Hi Hubbsters

Heading home soon and would like to know when the Salong pass is open so we can travel into Kabul form Peshawar??? I know its weather dependant but an approximate time would help
Cheers Tim

I went through in February some years back. Pretty amazing experience. Good luck!

Quite realise this is a dated thread, nevertheless, some days it is quiet, and some days it's not:-
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan army attacks militants

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Dave

Don't take this the wrong way but are you on a different planet than the rest of us Tim???????????

My son is currently serving with the British Army in Helmand. Before that he was based in the Kabul area. Afganistan is currently off limits to Westerners. If you were to enter the country now (without asking anyone), there is a very good chance that you could find yourself being kidnapped by the Taliban! The fact your a Brit makes this even more likely. By doing this you would be putting our brave young soldiers at increased risk. Don't you think that they have better things to do running around after some idiotic Brit who entered the country expecting a grand tour...

Stay away from Afganistan for a while. At least until the situation calms down... Dave's post above clearly shows what the problem is on the Pakistan/Afgan border area. If they got hold of you they would consider that a victory!

Above all, Stay SAFE

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Triumph Bonneville 800 (2004), Yamaha XT600E (1999), Honda XBR500 (1986).

I appreciate your view Neil. I'm not sure it is fair to say that he is on another planet though. There was another recent thread regarding Afghanistan and the current situation there. It did not sound promising but the situation can change very quickly for better or worse.

Obviously the Afghan situation is highly risky but people are going and perhaps the experience is worth that risk for some. Split Afghanistan into its regions and with an understanding of the ethnic make up it becomes a different picture. The problem with the trip to Kabul from Peshawar via the Khyber Pass and then Jalalabad is that this is predominantly Pashtun. Not all Pashtuns are Taliban but you'll find greater sympathy than you would up north or in the west.

Arguably there's as much risk in Peshawar and Pakistan than there is in Afghanistan. It would be good to know if Tim actually did this trip.

This situation reminds me of that poor Japanese idiot who entered Iraq to seek fortune & adventure only to be kidnapped and killed in the most horific way possible! Murdered in cold blood by a bunch of cowardly religious fanantics. The thing that concerns me is that these people for their own selfish reasons end up putting other people at enormous risk. It rubs me up the wrong way and I think I'm entitled to feel this way because my own flesh'n blood is out there trying to make a difference to the long suffering peoples of Afganistan. All that country has known for 30 years is conflict and it's always the innocent civilians on the receiving end.

It's all very well having a pioneering spirit but I think it's extremely selfish to enter a war zone when the risks are so high. I care about Tim's welfare too (a fellow Brit) and would urge him to turn right instead of going straight onwards...Possibly to his death!

I have come across this kind of situation many times on the HUBB. Hoards of well meaning "Adventurers" go into the wilds of Africa without taking precaustions against some of the most horrendous diseases to be found anywhere on earth! When you challenge them they explain away their recklessness by telling you that they know better and that you'd do well to shut up! My response is always GROW UP! Before anyone accuses me of not knowing what I'm talking about, I found myself stuck in the Hotel Mammy Yoko during the civil conflict in Freetown few years ago...

I do not like to see innocent travellers slaughtered for the sake of a possible good adventure!

I suppose the most important advice I can give BEFORE you place yourself in danger is to get good reliable and up to date intelligence on the risks you are proposing to take. You can then make an informed decision... But don't forget, your decision may put others in jeapody too.

Best stay away Tim.

Stay Safe

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Triumph Bonneville 800 (2004), Yamaha XT600E (1999), Honda XBR500 (1986).

I think going to Afghanistan now is a bad idea, the same as going to Iraq, or going to Somalia or any other warzone, for that matter. Your life wont be worth much there. The risk of kidnapping alone is enough to just leave it be, simple as that.

Why not go Pakistan? Its definitely not risk-free, but if you only ride through the country, you are highly unlikely to have any serious trouble.

I think riding through Afghanistan you are very likely to end up in serious trouble right now. But its your life, of course, and if you feel you must put it in risk (and have you thought about the people who care about you?) then sure, go ahead, just dont say you were not warned.

