Things are all small, complicated and on the brink of survival,
in the Pamir, - just like on the fantasy planet described by Sent-Exupery.
And only Mountains are limitlessly grand here.

Mysteries of the Pamir
(Through the eyes of motorcycle tour leader.)

The idea to once more return to Pamir came to me after I left the region in my teenage years. Before that, we lived in the Murgab kishlak (Village) of Nagorny Badaqshan, the heart of Pamir (1987- 88-89). It’s been a long time, likewise has the many things, that curbed the implementation of my dream to meet Pamir again. I communicated the idea of the Pamir biking venture to friends that were with me on the Uzbekistan tour last year. The idea enjoyed unanimous approval and support.



In general, all was ready by the set start time, 15th of May – Acerbis boosted tank hooked to bike, as well as flip bags and GPS Garmin. Before that date, another person willing to visit Pamir joined us. Acquaintance on the Internet.) It was a certain Adri from Holland, who was going to take my newly bought Honda XR650L and conquer sky trails. The first Force Majeur happened just one month prior to take-off. Kyrgyz borders got sealed-off for indefinite time. We decided to run through Uzbekistan. I retailored the route and Adri promptly got new visas and retuned himself accordingly. The paramount thing was that the trip would happen. The second, and the SNEAKIEST nuisance, just one week prior to departure, was the collective refusal to go. One of my friends suddenly got head over hills exploited at work by his new boss, the second fell ill, the third just said “I won’t go”. It was only Adri, who was struggling his way through the masses of the Icelandic volcano ash to finally see what Central Asia was like.
Adri – earlier unknown friend from far.

One last luggage inspection – all got settled in a nice and tidy manner, like seen from Photo

I had plenty of room left. Keeping in mind personal knowledge of the hard life, the Pamir kids have to live, I decided to take some gifts – some toys. My wife helped me select things from the toy-deposits of our children. She chose toys in good shape (cars, soldiers, dolls and necklaces) and divided them in two lots – for girls and boys. Eventually, I had two more fat toy sacks. Now we can go!
I has a clear picture of what I wanted to acquire from the trip:
1. Main target – make it to Murgab, visit “old glory” sites related to my wonderful childhood there
2. Recon interesting tourist route for our motorcycle travel club SilkOffRoad (customs and frontier guards checkpoints, roads, tour operators, hotels, motels and others).
3. Visit Fan Mountains and, namely, in the Vertical-Allaudin International Mountaineering Camp, - the place that no wheel of the bike ever touched before. Leave our Logotype there.
4. Find the mountain cave nearby Murgab, where the mysterious light shines.
5. Visit Lake Rongkol.
6. Find a ruby like size a dino egg and become rich and prosperous)).
7. Find the meteorite crater in the Murgab vicinity – the one I found in Google Earth .
8. Give toys to Pamir’s children.
9. And, of course , have fun and make it back safe.

Start!!!
19 May. Almaty-Shymkent. 690 kilos.
Woke up at 6-00 and took off. Today’s section is the longest. So, we just drove like locomotives – without stops.

West Europe-West China new road construction is aggressively underway between Dzhambul and Chimkent southern town of Kazakhstan. long 8 445 km.

Kazakh police



Chimkent’s attractions - Noah's Ark





In café near the border.



20 May. Chimkent-Jizzakh. 350 kilos
We made to Uzbek border by lunch and spent three hours clearing ourselves through border checks. This is a very tedious process. Staff don’t speak English. If you do not know Russian or local language, it may be a very long time. Uzbekistan met us with dull landscape, but fairly good roads, broad ones with concrete dividers and rare vehicles.

Street's exchange money. Black rate is more favorable.




We drove into Jizaq at night. Found ourselves a place to sleep and decided to go eat something. Somebody advised to visit Café Nafisa. There we tried to real Jizaq samsa. Spiced meat rolled into pastry and baked in special clay ovens. I heard about it back in Almaty. Its size is the first thing that makes it famous. Half an A-4 sheet size. Needless to try to describe its taste – I got no words to try, just saline. Adri bit one and saw the fat and said they did not eat fat back in Holland, for it was harmful and he was one of those who did not eat fat either. When he finished his first one, he did not say anything more about fat – he just ate it all. He had his mouth and palms burning but he ate it all. Each of us had three and we wanted some more but could not))

Jizzakh samsa.

21 May. Jizaq – Samarkand – Pejikent (Tajikistan) 170 kilos
We got Tajikistan waiting for us today. We woke up early and took off.

