Has anyone been up the road along the Pamir River (Afghanistan border) from Khargush east to Lake Zorkul and beyond?

Do you need a special permit to go into this area? Where do you get the permit?

On the map the road appears to continue all the way around- east and then north back to the Pamir Highway and Murghab? Has anyone here been that way?

What condition is it in?

How are the river crossings in there?


Any information is greatly appreciated. We are making plans to ride in the Pamirs in the summer of 2012.


....................shu

You are talking the route after Khargush highlighted in green?



In theory, that road east of Khargush is a military area, and you need an additional permit to be there.

In practise it is possible to ride around the military checkpoint at Khargush, feign heading north, and once out of sight, turn east and pick up the road again.

I believe yes the road does rejoin the Pamir Highway at Murgab. You will need to take a fair bit of fuel with you. I think the fuel range required to go around that Kyzylrabat (Qizilrabat) corner will be quite large. The last fuel available before Khargush is at Langar. There is no fuel at Khargush and its very possible there is no fuel at Kyzylrabat or Tokhtamish. Meaning you would have to have a range to get from Langar to Murgab via the corner of Tajikistan.

You should have a chat with Sambor on this forum, he has been down that road - certainly as far as Zorkul - and possibly further.

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by the way, a guy I know in the travel industry in Dushanbe who reckons he could get a permit to use that road easily enough. If you wanted to do it "legally".

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I have not traveled that road personally - I was considering it, but decided to not risk being trapped by weather in such a remote area as I was traveling in early Oct - but I met other travelers who did take that road in a hired 4x4.

They said the road was in decent condition, and I don't recall them mentioning any river crossings. There is very little out there - some herders in summer and a hunting lodge (mentioned in the LP guide). Definitely take Colebatch's advice regarding the extra fuel - in my experience in early October there was no fuel in Langar, the station at Vrang was also closed. We had to continue on to Zong to find fuel in drums shipped in from Kyrgyzstan. Of course if you're desperate someone will usually sell you a few liters for a price.

They picked up the permits in Khorog, I'd assume you can get them in Murghab as well. I think META (in LP guide) can arrange the permits, best to contact someone in advance I would think.

Thanks for the info.

Colebatch- Yes the green line is pretty much what I envisioned for a route, except possibly cutting north earlier right after Kotali Yangidawan. Thanks for the advice about the checkpoint. We're just thinking about it right now, but we may be back in touch for more info about 'the guy" you know.

MCole- thanks for the road conditions info, too.

It looks like fuel is probably going to be our limiting factor- from Kargush to Murghab looks like 250-300 km- probably need to carry 4-5 gallons extra each.

thanks..........shu

Hi there,

I didn't do Zorkul, but I have two bits of info for you.

I got fuel in Langar last July. Langar is a sparse and scattered settlement. The place for fuel is couple of kms before the blue sign-posted homestay (on the right as you ride East and the only one I remember seeing). It's in a lone white-washed building/shop on the left heading East – ask around since there are no signs. From barrels, as if often the case in Tajikistan. But like MCole says, someone will help you if you're desperate.

And re Zorkul timing. I would aim to do it from mid-July onwards/ August. By this time the track should be dry. In Dushanbe I met an overlander with a Landcruiser. He had taken the track from Mughab to Zorkul and onto Hargushe Pass in June, but had got bogged down in mud somewhere near the lake and had to be toed out. All of which he loved. Stunning scenery he said.

Have a great time,

Bob

Interesting info.

I too have been looking at this route.

If you do decide to do it, please report back and let us know how you got on.

G

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I have been there twice. Road is a bit sandy near Zorkul and stony between Zorkul and Jarty Gumbez. I don't recommend to do it on one bike. I never had a permit. This year my group was stopped on Khargush post by national park police and we paid fine about 5 dollars a bike because we didn't had permit.
There is plenty roads in this area which are not on a map presented by Walter. So be careful and don't make a mistake. It is about 200 km from Murgab through Zorkul Lake to Khargush. No fuel of course. Sometimes you can meet locals in 4x4.

Thanks Sambor.

200 km from Murghab to Khargush......that actually sounds possible without too much extra fuel, as long as we don't get lost and wander around too much.


.............shu

As i am planning ride Pamir Highway&Wakhan corridor for next year time around mid july so that i take small road to south to river&waken corridor from M41 and then ride to Ishkashim and then return to M41 in Kharug so i have few questions:
Lonely planet guide states that you need to have Ishkashim marked on your GBAO if you wish to visit Ishkashim. Any experiences? Is adding Ishkashim to GBAO only standart procedure and you have to mention it in your application?

There is every saturday transborder market in Ishkashim where both Afgan and Tajik people gather. I understood it is in small island between two countries but do you need visa to Afganistan to go there. I try to schedule my ride so that i would be there to visit and see it because i think it would be worthwile to see and experience.

I learned from Kazakstan&Mongolia ride 2010 that i try to spend some time in "target area" and see people, culture and take easy there taking pictures and seeing what happens there and not just ride from dawn till dusk.

Question expecially for Sambor as i know that you have ridden with AT's there and you have jetted bikes? I have put dynojet kit to my RD07 but what settings you have had when you have ridden Pamir. What kind of jet's and have you dropped needle from recommended position? I think default is 3rd or 4th hole from up (if i remember right)

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All you need to go to Ishkhashim is GBAO permit. Permit is a stamp, different in different Tajik embassies. Sometimes with Lonely planet has wrong information. If you have Gbao permit you can stay and travel in whole Pamir area where other special permit is not necessary.
Market is in the island and you don't need any afghan visa to go there.
In the past I used dyno jet to reduce fuel in carb. It is not necessary. Keep away from the dust and check your air filter often. Everything wil be ok. CU in Pamir.

So you have just stock needles&jets in carb and not dynojets stage 1? I am thinking as i installed aftermarket exhaust and dynojet needles to carbs what kind of settings i should put to needles when i go to high altidude like Pamir. I will keep dynojet needles at least here in Finland because otherwise i belive fuel mixture wouldnt be correct with aftermarket exhaust (Remus)

Hopefully we see in Pamir.

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I stepped into the world of Garmin navigators and bought GPSMapper 478 and i yeasterday got familiar with MapSource and OSM maps. They seem to be excellent maps expecially for Russia.

However i noticed that there are not much routes/tracks in OSM from this area and like example Ishkashim is missing from OSM totally.

IF anyone has Garmin track/routes into that area and you are willing to share them please contact me.

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The road thru Ishkasim is on OSM. Its marked as a main road. You mean the road to Kyzylrabat, Shaymak, Tokhtamysh?

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Hello,

Yes road to Ishkasim is there and also (in map below yellow road) smaller road which goes to east from Ishkasim and then back to M41. But actual Iskhasim village is missing from map or at least i didnt had in my version of OSM which i downloaded last night from garmin.openstreetmap.nl. Perhaps i have to recheck it but i am pretty certain it was missing

Ok if i now check directly from OSM site it is there but on Afganistan side so perhaps i missed it.

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