Dushanbe
Ministry of Finance in Dushanbe
In the garden of our guesthouse in Dushanbe
Landcruiser taxi in Dushanbe
Andrew in Dushanbe
The Landcruiser we hired from Dushanbe to Khorog. Normally a 2 days drive and 530 km. We paid about 400 USD for car, fuel and driver.
Our two drivers
A russian type van
Unloading some stuff
The Dushanbe-Khorog road
Changing a flat tyre
The spare-tyre punctured in the middle of the night, so we where stuck right here. Luckily there were a military camp just a few hundred metres away, which offered us a room to stay.
Our basic room in the military camp
From Kalaikhum to Khorog, the road follows the Panj River, which forms the border with Afghanistan. It is fascinating to see the differences between one side of the valley and the other.
Road constructions on the way to Khorog
A short stop by the Panj river. Afghanistan is just a few metres away on the other side of the river.
Scenery along the Dushanbe-Khorog road
One of many car maintenance stops
Afghanistan mountains
A truck stop nearby Khorog
Pamir Lodge, a really nice and friendly place to stay in Khorog.
Unloading the Landcruiser at Pamir Lodge in Khorog
The streets of Khorog
River in Khorog
The taxi stand in Khorog
The chinese van we hired from Khorog to Wakhan
Khorog-Ishkashim road. Afghanistan on the other side of the river.
Afghanistan scenery accross the river
A village by the Khorog-Ishkashim road
Arriving Ishkashim with snowy Hindu Kush mountains in the background. The bridge is the border crossing to Afghanistan.
Ishkashim
Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan (Wakhan Corridor)
The driver and his assistant
Loading our luggage into an old russian van in Vrang
Wakhan girl in the village of Vrang
Mother and daughter in our homestay in Vrang
The Russian van we hired from Vrang to Nishgar
We have arrived Nishgar, where a family invited us to stay in their home.
Peter and people of Nishgar
A cute little kitten in Nishgar
Andrew is hiking above Nishgar village. We started at 2900m and ended at 3400m.
Hindu Kush and Afghanistan as seen from above Nishgar village
Pik Tajikistan 6565m (left) and Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta 6222m (right)
Lyngve in front of the impressing Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan
Peter and Andrew in the home we stayed in Nishgar
Peter is carrying a load up Nishgar valley
Peter and Andrew in Nishgar valley
Nishgar valley
The family boss in our homestay in Nishgar
People from Nishgar
Hindu Kush and Afghanistan seen from above Nishgar
Nishgar valley at approx 3400m
Peter in Nishgar valley
Camp at 3700m in Nishgar valley. No water or snow was to be found here.
Camp at 3700m in Nishgar valley
Peter in front of Pik Karl Marx (6736m)
Lyngve in front of Pik Karl Marx (6736m)
Nishgar valley and the clearly visible trail
After 2 days of no water supplies, Andrew and Peter has given up to reach basecamp of Pik Karl Marx. Due to a limited time frame we decide to retreat and climb the easier accessible Pik Leningrad instead.
People of Nishgar
Calling to relatives in Moscow (sat-phone)
Family members in our homestay in Nishgar
Father and mother of the home we stayed in Nishgar
A hunter and his two rabbits in Nishgar
Hunters in Nishgar
Girls of Nishgar
Andrew is measuring his pulse rate. All of us had stomach problems and fever.
Loading the donkeys in Nishgar
Donkey baby in Nishgar
Our two donkeys in the hills above Nishgar
Summer pastures above Nishgar
Summer pastures above Nishgar. Hindu Kush in the background.
Summer pastures above Nishgar. The Hindu Kush peaks behind is close to 7000m high.
Donkeys and team on the way to basecamp
A river canyon above Nishgar
Bridge crossing above Nishgar
Peter, Andrew, the two locals and their donkeys
Bibbler tent in basecamp of Pik Leningrad (approx 3900m elevation)
Scenery above basecamp
Peter and Andrew carrying loads to C1
Summer pastures at basecamp
Basecamp (3900m)
Lyngve carries a load to Camp 1
Norwegian meat in Camp 1
Our tents in Camp 1 (4500m)
At Camp 2 (4900m) and Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta (6222m) behind.
