Pamir highway, roof of the world, from Saritash to Murgab, Tajikistan

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.