Arriving early in the morning, we catch up with our sleep in the hotel. In the afternoon, we explore Dushanbe and can do the last shopping for our trip in the local bazaar.

We leave early and drive along the famous Pamir highway towards the Pamirs. The first part of the road (built by the Chinese) is still fine, after that the word "highway" will mainly refers to altimeters, not the highway. The road to Kalai Khumb partially runs along the bubbling Panj River (border with Afghanistan), mighty mountain walls and adventurous slopes. Your adventure has begun!

Today is perhaps one of the most beautiful road trips you can make in Central Asia. We continue to follow the picturesque Pamir Highway for a few more hours, and then turn into the deserted Bartang Valley. The dirt road, like the mountains, is indented and almost does not see outside visitors. Friendly villages alternate with huge peaks covered with glaciers. Overnight stay with a local family, travel time 8 hours.

After we met our local guides and tied our luggage to the donkeys, we set off. We can take a short tour of this small village between agricultural fields. We cross the bridge and follow the Murghab River, which begins in Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor. Soon we find ourselves between the mighty six-thousanders. The good trail goes up and down, sometimes close to the river and sometimes further. On this first day, we easily get used to walking and climbing. First, we set up camp at the "Tea House", a permanent place for local shepherds, which is located under a huge boulder. If we want tea, we have to provide it ourselves, because here is nothing more than a shelter. We can look for a spot for our tents or we can just sleep under the stars. The surroundings, as well as the river next to us, are spectacular! Overnight in a tent, walking distance / walking time 13 km - about 5 hours, ascent 550 m, descent 375 m

We walk a little along the river and then start our climb towards Sarez Lake. We climb most of the route, which passes through the landscape and passes between the rocks. Today you can already feel the grandeur of the landscape! This wonderful journey is to the top of a natural dam created more than a hundred years ago by a giant landslide. Behind it lies the sapphire-blue Lake of Sarez. Before we go down to our camp for tonight, we admire this beautiful lake, an absolute moment of "oooooooooo!” We set up camp next to the guard post, which is always on duty to signal possible earthquakes and warn the inhabitants of the valley in case of a dam break. Perhaps today we will eat fresh fish from the lake. Overnight in a tent, walking distance / walking time 8 km - 5-6 hours, ascent 800m, descent 225m

We have a special permit to cross Lake Sarez by boat. The crossing is impressive because of the color of the lake and the (steep) mountains around us. The trip takes between 0.5 and 1.5 hours, depending on the type of boat. We are dropped off near a weather station and we start the walk, meanwhile, local guides walk with donkeys along the lake following a steep path. From the weather station, the trail gradually climbs up along the Langar River. The valley is wide and has a U-shape, typical of this mountain range. We pass through one of the last primeval forests in the Pamirs and climb through the wetlands. Halfway through we would need to cross the river, the flow of which can be strong. The terrain becomes more difficult due to a number of screes that we have to overcome. We set up tents near the tributary flowing down from the Safedhatz (in local language means whitewater) glacier. Overnight in a tent, walking distance/time 13km, 5-5.5 hours, ascent 550m, descent 50m

Today the route is a little shorter and we are walking through relatively easy terrain; as such we can fully recover from the first days of the hike. We get up early to cross the river when the water level is lowest. Then we climb to the highest point of the valley, where there is a large shepherd's camp of the legendary shepherd Zaurbek. This is our shelter. This gives us a unique insight into the life of the pastoral family at high altitude. Those who still have the strength can walk to the three lakes of Uchkul and the impressive glacier of Mount Kulin with a height of almost 6000 meters, about an hour and a half walk from the camp. Overnight in a tent, distance traveled / time 9.5 km, 4.5 hours, ascent 550m, descent 100m

The hike to Lake Zaroshkul is also quite short, but we notice that the air is much thinner. The path crosses a dry plateau and soon disappears into a valley with steep walls on the sides. We walk past small mountain lakes, each of which has its own shade of blue. Here we can see yaks, which are often kept by local shepherds. We set up camp at one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in Central Asia, Zaroikul. The lake is surrounded by high mountains, completely covered with glaciers. In the afternoon we can explore the area, enjoy the scenery or, for the most daring, swim in the icy water. Spending the night at such an altitude and under the influence of glaciers can be cold. Overnight in a tent, distance traveled / time 11.5 km, 5-5.5 hours, ascent 500m, descent 125m

We say goodbye to Zaroshkul again and begin a long descent towards the village of Bachor. We pass the unreally turquoise Tsakhinkul. The route passes through a huge garbage container, this is the moraine of a vanished glacier, which sometimes is difficult to find. That's where your "blocky terrain" walking experience comes handy. We go down as far as possible towards Kavk, where we set up camp by the river. Kavk is known for its hot springs; to swim there, you need to climb another 300 meters though. Overnight in a tent, distance traveled / time 16 km, 7 hours, ascent 275m, descent 1100m

It is an easy day on the banks of the Andarav River. We can easily descend through a nice trail with a beautiful view of the Shugnan mountain range to the south. We are looking for a good place to cross the, sometimes-turbulent Gund River. After passing the shepherd's camp, we arrive in Bachor, where we can enjoy the relative luxury of a roof over our heads, endless cups of tea and perhaps a (primitive) shower. Overnight in a family house, walking distance/time 17 km, 5 hours, ascent 100 m, descent 500 m.

