Three girls walking along the Wakhan Valley road, Tajikistan |
Waken Valley with the Panj River and the mountains of Afghanistan |
Bus stop with the colors of the Tajikistan flag |
I briefed my driver that I wanted to stop at the various historic sites, as opposed to having a race to Dushanbe |
Turn here for the fortress of Abreshimkala |
Abreshim Qala, the Silk Fortress, is in the village of Zong, about 6 km west of the Langar Museum |
Looking east as the morning sun shines off the Panj River |
Climbing from the main road up to the Abreshim Qala |
Climbing to the Silk Fortress is about a 900 foot ascent up the side of the Wakhan Valley |
This must be a very rarely visited site, although some villagers did point the way |
Steven trying to keep up |
As we climb up towards the castle, the views of the Wakhan Valley get better and better |
The Abreshimkala is located at N37 02 13/E072 36 58 |
The path wasn't always very clear but the locals kids must all be in school today |
Climbing the Wakhan Valley |
Although wide in places, the Panj River looks shallow enough to walk across in places |
A house with some small terraced fields high up on the side of the valley |
The fortress sits on the top of that prominent outcropping |
Abrashim Qala also known locally as Vishimkala, the Silk Fortress |
The fortress' location gives a great view of the river which divides Afghanistan and Tajikistan |
Trekking up to the Silk Fortress, Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
The barely discernible path keeps leading upwards, but the fortress is higher still |
A tiny stream cut through the grassy turf clinging to the mountainside |
A narrow gorge protects the site of the Silk Fortress even more |
We should have done the climb to the petroglyphs in Langar... |
Natural gorge protecting the fortress |
The village must take their water from a spring near the fortress |
Not sure how we're going to cross that |
We'll settle for this view of the Abrashim Qala (Vishimkala) |
He made it! |
Afghan valley opposite the fortress with just the very tip of Kohanha (6309m/20,698 ft) on the left, Afghanistan-Pakistan |
The snow covered peak on the right in the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan is around 19,150 ft |
Another look back at the Abrashimkala |
The upper village of Zong beneath the Silk Fortress |
Mudbrick house in the village of Zong, Wakhan Valley |
Terraced fields on the mountainside above the village of Zong |
The village of Zong looking back towards Langar and the Pamir River |
Autumn colors |
Sandy flats of the Panj River on the west side of Zong, Tajikistan |
I think the proper route up to the Silk Fortress is from the east side to avoid the ravine |
House in the village of Zong, Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
Village of Zong, Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
Роҳи Сафед - Bon Voyage |
A traditional Pamiri shrine along just west of the village of Zong, Wakhan Valley |
A traditional Pamiri shrine along, village of Zong, Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
Skull of a Marco Polo sheep on the Pamiri shrine |
Skull of a Marco Polo sheep on the Pamiri shrine |
Pamiri shrine, village of Zong, Wakhan Valley |
Wide Panj River of the Wakhan Valley with the mountains of Afghanistan |
The Afghan mountains reflected in the Panj River, Wakhan Valley |
Wakhan Valley reflections |
Tajikistan's Wakhan Valley road, former frontier of the USSR |
Cows headed out of the village of Zugvand, 3 km west of Zong |
Side canyon off the Wakhan Valley |
Between villages, the Wakhan Valley is arid and lifeless |
A glacier in a high valley on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, delineated by the ridge of the Hindu Kush |
Another herd of livestock ahead |
Honking madly, the driver forces his way through |
And, no shock, it finally happened. The driver hit a little lamb crippling it |
The rest of the herd moves on as negotiations commence |
The victim carried away for tonight's stew pot |
Not sure what the driver ended up paying. I didn't get involved |
At least the big shepherd didn't take his stick to my driver |
Mr Driver, let's not run over any kids please |
The second time passing through the victim's herd, he was a bit more careful |
The Panj River, Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan-Afghanistan |
Happy 20 Years of Independence Tajikistan |
Sandy area of the Wakhan Valley |
Hindu Kush of the Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan - just west of Kohe Hevad |
Hindu Kush of the Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan - just west of Kohe Hevad |
The Panj River with the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan and Kohe Hevad (6849m/22,470ft) |
The Panj River with the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan and Kohe Hevad (6849m/22,470ft) |
The Panj River with the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan and Kohe Hevad (6849m/22,470ft) |
Kohe Hevad (6849m/22,470ft) , Hindu Kush, Afghanistan |
A 20,000 foot peak of the Hindu Kush - Afghanistan-Pakistan Border |
Oumbouk Fortress, a stronghold on the valley floor directly on the Panj River |
Perhaps penitent after taking out the little lamb, the driver offers to guide us to the Oumbouk Fortress-a place he'd never been |
The Fortress Oumbouk Qala on a rocky outcropping directly on the Pamir River |
Interesting berry bush along the trail |
Not quite sure what it is |
This is the whole bush, sort of like an evergreen |
20,600 foot peak in the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan |
Young boy with a young bull, Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
Toad in the Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |
Toad in the Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan |