Words by Epic Rider Adam Glendinning, photo credits are to the Kaghan Memorial Trust


I am sitting writing this at 35,000’ on an airplane on my way to Karachi, Pakistan. From Karachi, I’ll be traveling up to the Karakoram Range in Northern Pakistan for the next 3 weeks. I have temporally traded in my Neil Pryde ‘Alize’ for a mountain bike. Initially I will be taking part in a high altitude endurance camp, followed by competing in the 2011 ‘Tour of the Himalayas’ stage race.


We will be based in Shogran, and Kaghan, villages located in the Kaghan valley. The Kaghan valley lies north of Islamabad, in the North West frontier province of Pakistan, with Indian occupied Kashmir located immediately to the east. So how did I, a Canadian living in Hong Kong, and a self described ‘roadie’, come to be traveling to the Karakoram range, with a mountain bike?


Rewind 6 years to Saturday, October 8th, 2005. At 8:50 in the morning, a massive 7.6 magnitude earthquake devastated northern Pakistan. The magnitude of the earthquake, coupled with substandard building construction wreaked utter devastation on the remote, and impoverished northern region of Pakistan.


More than 80,000 people lost their lives, most trapped within the collapsed buildings. Entire villages were destroyed. It was still Ramadan, and many adults were napping inside after their predawn meal, and children were all in school as Saturday is a school day in Pakistan. More than half those killed were children. Almost 3,800 schools within Kashmir, and another 2,100 in the NW province were reduced to rubble. An entire generation of school children were either killed, or left without the means to an education.






Entire Villages were reduced to ruins


In a region that in the past half century had endured 4 wars, 2 military coups, assassinations, floods, famine, and all manner of conflict and strife, depriving the region of its children seems all the deeper blow. The world community leapt to Pakistan’s aid, bringing much needed food, and medical aid. But in time, the scope, and depth of the earthquake could be seen.


In one of the remotest, and impoverished regions on earth, entire villages had to be rebuilt. The task of reconstruction was daunting. In a region so torn by both internal, and external strife, education is such a crucial, and fundamental requirement, if a resolution, and way forward is to be found.


In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, a group of local citizens from the Kaghan valley gathered together and decided to set up the Kaghan Memorial Trust, with the goal of establishing a school for underprivileged children of the valley. The trust was established in early 2006, and began raising funds for a school that would provide a level of education equal to that found in any private school.








The trust established a number of different methods of raising funds, including a variety of sporting events. Included in this was cycling. The “Tour of the Himalayas” was first held in 2007 as a multi day mountain bike stage race. Held in two successive years, the race was highly successful in both raising much-needed funds, and the exposure of the school. Regional strife in North West Pakistan, and neighboring Afghanistan however, prevented subsequent editions from running until this year.



The Kaghan Memorial School, as it now stands


The race itself will be held in the third week of September. However, as the race itself will be held at altitudes at over 15,000’, a high altitude training camp will preceded the race, moving progressively further north up the Kaghan valley, and at ever increasing altitudes. I’ll be sending regular reports from both the camp, and from the race itself. I am looking forward to visiting, and cycling through what must be one most beautiful regions on earth, and I hope you enjoy the reports, and pictures.


Read part 1.


For more information please visit the official website:
www.kmt.org.pk