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Tajikistan has some of the most beautiful and remote mountains in the world. I have reviewed proposals from several Tajik trekking agencies, and believe that we have an opportunity to travel with an experienced, reputable firm that will provide us with good value.
The proposed itinerary give us a rest day right after getting our the overnight flight, and then a day for a guided tour of Dushanbe. Then the trip takes us to a very pretty part of the Fann mountains for 4 days to start. The Fann mountains are near Dushanbe and are lower than the Pamirs = good acclimatization. BUT we're not going all the way to Tajikistan and not taking in the main event! After a few days in the Fann mountains, we return for an overnight stay in Dushanbe and then we are on our way to the remote, rugged and beautiful Pamirs. A two day jeep ride takes us across the centre of the country to Khorog, the launching point of the Pamirs. On our trek we will be going over a 4600m pass and camping at 4500m. All of the trekking will be donkey supported. The days will be fairly demanding - distances of up to 18 km and elevation gains of up to 1100m. The agency expects the longest walking days to be about 7 hours.
I looked into adding some easy peaks to our trip, and came to the conclusion that the logistics are too complicated. The mountains in the Pamirs are huge and very remote. I think that our proposed trekking itinerary gets us the best combination of beautiful scenery, amazing locations and local culture without having to do anything too technical. In addition, this is a remote area with limited medical and rescue resources (far more people have visited Antarctica than the Pamirs) so I keen to be a bit conservative.
Details of what is included in the price: Transportation and transfers, accommodation, meals full board, bottled water except the trekking part, water filters (Katadyn- 10 liter) during treks, guide service, cook service, cook assistant, donkey handlers, all camping gear, gas for cooking, cooking utilities, Thuraya Satellite phone for emergencies
Details of what is not included in the price: Visa, permits, personal expenses, alcohol, tips
I have asked the agency NOT to include lunch the first day, as I suspect most of us are going to be recovering from our flights! The special permit fee for the Pamirs is USD$50 and expect about 200 Euros total per participant for tips for porters, drivers, cooks, guides and donkey handlers.
The most cost effective way to get to Dushanbe is with Somonair from Munich (633EUR round trip, taxes included = $945). YYC to Munich is $1200 to $1500, depending on your date & routing, although cheaper fares might be available on sale.
The price of the trip will depend on the C$/EUR exchange rate at the time we book, but right now it looks like:
| # of participants | Participants pay | | 10 | $3,597.12 | | 12 | $3,429.20 | | 14 | $3,362.44 | | 16 | $3,110.31 |
based on 1 EUR = C$1.51
Single accomodation is available for a small supplement.
Tourist visas are not required for stays of up to 30 days.
The Government of Canada recommends staying away from the borders of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Not a problem for us. Although rarely enforced, smoking while walking on the street is illegal and punishable by a fine.Nope, shouldn't be a problem for us either!
If you have questions, I may have answers as I have quizzed the agencies on more details during my vetting process. If you are interested, please contact the trip coordinator for a detailed itinerary and an application form. A deposit of $1000, payable to the Rocky Mountain Section treasurer, will be needed to secure your spot.
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