Our first drive on the Pamir Highway

OXUS
Three Women, One River
OXUS
Three Women, One River
OXUS
Three Women, One River
OXUS
Three Women, One River
OXUS
Three Women, One River

Our first drive on the Pamir Highway

Without doubt, driving the Pamir Highway is one of the world’s greatest road trips. This 1,250 km route over the Roof of the World links Dushanbe in Tajikistan with the city of Osh in southwestern Kyrgyzstan. I first drove the Pamir Highway almost 15 years ago, getting stuck in the mud of the Oxus on the way, and although Chinese and Tajik road crews work tirelessly to build a modern, avalanche-proof road, they still have a lot of work to do. Typically, the journey from Dushanbe to Khorog in the Pamir, a distance of 600 km, takes 16-18 hours, and it’s a rough, uncomfortable ride. 

Route planning for stage one of the Pamir Highways
All packed!
The main gate of Hulbek Fortress
Our first stop on the Oxus!

We decided to split the journey to Khorog over two days. After all, we weren’t in a rush, and there were things to see along the way. The first section of the road is smooth, as the road crews have finished their work and the asphalt is still in good condition. We left Dushanbe shortly after sunrise so as to miss the traffic, and with Sophia’s playlist sounding from the stereo, there was a lightness in the air. This wasn’t the adventure we’d planned, but it was an adventure nonetheless.  

Mid morning, we stopped at Hulbek Fortress, close to the city of Kulob. Dating from the 9th to 12th centuries, it is by no means the oldest of Tajikistan’s historic sites, but it’s one I have visited many times and have a certain affection for.  For the past five years, I’ve been the international consultant for the World Bank’s Rural Economy Development Project, and we’ve spent around $900k improving the environment and conditions at Hulbek. The site guardian was pleased to see us, and even lent us a lighter so we could light the camping stove and make a pot of much-needed black coffee.

 

Miskola was driving, and I dozed in the passenger seat. A bigger than usual bump in the road jolted me awake, and to my delight we had just reached the point where the Pamir Highway starts running parallel with the Panj. The Panj is the local name for the Oxus, and applies for the section between the confluence of the Pamir and Wakhan Rivers in the Wakhan Corridor, and the confluence of the Oxus and Vakhsh Rivers in southwest Tajikistan. The river, narrow but fast flowing through the gorges, is the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, and from the Pamir Highway the Afghan villages are only a strong stone’s throw away. Of course, we jumped out of the car to take pictures. This is OUR river. It’s exciting!

A short way before Kalai Khumb, our stop for the night, we pulled in to stretch our legs at Chorchaman Hills, a new mountain resort where wealthy families from Dushanbe escape for a weekend away. The almost life-size sailing ship and the mock castle are kitsch, but Chorchaman is in a fabulous location, with two impressive waterfalls thundering down into a stream which feeds into the Panj just beyond the parking area. A trio of boys were splashing in the outdoor swimming pool, their parents watching on nonchalantly from a distance. Here, the Oxus and its tributaries have not only created a dramatic landscape but also an opportunity for recreation and leisure.

Chorchaman Hills
Day one of our road trip along the Pamir Highway
A waterfall at Chorchaman Hills