Grumm Grzhimaylo Glacier viewpoint…almost!

Navroz...the legend of Pasor

Overnight in the hamlet of Pasor, we struck a deal with Navroz to hire his donkey and since these hardy but obdurate creatures are hard to control, Navroz came as part of the deal. Mir our driver was going to stay back having no desire to climb the mountains. He was looking forward to getting some paid rest, good food and probably watch some satellite TV over the next four days. Our team of four trekkers was now set including the donkey!

Its not my preference for doing these treks solo but finding travel partners with the same interest and matching schedules is difficult. Had I been a college backpacker it would have been much easier to find the right partners with the 2-3 months of summer off being ample time to wait for like minded travelers. It does however works the other way as well since I now have more financial leeway giving me more independence in deciding when and where I go.

We set off from Pasor along the snow and glacier fed Kafrazdara river having a small hydro electric set up to provide electricity to this remote settlement. The plan was for to trek up and back down this valley over the course of the next four days. We would reach our destination, the viewpoint of the Grumm Grzhimaylo Glacier, on the 3^rd morning thereafter turning back down. If we get back to Pasor early we can leave for Khorog the same day saving one day in the process.

Snow blowing into the shepherd's shed

Day one of the trek, the weather was windy and overcast which were good conditions for climbing but no so much for viewing the mountain scenery. Five days had passed since I had arrived in Tajikistan and through all these days it was either overcast or rainy.

Navroz's donkey with the wolf attack wound

Although the forecast was for it to improve in the next day or two I was hoping it cleared up sooner rather than later. It would be a real disappointment if the clouds were to linger through the trek, especially the day we were going to be at the viewpoint.

By late afternoon the weather turned south with the winds picking up with snow flurries. I’ve always heard of mountain weather being fickle and here I was experiencing it for the first time. Snow in the summer month of June!

Ibex horn

We were going to pitch our tent in the meadows that the shepherds also use as a base for their summer pasture and since we were making good ground we decided to push on to the second one a further two hours away. Thankfully, the fear that the snow flurries might turn into a heavy snowfall never materialized. Even better was the sun breaking out of the clouds giving a resplendent warm glow to the snow-capped mountain range. I hoped this was the turning point for the weather.

With Navroz & Purdil at Camp 1

Navroz and Purdil quick pitched their tent and started preparing dinner. At high altitude it takes longer for water to boil and hence cooking was going to takes longer. We had brought along a cooking stove for food but to light our campfire we used the ample droppings of cow dung scattered around the meadow. We didn’t see the cattle or the shepherd tending to them - quite possibly they had moved to a different meadow in the mountains.

Over fire, I casually asked Purdil to check with Navroz if he had seen a snow leopard - after all we were in prime snow leopard territory. Rather than a simple yes or a no, Navroz elaborated on the answer in Pamiri and I knew I had an interesting story coming my way.

Making our way through the snow patches

Purdil turned around and told me that not only has Navroz seen one but he’s actually killed a snow leopard. Evidently, one winter when one of these majestic rare cats came down into Pasor, it entered a stone shed constructed for the cattle and killed eighteen of them. The next morning when someone went in to check on the shed, a growl was heard from the inside. Soon Navroz retuned with this gun and shot the cat from the same gap at the top from where the cat had entered.

The amazing Pamir mountain range

I tried the reason why the cat killed all eighteen when it needed only one to feed itself. My theory is that when it entered the shed it could not get out through the same entrance at the top of and in the ensuing panic with the cattle crying out it tried to silence all of them so it does not get caught. Alas, this was a tragedy for all - Navroz, the cattle and the poor cat. Life in the mountains is harsh and it’s a matter of daily survival for everyone.

Kafrasdara lake

As inhumane as it sounds, I think as long as humans don’t further encroach on the snow leopard’s territory, its ok to maintain a balance between conservation and killing a rare animal for protecting livestock because unfortunately there aren’t many other recourses.

After the tragic tale it was time to put some more cow dung on the fire before retiring to the tent. The idea was the lingering fire will keep the wolves away from our donkey.

I zipped open the tent the following morning to see beautiful clear skies…yeah!

The first couple hours of climbing were hard with a steep ascent and then a stretch of unstable rockslide, taxing the knees and the ankle until we reached our first obstacle, a patch of snow. It was mid-June and there’s supposed to be no snow this time of the year but Purdil mentioned that the past winter the region had record snowfall and the rains in the spring and early summer did not help the snow melt.

The donkey refused to go past this stretch of snow but we somehow managed to get it across by pushing and pulling it over. It’s quite understandable why the donkey didn’t want to go with the unstable rock under the partially thawing, irregularly compacted snow making for treacherous footing where the animal could easily break a leg. We somehow managed to pass the first patch but the trouble was just starting.

Soon we hit a second one which was even longer. Navroz decided to go survey the land further out and came back with the depressing news that there are several more of these patches as far as his eyes could see. This ruled out the donkey going any further. Navroz would also be out as he needed to be with his donkey to protect it from the wolves.

Purdil was suffering from cold so I checked if he wanted to continue and he responded in the affirmative but our supplies would be gone with the donkey. We decided to lighten our loads and just carry a little bit of snacks plus one tent and our sleeping bags. For the next day and a half, we were on our own while Navroz would wait for us at the camp from the first night (Camp 1).

