Today's email is going to be a little different...

I want to tell you a story. One which takes place in the Karakoram Mountains, deep in Northern Pakistan.

You might have heard about the KKH, the most epic place you can ride a motorbike in the entire world. The story takes place there.

And the place looks like this:

I'm gonna be passing the mic to Samantha, one of our resident Broke Backpacker legends, so she can tell it to you in first person.

This is a story about facing your fears, taking risks, and doing it for the plot.

You know, the kind of shit we love over here 😉

On my third day in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan back in 2021, a motorbike adventure I set out on took a very unexpected turn.

The day started out on a high: after spontaneously meeting The Broke Backpacker founder and motorbiking connoisseur Will Hatton, he asked me if I wanted to take a ride to his favorite restaurant and even try my hand at a bit of riding (I had never ridden a bike).

It was my first time solo traveling, and riding the bravery high that comes with that, you just know I agreed.

We strapped on our helmets and set off for Passu, one of the most picturesque villages of the entire valley.

The ride was the ideal passenger princess vibe: we had the KKH to ourselves as we coasted through some of the most glorious alpine scenery I’d ever encountered in my entire life.

Despite the overcast skies and gusty winds that April tends to bring, I loved it. This was the type of freedom I’d been craving through 16 months of Covid-induced travel bans, and even though my two-wheeled experience was limited to cycling, I was ready to give motorbiking a go.

Will and I arrived at a famous viewpoint of the Passu Cones, a cathedral-shaped massif of a mountain that solidly puts the Dolomites and all other spiky peaks to shame. There’s a straightaway that I knew many newbie riders had taken their first lesson on, and it was now my turn.

After patiently explaining all the ins and outs, Will handed over his black and blue Suzuki 150 and let me take the reins. My first attempt at starting the bike didn’t really get anywhere, and to be completely honest, I was not expecting the kickstart to be this challenging.

But with a few more tries and an empty road ahead of us, I managed to get it moving, though with a lot of help from my oh so patient instructor to ensure I didn’t crash.

After managing to get a few feet down the KKH, I was feeling good and ready to give it another go. Little did I know what was about to happen…

I once again got the bike to start AND balanced a bit at an extreme speed of approximately 5 MPH. Ready for a bit of a break, I properly turned off the bike and tried to get off, which is precisely when disaster struck.

The 150 is heavier than you’d think, and with no bike handling experience, I somehow managed to fall off as I disembarked and smacked my head directly on the pavement.

There’s no doubt we would have been calling 911 had I not been wearing a GOOD crash-tested helmet. Shaken and experiencing a bit of head and neck pain, I was SO grateful that Will had been able to grab the bike before it had a chance to fall on top of me.

Relieved to be okay, we did what anyone who just survived what could have been the end of my open-ended trip would do and downed some of the best burgers I’d ever had anywhere.

Little did I know that I’d eventually live in this very same valley, and his favorite restaurant would become my weekly go-to.

The ride back was obviously spent as a passenger, just like all of my motorcycle riding experience since then.

I don’t know if I’ll ever try it out again, but if you’ve learned one thing from my misadventure, let it be this: always wear a damn good helmet, and never, ever say no to a yak burger, even post-wipe-out at 8500 feet.

Want to Ride Motorbikes in Pakistan?

Samantha's experience didn't go as well as she intended, but seen as she now lives in these mountains, it's safe to say she liked what she saw 😏

If you're into this kind of thing, you too can join Will on a motorbiking adventure in Pakistan! The trip is part of the launch of Elsewheria, his new adventure tour company, and you don’t need experience to be a part of it.

There'll be a bike per two guests and non-riders can either ride in the back, or chill in the support vehicles when breaks are needed.

If you know how to ride bikes already and prefer to do this sort of trip independently, we've got an insider guide with all the bits and pieces you need to know about motorcycle travel in Pakistan too 😊

or...

I'll see you on the next one.

Travel far. Spend less. Live more.​​
- The Broke Backpacker