On the roads of Uzbekistan


Mountain pass before Samarkant. Three-car high altitude passenger train.


Road to Samarkand. Local sight – the Timur’s Gate, vandalism and may be graffiti.


Route ran though Samrakand for I wanted Adri to see its sights
Samarkand. Gur-Emir Mausoleum in the backgrounds.


We chose not to linger in Samarkand cause we wanted to make it to Tajikistan as soon as possible. We passed Uzbek checkpoint easily, people there did their jobs like robots – without a single word.
But I liked the Tajik post more. Its commander first treated us t some tea in his office and only then did they check our credentials. They helped us to promptly complete documents and wished us good luck.

Penjikent was nearby – just some 10 kilos away from border. Drastic change in landscape. Uzbek flatlands got changed by mountains who appeared suddenly.

Penjikent Town Gate


That day, the starts brought together under the roof of our guest house three Adri’s fellow countrymen on a 4WD, one Infantry German and an Indian. In the evening, we had a party. We treated all of the, to Vodka and had fun communicating. Interesting momentums from any trip – you get to meet people from other countries and tomorrow we all will bide our last Byes and we all are same people, moving towards some place just to see something new.

In Penjikent’s guesthouse.




22 May. Penjikent – Vertical Mountaineering Camp – Allaudin (Fun Mts.) – 80 kilos
Morning take off was taking place under heavy rain. Checked the new Can-am rain coat. 100% polyethylene. Works wll!
Can-am Coat.


Zaravshan River Bridges







For some fifty kilos of the road, the asphalt was all in big holes filled with rain water. That made them not well seen. Was not nice to run into those biker traps. We just left that water minefield when a mudflood suddenly went down right in front of us. I tell you, we were lucky not to have been washed away)
Mudflood settled in the form of a 30-meter cow mine. Its depth was some one half meters – clay, water and crushed rocks. Can’t drive it around. Tajik roads have one common problem – mountains on one side and you can’t walk there and abyss on the other, so the situation was a May Day type.

Mudflood sealing road off


Surprisingly, the mud level was going down pretty fast and the water was separating itself from rocks and making its ways down to the river. By that time, many vehicles got accumulated on both sides. Some Balls of Steel was probably rushing somewhere, so he decided to cut through it and got stock in the middle, thus double shutting the road for the rest.
Video Pamir 2010. 1 - YouTube
I happened to be the only man in that crown to have the tagging rope (I always do) and we dragged the Balls from mud. Then we called in heavy arty support – bulk trucks pulverized the mass into something thinner and the traffic resumed in a fast manner.

Shorcha Village in the backgrounds.




Road got better. Sun came our. Mood got really elevated.
Tajik mountains showed up. Unbelievable! Eyes don’t understand at once what it is there – theatrical decorations or never before seen magnitude of reality. Those are not Kyrgyz and more than that – not Kazakh mountains. You just drive between two walls without a chance to ever see their tops. Me GarminGPS was helplessly SOSing about not signal from satellite!

Tajik Mountains.








We left the main and took the other pass in the heart of Fan Mountains. We were on our way to the International Mountaineering and Tourism Center “Vertical-Alaudin”. Road is not asphalted. Runs thru very exotic local villages. Everything is green and there are even Birches growing in the middle of snowy peaks.

Fun Mountains. Road to Vertical-Allaudin










When we aliens appeared, local girls would turn their backs on us or hide their eyes – that is how local traditions are like. Local dudes however love to make photos


Fan Mountains – Mecca for mountaineers. Altitude is relatively not high, there are Xmas trees, Birches and other species of vegetation, but you are surrounded with masses of five thousand meter peaks offering various complexity climbing routes.

Fun Mountains








We were just driving and hoping to see a lot of interesting people and arrange an international event. There was an iron bar to meet us at the checkpoint. We signaled. Silence. Then suddenly a man virtually hopped up right out from a rock and began to ask questions about who we were and what we wanted. We said we wanted to get inside but he said camp would start in two weeks. He is a Tajik lad and his name is Akram. He is a sheepherder and a camp security guard. He was shocked. In their stories we were the first who went up to him on a motorcycle.
"You can stay if you want. I will give you keys for any cottage" - he said.
Of course we will. We chose a shack with big windows and beautiful scenery of cliffy horizon. Together with keys, Akram brought us milk, bread and two fast heated noodle packs. We opened those windows and had the most unforgettable panoramic supper throughout the term of the whole trip. There were beautiful mountains and there was the Moon …

Window view. Two noodle packs and Mount Chimtarga (5,489 meters)


Video Pamir 2010. /3 - YouTube
Fan Mountains left some funny and very kind impressions. I want to get back there for a week or two

to be continued...

