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This tour is a variation on the Lake Sarez trek, starting and finishing in Dushanbe. We are operating this tour in conjunction with a Danish adventure travel company. It is designed to run back-to-back with the Romit Gorge and Yaghnob Gorge trek, so you can do both treks together if you wish.
| 14 July-4 August 2006 | High Pamir/Sarez Lake Trek Start: Dushanbe
Finish: Dushanbe | GBP £1,995 ground only (excluding flights) from GBP £POA including flights from London |
- Visit the fascinating and remote Sarez Lake, the "Sleeping Dragon".
- Encounter nomadic Kyrgyz shepherds in yurt settlements in the mountains.
- This is a part of the world that very few westerners have ever visited!
The Pamir Mountains are a remote wilderness with a history of romance and adventure. The 19th century Great Game concluded here. British India and Tsarist Russia were the players and the prize was Central Asia.
The central Pamir occupies almost half of modern Tajikistan and the Pamir Range is one of the highest mountain systems in the world. The Tajiks call this region Bom-i-Dunyo, the Roof of the World.
Perhaps one of the most amazing features of this region is Lake Sarez, situated in the centre of the region. The lake was formed after a massive earthquake on 18 February 1911 (estimated to have scored between 8-9 on the Richter Scale). Two cubic kilometres of rock were dislodged, burying Usoi village and blocking the Murghab River. The resulting Usoi Dam is one of the largest natural dams in the world, 700 m high, 4 Km wide and 4.5 Km long. The lake which formed behind the dam is 60 Km long, and contains an estimated 17 cubic Km of water, equivalent to the annual discharge of the Amu Darya River. Some scientists fear that an earthquake of similar magnitude to the one in 1911 could dislodge the dam, which would cause a natural catastrophe of Biblical proportions, flooding an area of 52,000 square Km across four countries.
40 Km south of Lake Sarez in the valley of the Alichur River at an altitude of 3,734 m, is the very picturesque Yashikul Lake ("Blue Water"). It is a much more ancient lake than Sarez, and there is a legend among the population that an animal lives in its waters. The description is similar to the Loch Ness Monster and it is known by locals as the "water camel".
This is some of the most hauntingly spectacular country that I've ever seen.
Frith Maier, Trekking in Russia and Central Asia: A Traveller's Guide
This tour includes 12 days trekking on foot. Some parts of the trek are strenuous and you should be in good physical condition to attempt it. Some of the paths are steep and physical conditions can be severe. Summer temperatures are usually moderate (15-18oC).
Day 1. Fri 14 Jul - arrive in Dushanbe. Transfer to guest house. Sleep! Afternoon orientation in Dushanbe.
Day 2. Sat 15 Jul - Drive to Kalaikhum. Overnight in a guest house.
Day 3. Sun 16 Jul - Drive to Khorog. Overnight in a local home.
Day 4. Mon 17 Jul - Drive along Gunt River valley to Batchor village. Meet trek crew. Overnight in a local home.
Days 5-14 - 10-day trek to Sarez and Yashikkul (as outlined in the Sarez Lake factsheet. Finish at Bulunkul. Overnight in a local home.
Days 15-16 - additional 2-day trek from Bulunkul to Alichur, passing a Geyser and Sasyk Kul lake.
Day 17. Sun 30 Jul - Drive from Alichur to Langar. Overnight in a local home.
Day 18. Mon 31 Jul - Drive along the Wakhan Valley to Ishkashim, stopping to see the Buddhist site at Vrang and house of Sufi Muborak-kadam at Yamg. Bathe in the hot springs at Yamchun. Overnight in a local home in Ishkashim.
Day 19. Tue 1 Aug - Drive Ishkashim to Kalaikhum. Overnight in guest house.
Day 20. Wed 2 Aug - Drive Kalaikhum to Dushanbe (along alternative route).
Day 21. Thu 3 Aug - morning trip to Hissor Fort. Afternoon in Dushanbe to visit museums or bazaars.
Day 22. Fri 4 Aug - Depart.
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