Sari Khosor Nature Reserve Trekking in April – A song of snow, rain and mud

Sari Khosor Nature Reserve

Located in central Tajikistan’s Baljuvon district, the Sari Khosor Nature Reserve is a state-protected area known for its deciduous mountain forests, dominated by walnut trees and wild fruit trees. The landscape is as rich in biodiversity as it is in beauty, home to animals like wild boars and bears. The main valley of the Surkhob River is dotted with small villages where people have lived in harmony with nature for generations. With altitudes generally around 2.000 meters, Sari Khosor offers a refreshing alternative to the country's higher ranges, making it a better destination for spring or autumn trekking. Spring is a particularly magical time to visit, when everything is green and blooming, before the baking sun dries out the hillsides in summer. There are no established trails, and once you leave the last village behind, you likely will not meet another soul. But that solitude is part of what makes trekking here such an adventure.

Start Point: Dara-Khurdak

The trek begins in Dara-Khurdak, a small village situated on the northern edge of the nature reserve along the Obimazor River. A well-maintained road connects Khovaling to Dara-Khurdak, as the village is being actively developed as a pilgrimage and tourism destination due to the presence of the tomb of Sultan Uwaysi Qarani. The site features a restored mausoleum and five sacred springs, surrounded by shaded gardens, resting places and a small mosque. Uways al‑Qarani is a revered figure in Islamic tradition, and while the site's connection to him is rooted in local legend rather than verified history, it holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for many. During the summer months, the village sees a steady stream of pilgrims and visitors, and Dara-i Khurdak has plenty of accommodations for that reason.

In April, however, the village is still in its quiet off-season. It felt almost deserted, apart from a few vending stalls selling traditional herbal remedies and plants. Fortunately, we arrived at a hotel just as the managers were preparing for the season. We had the entire Manzara Hotel to ourselves with a complete free choice of rooms. The managers were incredibly welcoming and prepared an excellent meal for us, both generous in quantity and delicious. Props to Manzara Hotel!

Day 1 – Snow

We set off in the morning from Dara-Khurdak, aiming to follow a route that should take us north to cross a pass at around 2.700 meters and then westward into the Mullukoni Valley to eventually reach the main Surkhob Valley. The path from Dara-Khurdak starts going up gently, with occasional muddy sections and a few small traces of snow at higher altitudes, but nothing too concerning. The nature here is characterized by nice hilly landscapes with an backdrop of impressive mountain ridges.

As we are approaching the 2.500-meter mark, things start to shift. Snow patches are growing larger, until suddenly we are faced with vast fields of unbroken snow stretching across the pass that we wanted to cross. We are pushing on for a while, trying to cross, but quickly run into too much trouble. Our boots sink deeply with every step, quickly filling with icy water. It does not take long to realize this is not going to work. The pass is still buried in late-spring snow, and continuing would be risky and exhausting. We decide to turn around.

Instead of heading west, we descend into the remote Safedsangob Valley. The valley feels untouched, no trails, no signs of people, just dense vegetation along a rocky riverbed. Finding a campsite is harder than expected, with most of the valley floor overgrown or strewn with boulders. Eventually, we come across a flat patch of grass near the river. We pitch our tents and call it a day.

Day 2 – Rain

Our plan for today is simple on paper: follow the Safedsangob valley down and head straight toward Sari Khosor. We hope to find a trail along the river, but those hopes fade quickly. At the beginning, we hike through some beautiful forests, until soon there is nothing but dense vegetation and steep valley walls. The only real option is to walk straight across the wide riverbed. At first, it is doable. The river winds through the valley, so we have to cross it from time to time. As the water is shallow, this is manageable and we make steady progress.

Then the weather turns. Rain starts to fall more intensely. Slowly at first, then heavier and heavier. Before long, we are soaked through. The river begins to swell right in front of our eyes, becoming faster and deeper with every passing minute. Each crossing takes more and more effort, and the riverbed that felt open and easy in the morning starts to feel like a trap.

By early afternoon, we have barely made it a few kilometers. We come across a small patch of flat ground near the Safedsangob river. Since the rain does not seem to stop any time soon, we pitch our tents and call it a day and hope for weather conditions to improve tomorrow.

Day 3 – Mud

We wake up to continued rainfall. With the river still rising and the valley floor soaked, it becomes clear that continuing downstream toward Sari Khosor is no longer feasible. The safest option is to climb out of the valley and return to Dara-Khurdak. As we ascend, we occasionally get views of the Surkhob River in the distance, the area we had originally planned to reach. However, due to weather conditions and the state of the terrain, that goal is now out of reach.

During the climb, we encounter multiple wild boars, as well as fresh bear tracks along the trail, evidence of the area's rich wildlife. As we get out of the valley, we reach a ridge with an track that leads back to Dara-Khurdak. Compared to the first day, we realize that the conditions have deteriorated significantly. The trails have turned into a thick layer of mud. Walking becomes difficult: our boots sink into the wet ground, and heavy clumps of mud stick to our shoes, making each step more tiring. Later in the afternoon, the rain develops into a thunderstorm and going gets even tougher.

The full return hike to Dara-Khurdak covers around 27 kilometers, and due to the difficult trail conditions and ongoing rain, it takes us until early evening to complete the route. It is a physically demanding day, with significantly slower progress than under normal circumstances, but we are glad that we made it back to the hotel.

Conclusion

So, as for the question posed in the introduction (are we going to make it to Sari Khosor village?), the answer is: no. Although we did not reach our planned destination, the trek still turned out to be a valuable experience in a remote and little-traveled part of Tajikistan.

Trekking in the early season is always a challenge and, to some extent, a gamble. Sometimes it works out (as in this trek across Anzob Pass), and other times the weather forces a change of plans (like during this Pamir trek in June). In this case, we were unlucky. Persistent rain, deep snow, and rising rivers left us with no realistic option but to turn back.

That said, it was still a nice adventure and a solid physical challenge. We got to explore rarely visited terrain, hike through beautiful forests, and witness the unpredictable power of nature up close. Despite the setbacks, Sari Khosor Nature Reserve clearly has a lot of potential for great trekking trips, especially a tiny bit later in the season, when the trails are more accessible and the rivers lower.