I Wasn’t Ready For the Himalayan Cold

We thought today’s ride would be a straightforward ride into the mountains of northern Pakistan. It wasn’t. The original plan had been to ride the Karakoram Highway from Islamabad to the border with China, but with winter encroaching, I was now having second thoughts. The forecast had the temperature below zero… which we did not feel prepared for. Plus, I was out of cash, and my debit card wasn’t working at any of the ATMs I tried. What followed was a day of cold starts, closed/broken/card-eating ATMs, all set against some of the biggest mountains on Earth. Featuring: – Jimmy – Two beat-up 150s – The road to Hunza Valley – The Karakoram, Hindu Kush & Himalaya junction – Frozen mornings, failed ATMs, and improvised survival – A bet involving apples, pride, and bad forecasting