The Pamir Hwy, Kyrgyzstan, Sep 2025

Bulgaria to Türkiye, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan

Osh was the meeting point for the Young Pioneer Tours group Pamir Highway trip that started next day. The group consisted of 10 people: 4 women and 6 men from different countries. Our drivers picked us up from our hotels. We quickly exchanged introductions in the car and were on our way to the mountains.

In the afternoon, we reached the village of Sary-Tash. Its name in Uzbek means ‘yellow stone’. It was a small place that serves as a transit point on the Pamir Hwy. We slept in the guest house, the only one there. All women in one room, the guys in two rooms.

After lunch at the guest house, we went to see a tourist yurt camp. Lenin Peak (7,134 m/23,406 ft) is well-visible from the camp. It is owned by our guide’s cousin. The camp was closing down for the season. Another week and the roads will be unpassable. The camp’s altitude is about 3,600 m but I did not feel the lack of oxygen. The owner set a table for us with tea, sweets, and nuts. Uzbek tea is so good that I, a coffee drinker, did not want any coffee.

Kyrgyzstan – Tajikistan

After a hearty breakfast in Sary-Tash, we continued toward Tajikistan. The road went up until it reached Kyzylart Pass (4,282 m) which is the border crossing point. Some people started complaining about mountain sickness. I felt a bit lightheaded as if I had too many drinks, but otherwise I was fine.

The border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan was closed for 5 years. It was reopened only 2 months before our trip which made it possible.

There were no other cars at the border, just us. We hardly met anyone on the road except for occasional bikers and cyclists covered by a thick layer of dust. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to ride the bike at this altitude on this really bad road. We spent most of the day bouncing in the car over bumps and potholes which was tough and led to some remarks from the group about too many hours of being sitting in the vehicle. To them, Ryan, our leader from the YPT, responded that the trip had the word ‘highway’ in its name which means it had something to do with driving. If we wanted a beach vacation, we should have chosen a trip with the appropriate name.

The car did not protect us from the dust. It was everywhere – in our clothes, luggage, eyes, and ears. At first, I tried to clean my backpack from the dust every night, then gave up. It was useless to fight it until the trip was over.

The Pamir highway was a priority construction project in 1933-37. Initially, it was named after Stalin. The Soviet Union needed a road that connected it to China. It looks like the highway was never repaired since it was built. Many parts of it are unpaved. Where the asphalt is there, it is badly broken but the stunning mountain views made this trip worthwhile.

In the evening, we stopped for the night in the town of Murghab. I would not give our hotel more than half-a-star. Everything was closed, including the market.

The Pamir Hwy, Tajikistan