Last night a group arrived very late and spent the next few hours slamming cars doors and letting kids run riot. Charlie sleeping outside, asked politely if they could keep the noise down and Hugo did the same, but to no avail. Consequently while we were getting the bikes warmed, we showed the late arrivers/late sleepers the same respect they gave us. Engines revving and horns tested are an effective alarm call at 730am. A guy complains from his window, but gets little sympathy.
Today, we're a man down. Ray has come down with a bug and thinks it's safer to stay within dash distance from a toilet.
We leave early so it's a bit cooler and I have my thermals on in preparation for our climb to 4700m. At 2500m, the warmth of the thermals in the sun is just bearable if riding with my jacket open, but once over 4000m I'm glad I have them on and the jacket is done up as the temperature drops considerably.
Just before we start the climb we stop petrol in Sost. But there's a restriction on fuel delivery so we're only allowed about 4 litres each, but as these bikes sip fuel that will be enough for the day as the tanks are not completely empty after the last fill-up.
The climb up to the Khunjerab Pass is spectacular, following the Hunza river towards its source. The road sweeps as expected, hugging the side of the valley, but in places there is no natural space for the road and so it either passes through a tunnel or climbs over the sides of the valley.
Again the snow peaked mountains loom large and where they meet the road are often sheer faced, but rather than being glacial U-shaped as we have seen in other parts of our trip, the valleys are now more V-shaped. The type of rock also changes, in places it's the friable loose conglomerate typical in the area, while in others the rock is harder and the sunlight almost glints from its layering.
Mountain debris from rockfall litters the road, causing some of oncoming vehicles to swerve across the road sometimes in our direction; but we do the same too!
The KKH passes through a national park which contains ibex, marmots, hares and perhaps even snow leopards. Little chance of seeing the latter, but we do see the others while we're going up and coming down.
Our little 150cc bikes struggle in places, mine has a misfire after 7000rpm, which makes some of the steeper sections frustrating as it judders as if trying to get rid of the rider. Changing up is the only solution, but then you don't have the torque (which seems to peak around 6-7k rpm) to keep your momentum. Hugo and Gerard seem quite happy with their bikes, but I'd like more power. 250cc minimum would enable you to more safely overtake cars and generally keep up with the traffic on faster roads. Longer travel suspension is also needed to absorb the impacts when hitting the many potholes and ruts across the road.
But we make it to the top and there is the Chinese border. But we can't ride up to it and have to walk the last 500m or so; this is my third border crossing of my trip to Pakistan. On the way to the actual border is "the highest ATM in the World in Pakistan" me thinks there's a comma missing. Moot point as a few tens of metres away, and slightly higher, is another ATM. Either way my cards fail to deliver any cash... 🤷🏽
We pose for pictures by the friendship border crossing, on the friendship highway, having passed through several friendship tunnels. Somebody is definitely trying to overcompensate. We see several cars pass through but otherwise the crossing is not at all busy. Locals ask to have their pictures taken with us and we joke that we charge 1000 rupees for the privilege.
I trek over to an area where there is still snow. This is below the end of a glacier and the melt water has cut a channel below the snow. I jump across it but later have to recross it further downstream trying not to get my feet wet. There are also some locals on the snow and as a first, I ask them for a selfie with them, which they are happy to allow.
I miss it, but Tabish loses focus on one corner and comes off. He's ok, a little shaken and a few scratches, but the bike is a little bent, but ridable. Tabish sits out the rest of the journey in the support vehicle, while Imran takes on the lead role. It makes a change that our leader comes off, normally it's one of us.
Lunch in Sost and I'm famished, never has a lunch stop been so needed. A relatively short ride back to the hotel from here.
We get back at 16h after a good long ride today. Today seems to be the day for local 'bikers' riding high-powered sports bikes to race up and down outside our hotel. One R1 I think screams past with a loud exhaust and races up into the hills, we hear the several minutes echoing through the hills. Music to my ears but maybe not those living in the area. The focus seems to be on straight line speed emphasised by the extended swingarm on one bike - and you know what they say: long swingarm, short...
Our long day doesn't stop Christopher and I from going out running again. I persuade him to join me to see what is beyond where we stopped yesterday. We have more time today, so that's a realistic target that we achieve and on the way back discover a different track to get down, but it turns into a rather dicey route.
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