Zerafshan Trek

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Duration 8 days

Distance 101 km

Max. altitude 3910 meters

Camping 6 nights

Homestay 1 night

Difficulty

Challenging

Price

From €939 $1055 / person

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A journey through the secluded valleys of Ziddi and Yaghnob

Unique cultures, challenging mountain passes and marvelous views. This trek through some relatively undiscovered parts of Tajikistan has a lot to offer! Starting in the village of Ziddi, we cross the Anzob Pass to reach the Yaghnob Valley. The trail then continues upstream along the Yaghnob River for a long time until we finally turn right into the Tagobikul side valley. Along the way, we pass through numerous villages of the Yaghnobi, a unique ethnic group who have inhabited this isolated region for more than thousand years. Over that long period, their culture and language have remained practically unchanged. From the Tagobikul Valley, the trek leads over a 3900 meter high mountain pass to the Leilakul Lakes. The final part of this loop trek goes through the long Ziddi Valley back to the place where we started.

Highlights

Ziddi Valley and Anzob Pass

Leilakul Lakes

Still relatively undiscovered parts of Tajikistan

Hike through the lands of the Yaghnobi people

Altitudes up to 3900 meters

Wild camping

Available departure dates

Available

Unavailable

Group departure

Map and Profile

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 – Foot of Anzob Pass – 2 km

2 km

Departure from Dushanbe in the morning, where you are picked up at your desired location. In about 2 hours, we then drive to the village of Ziddi. In the afternoon, we hike up the first part of the Anzob Pass. After a few kilometers, we pitch our tents to spend the first night under the stars.

Day 2 – Crossing Anzob Pass – 19 km

19 km

On the second day, we continue climbing the Anzob Pass with nice views over the Ziddi Valley. The height difference of this climb is 700 meters. The Anzob Pass is an old car track, so the trail is easy to walk. We take a rest at the meteorological station on the top (3370 m) and then begin heading down the north flank. After having descended approximately 800 meters, we set up camp next to a river.

Day 3 – To the village of Khisortob – 19 km

19 km

We hike further down from the Anzob Pass to eventually reach the Yaghnob Valley. From this point, we follow the Yaghnob river further upstream for the next few days. We pass through the village of Margheb and finally reach the small village of Khisortob. This evening, we sleep in a homestay in Khisortob (2400 m).

Day 4 – Yaghnob Valley – 17 km

17 km

Today, we keep following the Yaghnob river upstream. The path is relatively easy and ascends gently throughout the day. Half-way, we reach the first Yaghnobi villages. Overnight is again in a homestay – this time in the village of Bedef (2550 m).

Day 5 – Tagobikul Valley – 16 km

16 km

After a few more kilometers through the Yaghnob Valley, we take a turn to the right and head into the Tagobikul Valley. In this valley, we pass along the last few Yaghnobi villages before finding ourselves alone in nature again. The trail through the Tagobikul Valley gets more difficult as we move up. In the afternoon, we pitch our tents along the river at an altitude of 2700 meters.

Day 6 – Leilakul Lakes – 14 km

14 km

The sixth day is the toughest of the entire trek. From the camp site, we climb high up through the valley towards the Leila Pass. This pass is with 3900 meters the highest point of the trek. Altogether, the vertical ascent this day amounts to 1200 meters. From the top of the pass, we go down over the south flank to reach the Leilakul lakes at an altitude of 3400 meters. We set up camp on the shore of one of the lakes to spend the night.

Day 7 – Ziddi Valley – 14 km

14 km

Today we are mostly hiking down. Throughout the day, we descend through the the Ziddi valley towards the west. The narrow trail runs along the Ziddi river for most of the day. There are various nice viewpoints on the way and we also pass the Khoja Sanghok shrine – a source of mineral water. After a last climb at the end of the day, we prepare to spend one last night in our tents.

Day 8 – Return to Dushanbe

From the village of Ziddi, we go by car back to Dushanbe. The drive again takes approximately 2 hours. In Dushanbe, you are dropped off at your desired location.