"Sarfaranga Cold Desert Jeep Rally: What to Know"

The Sarfaranga cold desert jeep rally is an off-road race on the dunes of Sarfaranga, about 20 km from Skardu in Shigar district, run by PakWheels with Gilgit-Baltistan's tourism department. It began in August 2017, moved to October, and its fifth and most recent edition that we could confirm ran from 6 to 8 October 2023. Over three days, jeeps and bikes race a desert course of 50 to 80 km, with polo, music and food stalls around it.

This guide sets out what is on record about each edition, how the three days work, what the categories mean, and how to plan a Skardu trip around the rally if it is announced again.

Is the rally still running?

That is the first thing to check. Coverage of the 2023 edition is detailed, but we could not find a confirmed report of a 2024, 2025 or 2026 edition. The event has had a long gap before: PakWheels described the October 2022 rally as returning "after a gap of three years", following the 2019 edition.

So don't book a trip on the assumption that it happens every October. Watch the PakWheels website and the Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department's announcements from late summer. In 2022 PakWheels published its countdown on 4 October for a rally starting on 14 October, so notice can be short.

Every edition on record

In 2023 Adil Naeem won the top prepared category, completing an 80 km track in 48 minutes, according to Arab News. A local driver and first-time competitor, Gul Nasreen, a mother of five, won the women's category. At the closing ceremony, Gilgit-Baltistan's tourism secretary said the event had generated about USD 826,000, roughly PKR 230 million, in business for the local private sector. Spellings of some names differ between reports.

How the three days work

The 2023 schedule, as published by PakWheels, shows the usual pattern:

1. Day one, build day. Teams arrive, set up in the pit area and prepare vehicles. The event formally opens.
2. Day two, technical inspection and qualifying. Officials check every vehicle, and drivers run a qualifying round that sets the order for the final.
3. Day three, race day. The main timed runs over the full course, followed by prize-giving.

As the published winning times show, results are decided against the clock rather than by who crosses a line first. For spectators that means a stream of vehicles passing your section of the course over several hours, rather than one dramatic finish.

What the categories mean

PakWheels rallies split vehicles into Prepared and Stock classes, each sub-divided into A to D. Prepared vehicles are modified for off-road racing; Stock vehicles are much closer to what leaves the showroom. The 2019 rally had four of each, plus a women's category and a bike category, and the 2023 results list A to D in both classes, a women's stock class and bikers.

The terrain is the attraction: soft sand on the dunes, gravel flats and, in 2019, water crossings, all at about 2,300 metres, which saps engine power compared with the lowland deserts of Cholistan and Thal. Our guide to the Cholistan jeep rally covers Pakistan's biggest rally for comparison.

Around the racing

Past editions have run cultural events alongside the rally. In 2023 these included freestyle polo, boating and river rafting, sword dances, music and rock climbing, with local food on sale. Officials present the event as a way to promote adventure tourism and bring business to Skardu and Shigar, which is why booking early matters.

Planning a trip if it is announced

• Fly or drive in early. Skardu airport is about 38 km from the dunes. Book flights as soon as dates are announced, and remember weather can still delay them in October; our Islamabad to Skardu flight guide covers the options.
• Book a room as soon as dates are confirmed, in Skardu town or in Shigar. Our Shigar hotels guide lists places near the desert.
• Dress for two seasons in one day. Pakistan Meteorological Department averages for Skardu in October are about 20°C by day and 4°C at night. On open dunes the sun is fierce at midday and the wind cold by late afternoon.
• Bring water, a scarf for dust and sunglasses. There is little shade, and the cars throw up a lot of sand.
• Stay behind the marked lines. Watch from higher ground, well back from the course, and never stand on the outside of a bend.
• Allow extra time on the Skardu to Shigar road on race days, when traffic is much heavier than usual.

If you would rather avoid the crowds

The desert is open year-round. On a normal weekday outside rally dates, Sarfaranga is close to empty, and early morning or late afternoon light on the dunes is far better for photographs than the dusty middle of a race day. Our Sarfaranga desert guide covers quad and jeep rides on a normal visit, and our guide to places to visit in Shigar valley shows how to combine the dunes with Shigar Fort and Blind Lake.

Is it worth planning a trip around?

If the rally is confirmed and you enjoy motorsport, yes: few events let you watch serious off-road driving against a backdrop of Karakoram peaks, and October is a fine month in Baltistan anyway. If the rally is not confirmed, plan your Skardu trip for the season and treat the event as a bonus. Families with small children may find a full race day long, dusty and hard on the ears; an hour or two of watching is usually enough.

Frequently asked questions