Pamir Highway, Tajikistan
The road which had been in my dreams for somewhat for 5 years, the corridor across the Western Himalayas: the Pamir Highway. I was finally there in the cross road a couple of days out from Dushanbe where an epic gravel road to right swirles into a deep faced canyon and towards the high peaks in the far horizon.
It was starting to early winter, so we were the only cyclist for hundreds of miles. During the first two weeks of cycling we saw only five other cyclists.
The first day on the Pamir Highway
Morning on the lower Pamir Highway
Migration from the higher elevations to the winter pastures was in full action. We were occasionally forced to stop for long periods of time to wait the thousands of sheep and their herders to pass.
The first part of the PamirHighway from Dushambe is known for the evil 33km climb to a 3200m pass. We found out that rain turns the road into unridable mud trail. Rain stopped our progress totally for one and half hours as it was simply too slippery to ride up the steep hill and the mud gathered to our bikes. Ann’s Surly’s mud clearance wasn’t even close enough to keep her on the bike. I survived a little bit better without mud guards and rim brakes.
We got invited to a sleep with a Tajik family for the night, when we drove by a village on the way to the pass. Spashiiba!
Sun come out in the morning and dried to road, so that riding was slightly easier again. Picture taken a couple of kilometres before the pass.
On the top of a 3250m pass, the first 3k pass of the trip!
From the pass started the most spectacular road I have ever ridden ridden. Road declines for 35 kilometres all the way to the Tajikistan-Afhanistan border.
‘Are we going there?’
The road in the valley dividing Tajikistan and Afghanistan was dusty. Whatever moved on the road was followed by a white and grey cloud. The steep faced valley made finding a camp site occasionally hard.
he most apparent difference for a bike tourer between Afghanistan and Tajikistan is that Tajiks do have a road when Afghans have only a trail.
Everyone we have met talked about the staggering mountain views of the Pamir Highway, but no one mentioned the dozens of beautiful green villages!
After a day of eating dust and seeing only shades of grey we found this little fruit grove. While Ann was having a nap under a massive walnut tree, I picked apples from the ground and collected firewood to cook in the evening. Petrol stoves are efficient in cold climate and at high altitude, but only if you have some petrol.
Reaching Khorog, the mysterious Academic town located deep in the Western Himalayas. Ready for a couple of days rest before setting off to high mountains!
