Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan – The Pamir Highway

So we were all raring to go, an Australian (me), an Indian (Itsy) & 2 Japanese (Tomo & Yami) and our driver Golam. We set off from Osh in Kyrgyzstan for the journey south into Tajikistan, along the famous Pamir Highway and then west into the Wakhan valley to cruise along the Afghanistan border before turning north then west back to the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe. We hoped to see some great scenery, have a few adventures along the way and also a good laugh. We weren't disappointed.

The initial ride was along mainly flat roads as we headed towards the Tajikistan border which we would cross the following day. After a few hours we started to see the mountains which would envelop our days ahead. The scenery was fantastic with ever-lasting plains of straw colored fields stretching towards the backdrop of the rugged snow-capped mountains. Our initial destination was the 7100m mountain named Lenin Peak named after, well you know who. We veered off the main road, through a village (Sary-Moghol) where we would stay later that evening. The name 'Abdul Razzaq' became legend within the car and would be repeated often throughout the trip. Who is Abdul? The question should be where is Abdul as in this little town trying to find him led to our driver repeating his name continuously. Abdul was then taken aback by my repeating his name when he was finally discovered. A legend in our own minds (and our hotel owner) whose name was one of the main strange forms of communication with our Englishless driver. After locating him we proceeded down the dirt road for an hour's drive to our intended destination, for a short hike near Lenin Peak. It really was a wonderful place helped by the lowering sun and fine weather. High altitude lakes, multi-colored mountains and snow covered peaks made the camera click continuously. Yaks aplenty although when I got too close to a female a male started a charge towards me. It stopped, my heart restarted. I made a detour. Phew! There were yurts here where people could stay overnight. I can see the appeal. Eventually we made our way back down to Abdul.

After an initial petrol finding mission that was unsuccessful we set off the next morning. We started going south towards Tajikistan heading into the mountains proper. The Kyrgyzstan and the Tajikistan border posts are around 20km apart because, well, I don't know. We encountered our first pass over the mountains (4,282m) and due to trucks being stuck on the frozen dirt tracks we too became bogged as we tried to navigate around them. The pushing of the car by us gringos was useless but some gravel thrown under our wheels gave us (eventually) the grip we needed (good teamwork by the truck drivers). Both border posts were easy to get through. The main issue here is to ensure you have a GBAO addition to your Tajikistan visa (an additional US$20) as this is required in this region. Now in Tajikistan our intended destination this day was salty Karakul lake (3900m). Before reaching this point a border fence appeared topped by barbed wire. This fence remained with us for the remainder of this day. Looking at the map we were quite a way from the Chinese border and it was only later I found that the fence was actually constructed by the Soviets as a neutral buffer zone barrier against the Chinese when they weren't so friendly in times past. I enjoy taking pictures of power poles and in this case, a border fence, set in picturesque settings so I was very happy it appeared. At Karakul lake we found accommodation and I went for a long stroll along the lake with Itsy, scenic snow-capped mountains encircling the deep blue water. We got warned away by the military when we approached and were about to enter what we thought was an abandoned building but in reality was an army barracks. No harm done.

For the 3rd day we continued our route south. After around an hour our car climbed the highest mountain pass of this trip, the 4655m Ak-Baital pass. Strangely, after the previous day's travails and at 400m higher we had absolutely no issues with no snow to complain about and an asphalt road the whole way! After descending the other side we saw from the road a herd of the rare and threatened Marco Polo sheep. These sheep grow as big as cows and the males have classical coiled horns. They are very shy and the group we saw turned and ran for many kilometers into the mountains a distance away. Our driver seemed surprised; I think we were very lucky to see them. We were supposed to arrive in the town of Murghab around midday and then do a hike between the Psart & Madiyan valleys the next day. We decided instead to save a day by completing the hike straight away. This had its issues as we started much later than was normal with 16km and a 700 meter vertical climb to contend with. This made it a tough day with only a couple of short rests between a fast pace. Pace slowed considerably near the summit (4735m) as the mountain steepened sharply. Unfortunately we ran into a dead end and rather than go back down the mountain 50 meters (a long way to return at this altitude and steepness) Itsy & I instead tried to climb a steep rocky incline. Half way up, stuck, with a crumbing rock face on which I couldn't grip without rocks breaking off and a 20m drop, I admit fear and remorse for attempting such a climb took over. There was no turning back so adrenaline kicked in and eventually you had to suppress the fear and go for it. I am writing this blog so you know the end result. We rendezvoused with our driver in the opposite valley as daylight fast faded. Itsy and me safeguarding the rear. Yami had 'sprinted' off earlier from the summit to meet the driver and Tomo was relentless, a man possessed. Tired and sore sleep came easy.

