It's expedition time, baby! We're going for a very safe region in a beautiful country with a bad brand name. Trek a war-, soldier- and Taliban-free zone to an exotically remote lake whose name takes some time to learn: Lake Chaqmaqtin. Hot springs, nomad Kyrgyz and Wakhi herders, a local and a European guide will make great company along the way.

Located in the North East of Afghanistan between Tajikistan, Pakistan and China, the Wakhan is probably the most remote trekking area in the world.

Wakhan is a very special place: Afghanistan is not, as you can guess, a very visited country; only a few hardcore backpackers travel there. But Wakhan is different. Isolated by mountains and borders, no international interests, no war, no Taliban, but thousands of nomads, 6-7000 meter high peaks of Pamir - and poor infrastructure.

Only about a 100 trekkers-mountaineers visit here every year. Don’t you want to be one of them? Wakhan is a unique place for trekking. Enjoy the hospitality of yurt-dwelling Wakhani and Kyrgyz nomads, and have the privilige to be among the first in your country to explore the immensity of the current-day Little and the Big Pamir valleys. If we are lucky, we can join a Kyrgyz nomadic wedding ceremony or a buzkashi game (it’s a kind of horse polo – rugby with a headless goat or calf).

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Day 1: Arrive in Tajikistan

Take a plane to Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Accommodation in a cheap, Soviet-style hotel. Welcome to central Asia! Drinks are extremely cheap and abundant, but take care...

Day 2: Dushanbe – Khorog by plane (65 min.) or taxi (1 day) or bus (1 day)

...depending on the weather. By plane it takes only one hour, the flight is spectacular, and gets you up close and personal with the peaks of the mountains. Tickets go on sale at 7am the day of the flight only, and the flight happens only if the weather is good and enough people want to fly that day. By bus, taxi or minivan it takes 17-22 hours to reach Khorog.

Day 3: Khorog – Ishkashim

Easy ride in less than 3 hours. If we have enough time we can cross the border on this day and we start to prepare our expedition for the Wakhan and Little Pamir. Yes, you need to take part in buying food, queing with papers etc. You don't get this kind of stuff put under your butt on this trip. As we said, it's expedition-time! Of course, we still do a hell of a lot of organizing prior to your arrival to make everything as smooth as possible. 

Day 4: Border crossing or start of trek

If we could cross the border on the day 3 we can start the next day program. In this case we win a day to spend in the mountains or keep it for Dushanbe. Normally the program is border crossing to Afghanistan, afghan Ishkashim, paperwork, preparation for the Wakhan trekking. Overnight in teahouse or guesthouse.

Day 5-6: Ishkashim - Sarhad-e Broghil by 4WD

We take a 4WD and start an endless and hopeless bumpy journey. Overnight in teahouse or herder’s shelter.

From here, days 7-15 are all about your trek in the Wakhan and Little Pamir

Day 7: Sarhad - Baharaq via the Dalriz pass (4 250 m)

From Sarhad we have a pleasant hike to Baharaq via the Dalriz pass. In Baharaq there is a herder's shelter near the river where it is possible to overnight. Baharaq is where the two routes (high route and river route) separate.

Day 8: Baharaq - Garumdee Pass via Sang Nawishta

...or continue to Barnaoz From Baharaq, the trail goes to Garumdee Pass via Sang Nawishta, where there many rocks are covered with petroglyphs. Hopefully we spend the night in the settlement of Ebdimin-Sabt Vegitk in a yurt.

Day 9: Garumdee Pass (4 895 m)

Today we start the longest day in our trek. The trail crosses one of the highest passes in the Pamir, the almost 4900 high Garumdee Pass. 3-4 hours after the Pass we stay in yurt or shelter.

Day 10: Akbilis Lake (Little Pamir), Khash Goz

On this day we reach Akbilis Lake, gateway to the Little Pamir. After Akbilis on the way to Buzai Gonbaz is a settlement called Khash Goz. Overnight there.

Day 11: Bourguitiar (hot spring) and Lake Chaqmaqtin

Today, after 7 hours walking we reach our final destination called Lake Chaqmaqtin, via the settlement of Bourguitar. Here you can stay in your own tent or alternatively, the team can turn back to Bourguitar and take a yurt. Across the Little Pamir valley opposite Bourguitiar, there is a beautiful hotspring called Ararkar. We can reach it by horse or yak or by foot in 1.5 to 2 hours. A great opportunity to take a warm bath overlooking the Little Pamir!

Day 12: back to Sarhad on the river route: from Lake Chaqmaqtin to Buzai Gonbaz
Day 13: Buzai Gonbaz – Langar

Day 14: Langar – Baharaq

Day 15: Baharaq – Sarhad

On these days we just follow the river back to Sarhad-e Broghil. Overnights in yurts, shelters or tents.

Day 16-17: from Sarhad to Ishkashim

We take a 4WD again and start an endless and hopeless bumpy journey. You'll never forget this ride :)… Overnight in teahouse or herder’s shelter. If we arrive in time, we cross the border to Tajikistan and take a teahouse-accommodation there.

Day 18-19: Ishkashim – Khorog – Dushanbe

Back on the same way and hopefully we can take a flight to Dushanbe. Overnight in teahouse or hotel.

Day 20: take the flight home from Afghanistan

The possibly most exhilirating trip of your life has come to an end. You'll be grateful and start wondering, how you can top the experience of the past 20 days...

Disclaimer

You are going to Afghanistan on an expeditive style trip. Although recent and relyable accounts tell us that the region is completely conflict free, a great degree of precaution is necessary. The trip's expediton-stye grading means that the plan can change substantially according to how we can or cannot cross the border fromTajikistan and other unforseeable factors. Our team will do its best to run everything smoothly and according to plan, but things might change and we may not be able to stick to the plan. If you're not cool with this, please don't come on this trip. 

 

Equipment list

• Light and warm clothes. Warm clothes are essential as temperature in the Pamir drops to freezing levels at night even in August.
• Waterproof hiking boots
• Light sandals
• A warm sleeping bag is also essential although blankets are generally provided in yurts
• Although it may be useful if you are planning to walk off the beaten tracks, a tent is not strictly necessary as there are settlements and herder's shelters all along the way
• A large plastic cover for ground protection in herder's shelters
• Water bottle
• A light self-inflating mattress is useful for nights in herder's shelters
• Backpack: convenient, but not necessary if you are planning to hire mules or horses all along the way.
• It may be more convenient to use large, solid and waterproof expedition bags
• Light gloves and hat
• Flash light with sufficient batteries and extra lamp
• Water purifying pills are not strictly necessary as water is generally abundant, fresh and clean
• matches, cord, Tupperware, sunglasses, sunscreen, compass/GPS, sewing kit, toilet paper, washing cloth, toiletries
• several spare batteries and memory cards
• Gifts for the people: warm clothes (warm socks are appreciated!), small gifts for the nomad kids etc.
• Complete first-aid kit

Don't worry, we'll do a (virtual) pre-expedition meeting prior to your trip where all questions will be discussed in detail.

Insurance

Tell your insurance company you're going to Afghanistan and watch their faces turn pale. You need special insurance for this country. Let us know if you need help!