Expedition to Pamir — the Roof of the World

Duration: 13 days

Category: combined (car/ 5 days moderate level trekking/ 1 day yak riding)

Best season: May – October

Requirements: weatherproof warm clothes, trekking boots, hat, sunglasses
Group Size: any

Day 1.  Breakfast. Drive to Sarymogol village, 4 hours. A nice valley opens up when you reach Taldyck pass (3600 meter). Green pastures with yaks scattered around. Arrival in Sarymogol village and cross the river to get to yurt camp at Tulparkol lake (3500 m). Enjoy the beauty of long stretched glaciers of Lenin Peak (7134 m). Walk around the lake.   Overnight & dinner in yurt.

Day 2. Breakfast. Travel to Murgab village (6 hours). Cross the Kyrgyz border and drive on no man’s land for about 20 km to get to Tajik border point. Nice Kyzylart pass (4280 m) and snowcapped glaciers at roadside. Cross the Tajik border and head up to Karakul lake, 1 hour. Totally different landscapes and reliefs open up in front of you. Have lunch in guesthouse at Karakul lake. The journey goes on to Murgab via the highest pass Akbaital ( 4655 m) you will ever cross in Tajikistan. Take photos of glaciers on the pass and be accommodated in a guesthouse, 3 hours.

Day 3. Morning drive to the so called observatory hill. You will see nice view of Muzdak Ata peak in China on top of the hill if no clouds are in the sky. Down the hill there is a soviet truck full of skulls of Marco Polo sheep inside. Once upon a time it was a hunting camp. Back to the main road and drive to Alichur village. Overnight and dinner in a guesthouse.

Day 4. After breakfast drive to the small village at 3500m above sea level with a population of about 500 people. Meet with the guide team and start yak riding towards the mountains. Yak riding time 3-4 hours. Lunch picnic in the wild. Afternoon return back to Alichur for dinner and overnight in a guest house.

Day 5. Breakfast. Travel to Langar village. On the way make a stop for hiking to the view point at the altitude 4774 m above sea level (trekking time 3-4 hours). From the top of the mountain you can observe the great mountains of China, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Picnic lunch on the top of the mountain. Continue driving to Langar village over the pass Kargush (4 344m). After the pass, the journey follows the river Pamir, with the chance to admire the Big Pamir of Afghanistan with nomadic Afghan Kyrgyz caravans. Great rugged Hindu Kush mountain ranges welcome you right before entering Wakhan valley.  Overnight and dinner in home stay in Langar village.    

Day 6. After breakfast drive to Zond village where we will start 2 days trekking till the view point of Karl Marks Peak. In some places the trail passes along the channel that local people created to ensure water supply for the village. This day we can get the point where the Engels Peak is visible. Overnight in the tents.

Day 7. In the morning trekking up to the altitude 3 300m ASL from where you can observe a scenic view of Karl Marks Peak. Descend back to the village. Drive back to Langar. Overnight and dinner in home stay in Langar village.

Day 8. Breakfast. Travel to Ishkashim village. We do a detour on the way to admire the 12th century Yamchun Fortress rising from a platform of natural rock. Walk up to edge of the fort and you will have amazing views on Wakhan valley. Further up the hillside the hot springs at Bibi Fatima are located, with its crystal waters and many minerals. Another fortress Khaaka comes up along the way at Namadgut village when you get closer to Ishkashim village. It is worth a 10 minutes stop. Overnight in home stay at Ishkashim village. Optional, visit Saturday market in Ishkashim between Tajiks and Afghans if you happen to be there on a Saturday.

Day 9. Drive to Khorog. Again we do detour on the way to visit the hot springs at Garm-e-Chasma. Nice villages on the way to have more glances at Tajik culture. Stop along the way for a picnic lunch. Arrival in a Khorog city and be accommodated in a hotel. Afternoon, visit the interesting Regional Museum and Central Park of Khorog city. Evening hike in the botanical garden that has many various plants and trees to explore.

Day 10.  In the morning drive to Roushan gorge where the car drops us near the bridge. Start a 2 day trek to the beautiful mountain’s lakes. There are three lakes in this gorge and there are three small villages. It seems time has stopped in these places and you can still see manual labor. This day we will pass one of the lakes. Overnight and meals in a traditional Pamir house in one of these villages.

Day 11.  After breakfast walk to the second lake. This place is like an oasis in the heart of the mountains surrounded by the trees. Descend back to the road where a car waits for you. Drive to Khorog. Dinner at café. Accommodation in a guest house.

Day 12. Today travel from Khorog to Darvoz on the way to Dushanbe. Arrival in the evening in Darvoz and overnight in the homestay with meals. (Long driving day about 9- 10 hours)

Day 13. After breakfast drive to Dushanbe along the Pang river with amazing views and travel through numerous local villages. Lunch in a Chaikana (local cafe). In the evening, arrival in Dushanbe. Accommodation in your hotel.