Afghanistan - The Wahkan Corridor a narrow trail through some of the tallest mountains on Earth Roof of the World

The Wakhan Corridor

The Wakhan Corridor is a small strip of land belonging to Afghanistan that connects it with China separating Pakistan and Tajikistan, On the left the valley of the Pjandsch river marks the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, on the right the crest of the mountains the border to Pakistan. At the horizon the Muztagh Ata and Kongur Shan peaks in the Kunlun Mountains can be seen.

Views of the Earth

Stranded on the Roof of the World

Afghanistan’s Kyrgyz nomads survive in one of the most remote, high-altitude, bewitching landscapes on Earth. It’s a heavenly life—and a living hell.

National Geographic

Photograph by Matthieu Paley

High above the tree line, a winter caravan of traders relies on sure-footed yaks to traverse a treacherous path down to a lower valley. At altitudes above 14,000 feet, winters in the Little Pamir last eight months or more, and snow can fall even in summer. www.paleyphoto.com

The Wakhan Corridor is a panhandle shaped territory that serves as a buffer zone between Tajikistan,Pakistan and China. According the the New York Times, it is the “safest’ part of Afghanistan , meaning there no warfare because the area is not strategically important to the warring factions in other parts of the country. Mountains top the 24,000 foot range and the first snow falls in August. Noshak is the highest at 24,580 feet.T

Photograph by Matthieu Paley

Blanket-draped yaks hunker down outside a young couple’s yurt on the eve of a summer trading journey. Made of interlaced poles covered with felt, these portable homes are packed up and reassembled for seasonal migration. Wooden doors are imported to the treeless plateau from lower altitudes.

www.paleyphoto.com

The route

We meet in the Tajikistan capital of Dushanbe and head South East to Badakhshan province to pick up the Pamir highway in good land cruisers. We cross into Afghanistan at the river crossing border of Ishkashim. After getting our permits and do some shopping we head out on the spectacular but bump river up the lower Wakhan Corridor to Sharhad-e-Boroghil where the adventure starts.

Following the main Onus river we trek for a number of days arriving at the Krgyz settlement of Bozai Gombaz and visit the school made by the Central Asia Institute and continue up to the amazing Chaqmartin lake where we have a day to explore.

We return to the road head at Sharhad-e-Boroghil via to challenging Garmeedee pass and spend time with the local Wakhi herders and explore the upper Tchap Dara valley then cross back into Tajikistan and Dushanbe for our flights home. 

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