The Polish cyclist Paweł Małaszko, with the aim of being the first person to travel the K2 base camp from Karachi, began the final stage of his trip on Sunday.
Małaszko, 46, is bicycle to the base camp as part of his adventure to travel Pakistan, from the banks of the Arabic sea to the K2 base camp, the main court of Gilgit-Baltistan provided a permission to the Polish cyclist to complete his adventure earlier this month.
The legal battle between tour operators and GB tourism departments had stopped the issuance of mountaineering and trekking permits for foreigners.
Talk with SunriseThe cyclist said he began his final adventure on Sunday morning from Skardu.
“It is a challenging expedition, my goal is to cover this whole route on a bicycle. Without additional support. If I succeed, I will be the first man in history to do so,” said Małaszko.
Previously, the Polish cyclist arrived in Skardu, traveling 3,250 kilometers from Karachi by bicycle.
“I am an athlete and an avid traveller, Deeply Drab in Challenging Cycling Expeditions. I am Currently Undertaking An Ambitious Project Titled The ‘K2 Base Camp Bike Expedition’, With The Goal of Cycling Across The Entire Length of Pakistan – From The Shores Of The Arabian Sea All The Way To The K2 Base Camp, Poweł Małaszko Told Sunrise.
The Polish cyclist said that the current tension of Pakistan and India never affected his adventure.
He added that the most technical and challenging section is from Skardu to the K2 base camp.
When asked, he said: “On the way to the K2 base camp, there are glaciers, a mountain route, an steep walk; however, in some sections, I will put my bicycle on the back and travel myself.
“Through the GPS they will be monitored, at some points of K2 Basecamp Trek, it is not possible to ride a bicycle, at that time I will put my cycle on my back and I will take it myself, without any support, when I complete the expedition, I will say how many distance I have put my cycle behind my back and I took it.”
He said his goal is to cover the last 200 kilometers from Skardu to the K2 base camp in 14 days.
Journey of legal problems
The Polish cyclist had begun his adventure from Karachi on April 4.
However, his adventure stagnated since the permission required to go to the popular tourist destination could not be issued due to an ongoing legal battle.
Last year, the GB government increased permits rates for mountaineering and trekking expeditions by 300 percent under the GB Finance Law, 2024.
The tourist operators of the region challenged the decision in the Court, which issued a suspension order, effectively suspending the issuance of new permits.
“When I was on its way, my tourist operator informed me”, which the GB Tourism Department has suspended the issuance of trekking permits.
However, when I arrived at Gilgit after covering more than 2000 kilometers, I approached the main GB court during the appropriate date.
In the GB court, the foreigner asked the judges of the main court to help him obtain the necessary permits to complete this unique and historical trip, the first of its kind.
In court, the Polish cyclist told the judge that this expedition was not only a personal dream but also an opportunity to promote Pakistan as a destination for adventure and exploration throughout Europe and beyond.
“I have invested a significant effort and dedication in this effort, and its help would mean the world for me,” he added.
A Judge of the GB main court, after listening to his statement, ordered the GB Tourism Department to issue a permission to the previous rates on May 3.
After the court order, the GB Tourism Department granted a Trekking permit to the Polish cyclist.
However, permits for other foreigners cannot be issued until the court grants a clear directive.
The trip so far
Małaszko said that Pakistan is a large country with different cultures in different regions. Different climates. From Karachi to fine, it had 46 degrees of heat every day.
“At that stage, I had to drive at night and early in the morning to avoid having an failure,” he continued.
The Polish cyclist said that hospitality among people is very high and that they try to be useful in all aspects.
“This applies to all Pakistan. I was pleasantly surprised by the good road conditions, even side roads. With small exceptions, it’s really good,” he said.
The mountains and the Karakoram road are a different story.
He said that no one can influence how the mountains behave and if they destroy the roads, and added: “It is not man’s fault or negligence. That is the case with the mountains.”
He continued that the temperature range he experienced was 46 to -10 at the top of Khunjerab.
Meanwhile, since the Order of stay of the main court of GB, the Department of Tourism has stopped issuing permits to foreign adventurers.
The matter has been pending for more than two months since a hearing could not be held due to the lawyer’s strike.