23 May. Allaudin-Dushanbe 160 km
We reached the mountain asphalt road running to Dushanbe and savored the giant mountain sights. That day, I was looking forward to seeing the Anzob tunnel.
Brief info from Internet:
Anzob Pass of the Gissar Moutain Range plays the key role in the western section of the Transtajik motor vehicle road. The pass lies 3,372 meters above sea. It will take 1.5-2 hrs to ascend it by means of a serpentine road. The most frustrating thing is that weather conditions seal off the road for vehicles November thru May, implying full stoppage of movements on the Tashkent-Dushanbe road. One resolution for this problem is the construction of a 5-kilometer tunnel beneath the rock. It was commenced in 1989 but ceased in four years, for instability in the country. Operations were resumed in 1999, but funding problems kept construction pace under constraints.
One of my biker buddies described the tunnel as follows: no lights, blackness all around and water up to knees, water dropping from above, cold, rotten or no ventilation at all, as well as bulk truck soot. Locals close car windows and breath through wet napkins, so make sure you grab as much air as you see, breath slow and may pretty well eventually see the light in the end of the tunnel.))

Anzob Tunnel Entrance. Smoke floating outside


And that’s no kidding. People were really suffocating there. I had some thrills before entry too. That bad, I was thinking to bring respirators from Almaty. Tunnel turned out really gloomy – chilly air with smell of dampness and fuel oil. Bulk truck engines sounded like air jets before take off. Some lights in the beginning, darkness all the way through afterwards, so gotta watch out so not to run into some road construction device, like a drilling machine, camouflaged under dust.
Tunnel is 5 kilos long.
Video Pamir 2010/4 - YouTube
More joyous and impressing picture waits for you on the exit from the catacomb, especially long-waited fresh air and giant mountains, of course.

Anzob Tunnel Exit.




Video Pamir 2010. 5 - YouTube
Descent from tunnel offers luxury road pavement all the way onwards to Dushanbe. Serpentine turns have exterior concrete tunnels that protect roads from mudfloods and rock collapses. After serpentine road ran through a beautiful valet – river, mountains, respectable looking cafes and recreation centersа. Dushanbe, a not so peculiar community was hot. Took us some time to seek out our guest house address. Locals looked puzzled, cab drivers were noisy but useless. Later, we found it they gave us the old name of the street, as the latter changed its name recently. So, we finally found it. Guest house is owned by Mrs. Maqhbooba and the place is clean, tidy and cozy. First class service!!



We were about to finish lunch when the sun left and rain and hail began.
Video Pamir 2010, 6 - YouTube
Rain stopped same way it started, sun came out, and likewise did we, for a tour of the city. City has mainly old soviet five-floors and no newly builts. Found exhibition of Soviet War Photographers in one of the parks. It was dedicated to the Great Victory jubilee celebration. Adri stopped and began to carefully watch those photos. Those photos were strong, like really strong. I felt touched when I thought of the price paid for victory. I did not make any comments. Adri, supposedly, knows all about it and who knows, what if his Father was a Nazi trooper. I felt embarrassed to ask. Adri seemed to have heard my thoughts. He took his glasses off and said: “ My Dad was a member of a popular diversion force, then he spent a long time running away from Gestapo and SS… let us go drink… to victory”.
If you decided to find a place in Dushanbe to eat, drink and have some really good time – go to Rakhat Chaykhana. There, we did not just drink, we got pissed - Hitler Caput!

Rakhat Chaykhana. Dushanbe


24 May. Dushanbe- Kalaikhum. 360km
Left Dushanbe during lunch. I had a problem with my permit to enter Nagorno Badaqshan. There are only two roads from Dushanbe to Pamir – one thru Tavildara, i.e. the northern route or Route M41 and second through Kuliab, the south route. We initially planned to run thru Kuliab, but a disaster happened there in May. A powerful mudflood caused by non-stop rain washed several streets away and killed many people. The principal vehicle bridge collapsed, too. So, we went thru Tavildara.
After Dushanbe, some 60 kilos are good road, asphalt, good mountain sceneries, vegetation and River Vaqsh.
















