A Polish cyclist rode across northern Pakistan and found a warm welcome waiting at the finish.
Some journeys are about more than the distance covered. A Polish cyclist has just finished riding 1,390 kilometers across northern Pakistan, from the capital, Islamabad, all the way up to the Khunjerab Pass on the border with China. His route carried him through mountain passes, quiet valleys and small towns most travelers never see.
The cyclist, Sławomir Strzelczyk, made the trip to celebrate the friendship between Pakistan and Poland and to show off a side of Pakistan that does not always make the news. When he reached the top, the Embassy of Poland in Islamabad shared the moment, announcing that Ambassador Maciej Pisarski had met him to mark the achievement.
According to ARY News, the ambassador congratulated Strzelczyk and praised the ride for bringing the two countries closer while showing the world how much Pakistan has to offer.
Islamabad to Khunjerab Pass Along the Karakoram Highway
The route followed the Karakoram Highway, one of the highest paved roads on the planet and a bucket-list ride for cyclists around the world. The expedition, called the Pakistan-Poland Friendship Cycle Expedition 2026, set off from the parking area of the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad on July 26.
From there, the road took him through some of the most beautiful country in the region. Strzelczyk rode through Abbottabad, Besham, Chilas, Gilgit, Hunza, Gulmit, Passu and Sost before finally reaching the Khunjerab Pass. He did not do it entirely alone. He set out alongside tour operator and expedition coordinator Mohammad Saleh, and cyclists from the Pakistan Cycling Federation and the Islamabad Cycling Association rode out with him on the first stretch to see him off.
The finish line was no ordinary one. The Khunjerab Pass sits at around 4,693 meters, or about 15,397 feet, above sea level, making it one of the highest border crossings in the world. It marks the frontier between Pakistan and China, ringed by the towering peaks of the Karakoram. Getting there by bicycle, climbing through thinning air and shifting weather, is the kind of challenge few people would even attempt.
A Ride That Showed Off Pakistan’s Beauty and Hospitality
What makes a story like this travel is not just the climb. It is the welcome. All along the route, Strzelczyk passed through areas known for glaciers, apricot orchards, turquoise rivers and old settlements that once sat on the ancient Silk Road. These are the same valleys that have drawn travelers and traders for centuries.
The organizers hoped the ride would encourage other international cyclists and adventure travelers to come and see northern Pakistan for themselves. In recent years, more and more foreign riders have made their way to the Karakoram Highway, drawn by the scenery and the reputation of the people who live along it. Anyone who has traveled through these mountains tends to come back talking less about the views and more about the hospitality.
That is really the heart of it. A visitor spending weeks on a bike, rolling through small towns, stopping in villages and being met with kindness, tells a story about a place that no brochure ever could. The Embassy of Poland recognized the ride as a genuine gesture of friendship between the two countries and their people. He rode 1,390 kilometers through some of the toughest and most beautiful terrain on earth, and at every turn, Pakistan met him halfway.
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