K2 THE SECOND HIGHEST PEAK IN THE WORLD (#1/3) The K-2 is the proud asset of Pakistan. Rising to the frightening height of 28,250 feet (8,611 meters) like a pyramid, K-2 is located near the Baltoro Glacier in the extreme north of Baltistan (The little Tibet) just on Sino-Pakistan border. In fact theboundary between the twocountries passes the K2.
The peak achieved great prominence not only because of the fact that its is the world's second highest peak but also because of the record of many successive attempts made by the mountaineers from various part of the world, for its conquest.
To reach its base camp one has to cross the thrilling and adventurer's hazards of Baltoro performable only in stages and of course needing determination.
Karakoram Highway Biking (#2/3) The Karakoram Highway, which follows one of the principal Silk Road routes, farms the backbone of this mountain bike holiday. The highway is a most remarkable engineering achievement, the Pakistanis proudly refer to as the eighth wonder of the world Built in conjunction with the Chinese, this road was carved out of the Indus Valley right up through the Hunza Valley and over the mighty Karakoram Mountains into China.
Cycling on the KKH will be fairly straightforward, following a well-made dirt track, or on tarmac. Exploring various side valleys away from the Hunza Valley will involve cycling on rougher dirt tracks, with some tough climbs and exciting descents. Daily distances cycled will range from 35 to 80 Kilometers. The chance to go trekking and the friendliness of the local people make this an unforgettable experience.
The Hunza Valley offers a wide variety of mountain scenery and includes such giants as Ultar, Spantick, Diran and the 7788 meter high Rakaposhi. It is a valley of enormous glaciers, which tumble right down to the roadside and of tiny villages and their carefully terraced and irrigated fields, which cling, precariously to the valley sides. The barren upland plateau of the Pamirs, which the Khunjerab Pass straddles eventually, gives way to the fertile fields and apricot orchards that have made the Hunza Valley world famous. This great diversity of landscape is the Key to the appeal of this mountain bike tour, and is the reason why we say that at the upper part of the KKH offers some of the most rewarding mountain biking of anywhere in the Greater Himalayan Range.
Karakoram Trekking (#3/3) Road access in the Northern Areas of Pakistan is very good these days. So, instead of walking from village to village, most of the time you will start your trek near the last villages, sometimes a day’s walk or less from the snout of a glacier and just a matter of days from the base camps of the high peaks. The terrain is wild and spectacular. Some of the treks involve many days traversing glaciers and moraines. The main trekking season is from June to September when mountain temperatures are pleasant, the days are longer and the flowers are in bloom.
Most of the trips start and/or end with PIA’s domestic flight to/from Skardu. Sometimes bad weather or back log can prevent flying in which case one must travel overland instead, for which adequate time is needed to build in the itinerary. Such occurrences are a part of adventure travel and we ask for your patience and understanding if an overland journey becomes necessary. Overland travel, through the Karakoram Highway, is by private coach, minibus or jeep, depending on the size of the group and will probably be the most spectacular journey of your life.
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