“Careful! Dancing Little Men” Sign )



Asphalts end here, now we turn to obstacle course. It was raining here just one day prior to our arrival and now the water runs in mud springs from each valley.













Video Pamir 2010.7 - YouTube
Pamir 2010. 7b - YouTube

Plus herds of sheep directed by their sheepherders on a not so broad road.
Video Pamir 2010. 7 - YouTube
It is rather challenging to drive by them, as I already told how Tajik roads are like. The nerdiest thing in the world is when those herds walk in the same direction as you, so passing lasts forever.

Later, we made our ways through trenches left by bulk trucks and settled masses of mud. That was some torture, I should tell you.


Video Pamir 2010. 8 - YouTube

By 12 o'clock the night, soaked to the skin, hungry, brutally stilled by the cold, we stood on top of the pass Shaburabat (3300m). Smoked cigarettes with hands shaking from cold. And some psychedelic fairy tale around us – full moon, snowy mountain tops and sky full of alluvial deposits of stars and starlets. That particular moment, for some reason, got engraved in my soul and will keep returning back to it. Unfortunately our camera soaked and frozen battery no keep this moment..

Shaboorabat road with snow walls


Pass descent was funnier and warm air was blowing in our faces. Frontier rangers gave us some hot tea at the checkpoint, registered our credentials and checked our permits to enter (first and only time during journey) and wished us good luck. We entered Kalikhum at three. The village was asleep. A knew the name of the guest house owner and it took us a long time to find it. Then we found some convenience store where people helped us to find our ways and sold us a mobile SIM we used all the time for necessary and not so expensive calls.
In half an hour, guest house owners met us, took us inside, put us in the warm environment and gave us food and put us to bed beneath mattress fat duvets.

25 May. Kalikhum - hot springs Garmchashma. 320km

Kalikhum. Morning in the guest house.




A classical guest house breakfast. Fried eggs, tea, bread and nuts.


The great Tajik Tetris. Fence without a drop of cement. Takes a bulldozer and not collapse it.


Kalikhum. Gas re-fill from buckets – normal local practice (USD2 for 1 liter of A-80)


Kalikhumb’s shopping small



Kalikhum kids.


In the morning, Adri complained about aching in his left leg. He had his surae sore and feet scarcely able to move making it tough to switch gears. He must have caught cold on the muscle in one of those mountain rivers. “I can make it” – Adri said and off we went.
Finally, we reached the Pamir road running parallel to Piandj River and Afghanistan.

Abridged by “Pamir” book:

“Pamir tract has a long history. In the 30-s, the road only connected Osh and Khorog and ended in near Piandj River. One would have to take walking tours or caravan trails to reach the capital and other urban communites and that could last for months”.

Pamir Road. 30-s of the 20th Century.


In the 40-s the construction of the new road quaked the whole Tajikistan. Construction was planned to take five years. There was nothing in the world to challenge its complexity and heights, as well as rock solidity. The 567km road was built in 104 days – five kilos a day and those were some kilos! Peasants were making fires high in the mountains. When rocks heated, they would pour cold water and the rocks would go in fractures. Peasants would put sticks in those fractures and make brushwood flooring. Thus, they fought off each meter of upright cliffs, where they would also have to lift boxes with explosives.

Construction of Newpamirsky Tract to Tajikistan Capital. 1940.




Unbelievable , but then, communists of Tajikistan organized a bicycle journey in celebration of the road construction fulfillment!!! 29 Sep. Stalinobad, the present Dushanbe – Horog – Stalinobad – 1,090 kilos in 181 hrs and 11 mins!!

Afghan settlements on the other side of Piandj River. They do not have vehicle roads running parallel to river to connect villages, only ovring, so they really live at the edge of the world”.






Afghan ovring on the other side. Its width varies from 0.5 to 2 meters. No transports. So, you can take a tour on the donkey, in the best case.


Afghanis refurbishing their overings (Rarmchamshy Area)
Video Pamir 2010. 8a - YouTube

Along Piandj River.


























Different Piandj River some 60 kilos before Khorog. River bed expands to several hundred meters and water looks almost still.


Coasts now are all flat and broad, so villages follow one another and the biggest is Rushan. All villages are located along one main alley – the Pamir Tract M41. You gotta be very attentive while driving through those villages, especially in the evening when people come outdoors to chat with neighbors and stay on the road
We reached Khorog by night and decided not to stay and proceed onwards to Gamrchashma. It is a unique hot springs place 40 kilos away from Khorog. Locals advise to take a hot bath and go to sleep before going to highlands - for faster acclimatization. We went up early and postponed the bath until morning. Spent a night in a good guest house.

to be continued......

