Rock Climbing

The Karakoram Highway stretches about 1300 kilometers from near Islamabad, Pakistan to Kashgar, China. It curls through amazing terrain along the way with views of many 7000 meter peaks and glaciers reaching nearly to the road. Many tourists travel the entire length, stopping at villages along the way to take in the sights, trek and meet the locals. One of the common stops is at Passu, in the Upper Hunza Valley in Pakistan. The Passu Glacier is visible from the road and the town is a starting point for a number of other treks. When we stopped at Passu and met the Glacier Breeze Restaurant owner Ahmed Ali Khan, we discovered that the Hot Rocks Global Challenge team was in Passu in 2004. They stayed at his campsite for a week, rock climbing and bouldering during the days. During that time, they bolted 3 sport routes close to the Glacier Breeze Restaurant and also did some bouldering at a nearby plateau. Thankfully, the team left some beta in Ahmed’s guestbook, so we took a look at that, climbed the climbs and put this guide together to spread the word about the sport climbing and bouldering we found in Passu! There is so much rock along the Karakoram Highway that the potential is high for a climbing circuit down its entire length.

The Sport Routes Location

The three routes are located on the left hand side of the KKH, about 100 yards north of the Glacier Breeze Restaurant sign. They are only 25 feet off the road and the start of one is clearly marked by graffiti, saying ‘PSA’ (for Pakistani Students’ Association).

The Cliff