Pamir Hwy, Refueling
 

Hi there,
if anybody out there has been on the Pamir Highway, where are the places with gas stations, and what sort of range should we need to make it through without problems ?

We're planning to be there around September, riding the 'stans.

Thanks
Laurent

In Sary Tash and Murghab i had to ask around for fuel, but found some fairly easily. The quality will be suspect, but it will get you to the next major town, the distances aren't huge if you are travelling direct.
I think there was a fuel station in Khorog, but in these parts of Central Asia the fuel is usually sold from drums on the side of the road.
Sean

What are your plans?
 

Hello Laurent,

We are also going to visit the stans in Sept and plan to drive Pamir Highway. Write some details about your trip to me on my private e-mail.

Hi guys!
Last April i have traveled Pamir Hwy by petrol tanker. So i can't say nothing about refueling cause we refueled right from tank. But if you lucky you can stop this tanker and ask for some fuel in last case, this tankers goes every day from Osh to Khorog. In Murghab there is place to refuel defenetly, because one of our tankers unloadaed there.
Good luck!

You should be able to get petrol from drums in most villages along the Pamir Highway and other parts of Tajikistan. Just stop in a village and point to your petrol tank and they will point you in the right direction. You won't see many "gas stations" along the Pamir Highway.

As stated previously, the petrol will be low octane, typically 76 octane or maybe 80. Keep your tank topped up just in case.

And FYI, the Pamir Highway is one of the better roads in Tajikistan. With the exception of the Pamir Highway at the Tajik/Kygyz border (very rough), the road between Dushanbe and Khorog is in far worse shape.

I can't comment on the road condition at the Tajik/Kyrgyz border as it was a couple of feet deep in snow! However the part of the Pamir highway i did see was quite good, i think because it is a plateau the road is relatively flat and not prone to landslides etc which destroy many steep mountain roads in the region.
Sean

Petrol on Pamir Highway
 

I also travelled the Pamir Highway last year (in September) and there is certainly fuel readily available in Sary Tash, Murgab and Khorog. As the others have said it will come either from someone's car, cans or drums in someone's shed. Just ask for "benzine" and you will be directed to the right place. In Sary Tash and Murgab the facilities are more primtive - I used US dollars for my petrol in these places and paid close to $1 a litre for low octane fuel...I rode a single cyclinder bike and it pinged at high altitude with less oxygen and poor quality fuel, but it wasn't a major problem.

Good luck and enjoy the ride, it is spectacular.

Adrian

www.users.bigpond.net.au/AdrianScott

Thank you all for the replies, it seems it won't be a big problem.

We're leaving in about 2-3 weeks across Russia and Mongolia, and then down the stans. Can't wait to get started!

See you on the road maybe..

Laurent