The Power of the Panj River

Blog 19

20th – 27th June

Termez (Uzbekistan) to Rushan (Tajikistan)

Distance: 719km

Total Distance: 6012km

I may have just posted Blog 18, but the last couple of weeks have been intense with no time to write or opportunities to post. Also, I am about to head off into the Pamirs where there will be little opportunity to post another blog for a while, so to bring followers up to date, here’s Blog 19!

Day 89 Termez to Sharituz – 128km

I was looking forward to crossing back into Tajikistan to cycle through the Borderlands region and towards the Pamirs, but stepping out into the Termez furnace, even at 8am, took some willpower. At least the hot wind was at my back.

With the team I navigated the Termez streets and out past the turn off to the Friendship Bridge over the Amu Darya, the bridge was infamously used by the Soviets to invade Afghanistan in 1979. Internationals can’t cross into Afghanistan there at present but the border post is open for supply trucks and traders. Near the bridge is a trade-free zone and just past that I noticed huge hangars owned by UNHCR and other aid organisations that were channelling aid into Afghanistan from there. I thought this was very interesting and, not thinking, stopped to take a photo. But as I was about to snap a picture, a car stopped and a guy shouted “no photo”. Being so close to the border, this is a high security area.

For the whole 55km to the Uzbekistan-Tajikistan border post, the road tracked the Afghanistan border a razor wire fence and we weren’t meant to take photos – there wasn’t much to see anyway except the fence. The border post was rarely used by internationals, it was mostly local traffic and it had been quite difficult to find out whether we were going to be able to cross there. The next border crossing between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan was hundreds of kilometres away, so that would have messed up my plan had we not been able to go through.

Arriving just before midday, we took an early lunch break at the small restaurant and said goodbye to Ilhom and Mansoor. The border post was very quiet compared to the others we’d experienced, and while it was slow moving, I think we were a bit of a novelty to the border guards and civilians. Stamping out of Uzbekistan went smoothly apart from having to move all our gear. Georgia had to take the minibus with our gear and I had to cycle three kilometres to the Tajikistan side.

It was amazing how friendly and welcoming everyone was at the Tajikistan crossing. When we arrived, a small crowd of civilians were waiting patiently in the hot sun to have their passports processed. We joined the queue but they soon encouraged me to go forward and the guard let me in ahead of the queue to have my passport processed. No one minded me jumping the queue! Some older people who were driving a car offered to take our bags and Georgia through, but in the end the guard let her through after me.

Finally back into Tajikistan, Karim, who had supported my ride along the Zerafshan Valley, was waiting to meet us. It was a relief that this whole operation worked. Karim had driven from Dushanbe that morning. As usual it was at least 40C when I set off for Sharituz, 70km away. I could barely see the landscape for the dust that had been stirred up by the foul winds, but I rode steadily across dry grasslands and rolling hills for 35km before picking up the valley of the Kofarnihon River. From there to Sharituz I was cycling along a pretty good tarmac road from village to village.

Day 90 Sharituz to Dusti 89km

Sharituz seemed a vibrant town, the biggest centre we’d see for a while. We stocked up at the very busy markets and pushed on, following the Kofarnihon River valley, fertile and full of green fields all watered by the irrigation canals withdrawing water from the river.

Without the rivers, this whole region would be a waterless desert. I soon turned away from the valley and had to cross the mountain system. There it was easy to get a sense of what it would be like without the river.

I struggled on over broken tarmac with some challenging climbs to get through this inhospitable landscape and over a pass, all in 41C! After about 50km I descended to the Vakhsh River valley. The Vakhsh is another of the Amu Darya’s key tributaries. At the point where it meets the Panj River (near to my route), the two rivers combine to become the Amu Darya. For the rest of the day we stayed within the valley, following a dusty track beside a canal for a few kilometres. All along the canal there were groups of boys swimming and playing, but there were no girls. Girls are not permitted to swim. Georgia had to be content with dipping her toes into the cool water.

Back on the main highway between Dushanbe and the Shir Khan border into Afghanistan, I made good time to Dusti and an old Soviet style hotel that at least had an air conditioner.

Day 91 Dusti to Tognolo – 125km

None of these old hotels serve breakfast – very important for a hungry cyclist. Just on the edge of town the only roadside cafe didn’t have any food available (we would have had to wait more than 30 minutes), so it was bread, honey, tea and a banana to fuel the first part of what turned out to be an epic day.

After about 10km, the land opened out and into broad acre wheat and hay farming.

The friendliness of the people from village to village was almost overwhelming at times – just about everyone says “Hello” “What’s your name?” “Where do you come from?” After 40km, I was ready for my first break and saw Georgia having cold water poured over her by Amena. She was so excited to meet us and I too was duly being cooled down by ladles of cold water. Seeking shade, I pushed my bike into her husband’s garage. Amena disappeared and soon came back with fresh tomatoes, plums and a watermelon from her garden, home made ice tea and compote (drink)!

Being very close to the Panj River and Afghanistan border, the area was under close surveillance. We had to show our passports and permits at different checkpoints. We stopped to buy some supplies in Panj the main town in the region, and after 57km, an abrupt climb into a very different landscape began.

