It only struck me this morning that I have been in disputed territory for the last few days. Where I am currently riding (Gilgit Baltistan) is only a few hundred kilometres from the “line of control”, which divides India and Pakistan, and the entire region is claimed by India.

I started the morning listening to a video on the history behind the border dispute. The tldr i took away was that Kashmir has been disputed since the partition because (i) it is strategically significant for Pakistan (it is the source of the Indus River which irrigates most of the Pakistani populace, so controlling this region can determine the fate of the nation), and (ii) it is home to a Muslim majority population which theoretically should have gone to Pakistan during the partition (although things turned out differently).

Morning views from the hotel

I heart Gilgit

Today about half of this region by area is controlled by each side (India’s side has most of the population). India is supposed to hold a plebecite to allow people in Kashmir to choose their future, but has put it off for ~80 years on the basis that they would do it only once the Pakistani army withdraws from the region.

At ~9:30AM i set off for Skardu, which I learned is much closer to the line of control, and is home to an airbase where there was some activity during the recent clashes.

Today’s route to Skardu and back

The road to Skardu branches off from the Karakorum Highway, about 40km south of Gilgit and is hewn along the valley created by the Indus River. It features fresh asphalt, laid in 2021, and runs along cliff edges for ~160km. Continuing along the road leads to the town of Khaplu which is supposedly very beautiful, and much closer to the LoC (this is also a destination most riders end up visiting).

Veins of quartz(?) in the mountain face

Narrow canyon wallsg

I was quite keen to visit Skardu because (i) it gets reasonably close to some of the major peaks in the Karakoram range, and I wanted to see glimpses of these, (ii) it is one of the key parts of Baltistan and i feel like this is one of the key parts of this region, (iii) this seems to be a place everyone (motorcycle riders) ends up going to, and (iv) it seems like a strategically significant spot for India/Pakistan.

The road ahead

one of the many bridges

Winding canyon roads

Most of my time was spent riding at a leisurely pace along these roads, stopping for the occasional photo (but definitely less frequently than previous days). I did not have a fixed plan for the day, and figured that I would make it to Skardu and then figure it out.

Autumn in the mountains

By 1:30PM i was there, so I explored the city, searching for a place for lunch. While I was pulled over, i was approached by tourist police, who helped recommend a nearby restaurant for me.

outskirts of Skardu

Skardu city

I did some route planning while eating. I decided that I did not really want to stay in Skardu (I was quite keen to continue making progress on my southerly route), and did not want to spend most of tomorrow riding the same road. I also did not want to continue on to Khaplu as it would bring me even farther off course. So that left exploring the area briefly, and heading back towards the Karakoram Highway.

“MFC” Lunch

I headed towards the Chunda valley for some photos, got spooked by the road up to the village, and then turned around and started to head for the KKH. On the outskirts of Skardu, I bumped into a group of riders from Lahore that were exploring this area today. We decided to set off to explore the nearby Kachura lake.

Chundu valley

Where i gave up

Off to explore Kachura lake with new friends

Upper Kachura Lake (did you know that this is a spring?!)

After some tea, it was time to set off again. My plan was to hit the highway and ride towards the KKH until I found a reasonable place to stay, or got tired.

Time to set off

As the sun was setting, I stopped by a hotel a few kilometres out from Skardu. I wanted to check their availability so i had an option to stay at for the evening, but equally I still felt an itch to continue on. Shortly up the road were 3 bikers with luggage and helmets. I stopped to chat to them and find out their plans.

They were in a rush to get back to Karachi for work (they were administrative staff at the university hospital there), and so they had planned to ride all the way out of the valley to Jaglot. I was taken aback because the sun had already set, and Jaglot was over 100km of winding canyon roads away. I told them good luck and continued on, looking for somewhere stay (I wanted somewhere with a really nice view and with a bonfire).

Unfortunately, the place i was looking for did not exist! When i reached the town of Dambodas, which was supposedly the last town with accommodation, I decided that i didn’t want to stay there either, and waited for the group of bikers to arrive so I could join them.

Tea with a new group of friends

Police checkpoint

We continued on another 30km at a very slow pace until the town of Shengus, where they decided to sleep for the evening. By this point, they had sold me on going for a hike tomorrow at Raikot to see the view of one of the >8000m mountains, so I pressed on.

dilapidated lodging in Jaglot

Tomorrow; Raikot!

Some stats:

• 11.8L fuel added
• 50g coffee consumed
• 393 KMs traveled
• 4 unique interactions

Part 2 route to date

Complete route to date