Mountains of Tajikistan – Switzerland in Central Asia

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

People who are tired of beach tourism are trying to find new, "unused" tourist routes. Often it turns out that it is not necessary to go to the ends of the world, to another continent. The unknown and the beautiful are sometimes right under our noses. The mountains of Tajikistan in their beauty and grandeur deserve special attention. There is everything here - hard-to-reach peaks for climbers, bowls of mountain lakes surrounded by virgin forests, for lovers of picturesque landscapes …

On the roof of the world

The mountains of Tajikistan are Pamir. Most of the Central Asian republic consists of mountainous regions. The Pamirs are a kind of knot where Tien Shan, Hindu Kush, Karakoram meet.

It is here that such high mountain peaks as Communism Peak (Ismail Samani) reaching 7495 m, Lenin Peak (Abu Ali Ibn Sino) with a height of 7134 meters are located.

The climate of the Pamirs is sharply continental, the peak of precipitation occurs from March to April, the minimum is from August to September.

Zaalay Range

What mountains in Tajikistan can you learn by understanding the complex Pamir system. The northern part of the massif is spread across the Zaalai Range.

After gaining independence, many geographical names in the republics of the former Soviet Union were changed. The mountains of Tajikistan are no exception. The name of the highest Lenin Peak, for example, was changed to Abu Ali Ibn Sino - in honor of the famous physician and scientist-encyclopedist of the Muslim East.

The Trans-Alay Range stretches for 200 km, wedging into the territory of China. High mountains surround the Alay valley like walls. Having reached the passes and peaks of the Western Trans-Alay, you can enjoy extraordinary views of the highest peaks of the Pamirs - Communism Peak, the ridges of the North-Western Pamirs, Korzhanevskaya Peak.

Of particular interest for mountain tourism are the regions of the Central Trans-Alay. In the southern part, a network of mountain spurs extends, which makes it possible to plan tourist routes of varying degrees of difficulty. The mountains of Tajikistan are the habitat of representatives of the cat family. Snow leopards are found in the valley of the Zauksay River. If you're lucky, you may stumble upon gold miners panning for gold.

The Zaalai Range is notable for its glaciers. There are over 500 here.

Turkestan Ridge

The natural border of three states - Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan forms the Turkestan Range, stretching for 340 km. The northern parts of the ridge are a virgin, little explored area, where they can find a huge field of activity.climbers who are fed up with beaten paths.

Ak-Su and Karavshin is an area where there are all opportunities for lovers of mountain sports. Already proven routes are laid here, there is also a field of activity for pioneers. Rocks here are composed of granite, sandstone, limestone.

Fan Mountains

The mountains of Tajikistan are unimaginable without Kuhistan. This is how the Fann Mountains were called in ancient times. By right, this region is considered the pearl of the Pamirs. It is here that the land of azure and emerald lakes with the purest water is located, of which there are more than thirty. Squeezed between high ridges, they are surrounded by forests of coniferous trees.

If the rest of the mountainous areas are of interest primarily for lovers of extreme sports and mountaineering, then here you can relax, lying on the green grass and swimming in the cool waters of numerous lakes. Many of them are of glacial origin.

Here there are mountain trails of varying degrees of difficulty. Very often, the Fann Mountains become an arena for various mountaineering tournaments.

Diamonds of the Pamirs

A lake in the mountains of Tajikistan is a special decoration. Ridges cut by rivers adorn numerous natural reservoirs. There are more than a thousand lakes here.

The largest of them is Karakul.

The history of its formation is curious. 25 million years ago, a huge meteorite pierced a crater with a diameter of 45 km. This is how a bowl for a lake with a depth of 236 m was formed. The bottom is covered with non-meltingglaciers. This lake has no runoff and therefore its waters are s alty.

Sarez Lake has a dramatic history. At the beginning of the last century, a grand collapse buried an entire village under it and blocked the flow of the Bartang River. As a result, behind this huge natural dam, a lake began to form, named after the settlement that it absorbed. This grand reservoir stretches for 60 km and reaches a depth of 500 m.

Those who admire such a natural object as Niagara Falls must visit Iskanderkul. This is a real pearl of the Fann Mountains, surrounded on all sides by impregnable ridges. The water in the lake is cold, but in summer it is quite possible to take a dip near the shores of protruding coves. The lake gives rise to the Iskanderdarya River, which rushes down in a magnificent waterfall 38 m high.

Khoja Mumin - a grandiose pillar of s alt

The mountains of Tajikistan are full of curious natural phenomena and mysteries. One of them is Khoja-Mumin. The mountain, entirely composed of s alt, is visible for tens of kilometers. The height of this pillar is almost a kilometer. There is enough room at the top to accommodate a small city.

An interesting fact is that the s alt reserves in this mountain will be enough for all mankind for hundreds of years. A particularly beautiful sight is Khoja Mumin in the rays of the sun, when the slopes, consisting of pink, green and gray s alt, shimmer with different colors.

For thousands of years, the wind has caused a thin layer of soil on the top of the mountain and some of its slopes. In spring, a picturesque carpet of mountain herbs and flowers blooms here.

This vegetation cover is fed by freshwater streams that make their way from the depths of the massif. Apparently, other rocks are hidden in the thickness of the mountain, in which fresh water is hidden.

The s alt mountain in Tajikistan is an object of tourist attention and local pride.

The mountains of Tajikistan have not really revealed their rich potential for tourists and people who are fond of outdoor activities. This is a picturesque region that you can explore for years and find new wonders every time.