Heavy Metal around Mongolia and Central Asia

[Cole]

Wish I was back out there now!

No you dont... its horrible out here now. Forget what you saw, its -10-15 now in central Kazakhstan and Mongolia - during the day !!!. I had to abandon (yes ABANDON) my bike in Astana KZ this morning. Too cold and too much snow n ice on the roads. I will return in late march to collect it and ride it home.

Chilling out in Moscow now.

 

[Timolgra]

No you dont... its horrible out here now. Forget what you saw, its -10-15 now in central Kazakhstan and Mongolia - during the day !!!. I had to abandon (yes ABANDON) my bike in Astana KZ this morning. Too cold and too much snow n ice on the roads. I will return in late march to collect it and ride it home.

Chilling out in Moscow now.

It's your age when I read your blogg from early days the cold ride home did look tough

You've been on the go for a long time now, guess you'll be glad of the well deserved break.

 

[Cole]

It's your age when I read your blogg from early days the cold ride home did look tough

You've been on the go for a long time now, guess you'll be glad of the well deserved break.

Yes ... a little longer than planned. It was cold when I left in March. All March I kept wondering 'when is is going to finally warm up'??? Obviously not by the day I departed.

To be honest its been cold since I said farewell to Terry and Tony at the end of August at Ust Kut. The heated gear had been on since then. I rode through a blizzard to get to Irkutsk, in mid september and first started thinking about packing it in then. Amazed I got another month in now that I think of it.

Since I was way up north Yakutia way in the peak of the summer, I have hardly had any 'hot' days. It was hot and sticky in Vladivostok for a couple of days, 2-3 warm days in Yakutsk, and that was about it.

Glad for the break? ... I think I am , though it doesn't feel right after all this time to not be with the bike, or to have it parked outside.

Seeing your pics cheers me up!

 

[Timolgra]

I can't imagine doing a trip like either of ours without a heated jacket now though.

But.
When we rolled in to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan it was pushing +50C ...hope that cheers you up

 

[Cole]

I can't imagine doing a trip like either of ours without a heated jacket now though.

But.
When we rolled in to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan it was pushing +50C ...hope that cheers you up

nope doesnt cheer me up.

but it does make me want to see the pics ... so hurry up!!!

 

[Timolgra]

Just getting my internet connection fixed and this report WILL get finished before it's time to clear off

 

[(RIP) petcul]

And so we crest the top of the Kyzyl Art Pass, a moment I'd been looking forward to for a very long time.

I'm reading "The Road gets better from here" by Adrian Scott - your brilliant pictures bring his book to life.

A definite must do!

Just spotted this Tim. You got there at the right time

 

[Timolgra]

Just spotted this Tim. You got there at the right time

Yes Pete, we were lucky.

This was July, it took them 3 hours to cover just 12km and an AT would perform much better than a GS in these conditions.

 

[Timolgra]

Time to leave Langor and head south west along the Wakhan border toward Ishkashim where the river and border both turn north.

The light was hazy, photos don't do justice to the wild beauty of this part of the world.

The Hindu Kush dominated the skyline, the track was mainly easy going.....good job too, as our eyes were constantly drawn to the mountains.

7000m mountains weren't the only thing to catch our attention, beautiful women dressed in their best all waved and smiled warmly as they made their way to a festival celebrating Fatima.
We were constantly riding one handed waving back and to everyone we saw.

Arriving in Ishkashim we stop for food.
Every other saturday there's a transborder market on the bridge crossing into Afganistan, sadly it wasn't today.

 

[Timolgra]

North now to Khorog where we'll stay a couple of days at the Pamir Lodge.

It was set up by a Pakistani scholar, Dr Ali Muhammed Rajput to fund the local Ismali prayer and meeting hall known as a jamoat khana....well that's what we're told.......

It came as some suprise (or not) when he greeted us wearing his long white robe, steadying himself with an old stick and spoke with a strong Birmingham accent!
But he was one of those great wise old men who if we're lucky, cross our lives enrichening us....we could have listened to him for hours.

At times the river closed once again to a stones thrown from Afganistan.

