Day 4: Langar to Panorama Ridge Hike to Alichur

Socialising at breakfast

Finally, the altitude has started to have an effect on me, with a bad night sleep.  I probably had only 2h of dozing.  Apart from that, I didn’t have any other issues.

It was a very social atmosphere at breakfast, like at dinner last night.  Two Spanish guys whom we had run into here and there, aged 53 and 56 were well-travelled and one is well on his way to visit every country in the world.  They are both very muscular without being bulky and also very lean.  Not an easy feat at that age, while travelling and having little control over one’s diet on-the-road.

Panorama Ridge

We departed around 0800 and diverged from the Panj River and also the Afghan border.  About 3h later, we parked and started our hike to the Panorama Ridge viewpoint.

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The Germans and I had all downloaded Maps.me which showed the hiking route starting as a single track which then opened up into a loop.  We followed the easier side of the loop but diverged from it slightly.

Instead of correcting this early, we thought we would merge back into it but somehow didn’t as a valley started to come between us and the track.  Along the way, there were many marmot holes but none of the cuties that we had seen from the road were out to grace us with their presence.

While the path was not difficult, we were all very puffed at around 4400m (a guess).  Sandra gave up and said she would wait at a suitable spot to join us on our descent but we saw her continuing in her own chosen path.

In the meantime, Lutz and I faced an awful steep ascent.  At first, I looked forward to being where the American couple was, as my way of keeping going.  When they got too far ahead, I looked forward to Lutz.

Eventually, after about 2h of uphill slog, we made it up to the Panorama Ridge viewpoint.  We had done it the hard way but probably took about the same time as the gentler route.

At 4800m, we looked towards the Wakhan Range in Afghanistan and then Pakistan beyond, in the most scenic direction.  In the opposite direction, it was less scenic with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan in the distance.  We congratulated each other and patted each other on the back.

While the view was awesome, it wasn’t “close up” enough to the mountains as I would like them to be.  Once one has done the Karakoram Highway, perhaps one is spoilt forever.

Just as I was feeling good about my achievement at nearly 58, I realised the Australian woman that had started way after us and reached the summit before us, was of the same age!

During out 1h30 descent the gentle way along the wind-swept ridge, Sandra caught up with us on her descent after having reached the viewpoint herself.  What amazing willpower!  I wouldn’t have done it solo without someone else to look up and forward to during the ascent.

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Many of those we had met on the hike and the trip were from the USA.  I rarely meet native English speakers (but mainly continental Europeans) on my travels to “strange” countries but this sure rectifies the balance!

Bulunkul Lake

We drove through the desert to reach Bulunkul Lake around 1600.  It was pretty enough with a reflection of the surrounding mountains.

Bulunkul Lake.

There was another lake in the area, probably Yashikul, which required a somewhat hefty payment.  None of us were interested enough, so we moved on.

After the hike, even the first lake was only borderline worthwhile FOC.  After the hike at altitude, one of us felt nauseous during the ride to the lakes and threw up not once, but twice.  And for a change, it wasn’t me.  I normally the most susceptible!  The road was sealed in parts but with not just potholes but streaks that had lost their asphalt.

Alichur overnight

We arrived at our pre-booked homestay at Alichur around 1720.  We were asked to wait outside while Altynbek went inside.  After a while, it appeared they had given our rooms away.

The owner hopped into our car as we were backing out saying that I could stay with them while the others moved on.  That would be rewarding him for his poor honour so we didn’t take up that offer.

There’s not much to Alichur but Altynbek offered to take us to another homestay or drive a further 2h to his hometown Murghab.  The extra drive would be our last resort even though it would mean that Altynbek had time with his family.

The second homestay, Sher’s Inn, was nearly new made the first look like a dump!  We agreed to it straight away without checking out the toilet and shower facilities which were located in a brick building attached to the compound walls.

When we asked later, we were told there weren’t any showers.  Ooops!  But we were soon told that the banya was being heated and would be ready in about 2h time around 2000.  That was magic to our ears.

The banya was a Russian-style heated bathhouse, with a hot and a cold water tank from which we would mix the water into a bucket.  It’s back to my South East Asian roots with a scoop to wash myself.

And the flushing toilets were good too!

Cycling couple

At dinner, we met the cycling couple that we had seen on the road. He’s French and she’s Spanish, and they were both delightful.  I didn’t know what kind of people to expect to do such extreme travel.

She said that she cried twice today.  They had trouble finding water en route, for the first time.

I asked them whose idea it was to cycle the Pamir and she owned up that it was hers!

We retired into our comfortable beds at 3800m, with tomorrow night only slightly higher at 3960m.

With an outhouse (albeit a nice one), I had to go to the toilet a couple of times through the night.  If there’s any advantage to an outhouse, it is being able to see the stars in the dark desert sky.