The Karakoram Highway (also spelled Karakorum) runs between Western China and Pakistan. It is one of the very few routes that cross the Himalayas and the most westerly of them.

Understand

Historically, this was a caravan trail, one branch of the ancient Silk Road. More recently, the Chinese and Pakistani governments have built a highway.

It is the highest major road in the world, over 4800 meters (roughly 16,000 feet) in the Khunjerab Pass at the border. For comparison, the pass is higher than:

• Mont Blanc, tallest mountain in Western Europe
• Mount Whitney, highest point in the 48 contiguous United States.

It may be the ultimate challenge for the devoted cyclist. There are organised bicycle tours, and several books about bicycling this route.

Prepare

Choose your time carefully. The highway is closed to tourists for part of the winter and the desert area at its northern end can be very hot in summer.

Get in

The usual jumping off points are Kashi on the Chinese end or Islamabad in Pakistan.

Route

Sleep

Stay safe

There is considerable risk of altitude sickness on this route, weather can be extreme, and much of the territory is fairly wild and remote.

Get out