No tags yet.
Today was the journey to the North-most point of Pakistan, where Pakistan meets China. At 4693 m above sea level, the Khunjerab Pass in the Pakistan-China border is the highest paved international border crossing in the world.
On the way to Khunjerab Pass, the last settlement where you can get a network connection is the village of Passu. It's a small village on the Karakoram Highway, beside the Hunza river. We would stay at Passu for the night so when we passed through it, we took a break and dropped off our bags off at our amazing hotel, the Passu Ambassador. You can see a view from the hotel in the picture below. It's a small hotel that perfectly blends into the mountains behind it and gives you unbelievable 360 degree views of the famous Passu Cones, which is the most photographed peak of the region. At night you can see countless stars and the Milky Way, because the surrounding area is so untouched.
After driving through Passu we reached the town of Sost, which is the last settlement before the Khunjerab Pass. It is an interesting little town with a narrow main street with duty-free shops, restaurants and markets packed on each side. Chinese trucks are constantly coming in and transferring their cargo to Pakistani trucks before making the journey back to China again. You can really feel that you're in the middle of the new Silk Road as there's a huge mix of Chinese and Pakistani goods. The features of the people also have a heavy mix between the two nations. They also have their own languages. It's the perfect place to have lunch before making the climb up to the Khunjerab Pass.
The journey to Khunjerab is a smooth and steady climb through lush green valleys. The journey is worth making because of its awesome mountain views, and to see grazing yaks and orange marmots.
When we reached the Khunjerab Pass in a late afternoon in July there were patches of snow and ice on the mountains, a swift breeze, and a strong sun shining overhead. In the background, a line of heavy trucks carrying industrial goods to China awaits the go-ahead to continue north. The picture below shows the border gate and the mountains belonging to China in the background. Tourists are allowed to walk up very close to the gate which makes it fun to see and interact with Chinese tourists on the other side of the border.
If you want to enter China, a Visa/Passport is required from their embassy in Islamabad. A regular bus service runs between Sost to Kashgar, in China, through the Khunjerab Pass which can take you there. However, if you don't want to visit China, you can just go to the Khunjerab Pass and come back to Pakistan by paying a small fee at a post as you enter the area.
Since this place is at such high altitude, after November the crossing might be closed. The pass is closed officially from the 31st of December till the 1st of May, because of heavy snowfall. But after April, the pass is opened and can be visited at any time. There are no shops or restaurants there so you have to bring food and coffee with you if you want to have a picnic there. However, toilet facilities are available, as shown in the picture below. It's probably the most scenic toilet I've ever seen!
It's recommended to bring lots of snacks and drink water on the way to Khunjerab to overcome the lack of oxygen that you feel at this altitude. People will also advise you from staying for more than 1 hour at the pass.
As the trucks edge forward through the border, you really appreciate the amount of trade that's been made possible because of the KKH and the Khunjerab Pass. I loved seeing how fast the whole region of North Pakistan is developing and for the first time in history this region is being connected with the rest of the world and changing these people's lives. As a traveler, it means these majestic places will be more accessible and safer to travel to in the future - can't wait to go back!
And that's the end of my blog about North Pakistan. If reading this has persuaded you to travel through Pakistan or even got you more interested about the area, then I have done my job! Let me know your thoughts.
Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved to share my experiences. But THERE'S MORE. If you also want to see some videos of our crazy drives and views, I made a video compilation of my trip which I had to make on YouTube separately. You can watch the video below - till next time!
~~~~~