Sergey Volkov

Marat and Sergey Volkov went for a bike ride.

August 24, 2025

Pamir, day 3

Pamir Highway, Day 3 All night the rain hammered down, and the temperature dropped to +5°C. The real mountains were starting. In the morning it was breathtaking: horses grazing in the fields. Soon the climb began. First I put on a windbreaker, then swapped it for my membrane jacket, then pulled on winter gloves. Rain came pouring from the sky, thunder cracked. I stopped some Germans, asked them for water — and with it I made myself some coffee. And then the real challenge: the climb to 3,600 meters, the Taldyk Pass. I zigzagged my way up the serpentine road. Higher up, the thunderstorm turned into snow. Just short of the top, a Kyrgyz driver offered me a lift — but no, easy ways weren’t for us. And so, with a deep sense of satisfaction, I finally made it to the summit. Brutal. Zero degrees, wet snow falling hard. I changed into dry clothes, pulled on my membrane pants — and began the descent. Down below it was warm and beautiful again. I reached Sary-Tash and, without hesitation, dove into a guesthouse: 1,300 som with dinner and breakfast. Laundry done, clothes drying, warming up, chatting with fellow travelers about roads and journeys. Tomorrow we climb to 4,200 meters, and at that altitude we’ll cross the Kyrgyz–Tajik border. No signal there — probably for a couple of days. #Pamir #Wakhan #Bartang Valley