26 May. Garmchashma-Khorog. 40 km
In the morning Adri told he could not proceed, as his leg was aching bad and he needed a doctor or a couple of days to rest. It was a sudden blow to our plans and it took place in Horog, where I did not want to linger. But Adri is 55 years of age and I had to do some serious thinking, for we still had a long way ahead. Began to rain but we went to hot springs. The place is a fenced territory with a swimming pool and a stalagmite in the middle of it, to 4 to 5 meters above water surface. Water was coming out from the top of stalagmite. Water temperature is 80C degrees on exit, but while it runs down it manages to cool down to 30-35C

Garmchashma hot spring.


One won’t decide to jump their at once, cause it is too hot. The rain turned into the snow and I chose to dive. Adri was taking his bath hoping the hot water would help his ease the pain. The magic spring however did not. Went down to Khorog and I had a contact phone number on me, for just in case. Rang the guest house owner, his name was Tair. The lad met us and took to his place. Tair owns a real Pamir House, with wooden columns, wooden ceiling and wooden dome. Not many local people have houses of the kind and such attribute is publicly recognized as coolness.

Pamir House. Khorog










Kazakh,Tajik, Kyrgyz )


There was another visitor in the house. A Kyrgyz shap, named Said. From Murgab, by the way. Said deals with tourism. He took Adri to a local hospital. The Doctor there failed to diagnose what was going on with Adri’s leg, but gave him an injection of something and advised full relaxation and quietness for a while. So, Adri eagerly lamed back for that very relaxation and quietness. Myself and Said took a tour of Horog.
The town is a Region Capital. A small town, but densely populated. Lies close to River PIanzh, all surrounded by Mountains. Some urban districts exist on the tight grip to sloping sides of them Mountains. In the past, Horog was famous for the following places of interests – Botanical Gardens known all over former USSR and a small jewelry with its own boutique. The jewelry dealt with precious and semi-precious stones. I did not care much about Botanic. As for the second place of interest, it eventually turned out the jewelry was long time ago abandoned and forgotten. Wanted to buy my wife some garnet jewelries, because Pamir Garget is special for its rich and juicy red color. There are rather vast sites in the Pamir valleys where you can collect garnet from surface.
Adri’s leg became a torture by evening. He could scarcely move his foot. During supper, we took our map and began to think for what to do next. And decided Adri would proceed to restore his stamina and I would go to precious Murgab for two days, as planned initially. Adri, once OK, would come to Murgab and we go travel back to Kazakhstan via Kyrgyzstan.

27 May. Khorog- Murgab. 311 km
311 kilos from Khorog to Murgab. Road is not bad. At, least no rivers and other water related nuisances, likewise those tormenting our nerves just a few time ago. For just in case, I woke up as early as I could to took off at 6-00. Adri woke up too to help me push my loaded bike outside Tair’s kitchen garden. I left Khorog and hit M41 again. Landscape did not change, while I was driving thru rare villages.

Kids walking in my direction on their way to school. Don’t know where that school exactly is but distances among villages are multi-kilometered



First 100 kilos of the road were not bad and not so curvy. I could maintain 110-112 kilos an hour almost without cutting guns.





Pamir and his heavy breathing began to manifest themselves in some one hour. Please note, Pamir and Tajikistan are two different notions. Pamir is a realistic highland, very poorly populated in the eastern part of Tajikistan. Its official name is Gorno (High) Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. The rest of the country is a blooming garden. GPS altimeter was continuously showing elevation count. Vegetation was getting more rare and rare. Mountains were turning more stern.







Koyteze - the first pass is eye catching. Gravel serpentine runs into slope.

GiziMap data show Koyteze’s top elevation point is 4252. In about half an hour GPS showed 4221 and elevation count stopped. (?


Pamir highway. Koyteze Pass.




Grey snow was on mountains and some spots of the road. Next several dozens of kilos, the road would never go beneath the level of 4000. The road was badly damaged, most likely by nature, not vehicles. Then asphalt began again. It was knobby but not fractured, so the drive was fun just like rollercoaster.
I descended from pass to 3800 meters and suddenly saw a fantastic view of the Alichur valley. Murgab District starts here. For me personally, Pamir, this wild, lifeless, windy, misty and majestic country starts from here.