Some edible plant

Passing the snow patches was hard as I kept sinking into the thawing snow with the weight of the backpack making it worse but we eventually made it past them to the shore of the beautiful, turquoise Kafrasdara lake. The lake was only about 20% full as the snow around it had yet to melt significantly. Melt water was tricking from all angles though so it would be full in about a month’s time.

From the lake, we continued on for a couple more hours and then pitched our tent beyond which there was only snow – this would be out camp for the night (Camp 2). We quickly ate some snacks and retired to the tent before it got too cold as we didn’t have supplies to light a fire or cook food. The idea was the go to bed early, wake up early and head straight for the view point before returning to Camp 2 to pack up and return to the first camp for the night.

The next morning Purdil woke up worse. A combination of cold and high altitude meant that he could not continue past the first hour.

I was not going to turn back…not now! I got his phone with the GPS location of the view point downloaded on it and continued onwards. Purdil would wait for me back at the Camp 2.

It was slow going on snow and ice leaving as I left my footprints along those of marmots and wolves. Having left early in the morning meant that the ice was still hard so walking was a little easier. A couple of avalanches in the distance added to the beautiful scenery however my thought was still fixed on if I was going in the right direction. More concerning was that Purdil’s phone was running out of juice.

The most spectacular icy scenery

Five hours into the hike and still there was no sight of the view point. All I could see was snow, ice and over 5000-meter icy peaks. The occasional frozen (or partially frozen) lake was an obstacle as I had to climb around them which meant an energy draining trudge over a hill and then back down.

At this point I had run out of snacks and was eating ice to keep myself hydrated. The window of time to turn back and get to Camp 1 before night fall was fast narrowing. Every additional minute I spent up there also meant that Navroz at camp 1 and Purdil at camp 2 would be getting increasingly anxious and worried. At one point, as I caught my breath I seriously considered calling it quits and turning around.

At the highest point of the pass into Vanj Valley

Then deep down a voice said to keep going, I would never be at that place again so it was now or never…it called out for one last shot. The initial 10 minutes of the last chance turned to 30 and just when I was feeling it was time to make the final decision I reached the tip of the valley at the pass leading into the Vanj valley and out in the distance among distant mountain peaks was a narrow window showcasing a huge glacier…I had finally caught sight of the Grumm Grzhimaylo Glacier!

Close up view of the glacier

If I kept going downhill from there it would mean I would pass from the Bartang into the Vanj valley. I scanned for a

better vantage point and the only place from where I could catch a panoramic view was from the top of a large hill to my right.

With Navroz

It was a steep climb up and covered snow. I ran the math and it would have easily taken another 2-3 hours to go up and an hour to return to the spot I was standing at. Then there was several more hours to get back to camp 1. If I would decide to go up, there was no way I was getting back to camp that night. I can sometimes be reckless but it wasn’t a time to be stupid.

It was time to turn around but not before admiring one of the most spectacular views that eyes have laid sight on. Miles and miles of nothing but snow-capped mountains. A remote, icy world...may this place remain like this for eternity and may the snow leopard that lives here continue to hide from our eyes.

It was past noon and the ice was thawing making coming down that much more difficult but direction was not a problem since I just had to retrace my footprints in snow.

Not too far from where I had left Purdil I saw him frantically waving at me…he probably was super thrilled to see me. He did tell me later that his worst fear was that I had lost my way. I was more thrilled to finally have liquid water from a small pocket of melt water there.

The shepherd

We got back to camp 2 and decided to rest a while before pushing back to camp 1 which was still 5-6 hours away. We both were a little worm out from the day’s excursion.

Soon we packed up the tent and crossed the Kafrasdara river where to our surprise we saw a human in the distance. Purdil immediately picked up that it was Navroz, I wasn’t sure but I trusted him since he is also a wildlife guide and tracker.

Sure enough it was Navroz and he quick joined up with us and thankfully he got a flask full of hot water with some tea bags and bread.

Drinking glacier water through the whole trek

Several hours later we eventually made it to camp 1 just before nightfall. No one had the strength to cook so we decided to have shirchoy with bread for dinner. We would be in Pasor the next afternoon and good warm food can wait till then. After almost 13 hours of hiking it didn’t take long to doze off and rest those weary legs.

Next day we promptly returned to Pasor past noon and packed up so we could return to Khorog that same evening. I thanked Navroz, took pictures on his donkey (not sure but Navroz insisted I do that) and we finally departed Pasor!

Before I left Pasor I did catch sight of Joma playing with his friends and I got half my body out of the vehicle window and shouted, “goodbye my friend!”

It was now Mir’s turn to work while Purdil and I put our feet up and relaxed for the next 7 odd hours as we retraced our way through the Upper Bartang Valley and finally made it to Khorog later that night!

Back in Pasor

There is no doubt that the excessive snow prevented me from making it to the view point and there are two ways to look at how I feel about not getting there. I could deem it a failure or I could look at the positive of having seen this amazing place with the backdrop of so much snow that I’m sure most trekkers don’t get to see. Sure I didn’t get “that” but I saw so much more through the four days of trekking that I’d never seen before. I’ll consider it a net positive. Moreover, I am still alive to write about it and with a chance to see another glacier view someday in the future. I’ll take that any day.