It was a steep sandy ascent for the first kilometre or so, away from the floodplain and into another rugged desert/mountain landscape. The road was an old Soviet-made asphalt surface made with extremely rough ballast. It had often crumbled into the occasional island of tarmac or disintegrated entirely.

After the lunch break, the road became much steeper and on a shocking surface – as previously described. I would climb 8% gradients, ascending for a couple of hundred metres before descending, and I’d have to do it all again.

The descent to the Panj River was a spectacular, but dangerous set of hairpins. Being right on the border, their were soldiers watching over everything – no drones or filming, although I took a few snapshots of the river.

Away from the military base and town, the road turned into a river of fine bulldust. A thick dust cloud hung over the road making it difficult to see at times.

The aim of the day was to reach the village of Gul’shan after 115km but 10km before that we hit roadworks and vehicles traversing the dusty stony surface left dust hanging in the air. Gul’shan had no accommodation and was trapped in a blanket of dust. The day went on and on. We found our last possible option at a truck stop cafe in a settlement called Tagnols – 125km and I was done! It was late by the time we were settled. The owner had some chicken available and Karim cooked it with some pasta we supplied. The owner let us sleep in spare room on the floor.

Day 92 Tagnolo to Sherabod – 76km

It was difficult to back up the previous day with what Karim thought would be the biggest challenge of all – to climb Sherabod Pass. The first 57km to Kylob, the main town of the region, wasn’t bad, apart from the heat and my tired legs. The only way out of Kylob was up, from 462m to 1982m, an ascent of over 1500m! The road quality was excellent, but the climb relentless, a constant 5-6% for the first 500 vertical metres, then it became steeper, 6-8% with some at 11%. I wasn’t feeling great in my stomach, but just had to crawl up there very slowly, all afternoon!

Georgia and I sat on the step of the small hotel in Sherabod, enjoying a victory beer when we were invited to dinner at the local doctor’s home. It’s always nice to meet the local people, share stories and learn more about the region, Karim translating.

Day 93 Sherabod to Kostav – 88km

When I awoke the next morning I felt terrible. I didn’t know how I would get through the day. I believe the digestive tract problem had been building since staying at the truck stop the previous night, combined with the excessive heat. Whatever the cause, I was suddenly violently ill. My body pushed eject which made me feel better, but I had no energy and could not eat anything except a banana and tea. I just had to take the day in small stages and see how far I could go.

The first 20km was a glorious downhill (made me feel better while it lasted), descending from Sherabod to the Panj River valley

The valley started as a vast landscape, where the mountains were a long way apart, but over a few kilometres it narrowed and it was possible to see across the river Afghans using their gravel road that was carved into the opposite bank. They were travelling by motorbike, horse and cart and small trucks. On several occasions I caught their attention and we waved to each other. Security was really high. Soldiers were regularly patrolling the area. There were stone bunkers on the Tajik side with gun slits ready for action. Georgia was not allowed to use the drone and was restricted to using the small Osmo gimbal camera most of the time.

I was pretty much cycling on fumes as I struggled to eat much except watermelon, some nuts, dry plain biscuits and hydration salts. It was not a gradual climb along the river, rather the road would ascend sharply and then descend to pretty much the same elevation. Over the 88km, I ascended 1100m and gained 200m in altitude.

A small hotel in the village of Kostav popped up just at the right time. I slept for an hour or so and ,feeling slightly better, I was able to keep down an evening meal.

Day 94 Kostav to Kurgovad – 94km

I was feeling better in the morning, but not strong considering I needed to face another day of extreme heat and sharp climbs. The first 35km was less hilly but then we were forced to stop because the Tajikistan President was visiting the area to open a new tunnel, other new engineering achievements and attend ceremonial events. The road was blocked for an hour or so and then I was able to continue. Back on the road, I passed the President’s pink helicopter. For the next 5km (approximately) there was a security person standing on guard every 200-300 metres.

I could have gone further but there wasn’t any options for accommodation and finding a place to camp would have been virtually impossible. We stayed at someone’s home, set beside a fast flowing stream in Kurgovad as the only option.

Day 95, 96 Kurgovad to Rushan – 82km, 37km

I am pretty sure it was the meal prepared in unhygienic conditions that upset my still delicate digestive tract again. I had terrible diarrhoea which drained my energy once again. There was still 122km to reach Rushan and a lot of altitude still to gain. I just had to do what I could, 5km at a time.

The beautiful new Chinese-built road that I had been enjoying wasn’t yet completed all the way to Rushan. After about 10km, I started to hit roadworks. There were long sections being prepared of large gravel stones. Because of the President’s visit to the region, trucks had been held up the previous day and now there was a steady stream of large lorries stirring the dust.

The Panj River has been a part of the Silk Route for centuries. The trail and the mode of transport may have changed, but arguably today, the route is just as important as a way to get to and from China.

The final 50km of road was terrible with extra steep climbs, bad road and a headwind. I reached 82km, 37km from Rushan and decided to stop for the day. I wasn’t well so we decided to drive to Rushan and return to finish the ride the next day. This was the best way to recover and prepare for the next section of the journey.

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EDUCATION

An education programme in partnership with Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, with contributions from The Royal Geographical Society and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Australia. We have created a Story Map resource to anchor the programme where presentations and updates will be added as we go.