Peter and Andrew have just carried a load to Camp 2 (4900m)
Peter studies the routes on Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta 6222m. We decided on the most direct line to the left. To reach the glacier on the right side would involve terrible scree-slopes in the start, which was out of the question.
Andrew is pitching a tent in Camp 2. Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta 6222m looms behind.
Camp 2 (4900m)
Our chosen route on Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta (6222m) was straight up this glacier.
Mountains of Hindu Kush in Afghanistan and Pakistan as seen from Camp 2
Andrew and Peter are ready to move from C2 to C3
Steep morrain slopes in order to reach the glacier
Soon moving onto the glacier, where we found a suitable place for a camp to the far left.
Camp 3 at 5200m. In order to keep the melting water away from the tents, we had to dig several canals around the camp.
Our tents at Camp 3 (5200m)
Lyngve in Camp 3
A steep and avalanche prone wall behind C3
Peter and Andrew get ready for the summit push
Sunrise above Camp 3
Peter and Andrew on the glacier above Camp 3
Penitentes on the glacier
Peter walking through penitentes
Hindu Kush (Afghanistan/Pakistan) as seen from the slopes of Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta
Hindu Kush (Afghanistan/Pakistan) as seen from the slopes of Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta
The penitentes problem increased the higher we got
Exhausting work to walk through penitentes as high as 2 metres.
Peter have reached the summit ridge. Still penitentes, but much less.
The impressing Hindu Kush range as seen from the summit ridge of Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta
The summit of Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta (6222m)
Pik Tajikistan (6565m) as seen from Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta (6222m). A very demanding peak.
Pik Karl Marx 6723m (left) and Pik Engels 6510m (right)
Summit views from Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta (6222m)
Hindu Kush as seen from Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta
Lyngve on the summit of Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta (6222m). Pik Tajikistan (6565m) towers behind.
Peter on the summit of Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta (6222m). Pik Tajikistan (6565m) towers behind.
Peter skies down from Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta
An endless view of Hindu Kush mountains as seen Pik Leningrad Gosuniversiteta
We opted for another route down, but penitentes was present here as well
Peter navigates through penitentes with his skies
Peter is soon giving up his ski descent because of big issues with penitentes
To regain the glacier, where C3 was situated, we had to climb some steep ice.
Peter climbs steep ice
Breaking up C3 after a successful summit
Andrew on the hike down. Our heavy backpacks were a pain in the ass.
Locals using Andrew's sat.phone to call relatives in Moscow
Mother and daughter in Nishgar
Kids of Nishgar
Adress of the family
Mother and daughters of the home we stayed in Nishgar
Lada troubles on the way from Nishgar to Ishkashim
The jeep we hired from Ishkashim to Khorog
Our driver was joking about Taliban soldiers on the other side of the river
We switched to another jeep shortly before Khorog. Repairs are standard procedure when travelling in Tajikistan.
The president of Tajikistan was on a visit to Khorog, the same day as we arrived. A big ceremony for this special occasion.
A nice Pamir homestay in Khorog, where we spent a couple of nights.
A Pamir home in Khorog
At the taxi stand in Khorog, where we tried to hire a cheap car to Murghab
Scenery along Pamir Highway (Khorog to Murghab)
Andrew in a homestay in Murghab
Murghab
Repairs on the Pajero we hired in Murghab. Hopefully it would take us accross the border to Kyrgyzstan
Scenery along Pamir Highway (Murghab to Kyrgyzstan border)
Engine overheating along Pamir Highway
Scenery along Pamir Highway (Murghab to Kyrgyzstan border). This was the highest pass enroute (4655m).
A fence on the border between Tajikistan and China
Kara Kul Lake and the huge massif of Pik Lenin behind
Kara Kul Lake
A stray dog in Kara Kul
Engine overheating along Pamir Highway. Only minutes after we were out of fuel and were stranded on the highway for 2-3 hours.
Snowstorm at the border post between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