Because this 18 month old thread keeps on coming around, I just want to get the geography sorted out: the Salong pass is not on the P-K route, but north of Kabul, on the way north (a few hours north) toward the other Stans. In winter you could be in the Salong tunnel for days; get it wrong, and it could become the "So long pass, been nice knowing you".

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Dave

Quite right there Dave on the Geography front. Scene of a very nasty accident some years ago..... I don't know if you're telling us that there a problem replying to an old thread? After all isn't this one big database of knowledge?

Regarding going to Afghanistan it is a personal decision and one that should be left to the individuals who are close to that area and who have a good handle on what is really going on. Plenty of foreigners are visiting Afghanistan at the moment for various reasons, hardly any with motorcycles. That tells a story in itself. However the situation will change and it will change quickly.

I notice that Lonely Planet have a pretty good guide to Afghanistan, Bradt too have a guide. These folks wouldn't throw a lot of cash into this if it was a complete waste of time and I don't think this LP was written in a bar in California. Afganistan was once a popular tourist destination and it will recover to be one once again. But that process will involve some pioneering individuals going along when they consider it safe and from there a tourist industry will emerge and evolve. I'm not saying now is the time because I don't know.

I don't like to get involved in these HUBB debates that are not really about travel but on Afghanistan I feel quite passionately. I mainly agree with what Neil has to say on this and other topics. The country was and is still ruined and I can see that some form of military intervention/peacekeeping force is essential if that country is to stand up on its own feet. I don't want to comment about the nature of the current intervention as that would open a can of proverbial worms that is way off topic.

But returning to travel, let's just say that you can get to Kabul via Jalalabad ok with a police escort or any other means to keep you safe. After that you could head west through the central route via the Bamiyan valley, Jam and onto Herat. North then up to Mazar and into the Stans or onwards into Iran. You won't find much sympathy for the Taliban along that route and I suspect that when the country does open up that's the way we'll all be heading.

I don't want to seem disrespectful towards your views Neil - I'm not suggesting that now (or 18 months ago) is the time to go. I also agree that Iraq and Somalia are off limits too. I don't want to be seen as a blase thrill seeker - I'm not. However there are plenty of other examples of countries that might be seen as a bit risky but offer tremendous rewards to those that go. How often does Colombia get mentioned here? What about Indian Kashmir? How about some of the tribal regions in Pakistan?

When the time is right I look forward to going back. Probably won't be for a while though.

Hope your son enjoys his posting and that he returns safe and well Neil.

Matt,

I'm always interested to learn other peoples opinions thats why I spend so much time on the HUBB. Unlike some I don't get upset just because someone dis-agrees with me! In fact I sometimes say something just to stir up some healthy discussion and debate.

Thanks for your kind comment re my son. He's volunteered to remain in situ until next year! His Mum isn't very happy but I'm sort of proud...

Neil

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Triumph Bonneville 800 (2004), Yamaha XT600E (1999), Honda XBR500 (1986).

Hey Neil,

All very healthy discussion as far as I'm concerned. It'll be interesting to see when the conditions change in the country and people return and help the tourism industry recover there. I'll be back one day for sure.

Without opening the can of worms I happen to think it's a noble cause that is being fought for this time. Nobody can say it's for the oil.....

Matt

We rode from Kabul to Peshawar last Oct. but not by choice.

A couple countries denied us entry visas, so we found ourselves in Kabul. We went through LOTS of trouble getting permission to leave Kabul on the Jalalabad highway.

Save yourself the trouble and learn from our mistake.

However, parts of Afghanistan are safe to travel. The Afghan Ministry of Culture and Tourism wants foreigners to visit Afghanistan but only in tourist destinations in the northern part of the country. They can use the tourist money. The few tourists that visit these areas are mostly ex pats.

Hey guys ...glad you care about other Adventure travellers....as it happens i did make it thru Afghanistan from Tajikistan thru Kunduz Kabul Jalabad and the Kyber Pass.....not to many travellers on the road but lots of NGOs who are more than happy to help you out.

If you want to see how many travellers go that way have a look at this lonely planet page.....at the end of the day riding your bike is the risk part of the journey not the Taliban.......some talk about it others do it...nuff said!!!

- Thorn Tree Travel Forum - Lonely Planet

That's not a very big trip report by the way!

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Dave