KKH Cycling Expedition

The Karakoram Highway has attracted cycle tourers since the road first opened to foreign visitors in 1986, and for good reason: its combination of dramatic scenery, cultural diversity, manageable daily distances, and the moral satisfaction of earning every metre of altitude by pedal power makes it one of the world's great long-distance cycling routes. The standard cycling direction is north (Islamabad to Khunjerab) because the prevailing winds blow from the south-west and the gradient, while consistently upward, rises gradually enough that most sections are rideable even for fit recreational cyclists on loaded touring bikes.

The KKH's 1,300 km can be broken into three distinct cycling sections with very different characters. The southern section (Islamabad to Chilas, ~500 km) passes through the Hazara plains and then enters the extraordinary Kohistan gorge — one of the world's deepest and most dramatic river canyons, where the Indus cuts through the Karakoram and Hindu Kush collision zone. The middle section (Chilas to Gilgit, ~130 km) traverses a landscape of Buddhist petroglyphs and the approach of Nanga Parbat (8,126 m). The northern section (Gilgit to Khunjerab, ~300 km) is the most spectacular and the most challenging, climbing from 1,500 m to 4,693 m through the Hunza Valley's extraordinary scenery.

Our cycling expedition is fully supported: a 4WD support vehicle carries luggage, spare parts, and provides a bailout option on genuinely difficult days. We ride in groups of 4–10, setting off each morning with a roadbook and meeting at designated lunch and dinner stops. Daily distances average 70–100 km. Most participants find the combination of physical challenge, mountain scenery, and the rhythm of road life over two to three weeks to be among the most rewarding experiences of their lives.