Photos : Tajikistan : Fann Mountains Hiking Gallery Page 09/07
Trek Day 1
Heading up the valley around Lake Alexander we briefly stopped for some fresh water at another of the President’s houses. The actual house is gated and you can’t take photos of it nor get too close however directly across the road there’s a menagerie plus a freshwater stream. It’s a picturesque and serene setting and no wonder el Presidente has a pad here.
Over the driving for about 40-60 minutes we came across the road became less and less. Once driving through a small village we left the road behind and started to track along the river bed. The gravel was loose and the shrub became more dense. It wasn’t too long until we came to the start of the trek and an even shorter time until the donkeys (from the last village we drove through) joined us and so began the trek. I think the restriction was 10kg per pack for the donkeys then you had to carry anything else. Tents, food, etc was provided as well as donkeys, local guides, tour leader and local tour company reps (Wayne and Carolyn).
After a short walk along the river and flat grazing grounds we came to the ascent. As the temperatures rose so did we. Slow and steady was the approach and then abruptly we started to climb. The Tajik food started to take its toll and probably the food at the retreat was the clincher (last straw).
The trip was called ‘moderate’ and scheduled to take 6 days. The original tour had us leaving the retreat and walking for hours to the start of the actual start of the trek. Luckily for us our guide when doing his ‘reccy’ decided this didn’t make sense and altered it to have the 4wd’s take us to the start of the trek. The road winds its way past another presidential palace on a grade 2 type road however shortly thereafter you arrive at a small village which is where the grade 2 road ends…but not for us. We continued along the river for another 20 mins or so along a semi track. I say that because the only thing we had to guide us was the brush along the banks that had been run over a couple of times and suggested we could also do the same.
After unloading our gear from the cars we waited….and then we heard the sound that would be with us for the next 5 days. The sounds of donkeys. The eeeaw sounds would resonate in our sub conscious and our ears for the duration of the trip and even after. The donkey guides scientifically weighed our bags to make sure they were within the 10kg weight restriction. Weight isn’t measured using a scale but done the old fashioned way i.e. each donkey handler lifting the bag and judging its weight. If they consider it over the limit then it gets left behind or you need to repack it.
The start is as you’d expect, a walk across the flat grazing ground however we did have some imposing mountains around. It wasn’t very long until we started to climb. The heat of the day plus the steep gradient coupled with some people feeling the ill effects of the previous night’s Michelin Star dining. Slow and steady was the way most people approached the climb with only 1 of our group using the donkey tow rope aka donkey tail, to assist with the climb. Climbing up the mountain for a few hours through the juniper tress and over shale plus rocks, you reach a plateau of sorts and this was our first camp.
This is not a luxury tour whereby all your needs are taken care of by the tour (not a tour I’d consider to be honest but that’s just a useless bit of info I thought I’d make you read). That said, most of your needs are tended to including donkey handlers to manage the donkeys carrying the majority of your gear, chefs and tour guides. The ‘toilet’ was set up a little out of camp. It consisted of a tarp on one side of a juniper tree overlooking the valley. Whilst it certainly couldn’t be considered private it had a very scenic outlook. All of us were assigned tents ranging from miserly in size and stature to ample. Ours was somewhere in the middle. It was long enough for me but there wasn’t a lot of height. We’ve no complaints as some other tents were even shorter and the occupants taller! Night came early i.e. we were in darkness by 5:30 and in bed by about 9.
Trek Day 2
Awakened by the tour leader calling like a Leeds rooster, that it’s time to rise. Some people felt better today and some worse. Those feeling worse were feeling ill effects of the food from the previous day. Breakfast was basic and was going to be repeated in almost the same constitution for the entire hike. Nothing to complain about but nothing to write home about either!
Packing up the tents for the first time took a little while but didn’t take too long so we were on our way before 8am. Today was when our ‘Tajikistan pass’ cherry was popped. An hour climbing had us looking up a valley with a glacier on the valley floor, rock mountain on the right and overhanging glaciers on the left. In sight we could see the pass and it didn’t look too far and the gradient relatively constant but steep enough to get the heart and legs working. The trail on the right hand side was narrow and full shale. The guide and tour leaders decided that path was too risky therefore we should head directly to the pass over the glacier. Our speed slowed and we all took more care where to walk avoiding to twist ankles plus to not get caught in the gaps in the ice. The hanging glaciers to our left were feeling the heat and jettisoned some excess weight carrying with it an echo rumbling down the valley. From our vantage point on the glacier, we could easily see the glacier splintering causing some ice to fall to the valley glacier (luckily we weren’t that close to the hanging glacier so no real risk to ourselves).
To be expected, the closer to the pass the steeper the ascent. The Dukdon Pass, the highest point on the route being 3,810m above sea level. We arrived around midday (maybe) and had covered about 7 km from the morning camp with only another 6 Km down to go until our night camp. The wind whipped across the pass but we welcomed the rest and took in the beautiful views. To the north we could see the Chimtarga Peak (5,489m) towering above the other mountains. The 6 km descent took us along a moraine (glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions) to the Archamaidon “amphitheatre of the juniper trees” river gorge.
