Bike, Hike & Fly: Three First Flights on the Roof of the World

Six weeks of cycling on the highest roads in the world, then six weeks of mountaineering in Pakistan. Aurélie and her partner set off from Samarkand with a SuSi XPed in their bike bags. They took off from three summits, including two 6,000ers, which had most likely never been flown by paraglider before.

Mid-July departure: I’m joining Aurélie, my girlfriend, who set off from Switzerland by bike. We meet up in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Here we go for a month and a half of cycling on the highest roads in the world! And we didn’t forget to pack the SuSi XPed, so we could make the most of it and take a break from the bike.

We start by crossing Uzbekistan to reach Tajikistan, where we set off on the legendary Pamir Highway, the second-highest highway in the world. Three weeks on a road through the heart of the Pamir range, between 3,800 and 4,400 m. Here, the word “remote” takes on its full meaning: villages are few and far between, and we often have to carry food for several days. The landscapes and mountains around us are staggering: raw, mineral and gigantic. Crossing it by bike and camping wild every night lets us enjoy these moments at the perfect pace that bikepacking offers. The road is in terrible condition and sometimes really tests our nerves.

Along the Pamir Highway, we take a three-day detour to climb Kyzyldong, a 5,700 m peak that will be our first paragliding flight of the trip! We set off at 3 a.m. from our camp at 4,400 m. A long approach in the dark brings us to the snowy summit, where a perfect launch awaits. First summit, first flight from 5,000 m: magical! We land 15 minutes later right next to the tent, happier than ever! Our bike & hike & fly concept finally makes complete sense! The icing on the cake: we’re most likely the first to have launched from this remote Pamir summit. We leave our camp, and the yaks hanging around it, and keep heading east.

We leave Tajikistan over a 4,350 m pass that takes us to the Chinese border. Here, the scenery changes completely. Perfect roads and incredible food: we’re happy to get back to a bit of civilisation. But the rest doesn’t last long, because just four days later we’re already entering Pakistan. The Khunjerab Pass, the highest border crossing in the world at 4,700 m, gives us unforgettable memories. Snow even shows up to welcome us.

Now we’re riding the Karakoram Highway (KKH), the highest highway in the world, recently paved by the Chinese. We follow it south through bigger and bigger, ever more impressive mountains until we reach Karimabad in the Hunza Valley. After a month and a half, this village marks the end of the cycling leg and the start of the “mountain” part of the trip. Life is good here, surrounded by 7,000 m peaks such as Rakaposhi (7,788 m), Diran (7,266 m), Ultar Sar (7,388 m) and Spantik (7,027 m). We love the warm welcome and the incredible help from the Pakistani people.

We kick things off by heading deep into the Shimshal Valley to try to climb our first 6,000 m peak. Joining us are Guillaume, Ysa and Antoine, all cycle-touring paraglider pilots we met in Hunza. After a two-day approach with huge packs carrying food for seven self-sufficient days, we reach the Shimshal Pass (4,750 m), base camp for Minglik Sar (6,050 m). The following days are spent preparing and acclimatising. We set off for the summit push early, on a clear night full of stars, with the full moon watching over us. The climb goes beautifully, and the summit rewards us at sunrise with a view of K2 and Broad Peak. No wind, perfect conditions: we lay out our wings and take off for one of the most beautiful flights of our lives! We land at base camp, where the shepherds come over to congratulate us warmly. Another paragliding first from this summit! Incredible and unreal. We’re so lucky with the weather.

Next comes a rest period with a few side quests and some H&F around Karimabad. Then we head for Khosar Gang (6,046 m) in the Skardu valley. It’s a peak normally climbed with fixed ropes, and we’re going to try it alpine style. Once again the weather is on our side. After a climb that’s more technical than our first 6,000 m, with ice and steep slopes, we reach the summit. With some difficulty, we find a well-oriented launch above a gigantic serac. Here we go again: incredible flight, crazy scenery, a unique stroke of luck! We land a bit hard at base camp because we misjudged the wind direction. We come down in 20 minutes instead of the 6–7 hours it would have taken on foot. What an incredible tool a paraglider is! Once again, we’re told we’re the first to have flown from this summit, and we realise that climb & fly in Pakistan is still wide open.

After a month and a half in the country, it’s time to head home. Aurélie, now joined by Julie, is staying one more month for another expedition to a 5,500 m peak, aiming for the first repeat of a route on that summit. Paraglider in the pack, of course!

In short, there’s so much to tell! Memories for life, and a chance to discover these countries through cycling, mountaineering and paragliding. Thank you to everyone we met along the way!

I’d also like to sincerely thank AirDesign for its help and support on this adventure. Thanks to you, we were able to set off with the best gear possible. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Now it’s time to ease back into life at home, and I’m already looking forward to the next adventures.