Month: September 2016

Cup of coffee at coffee & politics

Breakfast with Farheen

Van ride to Islamabad
Middle of highway used as military airstrip

Diarrhea !

Dunkin Donuts in Airport

Flight back to USA 16hrs

Relaxed breakfast at coffee and Politics, a coffee shop

Almas Clothing shop with Moin’s photos all over it

Numan’s funiture/antique shop

Buzkash Restaurant for lunch

Changing of the guards at border of India

Stopped at Moin’s house to get a hard drive and see his custom painted Vespa

The goal for today is to arrive in Islamabad safely

Some traffic coming into Islamabad… Funny how it wasn’t nearly as terrifying as I remember it being leaving. Even with an fed up gear shifter

We will load into the tour support vehicle and drive to Lahore for a two day foodie tour.

Visited Badshahi mosque (Kings Mosque) in Lahore

Had dinner in Red Light district. A very different environment than what we have experienced so far.

Staying at Hotel One

Lots of crazy Eid holiday return traffic on the road today

Standstill in traffic jam in Abottabad the group got split up. Michael went ahead and missed the turn for Murree, Moin lost his clutch in the middle of the traffic jam and had to wait for the van to come rescue him.

I ended up getting hit twice! The first time my handlebars were sandwiched between two cars and I was carried along for a second. The second time I was rear ended not a big impact but you know when someone has nudged you bike from behind.

Bagel and I followed Adeel to a gas station rendezvous. On the way Adeel got a flat front tire and had to limp it there.

We waited at the gas station for over an hour to regroup.

Afternoon was terrible for me. Just couldn’t get my head together and make turns work. I was dangerous on the road.

One turn I swung wide and met a van head on I couldn’t pull back left into my own lane and had no choice but to land in the ditch. No injuries but it further shook my confidence.

Arrived in Murree met Moin’s parents

Support staff ate separately

Confluence of Karakoram, Hindukush and Himalayan Mountain ranges.

Michael was upset about the buses

Lost GoPro

Bridge repaired
Moon restaurant for dinner
Naran bazaar

Decided we would go to Lahore as a group

World most dangerous road

Started out out of sorts and never go my groove

8 hours of terror

By unanimous vote we decided to end the night at ChaCha’s Chicken. This was sort of a change of 

The Mashabrum hotel and the city of Skardu is the stepping off point for expeditions to K2 (Chondra)

Early breakfast with Michael Strauss

LUMIX camera dried out from dunk in water crossing and works fine!

Visited the Italian K2 museum which is housed in an actual expedition base camp tent

Climbed a terrifyingly steep and narrow cliff trail 1400 meters up to Kharphocho Fort

Kebab for lunch back at the hotel

Went to The Cold Desert to watch the sunset
Laid on my back in the sand and stared up at the stars.

Long drive up the road we came in on to Lakeview Motel for dinner of BBQ trout and Chicken

Super fun off road riding

Children stare like I’m a spaceman

Men outside breakfast place said they have never seen a Vespa

Played caram board at breakfast stop

Crashed in water crossing! Broke headlight and fingernail! Bleeding from left hand fun!

Water crossing killed LUMIX camera

Deosai Plains
Remembered some old BMX & MTB skills got my weigh back to lighten up the front end and more easily roll over obstacles.

Bears

Dinner at Hargisa Hut restaurant

Sat around reviewing crash footage

Super sore right shoulder, scrape on right knee and left thigh bruised from when the handlebar hit me.

I have realized an interesting time difference. At the end of this he dat when I am done with my ride I post about Walmart has happened during the day. My loved ones on the other did of the planet are just waking up and checking social media. How convenient

Need to take it easy today, I’m feeling very fatigued after yesterday’s ride.

Rockslide with traffic jam

Stopped in Gilgit for lunch and owner wouldn’t let us pay for our meal

Road to Astore was all off-road on a cliff like riding the worlds most dangerous roads rode it like a monster it felt great I will be sore.

Hotel in Astore is the roughest yet.. Mike threw a tantrum about it.

Took a very scary van ride up to lodge at Rama lake on the way up the hill we had too many people in the van to make it up the very steep hill so we had to get out to lighten the load. The van could not stop once it got going again so we had to run alongside an leap into the side door!

Today is the day we meet our initial goal of reaching the Chinese Border. The Khunjerab Pass is the highest border crossing and the highest paved road in the world. It is only 100km to the border but then we will turn around and ride 150 back to Karimabad

We’ve been told to expect rain, snow and cold of all bitter cold. I’m wearing three layers of pants: thermal underwear, Kevlar Moto pants and cargo pants on the outside. I have my big yellow Gortons fisherman pants at the ready in case I need water proofing or another layer. On top I’m wearing a capilene long sleeve shirt, a light sweat shirt and my First Gear Kilamanjaro jacket with all of the vents closed for the first time in the trip.

We ran into some rain early in the day so when we stopped for breakfast I put on the yellow fisherman pants. They look ridiculous and everyone in the group laughed. I has glad to have them on later when it got cold and snowy.

Fooled around at breakfast taking pictures holding hand the way Pakistani men do.

It was a long ride up up the pass.

Snowing on top

We were forbidden to take pictures of the Chinese military personnel at the border so I snapped this selfie

More rockstar treatment from people at the top Noble Joseph

The Pakistani people have a great sense of humor. I think it’s hilarious that the Chinese built a huge monument at the border and the Pakistanis put up a tiny building to house the highest ATM in the world!

Stopped to see a snow leopard

The ride back to the Hunza View hotel in Karimabad was uneventful for me. Michael had an off in some soft gravel. Fortunately he wasn’t hurt, just shaken up. Bagel had a terrible ride home filled with mechanical problems.