Hunza River and the Old Silk Road

It was a long road to Karimabad, capital of Hunza, along the Karakoram Highway.

The highway, a joint venture project between Pakistan and China, was one of the biggest and most ambitious engineering projects in modern time. It took off in 1966. Although it was progressively opened to traffic, the entire highway, including Khunjerab Pass at Pakistan / China border, was opened to travellers only in May 1986.

The highway stretches and traverses across some of the highest and most treacherous mountain terrains and ranges – the Pamir and Karakoram ranges, starting from Havelian in Pakistan and ends in Kashgar, China.

Along this stretch of the highway, we came across the Asian Plate and the Indian Plate. ‘This is where the two plates collided…,’ our guide, Karim, explained as he pointed to the two mountains across the river.

We also travelled alongside the old silk road. Looking at it, I could imagine in my mind horses and donkeys treading along the route during the ancient time, kicking and sending the sand and dust flying, with the fragrance and aroma of the spices permeating the otherwise still air.

Hunza River

Asian Plate

Indian Plate

Part of the Old Silk Road (on the slope of the mountain)