Jizeu: Gateway to the remote Bartang Valley

River Panj seperating Tajikistan (R) from Afghanistan (L)

The Pamir mountains lie in the autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan Province (GBAO) and to go there I had to pay an extra twenty dollars for a special permit when I applied for my Tajikistan e-visa. There’s a lot of fascinating reads on the internet for reasons for this region being autonomous and the interplay of Sunni Tajiks, Shia Ismaili Pamiris and China of all. No doubt there is a lot of cultural & geo-political issues going on there.

Villages across the river in Afghanistan

Until a few months ago, there was an option to fly from Dushanbe to Khorog, the capital of the autonomous province. Considered to be a breathtaking flight over the mountains for under a hundred dollars, unfortunately it was discontinued earlier this year. Even when it was operational though, it was notorious for getting cancelled often as the airport in Khorog was severely ill-equipped to handle air traffic in fickle mountainous weather.

Pamir Highway

The other two options were to rent a private 4X4 or go in shared 4X4 taxi. Before coming to Tajikistan, I had interacted with Saidbek, a former porter turned tour operator who graciously helped plan my trek into the Pamir’s Bartang valley without commission. He even helped secure a front seat in a good land cruiser taxi. I paid a slight premium for the front seat besides the driver but it was well considering the comfort and view from within the vehicle.

Dushanbe had been overcast and I had been warned that the region had gotten a lot of unseasonal rain lately; and it was forecasted to carry on for a few more days.

Shircho: Traditional Pamiri tea 

That wasn’t a problem for the first few hours as we gradually made our way through the foothills on a fine tarmac road but all changed after we reach a region called Darvaz aptly called as it’s the gateway to GBAO and the Pamirs.

Fellow passangers from Dushanbe to Khorog

Beyond Darvaz, the next 200 km or roughly 8 hours were on a rough mountain road in bad conditions. The craggy, unstable mountains rising steeply from the edge of the road makes it extremely prone to landslides and the heavy rainfall made it even worse. No wonder that only strong 4X4’s or sturdy trucks are recommended on this route.

Kid in Rushan

Suspension bridge across the wild Bartang river

Around Darvaz the road also reached the banks of the mighty Panj river that acts as the boundary with Afghanistan and extends for hundreds of miles east as the boundary marker between these two countries. The huge snow-capped mountains that this road passes through makes this one of the most spectacular journeys in the world and is part of the famed Pamir Highway.

Jizeu river mixing into the Bartang

Stone homes in Jizeu

On the other bank of the river Panj were Afghan villages and shepherds herding their cattle. Culturally and ethnically the same people, randomly split by the great powers of the 20^th century, I wonder what the Afghans feel when they look at their more prosperous, and stable neighbors on the Tajik side.

My fellow passengers in the vehicle were an interesting mix - a geologist with his wife, a student at the Central Asian university in Khorog, a lady who worked with the disabled and a gentleman who worked as a logistics contractor in Afghanistan. Since a couple of them spoke a little English it made for fun conversation during the long journey.

Around supper time we made it to a choikhana, an eatery, and my fellow passengers ordered a round of shirchoy - a traditional Pamiri tea made of milk, tea, butter and ground walnut eaten with bread. In some ways like Indian tea but blander sans the masala and the sugar. I can see how it could be a comfort food in the winter in these mountains

Meadows around Jizeu

A few hours later as dusk settled we entered the provincial town of Rushan where I got off while the others continued towards Khorog another couple hours away. I would be going to Khorog later but first I needed to go into the remote Bartang Valley and Rushan was an ideal place to spend the night before heading into the valley.

Breadmaking

At the guest house I met the judge of Rushan who told frigid tales of his six years stint in Murghab with temperatures in winter dropping as low as -50 Degree Celsius. Murghab lay further east on the plateau past the core of the Pamir mountains, however I wasn’t sure I would have the time to go there.

Snacking on local produce at the homestay

The following morning, I got a private taxi to enter the Bartang valley and a couple hours later drop me off at a suspension bridge across the wild Bartang river. Across the river and a further two hours of trek was the hamlet of Jizeu which would be my introduction to the Pamiri way of life while also helping with altitude acclimatization before my upcoming trek.

Jizeu actually comprised of three small hamlets along a small river fed by the snowcapped mountains at the valley head. The region is rocky and barren but at places where low slope results in formation of lakes there are beautiful meadows that helps the locals to raise cattle and grow seasonal crops. Jizeu is the most idyllic and picturesque representation of this phenomenon made even more special since its cut off except for foot traffic.

I choose the farthest hamlet for my overnight stay so I could keep climbing higher the next morning to further assist with acclimatization and although I was carrying a tent and sleeping bag I choose to stay in a homestay there.

After all, what would be the point of coming to this remote region and not staying with the locals. There would be a need for the tent later but not in this pretty hamlet. The homestays give a secondary source of income to the locals living in harsh terrain and allows the travelers to experience the Pamiri culture, their famed hospitality and their delicious food at first hand.

Although they do supplant some of their locally grown food with market purchases, generally most of the food was locally grown including bread, eggs, milk, cheese, cherries, apricots, walnuts, potatoes, onions among others.

Walnut and the tree it came from

The Pamiris are also happy to show the unique design and symbolism of their house. Prominent among them are the 5 pillars in the main room, raised platform around the room and a skylight with 5 concentric squares. Although the symbolism is now associated with Islam it clear to see elements of the Zoroastrian philosophy indicating that these people probably followed the latter before the advent of Islam in the region.

  

Entering Khijiz

The next day I descended back to the suspension bridge where I was supposed to be met by a guide and driver arriving from Khorog. The plan was to be picked up from the bridge and head further into the remote reaches of the Bartang valley from where I would be starting my trek to the Grumm Grzhimaylo Glacier viewpoint. Confusion and the fact that I could not be reached in the mountains meant that they were going to arrive the next day.

Pulov at the homestay

After speaking to Saidbek from a passerby’s cellphone we decided it was best I walk to the next village about twelve kilometers away and spend the night. The guide and the driver would arrive the next morning.

Alfina: I want to dream what she is dreaming

The backpack was heavy with 12 days of supplies plus the tent and sleeping bag but the spectacular scenery and the overcast drizzly conditions make light work of the walk to Khijiz. The first lady I met at its motorable suspension bridge was an Uzbek English teacher who also ran a homestay. I was glad I didn’t have to search hard for a stay that night plus at the homestay I met a couple from Belgium so had good company over dinner and breakfast the next morning.