TAJIKISTAN PHOTO DIARY - POSTCARDS FROM THE PAMIRS
Posted By Gravel Union
On 7 January 2020
Photography by Christian Meier and Matt Tomlinson. Words by Christian Meier.
In June, The Service Course are going to be running their inaugural trip to Tajikistan. As part of the research for the trip, Christian Meier and Matt Tomlinson recently travelled out there to explore the country and to hunt out the best gravel roads that they could find. This is the photo diary of their trip.
Arriving to Dushanbe at 3am, we start driving for Khorog. Falling in and out of sleep along the way, I catch glimpses of the changing landscape, starting from the flatlands and transforming into the rolling hills…
Now 10 hours into our drive, things are starting to get more dramatic. We are starting to question whether a trip into serious high country was a good idea at the end of October. We are reminded of how quickly things can change and that Mother Nature ain’t waiting around for you.
Finally, after 12 hours of driving, we arrive in Khorog and the Whakan Valley. After a good night’s sleep, we’re chomping at the bit just to get riding, like a bunch of cooped up animals. Already day one leaves us amazed, riding along the Panj River with the landscape changing around every corner.
Climbing and climbing along the Panj with Afghanistan just the other side, we are creeping up to 3000m in elevation. This is already a lot higher than anything I’ve ever ridden and it’s literally just the beginning.
The big day: Khargush Pass, 4,400m.
Setting off in the morning with snowflakes falling, pushing hard, in the zone – a very special day.
Finishing that same day, we drop down onto the Pamir Highway. The tarmac is such a relief after a long decent of gravel washboard. I ride the last 15km of the day lit by the lights of the truck, then sit by the potbelly stove in our homestay.
The great Pamir Highway, linking Asia to Europe. In other words, a very broken, barely double-lane road with potholes that can eat a wheel. Not what I’m expecting but so insanely awesome.
A day off the bike makes for a beautiful drive, with a very scenic lunch of yet another potato and goat stew.
Entering into Bartang Valley, if you were to look on a map you’d be mistaken to believe this was a very important secondary road. But I guess if you consider the lower valley road is completely flooded every year during the summer from snow melting off the high mountains, it all makes sense.
If there is ever a place to make you feel like an ant scurrying along in a world of giants, it’s Tajikistan.
“It’s totally fine guys!”
“I’ve called the mechanic. He said he’ll be here in 3 weeks…”
Our last big day of riding takes us through the Bartang Valley. What looks like a predominantly downhill trip has many uphills and turns into much more distance than expected. “All downhill” and “only a few more kms” became the running joke of the trip…
Driving back to Dushanbe, winding down from the mountains to the rolling hills…
…To the gentle hills…
…And back to the flatlands. Until next time, Tajikistan.
For more information about The Service Course, please click here: https://theservicecourse.cc