Tonight the campsite was more lush than our first camp plus to make thing more interesting and picturesque, we had the Sarikhodan River, a flat campsite, donkeys, and wild brown bears on the prowl. The area is called a juniper forest but I would call it more of a juniper scattered forest with large rocks….the name sort of rolls of the tongue.
Trek Day 3
The big pass was behind us but today we continued walking in the Archamaidon Valley for about 10 Km in total and relatively gentle compared to yesterday. We were the last group of the season, in fact I can’t even find this trip on Explore’s web site any longer, for the year. As it was late in the season most of the farmers had left the valley with only a few remaining and even they were readying to return to their villages. Along the way we came across the first of what was to prove, several summer encampments. The Tajik’s may not be wealthy but the farmers/shepherds we met were extremely hospitable and always invited us to have some food. The bread is baked fresh and any required dairy is generally from goats milk. The encampment where we met the farmer housed but one family as the rest had returned to the lower plains or the city. The wife looked very young and she was very shy appearing to be a ‘kept woman’. The wife adopted her place in the Tajik family (at least this is my interpretation of what I saw) as the lesser in the union. This isn’t a slur on the Tajik’s but my observation of the family dynamics. I didn’t sample the food but apparently the yoghurt can be so thick and creamy that a spoon stands upright in it.
Today we got to see the hanging lake or was it hidden lake called Pushtikul? I can’t remember but it was one of them. After walking along a gentle slope we were jolted out of any complacency for thinking the walk was going to be easy, when we were presented with a steep ascent to the lake. The walk was worth it as the lake is very picturesque and was a great place to have lunch and for the brave (crazy) among the group, a chance to swim in the very cold water.
Peter decided to clean is camera by dropping it in the water. I did try explaining there are easier and safer ways to clean a camera but he seemed to ignore suggestion. For a while the camera didn’t work but once the battery was removed and it dried out, the Canon digital kept on keeping on and actually didn’t appear to suffer an ill effects of its swimming lesson. I think he shroud approach Canon and see if he can do an advert promoting the ruggedness of the camera.
As you may have gathered from the previous days the food wasn’t always in agreement with our non Tajik bellies. This meant some of us were rushing off however one of our group who could remain anonymous but won’t, Peter, took the cake. We came out from a juniper forest to a open valley floor that was criss crossed by a number of little streams. We stopped on the edge of the valley for a break but Peter had to get in touch with nature. He walked back up the hill and wedged 
himself in the fork of a tree to say Hi to Mrs Nature. The one thing he forgot was to check he was out of sight. He wasn’t and was in plain view of the entire group. It was hard not to laugh in fact that’s all we did, plus point out to others in the group who were facing the wrong way they should check up the hill. If the tree didn’t have a crack in it before it did then. If that’s his best angle then he’s in real trouble. Out of decency and the fact my stomach isn’t that strong, no photos exist but me retina is forever scarred. We all now know Peter in ways we never wanted to or thought we would. And to Peter, who I know will read this as I’ll send him the link, I don’t want to see any more of that in the Tien Shen mountains in 2008!
A few hours after lunch the light was fading and we were almost at the campsite….or so we thought. Late in the season the water dries up, a good reason why the shepherds aren’t here, therefore the donkey drivers who were ahead of us weren’t at the campsite. We didn’t know where they were and they hadn’t left anyone behind to direct us. Our guide said there were a few places they could be and that we have to guess which one they were at. Although being tired and worried about the fading late, we had no choice but to continue. About another 30-40 mins up the valley we finally found them. Never in doubt!
Trek Day 4
Another day, another pass. It might sound like a stupid thing to say but the concept of doing another pass was rewarding and challenging. The rewarding part should be obvious but the challenging part may not. We all have different challenges in life and on this trek. I won’t go into details, suffice to say that after 3 days of stomach problems (with no end in sight) the idea of walking for 6-8 hours wasn’t something that sprang to mind as something everyone needs to do in their lifetime. 🙂 No complaints though as the scenery and serenity more than compensated for the ‘ailments’ some of us were enduring.
On our tour we had a diverse group from all walks of life…well as many walks as you can get from a dozen people. Okay so it wasn’t really that diverse but we were lucky enough to have some doctors. They have the best drugs! With the stomach problems in the group it was a relief, well the opposite in fact, to have some good drugs to counteract the toxic food. Not toxic in taste but the effect it had on many of us. 🙂 The docs also came in handy for the locals. One family we met had been here for the season and obviously no medical treatment available. They asked via Wayne and Kathryn about some injuries they had, a cut that had become infected on the father’s hand plus another with some eye problem. The docs did what they could and provided some much needed advice and some nifty bandage work.
