The Pamir Highway, a 1,200km stretch of road running from Osh, Kyrgyzstan to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, through alpine deserts, over snowy mountain passes, and along the Afghan border, is a cyclist’s pilgrimage, like rounding Mt. Kailash while prostrating oneself in supplication to the Mountain Gods. There’s no reason to do it except to show your devotion, in this case, for self-challenge and natural beauty. There are far better roads that can get you across Central Asia, and any way you look at it, the Pamir Highway is quite a detour, not to mention really really difficult. Nevertheless, it’s one of the most popular routes in Asia, and on every transcontinental cycle tourist’s bucket list. Including mine. So I did it.
Above: Pamir Highway route map, stolen from a travel agency website. Sorry, the internet is too slow to make my own route map.
From the route map above, you can get the gist of where the Pamir Highway goes. I’m going to divide it into three stages. Stage one is Osh to Murgab over the high Pamirs. During this section of the route, you must traverse several high mountain passes, including 4600m Ak Baital Pass, the highest on the route. The landscape here quickly morphs from the verdurous pastureland of Kyrgyzstan to the high-altitude barren moonscape of northeastern Tajikistan. Brutal winds, no vegetation, and a handful of vehicles a day are typical.
Above: This kind of landscape is typical of the high Pamirs. You could probably sleep on the road and nobody would bother you.
After Murgab, you make your way towards stage two of the PH: the Wakhan Valley. After leaving the alpine plateau of the high Pamirs, you descend into the Wakhan Valley and ride for several hundred Kilometers through the narrow gorge that reigns in the Panj River, which also serves as the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. For days and days, you gaze across the river at the placid villages wondering if there are any Taliban over there and marveling at how horrid the the road on the Afghan side is, even though the Tajik road is also absolutely terrible.
Above: There’s not much to look at on the Wakhan Valley road, except Afghanistan.
Once you reach Khorog, you’re home free. A few more days of riding and the towering peaks on either side of the Panj River are dissipate into rolling hills, honey farms, and sprawling towns, all the way to Dushanbe, the end of an epic adventure.
Above: Finally, farms, trees, and warm weather await on the way to Dushanbe.
Quick How-To:
When to go: May-Sept (any earlier or later and you’re super hardcore; I talked to someone who cycled this route in December, and he said it was –45C at night, and that he finished the ride with frostbite on his fingers and toes. Even in early May, it was well below freezing at night in some places.)
Duration: 1 month or thereabouts. You can get a 45-day visa for Tajikistan, so no worries.
Gear: The main road is fine on a touring bike, although long sections of the Wakhan Valley road are deep gravel and sand. If you plan on exploring the lesser roads that criss-cross this part of Tajikistan, plan on having a full mountain bike setup with little gear, as these “roads” are simply sandy tracks in the middle of nowhere. Regardless, camping gear is necessary, cooking gear highly recommended.
Food: There are comprehensive bazaars in Osh, Khorog, and Dushanbe where you can stock up on anything you might need. Lesser towns have small shops where you can sometimes buy staples (and cookies) but don’t expect fruit or vegetables except in Murgab. It’s good to carry several days worth of food with you, but if you choose to stay at homes, you will be fed well and often given food for the road.
Water: Bring a filter or steripen. You can drink the tap water in villages, but water from above-ground sources needs to be filtered. Don’t expect to get water from the Panj River in the Wakhan Valley; it is often inaccessible even if you are cycling next to it. However, there are small rivulets and streams feeding the Panj every few kilometers, so getting water is not a problem in most places.
Accommodation: There are official homestays in (in order from Osh to Dushanbe) Gulcha, Sary Tash, Karakul, Murgab, Alichur, Langar and most of the villages along the Wakhan Valley road, Khorog, Kalaikhum, and Dushanbe. You can also roll up and stay just about anywhere else if you ask nicely; it was so cold at higher elevations that I stayed in the guard’s shack at the Kyrgyz/Tajik border, and in a similar place near the top of Ak Baital pass.
Camping: You can do it safely just about anywhere, and even if people see you, they won’t be bothered. However, it’s probably best to find a spot that’s out of sight of the road. I highly recommend both home-staying and camping. Both are awesome.
Stay tuned for an in-depth post on each stage of the trip.
