Highway from hell 8th wonder of the world

by Bill Buys     The Karakoram Highway ( KKH ) is now considered the 8th wonder of the world. At a height of 4714 metres above sea level an...

by Bill Buys

   

The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is now considered the 8th wonder of the world. At a height of 4714 metres above sea level and length of 1300km, it is the highest paved international road. It connects Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region to China’s Xinjiang region, which is why it has also been nicknamed the Friendship Highway in China. Construction of the highway began in 1959 and was completed 20 years later in 1979. But it was not opened to the public until 1986. Almost 1000 Chinese and Pakistani workers lost their lives to the construction of this monument of a highway that people come to view. Over 140 Chinese workers who died during the construction are buried in the Chinese cemetery in Gilgit. The route of the KKH traces one of the many paths of the ancient Silk Road, a trade route that connected the East and West, stretching from the Korean peninsula and Japan to the Mediterranean Sea. The beauty of the nature that can be seen from the highway and how the mountains were cut to reach such a height are beyond belief. But very few westerners have ever travelled to the area. In recent years the highway has been promoted as a niche adventure destination, although Pakistan attracts very few international tourists. The road has given mountaineers and cyclists easier access to the many high mountains, glaciers, and lakes in the area. Five of the Eight-thousanders (mountains taller than 8000 m (26,000 ft) of the world that are in Pakistan are accessible by the highway. More than 50,000 pieces of rock art and petroglyphs can be found along the highway, concentrated at 10 major sites between Hunza and Shatial. The earliest date back to 5000 BC, showing single animals, triangular men, and hunting scenes in which the animals are larger than the hunters. The KKH is best travelled in the spring or early autumn. Heavy snow during harsh winters can shut the highway down for extended periods. Heavy monsoon rains around July and August cause occasional landslides that can block the road for hours or more. The border crossing between China and Pakistan at Khunjerab Pass is open only between May 1 and December 31.