Pamir Highway Landslide - July 2015
 

Fyi: big landslide blocks Pamir Highway out of Khorog to Murgab

Caravanistan View topic - Pamir Highway landslide

The landslide has effected a main power station so many of the villages are currently without electricity so if anyone is heading that way bear that in mind with regards to charging electrical items.

I guess the Bartang valley will look like the M25 this season

From what I understand it happened on M41 15 kms east of Korogh, so I suppose Wakhan Valley, and not Bartang, will become the most travelled route this year...

That makes more sense as the person i just spoke to lives between Khorog and ishkashim and stated all power is out in the villages and will not get fixed for awhile due to the landslide. Langar has its own small hydropower station so that's probably fine regarding electrical issues and most larger village's have small generators for the winter power black outs

Well there are a few options (Bartang & Wakhan) then for the detour around this landslide which are actually more interesting to ride, i am heading there shortly but via Dushanbe

This photo was taken around the same area as this recent landslide in 2013 and they just made another road adjacent to it with diamante and diggers, it is a common thing so they are very well prepared to react to this.

Taken from odnoklassniki so excuse the bad Tajik farsi to English Translate


In GBAO resulting mudslide affected 29 houses at least 29 houses in three villages were affected Shugnan district of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. It settlements Tang, Bars and Berdibek, which are located in the riverbed Gund. According to Radio "Ozodi" because of mudflow and raising the water level in the river in Badakhshan Gund led to the suspension of the hydroelectric units of two hydroelectric power stations "Pamir-1" and "Khorog." A spokesman for the company "Pamir Energy" Abdullah Amonbekov, July 17, told Radio Ozodi that currently HPP "Pamir-1" and "Khorog" temporarily not working. This has caused power outages for residents Shugnan, Roshtkala and partly areas Rushan and Ishkashim. According Amonbekova, "Tang around the village on a two-kilometer area of ​​damaged power lines. Dirty mudslide could destroy the system of units, so it was decided to suspend the work of the two HES. This is a temporary measure. " According to the company, the water level increases, so it is not known when it will decide on the resumption of the units. Meanwhile, according to local residents related to radio Ozodi from the village of Tang, a large amount of water has led to the emergence of an artificial lake. In the case of stormwater, many housing estates around the area can be flooded. Villagers in Berdibek Shugnan district spent last night on the street for fear of flooding homes. A villager named Berdibek Moukim told that the locals took with them only the essentials and left the house, some tents right in the mountain range, above the water. Mukim said that in their village located 30 houses. As a result of mudflow was destroyed three houses and a local shop. "Many people in panic, because in their eyes, the water level rises," - he says. Meanwhile, the official report of the Office of Emergency Gorno-Badakhshan region, as a result of mudflow and a sharp increase in the volume of water in the river Gund, damaged 15 houses of local residents in the villages of Tang, Bars and Berdibek. It destroyed about 5 kilometers of the road Shugnan. Management experts concluded that the cause of gathering a large amount of water has become the melting of glaciers in the hottest period of the season. Specialist CSF stated that mudflow, passing through the gorge Souchon, he threw in Gund large amounts of stone and mud that caused harm to the living quarters of local residents. According to him, in Barseme element formed an artificial lake. Commission for Emergency Situations said that the need to take urgent action to mitigate the threat level, and an artificial pond for the villagers in the outskirts of Khorog. Head of Tajikistan Khayriddin Abdurahimov CSF together with the local leadership is in the scene.

Besides Bartang and Wakhan also Roshtqala-Valley (Shakhdara) is an option for getting around the landslide.

Perhaps some mod could separate this issue from the other?

There are two articles from today, but they don't say how long the repair of the road will last:
The threat of devastating flooding reportedly past in Gorno Badakhshan | Tajikistan News-NA «Asia-Plus»
Damage caused by mudflows in eastern Tajikistan exceeds more than $3 million - AKIpress News Agency
Second with video.
It is a harsh life in Pamir, not only in winter.

There continue to be landslides, but I don't know how much this affects the possiblity to get through
More mudslides and floods reported in Gorno Badakhshan | Tajikistan News-NA «Asia-Plus»

Dear Pamir lovers.
We have travelers on bikes arriving almost daily from the GBAO region.
Wakhan Valley, Roshtqala-Valley (Shakhdara) and Bartang are options for getting around the landslide.

Ride save.

CHeers

Leaving Kyrgyzstan for Tajikistan today. I'll be taking the Wakhan corridor and I'm interested if anyone has started further East than the usual spot. Everyone I've talked to so far has taken M41 south from Murghab and then eventually branched off of M41 and taken the road that borders Afgan. But there is also a road going East from Murghab and then branching south eventually leading to the eastern end of Wakhan and ending in the small town of Aksu with a small road leading on to the main part of Wakhan. On google maps it appears that this whole region is part of Tajikistan but there is a dotted line. Is China claiming it? Has anyone tried to get to Aksu and head West? Not even sure if there is a ridable road.

Yes a few people have done it. Its an area you need a special permit to satisfy the military who control it. Technically its a national park permit for the area.

You can get the permit in Khorog.

For more info and pics, see link here ... the trip into the permit zone (by HUBB user "Boarder") starts about Halfway down this page at the Khargush checkpoint and entry to the Zorkul zone:

Eastbound, to the Stans | Page 11 | Adventure Rider

Sambor here is also another one to ask about that area, as he has been into that corner too.

Its not really suitable as a general purpose detour as its a closed area requiring an additional permit, there is very limited availability of fuel, and the track conditions are worse than other options. Its a worthwhile place to go if you have planned to go there and are prepared for it.

Road repaired
 

A bit late in the season, but that stretch of road is now fixed and perfectly rideable.