Just as I started to develop neck cramps from gazing skyward, we emerged out of the canyon onto the Sarikol Pamir and sand dune encircled Kumtagh (Sand Mountain) Lake.

Camels roam freely along the length of the Karakoram Highway. They are still used extensively by local populace to transport goods to remote villages.

The Taheman Grasslands are the last high plateau as you approach Tashkurgan.