Hi all.

We will do again Barcelona - Ulaanbaatar but this time we want to include the Pamir highway.
Although our idea is to enjoy the trip, we are used to driving in harsh conditions and long distances if necessary.
We'll do the north route because we don't have many days.

- What state is the road in?
- How many stages could the Dusambe - Osh route be divided into?
- What accommodation options are there for a group of 8-10 riders?

Thanks in advance!!

With northern Route you mean the northern part from Dushanbe to Khaleikumb?

This is much more offroad than the southern part.

I think the northern route is slower than the southern route.

I did both routes.
Southern part from Dushanbe to Khaleikumb is easy doable in 1 day, northern route only if you start very early, and don't take to much rest. And you should not have an problem.
We did not make it in one day.

with 8 people, it is definitely harder to find accommodation, but should be possible.

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I mean northern route Dushanbe-Alichur-Murghab by M41 road, not by the Wakhan Corridor.
So one stage maybe Dushanbe-Kalaikhum and Kalaikhum-Khorugh for next day?
And is doable Khorugh-Alichur in 1 day?
No problem for accomodation, we can stay in different homestay.
Thank you Klausmong

With northern route i mean Dushanbe to Khalaikumb

here in the picture red:
This route is 270km and mostly offroad, and small and narrow and has some tricky parts.
You should use a light weight bike.

The southern route ( green ) is much longer, But mostly asphalt and easy.
Only the road along the Panj river is bad asphalt, but still good to drive

From Dushanbe to Khaleikumb on the northern route with 8 people, I do not think you do it in 1 day.
Southern route is doable in 1 day


Khalaikumb to Khorog 1 day, and bad asphalt. Sometimes no asphalt

Khorog to Murghab on M41 1 day, and bad asphalt, sometimes gravel.




Pictures of the northern part:

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Ok thank you very much Klausmong.
And which one is more beautiful? Northen or southern route? Last year we did Altai - Uliastai with heavy bikes and we arrived around 14:00 stopping to take photos and with some section under construction

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Altai - Uliastay is a very easy offroad stretch. In my opinion. done that 2 times already.

Northern part in Tajikistan is much harder.

Both routes are beautiful.
Northern is more mountains and valley.

Southern you drive longer along the Panj river.

If you will do the northern part because you think you are faster, than this is maybe wrong.
I think southern part is much faster.

I like the way from Altai to Uliastay.

2018:



And 2013:

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I thought you want the northern route because it is faster.


Have Fun.

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Most of heat I can say has already been said, but I did this trip a couple of years ago. Altitude is a bitch and well worth preparing for by acclimatising. Fit people get struck with altitude as much as the unfit. Bikes with carburettors more so than people, so be prepared to take your time and go up in stages. Waking in the night, feeling like death is not usual but by the time its time to leave you won't notice it at all. You tend to ascend quickly by motorcycle so a few days in a high up town is best before hitting the high passes.

Money is easy. Take funds/Euro/dollars in large notes (honestly they prefer to change a 50 than a 10 and you can pay for almost anything and receive the change in local currency.

Basic guesthouses and homestays seem to be every where through the Stans. Usually for not much money you get a place to stay, dinner and breakfast and off you go.

We camped at Camp Lenin that was above 3000 meters and overlooked by the Pamir mountains. It was a cold and shit night but the views incredible and were woken by the brightest view or the Milky Way you have ever seen and the smell and sound of Yaks eating and snorting by the tent. I thought it was the snorers in the next tent but not......

The no mans land border crossing between Kyrghistan and Tadjihistan is quite and experience. A great off road road. Broken Brides no tarmac and a weirdness that you can't believe including RTW cyclists.......

We did the route by flying into and out of Osh!

Bests

Mike

Thank you very much Othermike

If all goes well, I hope doing the trip in August.
We will do a rest and acclimatization stage in Khorugh and we will go to Iskhasim to see the market and we will also stay another day in Murghab if necessary.
We will probably do the Wakhan Corridor, can someone tell me which places would be advisable to rest? Somewhere we should see?
Thanks !!

There is a hot springs there ($15 including bed, dinner and breakfast) but climb there worse than the rest of highway.

EDIT: name of hotspring Fatima

in Iskhasim?

2018 you couldn't go to the Ischkoschim market anymore. I don't know, if they have made it possible again. However, you could apply for an Afghan visa to enter Wakhan corridor. It is quite expensive though.

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It was closed in Sep 2019 but I am not sure if it were because it was closed for good, because of situation with insurgence or simply day of the week. I didn't bother to ask at checkpoint it was the last thing on my mind; it was snowing 3 days later when we woke up in Sary-Tash and that red clay stretch at Kyzyl-Art up to TJ border station and down into 26km noman land to KZ could be iffy if gets snow or wet.

I lost my passport and pack with documents in that 26km stretch.. had to go back and look for it. That pass is all red clay will be really slick when wet

People prefer riding loop counterclockwise, when you go clockwise from Osh you gain elevation fast.. iirc Osh is at 700m, Sir Tash at 3000 and passes at 4200-4600m. Could be hard and you don't know how your body react.

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