Getting through Uzbek customs took strong nerves, with endless queuing. At the border police all our bags were rummaged through! Just before 10:00 everything has finally been checked, and we get our exit stamp. The Tajik entry formalities are done quickly, and so half an hour later we are already in our fifth country since the start of the journey.

The road to Dushanbe was so bad and took so much time that we only reach the capital late in the evening. As usual, finding suitable accommodation wasn't easy. The streets are signposted with Russian names and unfamiliar letters, and, to make things even harder, we don't speak any of the common local languages. Despite giving the street and house number, we are sent left and right. After a long search, as it's already getting dark, we finally find it. At Marian's Guesthouse we get a room and are spoilt with a generous breakfast the next morning.

So as not to wait several days at a border again, we decide to extend our Kyrgyz visa by 2 weeks. In Dushanbe the consulate is not far from the guesthouse. 2 photos + 40 USD per person, and an hour later we have another visa, starting on 31 July. That means from that date until 22 August we can enter Kyrgyzstan at any time.

Now we still need the Pamir "GBAO permit". Without this permit you are not allowed to travel through the autonomous regions. By handing over our passports and paying 180 somoni at the "Visa Center", Pushkin Street 46, we receive the necessary paper and are ready to continue.

Because there won't be much food available along our route, we decide to stock up here in Dushanbe. Two roads lead to Khorog, the starting point for the "Roof of the World": the northern route M41 and the southern route via Kulob. Both roads join at Kalaikhum. Maintenance of both roads has been completely neglected in recent years, so their condition doesn't bode well. We were recommended the southern route, supposedly better but 50 kilometres longer. So the next 630 kilometres via Kulob were decided. During our three days in Dushanbe, we have already fallen for the comforts of a big city again. Restaurants run to European standards surprise us with rich menus and the best "cappuccino". In the capital, Dushanbe, with its wide green spaces, avenues, parks and countless fountains, we felt as if we had been "catapulted" back to Europe. Tajikistan surprises us with a completely different picture from what you would expect. With the paperwork for the visa and GBAO done, the bikes serviced and our supplies topped up, we leave Dushanbe after 3 days, with noticeably heavier bikes, heading for Khorog.

Here in the lowlands, temperatures above 40 degrees are nothing unusual. On the very first day we are challenged by a pass that isn't shown on the map (1,571 m). Then comes a fast descent and, as usual, another exhausting climb. The recently built, lit and ventilated Shar-Shar tunnel, 2,223 metres long, saves us another pass (1,650 m). We are allowed to ride through with our bikes, which have front and rear lights, and at the end of the "tube" we are given 2 bottles of mineral water for the next climb. After 190 kilometres of "up and down", we reach Kulob after two days, where dusk has already fallen at 19:30. Once again our search for a suitable place to camp was unsuccessful, and we spend the remaining hours until dawn on the grounds of a petrol station.

Now things really get going. From 400 m above sea level, by four in the afternoon we reach the next pass, at 1,966 m. Another night in the tent lies ahead. "Benjamin", a shepherd of sheep and goats, shows us the "most beautiful" place to camp, with a view into the valley and the surrounding mountains. His mother gives us bread, yoghurt and apricots for breakfast. Snow-capped 4,000-metre peaks come into view.

We had imagined the descent from the pass differently. The road, with washed-out scree covered by up to 10 centimetres of dust, got worse and worse. Half a day was needed to get down into the valley 1,500 metres below, too long to reach a bed in time! At the Turkish road construction camp, which has been commissioned to build this new road, we are given a place to sleep, allowed to use the shower and given food. The workers tell us that the road will be finished in 2 years (2014) and covered with smooth asphalt. Ahead of us are another 90 kilometres (to "Zigar") of unrenovated road full of potholes. Bad luck, we're too early!

The 5,000-metre peaks come closer, the valley gets narrower, and 100 metres separate the Tajik border from the Afghan one. We can call "hello" to each other. The road ahead is exhausting and full of stretches where we have to push. 160 kilometres take 3 days!

