GILGIT: A Polish citizen resumed his journey on Sunday to become the first person in the world to have cycled all the way from Karachi to the K2 base camp near Skardu — a formidable expedition spanning over 3,000 kilometres.

“I am an athlete and an avid traveller. I’m fond of taking up challenging cycling expeditions. I am currently trying to achieve my goal of cycling across the entire length of Pakis­tan — a gruelling trek from the shores of the Arabian Sea to the K2 base,” Pawel Malaszko told Dawn.

The Polish cyclist began his journey from Karachi on April 4. He said he aims to cover the last 200km from Skardu to the camp in 14 days. “It is a challenging expedition. My goal is to cover the entire route on a bike and without additional support. If I succeed, I will be the first person in history to do so.”

However, his trip stalled in Gilgit as the administration refused to grant a permit to travel to the base camp at old rates as the administration had rece­ntly raised the permit fees by four times. The region’s tour operators went to the court, which issued a stay order and suspended the issuance of new permits.

“When I reached Gilgit after covering over 2,000km, I approached the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court, requesting a permit on the old rate as a special case,” Mr Malaszko said in his statement before the court. “This expedition is not only a personal dream but also an opportunity for Pakistan to promote itself as an adventure destination.”

His submission turned out to be convincing. The chief judge ordered the GB tourism department on May 3 to issue a permit at the previous rate.

Following the ruling, Mr Malaszko cycled to the Khunjerab Pass on May 4, covering 2,580km from Karachi to the Chinese border. From there, he rode 470km to reach Skardu, where he was preparing for the final leg to the K2 base camp on Sunday.

The Polish cyclist said the Pakistan-India tensions did not deter him at any point.

Recalling the high points of his journey, Mr Malaszko said: “The most gruelling part of the expedition is from Skardu to K2 base camp as glaciers and mountains test one’s resolve all the time. But determination and perseverance will hopefully see me through.”

In fact, there are certain places where it is impossible to ride a bicycle, he said. “I will put my bicycle on my back and travel on foot.”

He said Pakistan is a large country with different climates in different regions. “From Karachi to Multan, I braved temperatures as high as 46 degrees Celsius. I travelled at night and early in the morning to avoid having sunstroke.”

The Polish cyclist was full of praise for the hospitality on offer in the country. “Pakistanis try to outdo each other to help foreigners,” he said.

His observation about the quality of roads was pleasantly surprising.

“The roads I encountered were, in general, as good as anywhere else. Even lanes and bylanes were good enough,” Mr Malaszko said.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2025