Karakoram Highway

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We were only supposed to spend 3-4 days in Kashgar, just the time to have some rest, update the blog et do some maintenance on the bikes, But here we are, still stuck at the friendly Old Town youth hostel for what seems to have been an eternity, waiting for 2 parcels that are supposed to be arriving from France. It's not that I don't like Kashgar but I feel it's time to move and I need some fresh air. We set off for the Karakorum Highway for a few days' ride up to Lake Karakul at the bottom of the Muztagh Ata, a beautiful 7534m peak. It's nice to be back in the mountains.

To avoid riding the same road twice (there's only one road so it's not possible to do a loop), we take a jeep up to the lake. This is cheating I admit, all the more so as the 220km back to Kashgar are mainly downhill... The summit of the Muztagh Ata seems so close! A nice long gentle slope as Pierre would say. Yeah, well it's still 7,534m!

Muztagh Ata

The area is mostly Kyrgyz, and some families settle by the lake with their herds for the summer. They also offer yurt stays so we stayed there overnight.

Karakul lake and the Gongur Shan (7719m) in the background

Back to Kashgar, Karakoram "Highway"

Sharing the road...