The Karakoram Highway(KKH) is the highest paved international
road in the world.[1]It connectsTibetofChinaandPakistanacross
theKarakorammountain range, through theKhunjerab Pass, located
at365100N752540E, at an elevation of 4,693 metres
(15,397ft).[2][3]Connecting China'sXinjiangregion with
GilgitBaltistan region of Pakistan, the road is a populartourist
attraction. Due to its high elevation and the difficult conditions
in which it was constructed, it is referred to as theEighth Wonder
of the World[4][5][6]The Karakoram Highway is known informally as
theKKHand within Pakistan officially as theN-35; within China,
officially asChina National Highway 314(G314). It is also a part of
theAsian HighwayAH4.Contents[hide] 1History 2The highway
2.1Pakistani section 2.2Chinese section 2.3Major towns 3Tourism
3.1Mountains and glaciers 3.2Rivers and lakes 3.3Rock art and
petroglyphs 3.4Travel 3.5Bus service between Gilgit and Kashghar
4Weather 5See also 6References 7External linksHistory[edit]
Karakoram Highway route mapThe Karakoram Highway, also known as
the Friendship Highway in China, was built by the governments of
Pakistan and China. It was started in 1959 and was completed and
opened to the public in 1979. About 810 Pakistanis and about 200
Chinese workers lost their lives,[7]mostly inlandslidesand falls,
while building the highway. The Chinese workers who died during the
construction are buried in theChinese cemeteryin Gilgit. The route
of the KKH traces one of the many paths of the ancientSilk Road.On
the Pakistani side, the road was constructed byFWO(Frontier Works
Organisation), employing the Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers.
Recently, the Engineer-in-Chief's Branch of the Pakistani Army has
completed a project documenting the history of the highway. The
bookHistory of Karakoram Highwaywas written by Brigadier (Retired)
Muhammad Mumtaz Khalid in two volumes. In the first volume the
author discusses the land and the people, the pre-historic
communication system in the Northern Areas, the need for an
all-weather road link withGilgit, and the construction of Indus
Valley Road. The second volume records events leading to the
conversion of the Indus Valley Road to the Karakoram Highway, the
difficulties in its construction, and the role of Pakistan Army
Corps of Engineers and their Chinese counterparts in its
construction.[8]The highway[edit]
Jingle truckson Karakoram HighwayThe highway, connecting
theGilgitBaltistanregion ofPakistani Kashmirto the ancientSilk
Road, runs approximately 1,300km (810mi) fromKashgar, a city in
theXinjiangregion of China, toAbbottabad, of Pakistan. An extension
of the highway south west from Abbottabad, in the form ofN-35,
meets the Grand Trunk Road,N-5atHassanabdal, Pakistan.The highway
cuts through thecollision zonebetween theEurasianandIndian plates,
whereChina,Tajikistan,Afghanistan, andPakistancome within 250
kilometres (160mi) of each other. Owing largely to the extremely
sensitive state of theKashmirconflict between India and Pakistan,
the Karakoram Highway has strategic and military importance to
these nations, but particularly Pakistan and China.On June 30,
2006, amemorandum of understandingwas signed between the Pakistani
Highway Administration and China's State-owned Assets Supervision
and Administration Commission (SASAC) to rebuild and upgrade the
Karakoram Highway. According to SASAC, the width will be expanded
from 10 to 30 metres (33 to 98ft), and its transport capacity will
be increased three times its current capacity. In addition, the
upgraded road will be designed to particularly accommodate
heavy-laden vehicles and extreme weather conditions.China and
Pakistan are planning to link the Karakoram Highway to the southern
port ofGwadarinBalochistanthrough the
Chinese-aidedGwadar-Dalbandinrailway, which extends
toRawalpindi.Since 2 p.m. on January 4, 2010, the KKH has been
closed in theHunza Valley, eliminating through traffic to China
except by small boats. A massivelandslide15 kilometres (9.3mi)
upstream from Hunza's capital ofKarimabadcreated the potentially
unstableAttabad Lakewhich reached 22 kilometres (14mi) in length
and over 100 metres (330ft) in depth by the first week of June 2010
when it finally began flowing over the landslide dam. The landslide
destroyed parts of villages while killing many inhabitants. The
subsequent lake displaced thousands and inundated over 20
kilometres (12mi) of the KKH including the 310 metres (1,020ft)
long KKH bridge 4 kilometres (2.5mi) south ofGulmit.[9][10][11]It
is highly questionable whether the lake, which reached 27
kilometres (17mi) in length in 2011, will drain. Goods from and to
further north are transported over the lake by small vessels, to be
reloaded onto trucks at the other end.[12]Pakistani
section[edit]
Milestone near Besham inPakistan.At 806 kilometres (501mi) in
length, the Pakistani section of the highway starts inAbbottabad,
although theN-35of which KKH is now part, officially starts from
Hassanabdal. The highway meets theIndus RiveratThakotand continues
along the river untilJaglot, where theGilgit Riverjoins theIndus
River. This is where three great mountain ranges meet:
theHindukush, theHimalaya, and theKarakoram. The western end of the
Himalayas, marked by the ninth highest peak in the world,Nanga
Parbat, can be seen from the highway. The highway passes through
the capital ofGilgitBaltistan,Gilgit, and continues through the
valleys ofNagarandHunza, along theHunza River. Some of the highest
mountains and famousglaciersin theKarakoramcan be seen in this
section. The highway meets the Pakistani-Chinese border atKhunjerab
Pass.Chinese section[edit]
The Karakoram Highway in theXinjiangregion ofChina.The Chinese
section of the Karakoram Highway follows the north-south Sarykol
('Yellow Lake') valley just west of theTarim Basin. The road from
Kashgar goes southwest about 80 kilometres (50mi) and then turns
west to enter the Gez (Ghez) River canyon betweenChakragilmountain
on the north andKongurmountain on the south. From the Gez canyon
the population becomes Kirgiz. Having climbed up to the valley, the
road turns south past Kongur,Karakul Lake, andMuztagh Ataon the
east. Below Muztagh Ata, a new road goes west over theKulma Passto
join thePamir HighwayinGorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. The main road
continues over a low pass (where the population becomes Tajik) and
descends toTashkurgan. Further south, a valley and jeep track leads
west toward theWakhjir Passto theWakhan Corridor. Next the road
turns west to a checkpost and small settlement atPirali, and then
theKhunjerab Pass, beyond which is Pakistan, the Khunjerab River
andHunza.
