The Pamir Highway has been consecrated as the “holy grail of cycling” – see article by Alexei Vink, winner of the The Guardian‘s “Cycling in central Asia: readers’ travel writing competition 2013” here.
Given the increasing numbers of visitors to the Pamirs on bicycles, we added this Cycling section to the Pamirs website. Rather than attempt to make recommendations for itineraries as we do in the Trekking section. However, it is useful for those planning a cycling tour in the Pamirs to have a listing of blogs and other websites where they can find useful tips from those who have done it.
Most cyclists concentrate on the Pamir Highway, but – as can be seen from some of the blogs listed below – there are also other challenging and interesting routes.
This listing is by no means complete nor is it in any particular order. If your blog/website is not here, or if you know of another useful site, please contact me at the e-mail address on the Home Page. N.B. Many thanks to Edwige Derain and Carlotta, Claude Marthaler, Tracey Maund, Nicholas Saunier, Armand de Lhoneux and Colin Champion for help with this section.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON CYCLING FROM THE NORTH TO DUSHANBE
Cyclists coming from the North (Khujand or Penjikent) to Dushanbe will have to ride either over the Anzob pass (3,372m) or through the Anzob tunnel: according to Andrew Peat, who was there in summer 2017, the tunnel is now safe for cyclists, (see here) but we repeat below our earlier text and a 2010 report by some intrepid cyclists:
“5 km of badly lit, heavily potholed road down which large trucks boom day and (especially) night. Do not attempt the pass unless you know that it is free of snow and ice – in 2010 the pass was still closed end-May. Some cyclists may prefer to try to load their bikes on a passing truck. Others may be encouraged by the following report by Roman Kallweit (end-May 2010).
“We passed the tunnel on Saturday, cycling, and the conditions were much better than we had hoped: – just a small river to cross in front of the tunnel (we had to take off our shoes, but another couple found less water and was even able to cycle through) – a little light installed for 3/4 of the tunnel, which does a good job combined with your own headlamp – no water at all (apart from all the filled potholes, which are easy to avoid if you have some good light) – the worst thing was the incredible noise caused by 2 huge ventilators in the middle of the tunnel, but thanks to this:
– the air was not too bad (just don’t go directly behind a truck)
– it was pretty cold inside – around 15 degrees Celsius, combined with wind..- worthwhile to put on a pullover and some gloves if you have them.
One cyclist couple we met last night had gone for the old pass route, but had to turn around 300 meters (in altitude) before reaching the top, because of huge snow and ice fields. They said that it was worth a try anyway, because of the route being very scenic, and Anzob being a very quite and peaceful village.”
See also the report here.
Bon Voyage! - Take care.
https://claudemarthaler.ch/livre/voyages-sellestes/
https://claudemarthaler.ch/conference/claude-marthaler-embrasser-la-terre-2015-70/
Claude Marthaler’s 10th book, Voyages sellestes, just came out (éditions Glénat, 2020 – first link above). Its central theme is mountain cycling and comprises 3 chapters: the Pamirs (Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan, Afghanistan, pp.23-116), Eastern Tibet and the Rocky Mountains. The chapter on the Pamirs describes Claude’s 3 months journey by bike in the summer of 2015. The Swiss TV filmmaker Alexandre Lachavanne shot 9-10 days of it (second link above).
https://cycling.martinhilbers.info/PamirHighway/index.htm
https://travellingtwo.com/resources/10questions/pamir-highwaym
I have put these last two websites at the top of the list because the first provides very detailed information on daily altitude profiles from Dushanbe to Osh along the Pamir Highway and the second gives useful answers to practical questions.
I put this one next because of the comment below:
“But perhaps the single biggest reason I didn’t quit was because for every hurdle there was salvation: a home opened up to rest our tired bones, a family offering a bottomless kettle of tea, a home-cooked meal to fill our ravenous stomachs, shepherds whistling at us from mountaintops and seemingly every child in every village running to greet us as if we were celebrities.”
https://www.masterlyinactivity.com/pamirs
https://www.masterlyinactivity.com/pamirs/intro.html
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/1
The Pamirs on a Folding Bike https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=tS&doc_id=18086&v=Tc
[These accounts by Christian Stenshorne, Bill Weir, Peter Gostelow, Peter Quaife, Jonas Honegger and Stefan Koehler – some of the “crazy guys on a bike” on Neil Gunton’s remarkable website – are probably the most comprehensive review of cycling opportunities (and adventures) in the Pamirs and contain good description and some great photos of their routes.
https://www3.utsidan.se/corax-e/travels/log4.htm
https://sur-la-route-des-nuages.blogspot.com/
https://www.2wheels.org.uk/return/expedition.asp
https://ashortrideincentralasia.blogspot.com/
https://www.joergersvelotour.ch/
https://silkroadsbybikeenglish.blogspot.com/2008/09/tadjikistan-pamir-highway.html
https://braddavies.blogspot.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-QPDuXye4g(video of the above)
https://www.cyclingwithoutborders.org/category/tajikistan/
https://gillesveloalberty.over-blog.com/article-22173408.html
https://robik-troglodyte.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html
https://acharlieblog.blogspot.com/2009_08_16_archive.html
https://bugoybikerstajikistan.blogspot.com
https://cyclinghighasia.blogspot.com/
https://bike-pamir.blogspot.com/
https://velo-traumreise.blogspot.com/
https://www.cyclotherapy-tajikistan.blogspot.com/
https://himalaiaenbtt.blogspot.com/
https://www.rodadas.net/2013/02/27/pamir-highway/#.UX0u_sq1ZLx/
https://www.cyclingnomads.org/ben/dushanbe-murghab-5927km/
https://bike-pamir.blogspot.com/
https://tomsbiketrip.com/cycling-east-with-alex-gandy-at-the-foot-of-the-pamir-highway/
https://travellingtwo.com/13692
https://maptia.com/cyclingeast/stories/highlights-from-the-pamir-highway
https://welovemountains.net/pamirs2015-pt1/
https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/travel/seeing-the-roof-of-the-world-on-two-wheels
Tom Bruce has put some excellent photos on his blog, as well as much practical information – there are four parts, beginning with https://www.tombrucecycling.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/dushanbe-to-khorog.html
Helen Lloyd is a courageous cyclist and takes good photos too – end-October is not the best time to tackle the Pamir Highway on a bike, although 19th century explorers preferred travelling in winter because they avoided having to ford rivers – see her blogs beginning with https://helenstakeon.com/blog/riding-the-pamir-highway-the-cold-way-sary-tash-to-murghab/ For 19th century winter dangers see the summary from Lord Dunmore’s memoir of his Pamir travels in 1892 here.
Two Australians, Het and Tim, also chose October for their trip to the Wakhan – see https://treadlytwo.wordpress.com/author/treadlytwo/