Back in 1998, I joined a group from the CTC on a ride between Rawalpindi/Islamabad and the Kunjerab Pass at the Chinese border along the Karakoram Highway. The Karakoram Highway is a route I always wanted to cycle because it was the most accessible spur of the ancient Silk Road. The main Silk Road runs east-west between China and Asia minor and travels through the modern ‘stans. Riding the main Silk Road is a real expedition as it travels through some extremely harsh environments like the Taklamakan Desert and politically risky former satellites of the former Soviet Union. One day...

The trip was organized as a tour that started  and ended in Islamabad starting from London. My friend Paul and I are the Canadian sacrificial lambs along with a token American amongst the Brits. We had support of a luggage van/transport but is normally expected to be out there pedalling up the hills in the heat.

This was the period just after Pakistan tested their nuclear weapon in the desert of Balochistan in the south west corner of the country. I think our families half expected us to come back with a nice glow. The Americans government were embargoing Pakistan. Tourism traffic in the north declined a lot from normal levels.

Stage 0: Rawalpindi & Islamabad

Stage 1: The Lower KKH

Stage 2: Along the Indus River