Adventures on the Karakoram Highway: May 29th: From Karimabad to Khunjerab Pass – Part 2

You do remember that in the part 1 of the musings at Karimabad, I promised a visit to Khunjerab Pass? But what's all the hype about it? Well, it's not just the breathtaking scenery, but the thrill of standing at the highest paved international border in the world. The air is thin, the views are vast, and there's something surreal about being at such a remote and majestic location:

At a maximum altitude of 4,693 m (15,397 ft), Khunjerab Pass is a high mountain pass in the Karakoram mountain range shared by Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region in the west and China’s Xinjiang Province in the east. The highest spot of the mountain pass (known as Khunjerab Top) marks the border between Pakistan and China. The closest permanent settlements to the Khunjerab Pass are the Hunza Valley on the Pakistani side and Tashkurgan in China. The borders of Afghanistan and Tajikistan are also nearby.
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But before that, we made our first stop at Sost. We had a second, mini breakfast here and used the restroom, as we were told there wouldn’t be any settlements beyond Sost.

Sost Dry Port is the first formal port at the China-Pakistan border. It serves as a critical hub for customs clearance and other necessary formalities for goods moving from the city of Kashgar and the surrounding Xinjiang autonomous region in China to various commercial centers in Pakistan.

After a brief rest, we moved forward. A short distance ahead, we reached an army check post where our data was recorded, and we paid an entry fee. I’m talking about Khunjerab Pass Park here. In my blog about Skardu, I wrote about Deosai Park—this one is another park of its own kind. Protected under national park status, hunting is strictly prohibited in the region. As the third-largest national park in Pakistan, Khunjerab National Park is home to several endangered species, such as the snow leopard, Tibetan wolf, Himalayan brown bear, and Marco Polo sheep, for whose protection the park was originally established. Throughout our journey, we searched for a snow leopard, hoping that maybe—just maybe—we’d spot one. But no luck; we had to settle for ibex sightings instead. And I have already shared with you the pictures of ibexes through telescope in the previous travelogue. We also saw some playful marmots climbing up and down the hill. I have a video of them, but it’s not very clear since they were a bit far away. Still, if anyone is interested, I can try to make a GIF out of it!

As we continued our journey, the weather and the scenery became even more enchanting and cooler. At times, it felt almost like a dream. There was hardly any traffic. The other route to reach Gilgit, the one via Babusar Top, was currently closed, and few people dared to take the Karakoram Highway. As a result, tourism hadn't yet reached its peak, and the summer vacations for children were still to begin.

The other thing I was searching for along this route was any vehicle, people, or coaster coming from China. I don’t know why, but there’s something about the border—the allure of reaching the edge of a land where people from another world live just beyond. So far, we hadn’t seen any sign of movement from China. But then there comes a moment when prayers are answered, and my husband said, "Here you go, dear, a vehicle from China has arrived." You can also see:

_{Some goods are arriving from across the border. So, the Karakoram Highway is indeed this valuable—the link to dry port! Amazing, just amazing.}

These are some of the pictures I snapped along the way—snow-covered mountains, a sky veiled by clouds, and a joy in my heart that's hard to put into words.

And these winding roads brought us right to the border. Now, that’s what I call an achievement! A coaster appeared right in front of us, coming from China with some passengers, I guess. Why am I feeling so happy? It’s not just happiness—it's as if I was living a memory in the making. Yes, I was simply amazed.

Oh, the anticipation is growing even more. I just want the border gate to appear, the one I’ve seen in pictures... We could see it from a distance already.

_{Khunjerab Pass, situated in the Karakoram Range, at the border of Pakistan and China, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. Our side of Pak-China Border.}

And the impatient me had been waiting all morning to get here, but once I arrived, I realized it’s freezing cold. Just look around, you can see snow on the mountains. Let me remind you again, we're perched at an altitude of 15,397 ft (4,693 m) above sea level. When we got out of the car, it felt like I was freezing solid, and we were hit by a strong, cold breeze!

We took out our jackets. And honestly, I didn’t stay out of the car for long. No, I didn’t go up to the gate with the red flag. Well, visitors aren’t even allowed that close to the gate. But even if they were, I wouldn’t dare go. I don’t know, but I felt the same way at Deosai Plains... Maybe it’s the lack of oxygen at this elevation... or maybe it’s just me. Ok, I have no shame in admitting that it was a little too cold for me:

We stayed here for a little while, took some pictures, and then began our journey back. On the way, we stopped again at the Passu Cones. This time, we had some tea and snacks... The wind here was quite strong too but thankfully, it wasn’t as cold.

We’ve rested, eaten, had tea to drink, and, most importantly, used the restroom. If you can't remember or can’t remember, I will refresh your memory... On our way to Khunkerab Pass in the morning, we only took a quick photo of Attabad Lake from the car, as we planned to stop there on the way back, explore it fully, and even go boating. However, this blog has become quite long... So, with apologies, I’ll take you on the tour of Attabad Lake in the next part.

But here is a surprise for you:

Yes the tunnel!

What's new about it? Nothing, I’ve filmed a video for you, and it was long enough that YouTube didn’t automatically convert it into a short. So yes, please enjoy!

To be continued...