
Driving the hairpinned road to Burzil Pass in Pakistan
Pakistan, asia
30 km
4,210 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Burzil Pass in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, is calling your name! Perched way up in the Himalayas at a whopping 4,210 meters (13,812 feet), this isn't your average Sunday drive.
We're talking serious mountain vibes here, about 30 km north of that tense Line of Control. The road itself, the Astore Valley Road, is paved, but don't let that fool you. This historic path, once part of the Srinagar-Gilgit caravan route, is one tough cookie. Expect some seriously steep climbs, with gradients hitting 11% in places!
Starting from the legendary Karakoram Highway, you've got 115km (71 miles) of winding road ahead of you to reach the top. Pro tip: this road is only open from July to September thanks to the massive amounts of snow it gets. But trust me, the reward is worth it: imagine rolling green hills dotted with wildflowers as far as the eye can see!
Where is it?
Driving the hairpinned road to Burzil Pass in Pakistan is located in Pakistan (asia). Coordinates: 32.1406, 71.4743
Road Details
- Country
- Pakistan
- Continent
- asia
- Length
- 30 km
- Max Elevation
- 4,210 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 32.1406, 71.4743
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