Pakistanistan Day 6, arrived in Gilgit

The generator had switched off overnight, but it kicked off again in the morning, waking the neighbours and disturbing the calm of a gentle Karakorum morning. Fortunately it doesn't lessen the view. 

The simple but tasty breakfast was dispatched despite the lack of cutlery. The hotel is still being built and the staff appear to be learning on the job. Charlie remarked that many of the hotels we've stayed in could do with a woman's touch.

We go back down the chaotic road we climbed yesterday evening and this morning it's quiet so the challenge is lessened, but wet stones always deserve respect.

Our first stop is Upper Kachura Lake and we park the bikes at its upper level and I climb down with Christopher and Duff to see the water up close.

The sides are very steep and that looks to continue into the lake which would make it very deep. The lake edges are partly developed with boat rides, cafes and a zip line. It's not busy, with just a few families around and the water looks very inviting, but I don't have the correct attire. If it was later on the day I would have been tempted to jump in regardless. 

The climb back up is sweat inducing. 

Where we've parked the bikes sellers are offering local crafts and produce like apricots and honey. Christopher is considering some honey, but after his experience in Romania where he managed to empty a complete jar into his topbox, he's understandably holding off. 

Just as we leave I spot a gentleman with the most amazing moustache. I ask for a picture and he's more than happy to strike a pose, after which he tucks the ends over his ears!

We ride back to the Indus valley from the side valley where Sok is located and join it high up with magnificent views below. There's another Instagram sign and we stop and pose.

Moving on we're back hugging the side of the Indus valley, now following it downstream. In places you can really appreciate the power of the water flow as it churns up the grey silt. There are massive boulders that in the past have been tossed around in an even stronger flow like pebbles on a beach. This valley has been cut into solid rock by the action of water temperature and gravity. It took a literal age, but the process does not stop and constant landslides especially during the rainy season make road maintenance never ending.

The road is mostly good asphalt with patches of sand at the edges, but every now and then the road disintegrates into a rough surface of rocks and dust, and, or rockfall. You have to be careful because these sections creep up on you and if you hit them at speed things get very messy. 

The road sweeps and we find ourselves dicing with cars and lorries. The latter we can manage but the cars are far more challenging for our weedy engines which really struggle to overtake. Most often we make progress where the road is broken because the cars take those patches slowly, whereas we can bounce our way through on the bikes. Once ahead we can usually stay in front as there is no DRS assistance for car drivers here! As in previous days (but not mentioned so far) we pass through several checkpoints where at some, Tabish has to show our travel documents to the police before we proceed. It's all good humoured and we leave with a wave.

Lunch is at a cafe over a tributary feeding the Indus. Opposite we can see huge rocks that have fallen from the valley above and that have been built around. One has landed precariously, now supported by smaller rocks; others above wait to flatten the buildings below at any moment. Once again the food is excellent.

Now it's a fast ride to join up with our primary target. We meet Highway N35 and pose for photos. We're now on the legendary Karakorum Highway. This has been a dream of mine for more than 30 years since I first visited Pakistan and heard stories about the beautiful north of the country. I should have done this sooner and hope to come back in the not to distant future ideally with a bigger engine. 

We follow the KKH at speed and again the road is mostly good, but in places it is destroyed by landslides. We get a good view of Nanga Parbat at one point. Then we split from the Indus and join one of its tributaries, the Gilgit River and follow that towards Gilgit itself.

Then onwards and arrival in Gilgit, a bustling garrison city and gateway to many of the peaks beyond. 

On arrival at our hotel we enjoy a milkshake and check-in. The rooms overlook the Gilgit River which we can hear roaring constantly through the windows.

Christopher and I run a loop of the river, crossing on a suspension bridge before returning further down on something more solid. 

Dinner is another excellent meal, followed by yet another ice-cream milkshake.

One downer for us, is news from a shaken Steve that one of our biker friends Baz, who runs the Adventure Rider Centre with his wife Kaz, has brain cancer. Steve delivers the news fighting back his tears as he tells us the prognosis is not good, less than a year is expected. It's gutting as Baz is so full of life, full on, at maximum volume. Brap!