In 2017, I was part of an all-women motorcycle expedition through Pakistan that provided a riding workshop with demos, tips and support for women at Atlas Honda in Pakistan. The intent of the journey was to empower them to ride to work, have reliable transportation and then, in turn, empower the young girls they see every day.

As we rode through Northern Pakistan during the next week and half, we met many women and helped them understand that women of all ages can ride. In our groups, we had an age range from early 20s to nearly 60.

Taking on a journey through lands that many will never think to venture through is what drew me and 11 other women to this trip.

Two of the riders had been down some of these roads before: one a few years ago, and the other more than 30 years ago. We came from different parts of the world and brought a multitude of perspectives and experience in travel.

Danell Lynn: www.DanellLynn.com
Blog: www.DanellLynn.wordpress.com
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This trip was different from most because I usually explore as a solo traveler, and I write this only from one of the 12 perspectives that were along for the ride.

We were a strong and accomplished group, pulled together by Liza Miller and Moin Khan, a renowned world-traveling motorcyclist (adifferentagenda.com). Liza contacted many of the riders she interviewed for her Motorcycles and Misfits podcast (motorcyclesandmisfits.com). I got her invitation the year before at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days.

Liza also was able to get Stephanie Yue (a solo-biker traveling North America by scooter, 250ccSuperhero.blogspot.com); Elspeth Beard (the first British woman to travel the world solo by motorbike); Ruth Belcher of Global Moto Adventures (who is producing a documentary of the journey, expected in 2018-19); and Dionne Haroutunian, who is making peace with art and friendship around the world (4ArtandAdventure.com).

These are just some of the fantastic women who made this journey.

Our ride was led by Khan, who has ridden through many countries and has a couple of documentaries under his belt. The one that gained my interest was “Rediscovering Pakistan: The Untold Tale.”

After more than 20 hours of flying, the arrival was a bit surreal. One rider’s baggage was still in Abu Dhabi and would take three days to catch up, but even this did not crumble the newly formed group of adventurers.

I will start our journey’s tale the way I would welcome a new encounter in Pakistan: as-salamu alaykum, the Muslim greeting that means “peace be upon you.”

Within hours of landing, our first project was underway. The kickoff would start at The Marshall Direct Fund (MarshallDirectFund.org) school in Lahore with the humanitarian projects Threading Hope and Highwire (ThreadingHope.com).

It was the perfect start to our exploration of Pakistan.

People opened their doors and hearts to us. We got to meet many women and children who were at first shy, but then the smiles emerged and so did conversation.

It was a great start to see the women of our group connect to the women of Pakistan without judgment or fear. With just a few art supplies for the children, the walls can come down.

This is where our journey began, and it kept climbing into our hearts until we all left with a different view, a different understanding, a different adventurous soul for Pakistan.

Welcome to the journey.

Our first day on the bikes came after our factory tour of Atlas Honda. We got to see the art of bike creation and even did some test rides with local women.

We spoke with women who had completed the rider’s course that has been teaching Pakistani women for more than 10 years.

There is a significant push to outfit women with the riding skills needed to go to and from work and have the independence to ride. It was inspiring to both groups of women—those who came to ride Pakistan and the locals who already were.

Then we were off on one last bus ride to meet the Honda CB250F bikes that had just rolled off the assembly line a few months before.

It took a bit of time to get used to the barrage of cell phones and selfies that occurred every time we stopped. Was it the new bikes, or maybe that we were 12 women riding?

We would not discover the answer until much later in our trip, when we realized the power of our being in Pakistan. Tourism has experienced a massive decline, and the fact that we were 12 women on motorcycles touring Pakistan made an unexpected impact.

On one of our early days riding, the curves were intense and just kept going for miles and miles. Around one of the turns, as I hit my brakes, I came to a stop in front of the most beautiful traffic jam I had ever seen.

Monkeys, probably 15 of them—big, little, teenagers—all crossing the road! I had gotten pretty far behind the group, which allowed for this moment. Sometimes in group riding, highlights come when gaps are the most substantial.

The ride from Islamabad to Naran was long. We traveled on paved roads, pavement filled with potholes, sections of dirt where the pavement was taken away by landslides and a jagged concrete-type of uneven highway. These roads gave us a taste of what was to come.

As we pulled into our mountain villa hotel, we looked forward to hot showers and a meal. With hopes of the internet to contact our families, and maybe call home using FaceTime. (It is incredible how much the world has changed in a decade.)

This first stop taught us to know that the power goes out, the water is often cold or lukewarm, and the internet is spotty. But that was just fine, because it allowed us to be more focused on the journey.

The Naran to Gilgit leg provided views so expansive that we could not help but feel small.

We passed through checkpoints often. A significant perk of this tour was that Khan made sure to prearrange our passage. Each gate that lifted to let us through was accompanied by a smile and a wave.

At one checkpoint, they tried to flag down the rider in front of me, but she rode through. As I approached, three men blocked the road.

I flipped up my visor, and we began to chat about the journey we were on. Then, like clockwork, Khan returned, said a few words, and—with waves and smiles—the men stepped to the side, and I rode on.

I did feel excitement every day I awoke in wonderment of what landscapes we would ride through that day.

Ticking off childhood boxes along the route like the famous KKH or Khunjerab Pass and the Chinese Border, the Gilgit to Karimabad road that opened to the Hunza Valley are just some of the adventures of the 14-day excursion.

Places we visited were like stepping back in time. In Karimabad, people lived in historic homes handed down generation after generation, just as it would have been when rulers lived above in the Altit Fort.

We walked their streets after entering through a small turn that opened to the social plaza, lined with elders sitting and having chats about the day and snacking.

We had a day to rest at the Hunza View Hotel—but rest we did not. We ventured out to schools, a carpenter shop, jewelry makers and forts.

Our days were full, but we always found time for chai or Hunza tea. Maybe it is the years I grew up in England, but tea-time is a must, and I loved that it was part of our daily itinerary.

I am a big national park fan, and being able to ride out for a night of “glamping,” or glamorous camping, in Pakistan in Deosai National Park was heaven.

We awoke in Skardu to the morning sounds of the call to prayer, as it echoed through the valley as if to bless the fantastic ride day we had coming.

The road to Deosai was dirt, and rock, coupled with water crossings and marmots—a perfect combination of challenge and adventure that makes you tired and jazzed by the time the ride finishes for the day.

We stayed in glammed-out tents along the river, danced while we waited for dinner and drank chai around the campfire at night.

The Milky Way said hello, and the stars lit up in the pure darkness so far from city lights.

There was a calm and beauty that quickly shed its hold when we stepped away from the campfire and realized just how cold it was in Deosai.

I finally crawled into my bed for the night, keeping all my layers on. It was chilly, but worth it. I would have loved more days in Deosai.

Schukria! (thank you) for the energy it took to read this adventure. I hope it inspired some to add another destination to their world travels.

Danell Lynn is an AMA member from Arizona who holds the Guinness World Record for the longest motorcycle journey in a single country.