Steppes Travel is not actually organising this but in case someone out there is interested, we pass it on:

I have a plan to do a little venturing in Central Asia this summer. I have some fellow travellers for the first part (Tajik Pamirs to Ishkashem) but could do with one or two more for the whole trip.


Purpose (no purpose really necessary as the means is the end and vice versa for this sort of travel), however what we hope to do is explore the Tajik Pamirs and journey to one or more sources of the great Oxus river in the Wahkan corridor of NE Afghanistan and see :

".............. the bright speed he had
In his high mountain cradle in Pamere" (Matthew Arnold 'Sorhab and Rustum')

Have a look at www.pamirs.org and www. juldu.com


Date: first three weeks July 2007, altogether about three weeks, but could be more or less.


Proposed journey

Fly to Almaty, Kazakhstan

Fly to Osh, Kyghizia

Jeep from Osh via KaraKul Lake into the Tajik Pamirs to Murghab

Jeep south to Syr Kul, the lake on the Tajik/Afgan border thought to be one of the main sources of the Oxus/Amu Darya.

Continue by jeep to the Afghan border post and bridge at Iskashem

We hope to pick up vehicle transport sent from Kabul at Ishkashem

We travel up the river , now on the south side to first Qala e Panj and as far as we can go by 4 x 4. This depends on water levels. We may get to Sarhad/Boroghil, which is at the narrowest part of the Wakhan corridor and is the junction for jouneys through Boroghil Pass into the NWF Province of Pakistan north east of Mastuj and Chitral.

From Sarhad we take horses and donkeys to trek eastwards up the Wakhan to Bozai Gumbaz, staying at Wakhi and then eventually Kirghiz villages en route (although we will take our own camp equipment in case it is necessary.

We will try to get to Lake Chakmartin or go up the Wakir river further to the south east.

Then back using a different route to Sarhad, where we hope the vehicles will be waiting. Then back....


Warnings:

Nothing will go right;

Much of the above will either not happen or will happen in the wrong order

There can be little in the way of accurate planning until we arrive; pre-planning for this sort of journey is like trying to build a ship in a bottle by telephone

The terrain is sometimes open and green flat Pamir but also involves high and difficult passes but does not (so am I told ) require any rock climbing skills or other expertise....if the horse can do it, so can we.

It will be very cold at night

Food will be boring and poor

No modern facilities of any sort have reached the Wakhi villages

Some of us will only do the Tajik bit or will decide whether to go the whole way at Ishkashem. The alternative is to go back via Khorog (airport in Pamirs on the river) or go to Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan and on to Samarkand/Bokhara.

Costs
Not sure yet but not expensive as all we have to pay for is jeeps and guides. Flights to Almaty are also very reasonable at c£350-600 Almaty-London return.

If anyone seriously wants to join us (so far the party is five of which only 2 are likely to do the Wakhan trek as well as the Tajik Pamirs) please let us know who you are, where you will come from etc.

Please contact Bill at bill@billcolegrave.com