Day 4 was my favourite. We left Murghab and travelled to some beautiful lakes. Initially the salty Sasykul lake with its changing water colour depending on to which end of the lake you turned, then after we looked down to the distant Bulunkul with hundreds of herd animals looking like specs in the valley between, and then finally onto Yashilkul with its vibrant blue color contrasting splendidly with the stark brown landscape surrounding it. I found my lucky rusty horseshoe at Sasykul which is now firmly a part of my increasingly heavy backpack. We left this area and with it the mainly asphalt road to more of a bumpy dirt flavour. We said goodbye to the Pamir highway and continued to head south for awhile continuing to see the odd beautiful lake until turning west once hitting the Afghanistan border. We were always gradually losing altitude, welcome to Wakhan valley. The border is a river and here the river was not a river, more like an overweight creek. Crossing between sides did not seem like it would be too difficult. The fully snowed in mountains of the Hindu Kush on the Afghanistan side rose imposingly over their closer barren cousins nearer to the river. Mineral deposits created some wonderful sedimentary effects especially when combined with the now setting sun. It was a truly brilliant day that ended in Langar, where we had pasta for dinner! Made a change from the standard soup with a bit of meat in it, bread, yogurt, and a cucumber and tomato sidedish. Oh yeah, we rotated in the car every day and whoever sat in the middle of the back seat got to choose the music. Not sure the others appreciated that idea by day's end (and they still had day 8 to go)!

Although day 5 was a very long drive we still had time to visit a fort perched high above the town of Yamchun. Forts here take a lot of imagination to jigsaw together in your mind to recreate their heyday, but the views from here over the Afghan agricultural land and mountains took no imagination. This side trip would've been worthwhile on its own but just up the road was a natural thermal bath that was at the right temperature and placed in a wonderful setting. I'll let the video do the talking on this one except to say women frequent here as they believe the waters here aid fertility. We visited another thermal spring later in the day (no fertility customs here as far as I know) at Gharm-Chashma. Our Japanese contingent seemed as if they couldn't get enough of these warm bathes while Itsy and I cruised around town. Golam disappeared and was found in his own personal pool after a lot of wondering and waiting. Who is paying who after all? We ended the day in the town of Khorog in a hotel set right by the river. Tomo, Itsy and myself found an Indian restaurant for a feed which Itsy gave a 'not too bad' rating. Unfortunately ratings don't equate to sanitary healthiness, we all got varying degrees of 'issues' from the food.

We had now left the Wakhan valley and with our spare day from our previous hike we decided to...do a hike. We deviated off the Pamir highway (which we had rejoined at Khorog) and entered the Bartang valley. Here we hiked to the peaceful villages of Jizeu and Jizef. At Jizeu the lake (for a change) lacked any type of colour instead being crystal clear. The hike itself took 5 hours (there and back) and while it was definitely worth the admission price (free) wasn't overly beautiful or difficult. Would I recommend it? If you've got a spare day for sure. We met 4 people who were going to stay up there for the evening. Maybe that is the way to go. We stayed back at a homestay about 8km from the trailhead. The food here was wonderful. I just couldn't stop eating the freshly picked walnuts that seemed to melt in your mouth and the mulberries that looked like small sheaths of wheat. Sweet, chewy and yum.

Day 7 & 8 were all about getting back to the capital of Dushanbe. We stopped on the night of day 7 in Kalaikumb While walking around town we were invited into a garden by a local doctor for tea and more beautiful fruits and nuts (can I grow walnut trees in New Zealand? I am definitely going to investigate). Nice fellow with beautiful daughters. Other than that things were fairly non-descript for those final two days but for the overall trip some things did happen. As with seemingly all Central Asian countries the police affect every driver's life profoundly. Each policeman has a red wand that is like a short lightsaber (from Star Wars) and probably just as deadly. You see a wave towards your car means it is time to pull over which isn't a good thing. Throughout the trip we must have pulled over 6-8 times and it became a common joke that when our driver, Golam, reentered our vehicle he would say 'police, police, money, money'. Bribes seem to be the name of the game and once when he said 'police, police, money nata' we assumed he hadn't needed to pay. At least that is what the big smile on his face suggested.

When you spend 8 days with other people you tend to learn things about each of them. This is the one thing I learned from each.
Itsy - if you ask a Hindu for food or water he must give it to you no matter his personal circumstance.
Tomo - there are beggars sleeping in Tokyo's streets.
Yami - told me how an outsider can tell the difference between the Japanese, the Chinese and the South Koreans. The South Koreans can't grow facial hair. The Chinese wear the same coloured clothes both top and bottom and want facial plastic surgery to match the overall looks of the Japanese. I guess that means the Japanese can grow beards, they must wear different colour clothes and are happy with their looks. Interesting(?) and Yami was usually the very quiet person of the group.

In Dushambe the trip ended. Great trip I would repeat without hesitation.