18/10/2019 0 Comments Wakhan CorridorIn Khorog we chose to take a little detour from the Pamir Highway and follow the Wakhan Valley. That way we got to keep following the Afghani border for another 350 kilometres, and best of all, we could follow the Afghani Wakhan corridor, albeit from across the river.
A look at the map of Afghanistan will show you that the Wakhan corridor is this strange extension of the country that preventsTajikistan from bordering on Pakistan and Kashmir. When cycling there you get the feeling that this region is cut off from the world and so of no importance to anybody except the locals. This is far from true. The corridor was created by London and St-Petersburg as a neutral buffer zone between British India and Tsarist Russia, and played a crucial role in history by preventing a major war between the two superpowers of the 19the century. Among cyclists the Wakhan valley is notorious for it's bad roads. Still many choose this way because there's no traffic and, more importantly, because it's just stunning. We were there in late summer. People were busy harvesting the last crops and everywhere we went people gave us fruit and veggies, which made the valley look like a bay of plenty. A simple look around at the surroundings tells you that this idyllic life was just temporary. The Wakhan Valley leads up to the so called Pamir knot, an area where the high mountain ranges of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges meet. In other words, a ride through the valley guarantees stunning views, but you probably don't want to live there in winter.
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