Karakoram Highway, International mountain road between Kashgar and Islamabad, China and Pakistan
The Karakoram Highway is a mountain road linking Kashgar to Islamabad, crossing through the Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges between two continents. The route climbs through several climate zones from subtropical valleys to glaciated plateaus, reaching its highest point at 4,693 meters (15,397 feet) at Khunjerab Pass.
China and Pakistan began the joint project in 1962, completing it in 1979 and opening it to the public in 1986. Pakistan first favoured the Mintaka Pass, but in 1966 China recommended the steeper Khunjerab Pass as less exposed to air strikes. About 810 Pakistani and 200 Chinese workers died, mostly in landslides and falls.
The highway follows one of the many paths of the ancient Silk Road. After the road opened to tourism in 1986, surveys recorded about 1,500 inscriptions and more than 10,000 petroglyphs on the rocks along the route. The Indus bridge at Thakot was renamed Youyi Bridge, the Bridge of Friendship, in 2004 in memory of workers who died during construction.
The best time to travel is between May and October when most sections are free of snow and pass roads are open. Due to frequent landslides and rockfalls, check current road conditions before departure and allow extra time for possible delays.
Over 140 Chinese workers who died during construction are buried in a Chinese cemetery in Gilgit; the German source places the cemetery in Danyor. In 2004 the Indus bridge near Thakot was renamed Youyi Bridge, Friendship Bridge, in memory of those who died building the road.
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