I am planning to ride the Pamir road in august 2010, starting from Sary Tash to Kargush, than the Whakan valley to Ishkashim and Khorog, I would like to know:
- road conditions: I read that Pamir road is almost all tarmac, Whakan roads instead is quite dirt, other bad roads in Tajikistan ? (after Pamir we will ride to Dushanbe and Uzbekistan ...)
- GBAO permit for Pamir region is the same for Whakan?
- is it easy to find food and accommodations, or better to bring our own tent? We did so in Mongolia, and was really nice to sleep near a lake or in the mountains, but we are also considering the weight ... even because we would use it only in the Pamir region ..
thank you
H.R.

Hi Honey,

We were along Pamir Hway and Wakhan Valley 2009, I don't remember any tarred sections, all the roads are as rough as and the altitude sickness got us also.

If you are after accommodation forget it, there are some home stays but very few.

If you would like some correspondence send me an email to ann_chris@bigpond.com

Cheers

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Chris

Not wanting to start an argument, but I'd have to dissagree with that post entirely.

Rode the Pamhir hwy and Wakkan road last year and saw lots of homestays. Certainly in all the sizeable villages and in a few smaller places as well. I suspect there'd be houses willing to take you in any villages without official homestays as well if you asked around (It seemed to me there's somewhat of a wealth disparity ready to emerge in the Pamhirs, as official (and therefore signed) homestays have a big source of income over normal families). Price of the places I stayed was between $8 and $15 US.

Most of the Pamhir hwy between Sary Tash and Horog is tarmac though do expect a certain amount of potholes etc, and the gravel sections were all in good condition albeit with corrogations in places. Wakkan valley was good gravel. BUT due to all the mountains and the potentially extreme weather road conditions could change very quickly. Around three weeks after I entered Tajikistan I returned the same way to find the road between Karakul and the border had been swept away in two seperate places by rivers which I'm pretty certain hadn't even been there before. And some guys who crossed the border only a day or two after me nearly got stuck in snow at the pass between the borders when it was only wet and muddy when I was there (and fairly dry three weeks earlier). So there's no guarantee what you'll find, but in my opinion the general condition of the roads there was good.

No special permission needed for Wakkan, just GBAO stamp, but make sure you get all 7 regions listed on it.

I didn't camp once in the Pamhirs as I didn't have a proper tent with me. As it's a such touristic region I'd feel happier travelling there without a tent than I would elsewhere in central asia. All the places I stayed people spoke English to some degree. The Pamhir map you can buy from tourist agencies also marks homestays on it - It's anyway worth getting this or bringing your own detailed map if you want to explore some of the sideroads.

I can't answer your other questions but various people who use this site travelled that way last year and will probably come along and provide the answers.

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UK to Mongolia 2009, on a DR350

Agree with Nath ... Pamir Highway in TJ is all asphalt, except for a little bit around the Ak Baital Pass, and for the bit around the Kyzyl Art pass on the border with KG.

The Wakhan and Panj Valley roads are mostly dirt, and some sections have deep gravel. But ... the road from Khargush, thru Ishkashim, Khorog, Khalaikhum and Kulob is mind blowingly beautiful.

I am currently posting a detailed report of photos on that section of road here:

Central Asia - Pure Photos (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan) - Page 13 - ADVrider

pages 13 - page 18 are all on that stretch. Earlier pages have more pictures of road condition in other parts of TJ and Uzbekistan.

I had a tent but didnt need to use it in TJ... accommodation was everywhere I needed it and inexpensive.

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Colebatch is right. I travelled there many times (lat time August 2009). Situation still improve, roads are in better condition and more and more people can speak English. Traffic is higher and you can find acomodation in many places. There is a lot of dirt tracks in Pamir but M41 is tarmac - only pass sections are gravel.
You can find acomodation in every village along Pyanzh river and also in Pamir plateau you can sleep in Karakol, Murgab, Alichur, Bulunkul etc.
We slept on the ground without tent last year but take good sleeping bag if you want to try it...

Did the Pamir Highway and the Wakhan valley in June 2009 on my old XT.
Relaxed driving, highway mostly tarmac except on the passes. Wakhan some gravel. Met nothing but friendly people and slept in very enjoyable homestays . And most of all the scenery is exceptionally beautifull.
Had only one freightening experience in Tadjikistan: the tunnel north of Dushanbe.

No doubt you will enjoy it.

Guy