Pamir Highway – on the "Roof of the World"

2026, July 24 – August 21

We're returning to the Silk Road for the third time!

Cycling along the rushing rivers of northern Pakistan in 2025, we admired the monumental mountain ranges of the Karakoram, the Himalayas, and the Hindu Kush. Beyond the Khunjerab Pass (4,693 m), the landscape changed, a wide valley opened up, and the snow-capped peaks of the Pamir Mountains appeared in the distance. We entered Taxkorgan, the Tajik autonomous county in western China. A similar view stunned us in 2008, when, after conquering the Taldyk Pass, we reached the village of Sary-Tash in Kyrgyzstan. The outline of the "roof of the world" was magically alluring, and some of us rented a car to get closer to the Pamir Mountains. But still, it was a distant view of... If it's so enchanting, why not just go there?! Hence the idea for this year's route – the Pamir Highway.

What does it mean “Pamir”? The Wakhi term “pamer” reflects the specificity of the fertile high mountain pastures. In fact, there are seven extended Pamirs (up to 300 km² of pasture area each) and some smaller, that’s why the English region’s name is “The Pamirs”.

The Pamir Highway was built between 1931 and 1934 by Red Army engineers. It served to supply military units deployed in inaccessible areas of the USSR, from Osh (Kyrgyzstan Republic) to Khorog (Tajikistan Republic) – a distance of 701 km. Currently, it is the main section of the M41 road: Bishkek–Toktogul–Jalal-Abad–Osh–Khorog. We set off from the historic beginning of the Route, from Osh, and traverse three major passes in the Pamir Mountains: Taldyk (3,615 m), Kyzylart (4,280 m on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), and Ak-Baital (4,655 m). After the first pass we make a detour to the Lenin Peak base camp (~3,600 m) for acclimatisation. After the second pass, a view opens onto the Pamir Plateau – an arid landscape of red sandstone in the lower Markansu Valley (“death valley”). Most of the scenery resembles a moonscape and was once the bottom of the ancient ocean.

Mountains cover 93% of Tajikistan's territory; there's no escaping them ☺.We're rewarded with views, a dry continental climate (over 300 sunny days a year), and plenty of... water. In the Pamir region, at altitudes from 3,200 to 5,000 meters, there are 1,450 lakes and 220 rivers, accounting for 83% of Tajikistan's total lake area. We'll spend the night beside some of them (id. the Karakul, “black lake”, 3923 m). The Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, which we'll enter from Kyzylart pass, is particularly rich in lakes. The Pamir pastures are fed by one of the longest glaciers in the world. Water also flows from hot springs, which we definitely won't miss. We’ll make a detour to the historic Wakhan Corridor and cycle along the Panj river, passing remote villages and terraced fields, while watching Afghan life on the opposite bank. This segment of the Silk Route contains vestiges of different civilisations over three millennia: fortresses, petroglyphs, a Buddhist stupa in Vrang, etc.

In Khorog, the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan and a historic terminus of the Pamir Highway, we'll stop for a rest day to visit the Botanical Garden, established at an altitude of 2,320 meters (one of the highest in the world), and the cross border (with Afghanistan) bazaar in Tem. We’ll continue our route to the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, from where our return home will be easier. On every section of the Silk Road, you can still witness the exchange of goods, visit bazaars, feast at chaikhanas, meet people of different faiths, and admire centuries-old cultural heritage.

We invite you!

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