14-Day Trekking Trip to the Pamir Mountains

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Duration 14 days

Distance 111 km

Max. altitude 4600 meters

Camping 5 nights

Homestay 8 nights

Difficulty

Hard

Price

From €2098 $2362 / person

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Stunning landscapes in the core of the Pamirs

Head out for a trekking expedition on stunning trails through the heart of the Pamir Mountains. Designed for seasoned hikers, this trek uses the remote village of Bulunkul as gateway to the natural beauty of the central Pamirs. The region hosts innumerable amazing lakes. Among others, we visit the lakes of Yashilkul, Chapdarkul, Zarojkul and Turumtaykul. The trek provides a non-stop series of breathtaking landscapes and views. The trail goes up and down reaching heights of up to 4600 meters. The long and difficult trek allows for relaxation in natural hot springs at various places along the route. Furthermore, you can experience the local life in the mountain villages of Bulunkul, Bachor, Jelondy and Javshangoz. There is also time in the itinerary to explore Khorog, the capital city of the Pamir region.

Highlights

Lakes of Yashilkul, Chapdarkul and Zarojkul

Villages at the end of the world

Natural hot springs

Camping in complete remoteness

Vast and rough high-mountain landscapes

Turumtaykul

Available departure dates

Available

Unavailable

Group departure

Itinerary

The day-to-day itinerary gives a detailed overview of the hiking and highlights planned for each stage of the trek. The itinerary has been carefully tested and tried. Although it rarely happens, unforeseen circumstances can force us to make (minor) adaptations to the schedule, even during the trek. For example, weather and road conditions may change rapidly while trekking and make certain parts of the route less passable. Flexibility is indispensable when traveling and hiking through the rugged lands of Tajikistan.

Day 1 – Dushanbe to Qal'ai Khumb

Pick-up is in the morning at your desired location in Dushanbe and followed by a briefing and collection of equipment and provisions. Then we take a car to head toward the east of Tajikistan via Danghara and Kulob through a variety of landscapes. Half-way to the capital of the Pamir region, we reach the city of Qal'ai Khumb (1250 m), where we stay for the night.

Day 2 – Qal'ai Khumb to Khorog

On the second day, we continue our journey on the Pamir Highway deeper into the mountains. The bumpy road runs most of the day right along the banks of the Tajik side of the Panj river. The Panj river forms the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. You are treated on the first views of the majestic Pamir Mountains. In the late afternoon, we reach Khorog, the capital of Gorno-Badakhshan. We spend the night in Khorog (2100 m).

Day 3 – Khorog to Bulunkul

For the final part by car, we drive for about 6 hours to the village of Bulunkul. The views over the vast high mountain desert landscapes are spectacular. The lakes of Tuzkul and Sassykul are among the places that we get to see along the road. Bulunkul itself lies at an altitude of 3750 meters and is said to be the coldest village of Tajikistan. Temperatures in winter can drop to –40˚C. In Bulunkul, we spend the night in a homestay.

Day 4 – Acclimatisation in Bulunkul

We take it easy on the fourth day to get used to the altitude. In the morning, there is time to explore the surroundings of Bulunkul. There are several hot springs and even a geyser in the area that can be visited by car. You can also choose to take it easy and wander around through the marshlands and along the small lake right next to the village. We spend the night again in Bulunkul.

Day 5 – Chapdarkul Valley

14 km

In the morning, we drive westward along Yashilkul – one of the bigger lakes in the Pamir Mountains. The road provides impressive far-reaching views over the lake. At the western tip of Yashilkul, we start trekking. The trail starts off with a short but steep climb to reach the valley that leads up to Chapdarkul Lake, which lies at an altitude of 4500 meters. The entire hike to Chapdarkul takes two days. Today, we hike all day along a river to reach our campsite at an altitude of approximately 4000 meters.

Day 6 – Chapdarkul

13 km

From our campsite, we hike up a side valley, gaining 500 meters in elevation to reach the stunning lake of Chapdarkul at an altitude of 4500 meters. At Chapdarkul, we pause to take in the breathtaking views and have a rest. We then continue northward, descending through a different valley. By late afternoon, we arrive at our next campsite, set at 4450 meters. This is the highest overnight stop of the entire trek. Nights here can be very frigid, so be prepared for freezing temperatures.

Day 7 – Uchkul

17 km

We begin the day with a gentle descent from the campsite down to around 4250 meters. The trail then flattens, guiding us along a chain of picturesque mountain lakes for the next 10 kilometers. Eventually, we enter the Langar Valley and begin following it upstream toward Zarojkul. Today’s journey ends halfway up the valley, where we set up camp beside one of the many lakes in the valley, an ideal spot to relax and take in the beauty of the surrounding landscapes.

Day 8 – Zarojkul and Tsaxinkul

14 km

On day eight, we complete the ascent to Zarojkul, climbing about 200 meters in elevation. Along the way, we pass several smaller lakes, including Uchkul. The area of Zarojkul, with its intense blue colors, is an absolute highlight of the Pamir Mountains. From here, we continue our hike at sky-high altitudes for approximately 5 kilometers, also reaching the trek’s highest point at 4600 meters. The route then descends gradually until we arrive at the lake of Tsaxinkul, where we set up camp on its shores at 4300 meters.

Day 9 – Andaravadzh Valley

12 km

We start our way back to civilization. The hike of today leads down through the valley of the Andaravadzh river. Hot springs can be encountered in the valley. We spend the night in tents next to the river.

Day 10 – Bachor

18 km

Continuing further down through the valley brings us to Gunt river and finally to the village Bachor. We spend the night in a homestay in Bachor (3300 m).

Day 11 – Turumtaykul

23 km

From Bachor, we drive by car via the village of Jelondy to the remote lake of Turumtaykul (4200 m). After enjoying the great views over Turumtaykul, we hike south over a vast plain. We cross a relatively easy mountain pass at 4300 meters. The rest of the hike only moves down from here on. On the way down, we get views over some of the highest peaks of the southern Pamirs, including Karl Marx Peak (6726 m) and Engels Peak (6510 m). The wide valley that we reach at the bottom of the descent is sparsely populated. We walk to the village of Javshangoz (3450 m) to spend the night in a homestay.

Day 12 – Shohdara Valley

From Javshangoz, it is a 6 hours drive to Khorog. The road along the Shohdara river leads through many small mountain villages. Near the end of the drive, we make a stop at the botanical garden for a view over Khorog. We spend the night in Khorog.

Day 13 – Khorog to Qal'ai Khumb

From Khorog, we continue by car on the bumpy Pamir Highway in the direction of Dushanbe. We again make our way through the scenic landscapes along the Panj River. Today we drive until Qal'ai Khumb, where we will spend the night in a hostel.

Day 14 – Qal'ai Khumb to Dushanbe

The ride back to Dushanbe on the last day takes about 8 hours. Arrival in Dushanbe is in the evening. In Dushanbe, you are dropped off at your desired location.