Polish cyclist Paweł Małaszko, aiming to be the first person to cycle to the K2 base camp from Karachi, started the final leg of his journey on Sunday.
Małaszko, Aged 46, is cycling to the base camp as part of his adventure to cycle across Pakistan — from the shores of the Arabian Sea to the K2 base camp, the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court provided a permit 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.
Talking to Dawn, the cyclist said he started his final adventure on Sunday morning from Skardu.
“It is a challenging expedition, my goal is to cover this whole route on a bike. without additional support. If I succeed, I will be the first man in history to do so,” Małaszko said.
Earlier, the Polish cyclist reached Skardu, travelling 3,250 kilometres from Karachi on a bicycle.
“I am an athlete and an avid traveller, deeply engaged 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, Paweł Małaszko told Dawn.
The Polish cyclist said the ongoing Pakistan and India tension 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 K2 base camp, there are glaciers, a mountainous route, a steep hike; however, at some sections, I will put my bicycle on the back and travel myself.
“Through GPS I will be monitored, at some points of K2 basecamp trek, it is not possible to cycle, at that points I will put my cycle at my back and will carry it myself, without any support, when I complete the expedition, I will tell at how many distance I have put my cycle at my back and carried it.”
He said he aims to cover the last 200 kilometres from Skardu to K2 base camp in 14 days.
Legal troubles stall journey
The Polish cyclist had started his adventure from Karachi on April 4.
However, his adventure was stalled as the required permit to go to the popular tourist destination couldn’t be issued due to an ongoing legal battle.
Last year, the GB government hiked permit fees for mountaineering and trekking expeditions by 300 per cent under the GB Finance Act, 2024.
