravel broken tarmac and sand. The terrain feels so familiar and I realise it's like our trip to Tajikistan two years ago where we followed the Kabul river for many km.
Like there, the road passes through small villages strewn along the valley between the steep sides and the river. The sand is the main challenge, many portions quite deep and fine, with dust thrown up by the bikes into the air, making visibility really difficult. As a result we try to keep our distance from each other, but it's not always that easy. Most of us got stuck at some point while those behind sail past, likely smiling on their helmets, or perhaps wide-eyed trying desperately not to stop or worse, fall off! 😱
We reach a crossing point for Shigar river which is a concrete bridge. Alongside is the old suspension bridge with rusty cables, but the deck seems intact even if at a slight angle. I contemplate a walk across it but think better of it. Just as we leave, we see two locals doing just that. 
From there it's a short ride into Shigar and our hotel which is inside the converted fort, but which retains its original features including an intricately panelled ceiling. We check in and have an excellent buffet lunch.
As we still have time in the afternoon we ride north on the road to K2, again through villages, and with some spectacular views up and down the valley. 