Bachor – a beautiful mountain village in the Pamirs – is the perfect place to recuperate after the challenges of the last few days. You may be invited for a cup of tea and a plate of yogurt. Farmers are probably harvesting crops and young people are playing volleyball, and you might be able to join. The "hot spot" is a suspension bridge for pedestrians over a turbulent river, dare you cross it? Ask the guide to accompany you to the village. He can help you interacting with the locals. Overnight in a guesthouse.

There is no jeep bridge in Bachor, so we cross the river in jeeps. Depending on the water level, it could be adventurous! The jeep takes us through the Jelondy farm to the extreme western part of the Murghab plateau. We go off the vehicle at some point and continue walking along this plateau. It reminds you the landscapes of Tibet. We are fresh from a day of rest and already fully acclimatized to walking at this altitude. The terrain is easy to walk; but it takes time to find the Turumtaikul passage through a series of small gorges. You will go down again and see the beautiful Turumtaikul. In the distant horizon, the snowy peaks of the Shahdara Range shimmers, which we will cross in the coming days. The camp is located near Turmutaykul, but next to a better water source. Overnight in a tent, 10 – 15 km, 5 – 6 hours, ascent 870m, descent 185m

Today we start early again and begin with a short climb to the top of the Karagurum Pass. From the pass there is almost a kilometer of descent to the most remote village of Shahdara valley. The wind blows unusually strongly. In the south, you can clearly see the striking mountains of Engels Peak (6507 meters) and Karl Marx Peak (6723 meters). Overnight in a family house, walking distance/time 18.5 km, 5-6 hours, ascent 110 m, descent 910 m.

We will again take a jeep ride so that the walking distance remains manageable. On the way, we pass a farm where yaks are bred, if lucky, we will see the herd. Further up we must cross the Regig River at a junction and pass a small shepherd's hut. Soon we will have a steep climb up the mountain range. The descent takes us to an area with many small lakes and grazing yaks. We set up camp in a hut used by shepherds, as well as hunters and locals looking for minerals such as ruby. This is our high-altitude camp for tomorrow's ascent of the 5-kilometer Vrang Pass. Overnight in a tent, walking distance / time depends on the distance travelled by jeep today: approx. 14-18 km, 5-7 hours, ascent maximum 1100m, descent 250m

Today we will have a long day climbing to the highest point of the entire trip, the Vrang Pass with an altitude of 5010 meters. This is one of the few places where you can cross the Shahdara ridge. It is a bit of a challenge to climb the moraines and sometimes the snowfields, to the summit (wide plateau), but the view from the top is more than worth it. The descent is a test on knees, especially just below the summit where the terrain is steep. In a slightly flatter place, we can let our feet rest before descending further down through boulders and rocks into the valley. Here we carefully stick to path because there is almost no trail. We try to camp as low as possible, preferably below the 4000-meter mark, where the air is denser. Overnight in a tent, distance traveled/time 15 km, 8 hours, ascent 610m, descent 1140m

The last day of the hike is more than a kilometer down the slope. The first part is a pleasant hike, followed by the most difficult part of the whole hike. We abruptly descend a straight wall along a steep path. The path may have been swept away in some areas and we will be looking for a safe alternative route along with the donkeys. You will be generously rewarded for this with a fantastic view of the valley and the surrounding mountain peaks as well as view of Wakhan Corridor at the end of the Pamir Mountains. Opposite the wide Wakhan Valley lies Afghanistan with its rocky mountains over 7,000 meters high. From the last ridge, there is a view of both the peaks and the river, and we celebrate the successful crossing of the Pamir Trail. Overnight at a local family house, walking distance / time 12 km, 6 hours, ascent 185 m, descent 1275 m

Vrang has an ideal location overlooking the Afghan part of the Hindu Kush Mountains. It's also a good place to explore the valley. In Yamchun, 10 kilometers downstream, there is an almost thousand-year-old fortress and hot springs. Today you can enjoy a place that can be safely called Shangri-La. Overnight in the guesthouse.

This day is included in the program considering any disruptions, such as the inability to get by jeep to the Wrang Lakes or bad weather on top of the pass. The condition of the trail on the descent from the Wrang Pass is also difficult to predict. In case we do not need a spare day, we can decide on the spot how we will spend the day, for example, spending another day in the area, moving to Yamg or perhaps driving some distance towards Khorog.

A scenic half-day trip follows the Panj River. The Panj, also known by its ancient name Oxus, starts high in the mountains of the Hindu Kush and forms the border with Afghanistan almost all the way. Especially fascinating is the area between Ishkashim and Khorog, where there are many small settlements in the shadow of vast mountain ranges. Overnight in a guesthouse, travel time 5-6 hours.

We go even further downstream and spend the night in Kalai Khumb, which we know from beginning of our trip. Overnight in a guesthouse, travel time 6-8 hours.

We leave Kalai Khumb early to spend the day in the Tajik capital Dushanbe. In our last evening, we eat in a restaurant and reminisce about our wonderful journey. The flight to Istanbul departs early in the morning, so we go to bed on time. Overnight in a guesthouse, travel time 8 hours.

Seeing off the guests at the airport. Flight home.