We crossed the Munora Pass, a height of 3,520 metres, then descended to a more agricultural friendly area including the Sarmat River. Compared to the previous days, this was an easier day as we had roughly 4 Km ascent and a 4 Km descent. Either we were becoming accustomed to the altitude or sleeping around 2,600m was becoming par se.
The campsite tonight was by a stream, sourced from the surrounding mountains and glaciers. After 4 days of trekking there was a certain aroma around the fire that is otherwise known as BO. With the stream cam the opportunity to wash, rinse or bathe. The smart ones didn’t follow my course of action which was to submerse myself in the stream and frantically wash myself whilst losing feeling in various parts of my body, starting with my feet. After about 20-25 seconds I could barely feel my feet so did the only sensible thing. Lift my feet out of the water and plunge my upper body underneath. I think I may have lasted another 1 minute until the unfrozen part of my brain persuaded the numb part (yes I know that’s about 99.999% of my brain) to get out.
Trek Day 5
As with most other days there’s was a pass to pass and today’s is called Tavasang Pass which is around 3,300m. Although over the previous days we met 1 or 2 groups of people, today was a rush hour/day. First off we met a goat herder with his herd of goats (no surprise there really) however as they approached we were told to arm ourselves with some rocks in case his dogs attacked. 
Apparently there’s no RSPCA here! Luckily for all the dogs kept their distance and we kept ours. We then arrived in a village with about 1/2 a dozen buildings that looked deserted however when we got closer a family came out to greet us.
A few happy snaps and chats via our hike guides (Wayne and Kathryn) and we moved on. No sooner had we left the village when we were greeted en-route by a few young kids from the next village. They were expecting us and came to make sure we found their village (or at least that’s their explanation). There’s a certain status amongst the farmers/villagers to have the tourists come to your home. Our last stop on our hike where we were afforded this opportunity, we were invited into the house of bread. Well that’s not it’s real name but it certainly had fresh bread that’s bigger than your head. We all squeezed into the house and had the bread with goat yoghurt dip (I think that’s what it was).
This was our last night camping. The site selected was about a 40 minute walk from our bread eating episode. It was the last flat spot before our final pass but it was also the site of animal grazing meaning we had Frisbees to the left, Frisbees to the right, damn there were Frisbees everywhere.
We spent some time clearing spots for the tents and then working out how we could walk to the food tent without setting off a land mine. I suppose you had to be there to appreciate the sight but it made us laugh.
Trek Day 6
The small pic doesn’t show it too clearly however you can make out the ‘fertiliser’ in the foreground and background and everything in between. 🙂
Adios Fann. A short hike, by the previous days standards, to the pass and we were on the home stretch heading towards Padrud. As you’d expect the villages became more frequent, more permanent, and more lavish/modern i.e. they had electricity and some running water. It was almost surreal to get over the last pass where you would see high peaks all around to then come over the pass and be presented with the villages and a noticeably different landscape and farming.
Our local guides, from Canada no less, have been working in Tajikistan for a while and done this trek a few times. This means they often see the same locals. As mentioned, Tajikistan isn’t a wealthy country, at least in the way of material/luxury items, therefore Wayne and Kathryn developed photos they took of the locals and the next time they came across them on the trek would give them the photo. It was great to see their eyes light up when seeing themselves or people they knew.
The hike ended when we finally met up with the 4wds at Padrud. This is where you would expect the hike to end but then that would too easy and far from normal for us. The donkey drivers, as with every other day, over took us on the walk therefore had arrived at the cars with our gear. We naively thought all that was left was to stow our gear and ride off into the sunset, well the midday sun, in the cars. We did stow the gear and were paying the donkey drivers when things went pear shaped. The agreed fee apparently was insufficient and they were none too pleased. For 6 days work they received a few months worth of wages but this wasn’t enough. Collectively we agreed to give them their tip as part of their wages and even this wasn’t enough. The negotiations weren’t going well and they donkey drivers became asses (you get the poor attempt at humour?) and a couple of them, in their anger, climbed on our truck and started to untie the ropes and throw our gear on the ground. Kathryn, Miss Cool Calm & Collected, became Miss Stock Wielding Screaming Donkey Driver Bashing Woman….and we thought it was great! Her intervention and verbal barrage, in Tajik of course, did the trick and our bags received a reprieve. Over the next 30-40 minutes Wayne took care of business and assuaged the donkey drivers enough to part ways as amicably as possible.
The road out took us past the remainder of the 7 lakes each of different sizes and colours. The water was damn cold but a few crazy’s braved the temperature and had a quick dip whilst the rest of us stayed dusty and smelly.
To sum up, it’s was a great hike. Great because of the scenery, the unprentitous nature of the people (not so much the donkey drivers) and country, the sense of achievement, brilliant tour leader and Wayne and Kathryn (Tajik/Canadians). Not sure if it’s because of the trials and tribulations of touring this part of the world, but Explore seems to have pulled this trip. Anyone contemplating Tajikistan, and yes I would highly recommend it, Wayne and Kathryn have a site http://tajiktravels.com/