Cycling the Pamir Highway was on my list for a while. Having cycled approximately 600 kilometres over ten days, I am half-way into it. This has been an adventure like no other – thoroughly enjoying this unique landscape.

The first two days were quite hectic. I left early to avoid the heat. The traffic was a nightmare because of the local buses that stop anywhere. After about 30kms outside Dushanbe, it was better and then there was a climb. I arrived at Norak a town with just one hotel. The second day was only 44 kilometres but with a big pass in-between. The hotel owners in these places were money sharks, they take the money off you first. If the A/C does not work they just put their hands up in the air. However, the local people were quite welcoming. Food was a major issue though. Strict vegetarians would find it very difficult here. 

The sky was hazy for more than 100 kilometres outside Dushanbe. At the end of the second day I wondered if i had made a wrong decision because, there was no views, it was hot, poor quality food and accommodation, nothing that would made me feel worth the pain. I was almost regretting the trip. The third day was slightly better because Kulob had some decent food.

There was a dramatic change after the third day. Leaving Kulob, I arrived at the border of Tajikistan and Afghanistan via a big pass (1930m) that took 3 hours to summit. The views were spectacular and the road quality was superb. The traffic dropped massively, hardly any cars on the road. The Panj river that seperated Tajiskistan and Afghanistan was muddy, not even animals would drink that water. This river was going to stay with me for the next 7 days. I cycled upstream, overlooking Afghanistan the whole time. 

Every few tens of kilometres there was a tiny village, a green patch that can be viewed from miles away and often it was because there was a stream that provided fresh water. I stayed in Homestays most of the time, which is basically staying in someone’s house for a small fee. This was quite common here, more so with the cyclists. Food was often made with what was available locally. Sheep head soup was thoroughly disgusting, this was served with naan bread, which was like a pizza base. This was often so hard that it could be used as a shield by the Spartans. This bread and the potato in the soup was my main food. Some villages had hotdogs which was a treat. Sometimes fresh grapes was available which was a godsend!

The canyon/gorge landscape stretched for the next several hundreds of kilometres. The mountains were tall, dry and magnificent. Nothing grew on them, except at the bottoms of the canyon where there was fresh water. Every corner brought about more and more of these mountains. 

The road surface deteriorated drastically after Quila Khumb. For the rest of the four days between here and Khorog, it was slow going, I averaged about 10 kilometre per hour. The potholes and washboard was a nightmare but the views compensates for it. It took forever and was quite bumpy –  the rattling noise in one of the videos says it all. The road was just dusty, the trucks and the cars whipped up a lot of dust, I had to pull up my face covering for every passing vehicle. 

Finally, I am in Khorog, a slightly larger town which is at the base of the big mountains. I will go over some of these massive mountains after here. To my delight there is an Indian restaurant, the only one for several hundred kilometres, right next to my hotel. I will be eating here everyday for the next four days. 

Dushanbe to Khorog Route (610km): Dushanbe – Norak (60) – Danghara (46) – Kulob (90) – Shahon (65) – Kostav (51) – Khalai Khumb (51) – Vanch Valley confluence point (86) – Vaznawd (55) – Rushon (41) – Khorog (65)