Alichur Valley. Murgab District.

"Rock Elephant " a little way before Murgab.


Strong tearing blows of wind make my bike bed just like an old sail ship. Really cold. I decided to put my rain coat on, in addition to several layers already. It turned to be tricky – the wind was tearing the coat in pieces so I could not put my arms and legs into the sleeves. So I turned from road and hid behind the slope. Then I heard ia sharp sound. My bike got carried away with the wind! I left it steady on earth, but now those 160 kgs of metal were lying right before me. Pamir, generally, is one big wind. Wins when you stand, sit, wind and , wind and juice…..
Alichur Valley is a most beautiful place. There one will see big Yak herds. In a Alichur roadhouse one could have some yummy fried fish from a local river. Things look closer as they are when you drive, an interesting optical illusion. Mountains, Yaks are all close and you drive and drive and they won’t disappear.
Traffic there is like this – no cars I saw on the road.

Mountains here are not as high as Fun Mountains or Gissar Giants. But the road grade lies on the level of not less than 3700 above sea.



I could not wait to see Murgab. And finally I saw it. As if it never left my life. During the three years of isolation here, I learned every house, every cliff and every stone there. 20 years passed, nothing changed. And the two most characteristic local colors were in place, too – bright blue sky and ginger-red-yellowish surface, like on Mars.

Murgab kishlak on the horizon.


River Murgab.



I saw local kids and took my toy bags. Trust me, I did not ask them kids to pose, they just like to be onphotos.


House where I lived.



Had lunch in a good village café and took off for Rangkol Lake


Murgab kishlak with Mount Zerkalky in the backgrounds



Road to Rangkol


Pamir sky is dark blue – for high altitude and tenuous air.







Rongkol Lake



Was very strongly surprised to run ton camels there. They seemed to feel in the same way. Never saw them camels in this places. And weather all time varies.






I did not care much about Lake. I wanted to see that сave with a mysterious fire. I really saw it once. There is even a local legend about that fire.
Long time ago, a gold caravan was passing thru this country. Caravan merchants learned that robbers would attack them at night. They saw a cave with the entrance located on a high altitude. They decided to hide there. They killed camels and made some kind of an embankment from their dead bodies. They hid in the cave with their gold and wolves ate all dead camels. Robbers found out where the gold was but they could not make it upwards. They surrounded the cliff hoping the merchants would capitulate and give gold for water and food. Time passed and no answer from caravan. Angry, robbers killed their camels and ascended in the cave same way the caravan merchants did. Inside, they found no men and no gold. So, the fire began to light there since those events. Like waving to others to tell about what got left after the caravan.
IN some time, I found the cliff and of course saw the cave. Disappointment was there was no fire.

Fire Cave Cliff.


No fire inside the cave.


….and an alien space vessel))



Disappointed I decided to proceed to take a tour towards the border with China.

Rongkul Village.


Approaching Rongkul Village I noticed the coming of a sandstorm. Wind was growing stronger and the dust was penetrating thru helmet and goggles.




Видео Пыльная буря. Памир. Ронгколь. - YouTube

there was a frontier ranger station nearby. I asked them to host me. They did not refuse and immediately checked all credentials. Station Boss and his deputy took me to their office, verified me personality and gave hot tea. Young officers were doing their non-stop 3-year service time. Under the conditions of life similar to those on Mars, i.e. it is not clear if there any life there… or not… My mentality spoiled in urban communities does not succeed to comprehend such lifestyle. The latter actually has some benefits. Army men get paid some USD250 a month, with all high altitude bonuses included. That is a good salary for a young Tajik Lieutenant. Besides, one year of such service total three – thanks to Moutains.
The storm was fading and I had to go back to Murgab, before something else would happen. On the road back I looked at the cliff again and WOODSTOCK! I almost fell down from bike. Oh, Heavenly Happiness! I saw that fire. Or was it illusion? I promptly made several shots and checked them on the camera monitor just to make sure I did not have the high altitude tripping. This is not a hallucination. because twice in my life. I was happy! There was the fire.



Zoom managed to catch the fire



I chose to linger and took off. The weather was getting nasty again.


Back to Murgab.






Wind was geeting stronger again. It was rising dust and little rocks. They were drumming on me helmet.


