Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan motorcycle trip

After our flight, we land in Osh, the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan. We are picked up and can rest for a few hours in our hotel. After lunch, we familiarize ourselves with the motorcycles on a short tour outside the city. We spend the night in Osh.

The day's tour today (about 150 km) first takes us to Lake Papan, the water reservoir of Osch. We drive through a green valley on unpaved gravel roads and then over one of the many passes south of the city. In the afternoon, we return to Osch on a well-developed road.

Our journey today is long and dusty. However, we are rewarded with many new, unfamiliar impressions that make us forget all our efforts. The beer in the evening at our beautiful hotel tastes even better.

We leave the agriculturally influenced Fergana Valley and cross the first major pass on a good road. This takes us further through a deep, wild gorge to the junction for Lake Iskander. On the natural road, we reduce our speed to safely navigate the switchbacks to the lake. We spend the night directly by the turquoise blue lake.

While our support vehicle drives through the dreaded Anzob tunnel on the way to Dushanbe, we cross a pass over 3,000 meters high. Since all traffic goes through the dark and wet tunnel, we have the impressive pass all to ourselves. We spend the night in Dushanbe.

There are two ways to get to Kalaikum: either via the winter route in the south of Tajikistan or on the M41 through the mountains, over bumpy roads that are sometimes interrupted by streams of water. We choose the second, more demanding but all the more appealing route whenever possible. We stay overnight in a homestay. This gives us the opportunity to gain insight into the daily life of a Tajik family and also to enjoy their generous hospitality.

The powerful Pansch River accompanies us to Khorog. The river and the road wind through a fascinating rocky gorge. On the other side of the river, almost every green patch is used as a site for an Afghan village. Khorog, a university town in the middle of the Pamirs, offers us a cozy hotel and a good dinner.

Our onward journey takes us through the Wakhan Valley, along the border with Afghanistan to Bibi Fatima. The Wakhan Valley is inhabited by its own ethnic group. These people differ not only by their own language but also outwardly and culturally from the Tajiks. In Bibi Fatima, we have a magnificent view over the Wakhan Valley. Of course, we also take advantage of the hot spring, which is idyllically located in a rock grotto and invites us to a wonderful bath with water warmer than 40 degrees. We will spend the night in Bibi Fatima.

On the way to the Pamir Plateau, the air becomes thinner, but the views become all the clearer. Besides wild camels, yaks, and a few shepherds, we find ourselves alone in this seclusion. We spend the night in a homestay by Bulunkul Lake and have time to visit hot springs and a "mini-geyser."

We are now on the legendary Pamir Highway or the M41. The road was built by the Soviets along the Afghan and Chinese border. Today, it is still partially driven by Chinese transport vehicles. We cross four passes over 4,000 meters high. The Ak-Baital Pass, at 4,655 meters, is the highest of them. In Murgab, a former coal mining town, we spend the night in a hotel and, apart from hot springs, can once again stand under a shower after days.

Our journey continues to the beautifully situated Karakul Lake. We will spend the night in Karakul directly by the lake. The next day we will cross our last pass, the Kyzyl-Art at an altitude of 4,200 meters. Here we reach the border to Kyrgyzstan.

Before heading back to Osch, we will make a detour to the base camp of Pik Lenin at over 3,500 meters altitude and enjoy a fantastic view of this mountain giant in good weather.

The last 250 km show us a completely different scenery compared to the impressive Pamir Mountains. Colorful rocks and changing vegetation merge in a wonderful way. In the evening we return...

The last day of our Pamir tour belongs to the city of Osh. We have plenty of time for a city tour or a visit to the bazaar.

Early in the morning we will be taken from the hotel to the airport, where we will already be starting our return flight home.