Try memo at dolonski. Sergei knows him
He may be able to sell an xr. He was looking at buying five new bikes snd mo ing the old to his second location

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Tajikistan visa and GBAO permit issued within 10 mins today for Irish and English citizens. 85 dollars plus 100 som for double entry. Only opened at 12 noon.

Cross posting this:

I'm posting this from Khorog, so:

1) rest assured it is open

2) I got a GBAO permit via an agency for $85. One of Muztoo's guides facilitated that. The actual permit was done by Pamir Silk Guides. They just needed a scan of the passport and the permit was printed locally. They do that all the time. The cost is high, but I couldn't get one in Istanbul. Note, that Muztoo made no money on the deal. They were just happy to use that contact for me.

3) Entered KZ-TJ at Kyzyl Art on 9.6. Nobody wanted to see the permit

4) The checkpoint after the Kara Kul village is gone

5) Went to Khorog via the Bartang valley. At no point was I stopped and hence never showed my permit. Between the Khorog airport and the bazaar was the usual police checkpoint (same as last year). They waved me through

6) All seems quiet in town. Bunch of tourists around

7) The road block between Sary Tash and Osh is a non issue for bikes. I have personally talked to 8 bikers, and one 4x4 driver who have all had the same experience as myself. Locals gladly show you the way around! I saw 2 large Swiss plated overland vehicles that made it through coming from Sari-Tash. Didn't talk to them

8) The real issue for people coming from TJ is that there is no fuel in Sari-Tash! Fill up in Kara-Kul village. The blockage is 65 km from the border. There is a fuel station that had 92 octane right after the blockage.

Please also stick to the facts and report the source of your info. Us travelers and the local businesses in the area don't need any fear mongering based on rumors and speculation. I don't know what the future holds, but this is the situation right now. When traveling in the Stans you always need to be prepared for the unexpected. Last year it was Cholera, Plague, and Foot and Mouth disease outbreaks, this year it is something else.

Cheers,
boarder

Quote:


Originally Posted by boarder View Post

I'm posting this from Khorog, so:

1) rest assured it is open

2) I got a GBAO permit via an agency for $85. One of Muztoo's guides facilitated that. The actual permit was done by Pamir Silk Guides. They just needed a scan of the passport and the permit was printed locally. They do that all the time. The cost is high, but I couldn't get one in Istanbul. Note, that Muztoo made no money on the deal. They were just happy to use that contact for me.

3) Entered KZ-TJ at Kyzyl Art on 9.6. Nobody wanted to see the permit

4) The checkpoint after the Kara Kul village is gone

5) Went to Khorog via the Bartang valley. At no point was I stopped and hence never showed my permit. Between the Khorog airport and the bazaar was the usual police checkpoint (same as last year). They waved me through

6) All seems quiet in town. Bunch of tourists around

7) The road block between Sary Tash and Osh is a non issue for bikes. I have personally talked to 8 bikers, and one 4x4 driver who have all had the same experience as myself. Locals gladly show you the way around! I saw 2 large Swiss plated overland vehicles that made it through coming from Sari-Tash. Didn't talk to them

8) The real issue for people coming from TJ is that there is no fuel in Sari-Tash! Fill up in Kara-Kul village. The blockage is 65 km from the border. There is a fuel station that had 92 octane right after the blockage.

Please also stick to the facts and report the source of your info. Us travelers and the local businesses in the area don't need any fear mongering based on rumors and speculation. I don't know what the future holds, but this is the situation right now. When traveling in the Stans you always need to be prepared for the unexpected. Last year it was Cholera, Plague, and Foot and Mouth disease outbreaks, this year it is something else.

Cheers,
boarder

Super that Khorog can be passed again, I am happy for everybody!

What you write in your last alinea is complete nonsense. Khorog was closed, people got killed in shootings, permits were not issued for a while. Read before you comment, I put in my info in the beginning all the sources. Suggesting that postings coming from me and some others are based on rumors and speculation will not encourage me to share info any longer.

GRTZ,

JP

I have to say that i find it very hard currently to recommend Pamir Highway as a travel destination or highlight of travel because of situation what is there currently and has been allready several years. When planning such trip(s) it normally includes thousands of kilometers of driving to arrive in a area where entrance is currently very unsure and unsafe.

People in area are friendly towards tourist. No doubtb about that.

However i was in area 2012 when there was civil war in city of Khorog. When we were allowed to drive through city during ceasefire as sides Goverment/army troops and local civil militia were having negotiations i saw personally
* destroyed and burnt army BTR-60 where local Pamir guy was ripping tower 14mm tower gun away near big bridge which goes over Panji
* improvised roadblocks from cut telephone lines, trees, trucks driven over bridge
* blood on a several places in street
* burnt cars, houses and houses
* tourist reporting of laying whole last night in accommadation floor trying to avoid continues shooting which was going on nonstop
* military roadblock with another BTR-60 and very nervous guardman who aimed me with unloaded machine gun in road checkblock. Later in reports show that there was at least if i remember correctly 7 civilian shot into their cars in roadblocks.
* troop transfers with army trucks
* next night when camped north from Khorog, continous illuminiation lights shot to sky and artillery and smallarm fire
* Two family (probably Tadjikistan) pulled out from their cars by angry young guy mob wearing shovels, sticks and other improvised melee weapons.


