Langar to Murgab

We wave goodbye to the Wakhan valley and the Hinu Kush, but keep Afghanistan to our right as we ascend towards the Khagush pass to rejoin the main Pamir Highway road.

The biologist playing with some Marko Polo sheep horns. I'm glad I don't have to carry those on my head all day, they are heavier than they look!

As every Scotsman will tell you, everywhere in the world looks just like Scotland. I am not sure about the deserts of Turkmenistan and I think you would be hard pressed to find parallels between the 7000m peaks of the Hindu Kush and the Drumochter pass, but this place does look remarkably like the Cairngorms (is that t-Snechta on the left beside Corie nan Lochan??)

Since leaving Khorog, food has been hard to find and not very varied. Ed tucks into another breakfast of semolina (reminds us of an old song about school dinners and mushy peas!!).

We get very excited when we see our first camel! The single humped Dromederies of Turkmentistan are now replaced by the two humped Baccian camels. For the past few weeks we have also been hearing the excited squeek of Pika (a fatter, central Asian version of a Marmot) as they dive into their burrows. This one is scared of cyclists but not of camels apparently.

We stop for lunch with David and Leticia (our Swiss cycling companions) by a lake just before the pass. We are at well over 4000m meters now and the altitude combined with steep gradients is taking its toll.

We triumphantly summit the beautiful, but unspectacular 4344m Kargush pass...

...and enjoy a fabulous whizz down the other side in beautiful scenery towards the Pamir Plateau.

The area to the North of the pass is noticably more arid than the Wakhan valley and we are glad that we filled up with enough water for the night. Any water that we do find is very salty. We spot this beautiful lake a short distance later and decide to camp early. David and Leticia continue on and we enjoy an afternoon of relaxing and wildlife spotting. The lake is too salty to drink from, but makes a good home for birds.

The following day we reach the Pamir Highway early. The immaculate asphalt road looks very appealing after the corrugated dirt track that we have been on for the past few days, but we decide to make a detour to visit lakes Bulun Kul and Yashi Kul instead. We have a very relaxing lunch beside the first lake.

The network of dirt tracks across the flat plateau becomes quite confusing and we take a wrong turn. We are invited for tea by a rather confused family as we cycle past their house, then have to correct our navigational blunder. An even more confused looking shepherd watches as we push and haul our bikes up a goat trail to rejoin the track.

Back on the 'road'.

We reach the lake but the wind has picked up and there is no shelter on the shores. We set up camp in an old ruined building opposite some even older remains.

We chat to a Yak herder as we pack up our tent the next morning. He has a herd of one hundred Yak in total. One of them had just given birth to a rather large looking calf which was already able to walk.

We cycle on across the plateau and past some salt lakes on a very bad road surface to a geyser which appeared not to be erupting any more (though two cyclists we met later, informed us that it does erupt).

We rejoin the main road at the small settlement of Alichur just as a ferocious rain and dust storm sweeps through. We cower in a chi khana and eat some fried eggs and bread while waiting for the weather to improve.

Looking back at Alichur:

The wide valley leading up to the Nayzatash Pass is dotted with yurts and herds of Yak. It is a delight to be cycling through such a stunning place, especially on smooth asphalt with a tailwind!!

There are no trees and little cover so we camp by the side of the road. People don't seem to think this is particularly unusual in these parts and we remain undisturbed during the night.

In the morning a local Kyrgyz shepherd comes for a chat as we pack up the tent. This area is part of Tajikistan, but is ethnically predominantly Kyrgyz. The men wear the traditional tall white felt hat and unlike Turkey, their dogs are very well trained, though still vicious looking!

We cross the pass, and head down to join the river that leads to Murgab.

The town is the biggest in the Pamirs and is the capital of the autonomous region. We join a handful of other travellers in a guesthouse and have our first 'shower' for two weeks! The Bazar consists of a series of metal lorry containers and sheds but is well stocked with super-noodles and sweets to replenish our depleted supplies.