I remember cycling last summer in Europe and heard first
time about Pamir highway. People cycling from Asia to Europe did often choose
to come through Central Asia instead of cycling through Pakistan. Back then my
plan was to cycle through Pakistan and not to cross through Central Asia. In
Greece, one lovely Austrian girl was saying that Pamir highway was the hardest
part of her journey and she could never do it alone. I also was told in
Thailand that I should be more fit to be able to cycle Pamirs, since the roads
are so though there. Many people also told me not to do it with Lady Princess,
she would not make it. The more people told me reasons not to go there, the
more my curiosity was growing towards this Pamir-challenge.
Now, after spending one week on Pamirs, I have learned few
facts about the region. What is this Pamir ? The Pamir mountain range, or
Pamirs, are located in south eastern Tajikistan and Northeast of Afghanistan.
Local people call the area roof of the world and foreigners Pamirs. The region
accounts 45% of Tajikistans territory but only 3% of its population, so the
population is very sparse. Pamir highway is the second highest paved
international highway, however the highest first paved highway. Pamir mountains
are the sister mountains to Himalaya and Karakoram. After spending one week on
the Pamir highway, the mind blowing landscape contains stark moonscape plateaus
and rocky valleys, with mountains colored with yellow, pink and blue sands, dry
sandy mountain valleys, snow peaks, fast running rivers and green valleys.
From Saritash, I cycled together with wow ( Jenny, Louis and
Amanda ) and we headed to the border crossing between Kyrgystan and Tajikistan.
The excitement of cycling with women on wheels from Saritash towards snow
peaked mountains was over exploding. We had heard that the border crossing will
take ages, and we had decided to make a long brake there. For our surprise we
got offered chocolate, got compliments how beautiful we were and got our
passports back in no time. We were all a bit tired after sleepless night on
no-mans-land before two big over 4000m passes, but the scenery was like being
in a moon and the first rough gravel roads were shaking our tired bodies. The
surface on the no-mansland road was not so grate and I was wondering if people
were right ands ill I ever make my way to Dushanbe.
The first pass started with muddy-looking but ridable (and
pushable) switchbacks. Before starting to cycle the switchbacks, I always
wonder how on earth will I make my way up there. Out of breath, shaking legs
and pushing once in a while our first over 4000m pass was done. The second pass
was easier and we had pleasant downhill to one of the most magical and one of
the highest mountain lake called Karol ( where yaks were crazing on he
beachside) and poor Jenny was suffering from mountain sickness, so wow decided
to take a day of at the beautiful lakeside. I didn't know to expect this kind
of a paradise lake from such dry and barren area, so the surprise made me high.
We had a little refreshing swim on the lake(water was cold) because the hi stay
where we stayed didn't have a shower.
For my luck there was my old cycling friend Tom from Japan
as well as Mikael accompanied by his dad and I joined the boys on bike for the
biggest pass on my route on Pamirs, 4685m. We decided to meet again with girls
in Murgab. I never could have imagined how lucky I was to have such a nice
cyclists going to same direction as me. After one year of cycling mostly alone,
I couldn't even dream of finding people going to the same direction. For the
first time on my trip I didn't need to be alone and I so appreciated company to
cross big mountains. The challenges are so much easier to face when there is
people around. To be honest, I had no clue how on earth was I able to get my
fully loaded touring princess up the pass, but as usual I just decided to trust
that things will go fine and not to worry too much beforehand.
The road to the pass was once again something I had never
seen before. Big barren mountains with new colors snow peaks all around. The
road changed from Tarmac to gravel road. The nice gravel road changed to
horrible sandy washboard. In the beginning It was fun, after 10km I started to
feel like my whole body had been shaken up and my arms were tired to hold the
shaking handlebar. After 20km of headwind and sandy washboard by the time when
we reached our camping spot below the climbing to the pass, I was tired, hungry
and annoyed of the road. It's a bit weird feeling to be angry for the road,
because it really is just a road and nothing to do with it. When the camp was
set up, my tent decided to try to fligh away again. The rainproof surface got
some holes, but tom the samurai fixed the tent for me and Michael and his dad
borrowed me some ropes to tie the tent down. The night was cold and I was
sleeping in two sleeping bags, down jacket and in a plastic bicycle bag, that
Jenny gave me (bless her!).
How was the monster pass? It was my second gravel road pass,
and first time in my life I was that high altitude with my bike. I believe that
the mind is getting ready night before the big pass by itself and the morning
of the climbing ready or not one must just start the climbing. I have 8 speed
bike and the climbing would have been easier with 9 speed, but totally possible
with 8 speed as well. The challenge is the altitude and lack of oxygen and with
8 speed I had to work hard and while the muscles work hard and with thin air it
does get difficult. Once i put myself into pedaling mode with many brakes to
breath and look around, get excited and continue pedaling I think all the
passes so far have been fun. I made it and the boys made it to the top, and first
time in my life I felt like such a champion! And what a rewarding beautiful
downhill came afterwards. After I started to cry for the beauty of the
mountains, boys laughed at me and we sat down to have a early lunch on one of
the most beautiful lunch spot ever.
We camped next to a river and toms bike got attacked by a
goats which were grazing around our camp. My lips had gotten extremely
sunburned and I had difficulties to eat with sour and swollen lips. I really
don't recommend to put chili into the food if your lips are burned. I made this
mistake and not even kissing cold bottles helped the hellish burning sensation
on my lips. I thought I would loose my mind with the burning, but eventually
the chili was washed away and thick layers of aloe Vera and Vaseline applied.
Next day, the road to Murgab was harder than expected, the headwind on Pamirs
when doing it this way is quite brutal. We made a train, and thank you to our
strong locomotive Michael we were moving forwards. I find it mentally harder to
have a headwind on downhill and being able to cycle 11km/h using all my physical and mental power
than climbing big mountain passes. It's hard to push forward as much as the
legs can do and still not move forward on a downhill.
In Murgab I met again Wow and I found out that my rear rack
was broken. Thank you to Mikael and his dad, who had a solution to fix the rack
temporarily or who knows maybe it's permanent solution. One rest day in Murgab
and so far my lady princess is rocking the mountains with clicking
bottom-bracket (now after 1000km of clicking I don't hear it anymore ) and
broken back rack. So far, I would not sign the rumors of impossible Pamirs. I
think, so far the roads are ridable even with 700c wheels with worn out tires.
The climbings are sometimes difficult, but the inclination is not too steep so
with enough brakes and chocolate (which can be found in every village)
everything is possible. Next, I will rejoin the girls and we will head to the
Wakhan valley and the roads should get more challenging.