Our way is now often paved as we pass through leafy villages basking in summer warmth.

The powerful Panj river is constantly at our side.

As tough as life is in Tajikistan, it doesn't look any better at all across the water where there's no sight of any vehicles.

Is it any wonder........

 

[Timolgra]

Plenty of reminders of what doesn't work

Occasionally we could view some of the more fertile areas in this part of Afganistan.

The valley closes in again.

Best to keep at least one eye on the road.

It's a joy to ride this region, the valley constantly opens and closes, there's a slight edge of uneasyness regarding Tajik soldiers...more of which in a while, but it all heightens the senses.

 

[Timolgra]

To our right and high up in the Pamir mountains lies the 500m deep Lake Sarez, described as an accident waiting to happen.

Created after an earthquake in 1911 which dislodged an entire mountainside into the path of the Murghab river obliterating the villages of Usoi and Sarez it's held up by a natural dam of mud and rocks.

Another regional earthquake could breach this dam and a wall of water would sweep down the valleys, wiping away roads and villages deep into Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Afganistan with the flood waters reaching as far as the Aral Sea.
It would be the greatest flood ever witnessed.

But the ground feels solid and we push on up to Kalaikhum.
Here, we had intended to take the main route to Dushanbe but there been some shootings and the road was closed.

We'd have to stay with the Panj river now turning south west.

Having heard recents stories from travellers we'd met en route we became wary of the small groups of young Tajik soldiers who guard this region against drug smuggling where Afganistan is still a stones throw away.

We met a young Swiss woman who they'd tried to rape, other couples who were forced to hand over money at gun point.
There are plenty of official checkpoints which we recognise so decided the best policy was not to stop for these small groups of soldiers who were acting in a very ....unoffical manner.

We were stuck for somewhere to stay and offered some beds in the town bank for which they wanted a small fortune and we could wash in the ditch.

They were taking the piss and I told them so, they dropped the price but I wasn't happy so we rode around the corner and found a small homestay run by a local mountaineer, it was perfect.
I just love it when that happens.

In the morning we found the main petrol station.

 

[earthmover]

Hooray, you're back!
More awesomeness on the photo front!
Ta
Mark

 

[Timolgra]

Brand new and sublime tarmac was a joy to ride on but soon gave way to rocky tracks that were in a constant state of repair with often some of the most difficult riding since Mongolia

The valley continues to amaze us and for long stretches there's no sign of habitation.

It's getting hot but a freezing waterfall down the back of the neck sorts us out.
Yehaa!

 

[stu650]

This is tremendous stuff Tim, please keep it coming. Thanks for putting in all the work to post this.

Stu

 

[Norrie]

Tim

The photo's are Fantastic but to have been there and have seen them must have been AWESOME and at times spiritual

Norrie

 

[Timolgra]

We regroup at yet another checkpoint.

A poor photo but across the river you can just see the two Afgan workers cutting a path into the cliff face.

The way ahead is blocked as bulldozers try and repair the track following a rock slide.

We wait in the heat.
It's all very normal as we chat with the others.
They carry out repairs.
Cuts in the truck tyres are repaired with a plate of metal bolted to the sidewall.

I chat with this woman, she speaks English and is enchantingly beautiful.
I'm in love.
So is she, but sadly with another.

 

[Dansin]

Tim

Fantastic RR, been following it for a while. While riding along the border with Afganistan were none of you tempted to step over the border?

Dan

 

[Timolgra]

It's obvious we're going to struggle across the rocks where the roads been repaired so the trucks go first to try and settle the surface but it was still difficult.
We all did well not to fall which could have been nasty out here.

The route isn't on my map and we're soon going to have to turn away from the river so we press on and hope the way becomes obvious.

Eventually it does turn away and it's either through the river or over the bridge...the bridge won.
But the photo won't upload

 

[Timolgra]

Tim

Fantastic RR, been following it for a while. While riding along the border with Afganistan were none of you tempted to step over the border?

Dan

yes but you may noticed the Panj river and my mention of armed soldiers watching for just such an attempt