Video Пыльная буря. Памир. Мургаб. - YouTube

When I reached Murgab the wind eased and weather got clear again



My school with the Mount Zerkalky (Mirrors) in the backgrounds. They call it Mirrors for its surface keeps to shine for a long time after dawn


I was to this school, I remember everything. It was hard in the winter. A small coal stove warmed poorly in classroom. Teachers allowed us to sit in winter clothes and gloved hands. In the winter when it's -30C on the street . Bad-quality diesel freeze in generator, and often no electricity. A lot of what was not. Vegetables and fruits - is a luxury. Only when the holidays. Despite this we have lived here is not bad. I think now level living here has become worse.

When kids see an alien they gladly shout Hello! Looks like they have gotten used to expatriates.


Murgab’s Central Street. Like all such streets, in the past it was called Lenin Street


And here is himself – the Eternal Grandfather Lenin.

In the evening I met with my classmates. He was pleased and invited me to his house for the night. I know that 100 grams of vodka is good for acclimatization to the altitude. We drank two bottles!)) I was worry "mountain sickness" visit me at night. However, I immersed myself in sweet memories of my childhood and I slept very well.

to be continued...

28 May. Murgab. 200 km

Woke up surprisingly early and easily. Feared I would have acute mountain sickness that each fifth ascending traveler will regularly have, but I felt great. Today, I must look for meteorite crater and the ruby stone. For some reason, was sure I would that day)). Both targets were not that mystical, like the cave fire, but they required luck and fortune, or star smiles to be exact. I visually learnt the crater location during Google Earth maps review sessions, but the ruby...
Morning weather reminded me of an old local saying “All terms of year may change in one day in Pamir”. So it was. Went to café to have breakfast, it was clear and warm. When I left café, a cloud suddenly appeared that generated snow like some ice nebulizer.
Video Snow on Murgab (GBAO) May - YouTube
Snow stopped when I was leaving the village. Sun came out. Then hid again and the rain began. Nothing uncustomary to Murgab.

Asphalt ends right after qishlaq. Salt marshes begin with a slight hint of the vehicle trail on surface of an even mountain plateau…




Nasty weather again
Soon I ran into some sort of a mining or some minerals extraction field.

Serpentine road runs separately in the Mountain – my knowledge tells there is a ruby mine around here).


Did not hope to find it that fast. So I left the mine for later, and went on to crater. Drove a long way… some more… it would not show up. Chose the tack and tack riding manner so not to miss it, would not help…Decided to go back and full throttled to almost hop into an earth mouth. It was that crater! Happiness got soon replaced with strange anxiety feeling. I swear the place conveyed some feeling of extraterrestrial cold. It took me a long time to pull together to approach the crater. It is about 50 meters in diameter and 10 deep. Edges however already collapsed for rain and wind erosion. .


I did not find history of how it came there. But I dared to go down to its bottom. So cool! Crater-cool!!


Back for rubies!!!) I came to that mine and began to skid to abandoned mine along rock and gravel serpentine road running in upwards direction into the mountains.




Soon I got tired. I had not passed a third of the whole distance, but felt unrealistically tired. Tired from happing together with me bike from one side to another, and most of the times tending to jump into the abyss, tired of skidding, and tired of breathing too. Besides, I feared to damage wheels with some sharp rocks. So I jumped off me bike and took a couple of minute walk to see whether I would find a ruby. I did not so I just took off to pass through other session of skidding and hopping. I am done here. I want to get back to Murgab ASAP.

Much later, it turned out I made a major mistake in my quest. So, it turned out good I did not make it on top of that serpentine and the mine, for it was an abandoned Uranium Mine!))

General impression of today’s trip is good.
Made it safe to Qishlaq.

All Murgab houses are flat-roofed. Rains are rare here.


Murgab. Television center.


Victory Day Monument


Careful! Man with a kid drawn later!


Tajik Currency - Somoni.









On May, 29th Murghab - Gulcha (Kirghizia) 333km


5.00 mornings Adri sent sms from Khorog, he start. I with surprising accuracy have calculated arrival Адри to Murghab - if at it all will be as at me that of 311 km it will pass for 5 hours of a way. From idleness has gone towards and before entrance to Murghab began to wait for it on militian to a post. Exactly in 10 I have seen a lonely from apart lonely, shone headlight of a motorcycle. However, but for these two days I have really felt, that to me is awfully lonely without mine голанндского the friend, with it is more cheerful. Still it has pleased me with that has not forgotten to take away vodka from Khorog which we have bought in Dushanbe, it on road through заснеженный pass Kokterez also was sincerely cooled, therefore it has appeared absolutely by the way.
Video http: // YouTube v=H1aPcanLCyg

Though and not for a long time, but Аdri has visited Murghab.