Situation in 2012 went some weeks like that. Now this year there was similar outbreak so i find currently area very unsettled and similar what happened 2012 can burst out any day now in area.

Those events what happens there are not just single incidents but are fueled by local people hatred towards Tadjikistan goverment. They seem them as source of all evil and bad. Also no doubth Taleban movement has their pawns in this as they try to expand their influence.

I am sorry all above. Pamir Highway is one of the highlights and most beutifull places i have been. People there seemed genuely friendly and interested of travellers. But until situation there is settled and area is peacefull i find it hard to recommend anyone. Try drive there and randomly try your luck if you can enter there (safely) or not.


This is not rumor but fact and own experience seen in Khorog July 2012.

Tirpse, I understand you had a bad experience in 2012, and we all know 2012 has been a bad year for Pamir high season.

Nothing similar happened in 2013.

Something happened this year, in may, but facts reported seems to indicate it was very different than 2012 and it lasted only a few days, fortunately.

We all know in the 'Stans (almost all of them, and actually this year some dangerous things happened, and are happening, also in Europe - do you remember Ukraine?) things can change in only a few weeks and situations can become dangerous for tourists.

But, saying Pamir is always unsafe and has a Taliban problem is absolutely crazy, untrue and pure fantasy!

I think what Boarder was trying to say when he wrote his previous post is something like this:

"hey guys, we all know in those areas things can happen, but let's try not to be too dramatic, as in most cases things are ok, and ARE OK NOW, AS I'M IN THE AREA AND I'M TELLING YOU THEY ARE OK, NOW, the area is one of the most beautiful of the world, and the beautiful people who live there doesn't need all that fuss about an episode."

Actually, rereading what Boarder wrote, I think he explained the concept better than me.

If you don't want to travel in a place where things can change in a few days, I think it's better for you to remain in Europe. But you will loose the best.

I have been to the pamirs 5 times for 2-3 weeks at a time in the last 12 months

I think it is good to post information which is fact / first hand on this site so we all get a picture/idea of the place we are going to visit rather than of other misleading 3rd hand sources so we can make our own mind up.

This is Central Asia and sometimes there are outbreaks like this from time but mostly it does not directly effect travellers however sometimes travellers can get caught up in it.

People who read the information on this forum from other travellers who have been to the areas mentioned can then make there own mind up if they feel they want to go, we are all different and the Pamirs is not Western Europe

I myself think that both Krygystan and Tajik Pamirs are the most amazing places i have ever visited in my life and all the people i have meet are very friendly, in a few weeks i shall be heading into the Pamirs again and i myself have no worries about my own safety due to the small situation they had which caused the Pamir to close for a short while

For me the real danger in the Pamirs is nothing to do with what is written above but more if you fall and hurt yourself (i ride a motorbike there) and require medical help as it is a pretty remote area as far as trying to get real medical help/assitance goes, you will not be getting an ambulance in under 30minutes thats for sure:innocent:

Hi there, apparently if it's not one thing, it will be another one that blocks you from getting into the Pamirs.

We are in Dushanbe now and have just met some cyclists who had to come back to Dushanbe today from their way to Khorog after a land slide blocked the road just after Darband (which is at the crossroads of M41 and A372). To be precise, they say it was after the village of Kaftarguzar in the direction of Khorog.

There is a longer road from Dushanbe to Khorog (via Kulob) but any travelers who was in the mentioned area from 15th June onwards, please let us know if the shorter road is passable.

Safe travels!

BTW Dushanbe OVIR was still not issuing GBAO permits today and yday. We got ours in Bishkek on the 13th June

Oh, bad news.
Last year a bridge collapsed on the same road, just a few kms before Kalaikum, and the road was blocked for a few days early august.

I took the longer road south, through Kulob, and all I can say is that is a good one. A bit rough on the strech from Kulob to the river, due also to roadworks (maybe they are finished and is all tarmac now, I don't know).
When the road follows the river, there are some kms with very good incredible three lane tarmac, so Dushambe-Kalaikum in one day is a very easy goal on that southern road.

Yeah, i do remember that bridge before Kalaikum :thumbup1:
ilfiume - YouTube

And I remember who sent me an SMS informing me about it:-)
Thanks again Simone!

Hi,
we passed the roadblock around two weeks ago coming from Osh with our Landcruiser. It was not just driving trough. We and a Belgian couple coming from Sary Tash discussed for almost five hours before we finally could pass. Also other travellers reported increasing tension.

We are now in Bishkek and friends want to drive towards the Pamirs if they can get an GBAO permit here.

Did somebody cross the road block recently and how was the situation?
Is the road block still existing?

regards
Bernd

The roadblock after Sary Tash was removed when I passed 27 june. Unless it has been put up again, this is no longer a problem.