Pamir Highway: Dramatic China Border Crossing & Karakul Lake

We’re embarking on one of the most challenging, yet most rewarding, journeys along the ancient Silk Road: a ride through the Pamirs. Our adventure began in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, and led us to Sary Tash, a tiny village on the Pamir Plateau, right at the border with China and Tajikistan. The next morning, we set out to cross from Kyrgyzstan into Tajikistan, unaware that it had snowed overnight. What should have been a short 20 km stretch turned into a grueling three-hour climb to the border, sitting at 4,300 meters above sea level.

Battling altitude sickness and freezing temperatures, we pushed through exhaustion, and were rewarded at last with the breathtaking sight of Karakul Lake, surrounded by the raw, majestic beauty of the Pamirs. Join us on this adventure through the Tajik Highlands of Badakhshan province.