Pamir Yaks.


Video 15 - YouTube



On the top of highest pass of the former USSR. 4655m


The road goes along the Chinese border. China is behind a prickly fence.



Welcome to Chine!))


The first outpost on new boundaries of Russian empire. A outpost "Pamir". 1902.


Now monument.


Traffic sign - attention!


Kishlak Karakul and high-mountainous salty lake Karakul

No works gas station


Have crossed border quickly. No cars not present people there. Said : goodbye aside the dark blue sky and snow mountains: " Up to new meetings Pamir!!! "


Border Tajikistan from Kirghizia








I warned Adri that it is necessary to take a helmet the closed face))











Hotel, vodka, sms - day is finish)


to be continued...

30 May Gulcha-Toktogul. 340km
In the morning went to look for metal welding service. The metal bike rack has broken from the Pamir roads. Found one in a local car repairs station. They would not agree to do anything, even for money. Laziness is the bane of the Kazakhs and Kyrgyz. Strange local mentality. For some reason, I felt sure that if they agreed they would finish it and do it all the right way. So it happened. And really – they aced it and refused to take any money. The only thing they wanted was to get in the picture.





We took off onwards. Road quality is excellent all the way from Gulchi to Bishkek. Road is broad and has all relevant markings, even in the high altitude mountain pass sections Ala-bel and To-Ashu.

The Ferghana Valley.Only fields around.


Uzgen Town between Osh and Jalalabad. Local waiter shows Adri how to eat Samsa – turn it topsy-turvy, cut off the bottom. Each meat from inside and chase it with the cut off bottom.


Uzgen Bazaar


Locals.


Jalalabad Gates


Many odd facilities nearby Tash-Kumyr.




How River Naryn looks like after numerous Toktogul Water Power Plant cascades. All quietness! And that is not the Naryn that boils in the Naryn Region
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local 4WD Enduro


Toktogul Water Pool.





Kyrgyzstan)) – even marijuana grows in the water.


The lake is warm and friendly - the best shower for rider!)

Kyrgyz mountains are not so high, but attractive in their own ways.


I planned to each Bishkek that day, but during swimming we made some thinking to chose to stay in the village.

31 May Toktogul-Bishkek . 295km
It was Adri’s second day of illegal presence in Kyrgyzstan. His visa expired the same day we entered the Republic. So we had things to keep us busy in Bishkek.
Toktogul-Bishkek road is luxury! Broad and even, and ever changing variety of beautiful sites.

There was snow on the Alabel Pass and it was cold. Height – 3,184 m






Met a UK couple Jaco & Gemma on the road. They were driving to Pamir from Issyk – Kul. He had Honda Transalp , she had Suzuki DRZ400.


To-Ashu Pass Ascend. 3,586 meters. Last pass on our route.






Soon we made it to Bishkek.
Got the visa in two hours, filled our stomachs in and bought gas for bikes. What else does a biker need to proceed? Looks like all. And the last section – 200 km to Almaty.

Bishkek-Almaty Road. Piece of rainbow as a reward for secure homecoming


This trip was two years ago. I did all tasks we spotted, except for Ruby, which I can do later and that is just a Gag after all. Route was a success. Stars were smiling on us!!!
Upon return, I saw Pamir in my dreams, in all various fantastic forms, for almost one month. It was probably my consciousness that was only beginning to realize and process what happened on that trip. We keep in close touch with Adri. He got back home and Now he has a plan – he wants to bring his Daughter and take the Pamir route again.
This year I'll be attending Pamir twice. I plan to organize humanitarian aid for children in Murghab. Toys, albums for drawing, books, clothes. I hope this event will grow every year. If you have the desire, their own ideas that would take part in helping please contact me. Your name will be included in the list of participants humanitarian aid for Pamir's children. These lists will be posted in the guest house, the school library and city hall of the Murgab kishlak.

Some other photos of the Pamir I'll post here as well.

Thank you very much!


Regards
Mara

Great story! We don't often get to see these places. Fascinating.

Tough journey, brilliantly told. Thank you

That was great Mara

I really hope to make it there next season at around that time of year, Thanks for sharing please add me to the list

Welcome to Central Asia!
Pamir is fantastic.