Yaks, Freezing Outside, Warm Kyrgyz Jurt at 4000 m close to Afghanistan

22th of September:

 

We leave Murgab in the morning wanting to reach the lake Zor Kul at the border to Afghanistan. We leave the Pamir High way and follow some dirt road to the south through wide valley seeing 6000 m high peaks located in Afghanistan. Dark clouds approaching, it is getting freezing cold and not snow more like very fine ice falls. Not much but I am worried a little it will get more. Going over a little pass, driving in a side valley with better weather let me feel a little bit more relaxed. The white street in the map is impossible to find. Again, only with the Russian military maps I can find the way. We are almost alone, after 50 km Off-road I ask a woman for the direction. She is collecting grass with her daughter. She looks scared maybe not seeing foreigners so often in this remote region. Anyway, I hope that I can trust my GPS and go on over 4300 m high pass. Again it is starting to snow a little. On the "Way" are two other lakes and since Kotomi got motion sick and we both feel the height of over 4000 m we decide to stop at a lonely Jurt. We get invited and stay there overnight. The evening is approaching and the Jurt fills up with all family members. The mother her sons, one daughter with her husband and kids. They all come back with their Yaks and goats from fare away meadows. In this height they use donkeys instead of horse.

 

We get to see how they make their bred and noodles. Everything is self-made only ones a week a Kamaz truck comes and brings some flour or necessary things. They appreciate that I speak some Russian and I am because it is very interesting in that way. They tell me that they stay here only 2 months. It is not much compared to the Song Koel Nomads in Kyrgyzstan with only 1000 m difference but 6 month summer! The wide plateau is half Tajik and half Afghanistan with no fence. I guess they even cross the border during day time with their herds since it is just some hundreds of meters away at least as seen in my GPS map.

 

In the light of the oil lamp we eat all together, the oven gets filled with a lot of Yak shit and we all go to sleep side by side in this windy freezing height.