A bus accident on the KKH, August 2004Major towns[edit]
KKH near Passu inPakistan Besham Kohistan Chilas Gilgit Parri
Bangla Danyore Goro[disambiguation needed] Nagar Aliabad Gulmit
Passu Sost Tashkurgan Town,China Ghizer Upal Kashgar,
Chineserailhead,1,435mm(4ft812in)gaugeTourism[edit]In recent years
the highway has become anadventure tourismdestination. It was
ranked as the third best tourist destination in Pakistan byThe
Guardian.[13]The road has givenmountaineersandcyclistseasier access
to the many high mountains, glaciers, and lakes in the area. The
highway provides access toGilgitandSkardufromIslamabadby road.
These are the two major hubs for mountaineering expeditions in
theGilgitBaltistanregion of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.[14]The
GilgitBaltistan Administration of Pakistan and the Xinjiang
Administration of China have signed an agreement to issue border
passes to their permanent residents. This pass is valid for a
calendar year and is used to travel through Khunjerab Pass
only.Mountains and glaciers[edit]
KKH along theIndus River, 2001.Karakoram Highway provides the
pathway to expeditions for almost all peaks inGilgitBaltistan,
Kashmir and several peaks inXinjiangChina. The region includes some
of the world's largest glaciers like theBaltoro Glacier. Five of
theEight-thousanders(mountains taller than 8,000 metres (26,000ft))
of the world that are inPakistanare accessible by the highway. The
notable mountains that can be directly seen while traveling on the
highway are: Nanga Parbat,GilgitBaltistan,Pakistan, 9th highest of
the world at 8,126 metres (26,660ft)
Rakaposhi,GilgitBaltistan,Pakistan, 27th highest of the world at
7,788 metres (25,551ft) Diran,GilgitBaltistan,Pakistan, most
dangerous mountain inPakistan Shishpar,GilgitBaltistan,Pakistan
Ultar Peak,GilgitBaltistan,Pakistan
Tupopdan,GilgitBaltistan,Pakistan, also known as Cathedral Peaks
nearPassu K2, famous for being the second highest mountain in the
world afterMount EverestMany glaciers can be seen while traveling
on the highway: Minapin Glacier Passu Glacier Ghulkin Glacier
Khunjerab GlacierRivers and lakes[edit]
Karakoram Highway near JuglotSeveral rivers and lakes are made
accessible by the highway. These include: Indus River Hunza River
Gilgit River Khunjerab River Karakul LakeinXinjiang(China)Rock art
and petroglyphs[edit]Main article:Northern Areas, Pakistan Rock art
and petroglyphsThere are more than 50,000 pieces of rock art
andpetroglyphsall along the highway that are concentrated at ten
major sites betweenHunzaandShatial. The carvings were left by
invaders, traders, andpilgrimswho passed along the trade route, as
well as by locals. The earliest date back to between5000 BCand1000
BC, showing single animals, triangular men, and hunting scenes in
which the animals are larger than the hunters. Thesecarvingswere
pecked into the rock with stone tools and are covered with a
thickpatinathat yields their age.Travel[edit]There are several
transport companies in Pakistan that offer bus service between
major towns of the highway and fromRawalpindiandLahore. The largest
company isNorthern Areas Transport Corporation(NATCO). Other
companies are Masherbrum Travel, Silk Route Travel, K-2 movers,
Anchan Travel, and Saeed Travel.Bus service between Gilgit and
Kashghar[edit]On June 1, 2006, a daily bus service began
betweenGilgit,GilgitBaltistan, andKashghar,Xinjiang, through
theSustandTashkorganborder area.[15]Weather[edit]The KKH is best
traveled in the spring or early autumn. Heavy snow during harsh
winters can shut the highway down for extended periods.
Heavymonsoonrains around July and August cause
occasionallandslidesthat can block the road for hours or more. The
border crossing betweenChinaandPakistanatKhunjerab Passis open only
between May 1 and December 31.