The bed of the "Panj" river gets narrower; only 50 metres lie between us and the Afghan border. Soon you could almost shake hands. In Kalaikhum, Claudia falls ill with a stomach bug. With fever and stomach pains, cycling is impossible for now. After 2 days of tea and rice we try to carry on. On the way Claudia gets visibly worse, so we look for a "homestay" again. The next morning, after 10 kilometres, it's clear that Claudia won't make it to Khorog in her condition. In the next village, Alexandre organises a suitable car with a driver to take Claudia safely to Khorog.

Badly shaken about, Claudia reaches the town of Khorog after 5 hours and can now recover from the virus for a few days. Alexandre covers the remaining 195 kilometres alone and reaches the agreed meeting point just a day later. Within two days Claudia has recovered and built up new strength. The preparations for the "Pamir Highway" have now been completed, when events come thick and fast.

Conflict in Khorog
At 03:30 in the morning, shots ring out and a crowd of shouting men passes the guesthouse. The exchange of fire gets heavier and heavier. We are long since out of our beds, lying on the floor of the bathroom, which seems safe. We spend the next 4 hours in the steel-protected bathtub, while bullets pierce the walls of the house. To get onto the roof of our guesthouse, the front door is shot up all round the lock. Luckily for us, this bent the door frame and the door could no longer be opened. The bathroom, safe at first, now faces the rebels' side and becomes unsafe. We leave this room and crawl into a room whose outside wall faces away from the shooting.

Meanwhile tanks have rolled up! The guesthouse is barely 20 metres from the strategically important, and therefore fiercely contested, bridge. The machine-gun bursts, pistol shots and heavy shells fired by the army right next to the house seem to be getting out of control. In between we hear the screams of soldiers who have been wounded or who are calling for retreat. We have already been lying on the floor for 12 hours. Spending another night in the combat zone is becoming more and more dangerous. We decide to leave the house by 17:00 at the latest, while it's still light. Alexandre asks the army several times for help to get us out of the danger zone. We are told to stay in the house! During a pause in the shooting, probably a ceasefire, the moment is right for us to escape. Because the front door won't open for us either, the only way out is through a window. We hastily knot two bed sheets together to get from the 1st floor down to the street. We were able to take our passports and cash with us; the rest of our equipment and the bikes had to stay behind. Crouching, we run to the Delhi Darbar Hotel, where other tourists and cyclists have gathered.

Since the fighting began, the electricity supply has been cut in large parts of the town. Mobile phones, internet, landlines and TV are all down. A guided cycling group has a satellite phone, with which they were able to reach the US embassy in Dushanbe. The details of everyone present, including those who are not US citizens, are reported, and the possibility of an evacuation is looked into. We are relieved, because the Swiss embassy and the "FDFA" will now be informed of where we are. Together with others affected, we feel much safer here in the hotel than before. The tension of the last 15 hours eases. For now the rebels have won the fight and, cheering, drive the army out of the town. The conflict seems to be resolved for the time being, so the people of Khorog venture back onto the streets.

The night stays quiet. A ceasefire has been agreed until 14:00 the next day. During this time we fetch the luggage and bikes we left behind from the badly damaged guesthouse. Despite the ceasefire, the odd shot is still fired. The negotiations in Dushanbe come to nothing. The roads are still blocked by felled trees, barbed wire and lorries.

Good news from a "Pamiri": on orders from Dushanbe, the army will withdraw on 25 July and the conflict is resolved. Unfortunately a mistake, as will turn out later.

On 26 July we notice the tension on the streets of Khorog again. Another cycling group tells us that a second ultimatum runs out at 12:00 and that further fighting is then to be expected. We decide to leave the town as quickly as possible.

At 12:30, with the access roads already closed, we are on our bikes and leave the town by a roundabout route. The "Pamir Highway", a main road that runs through Khorog, seems completely deserted. Apart from a few taxis and us, we see no other vehicles. What if the roadblocks are extended? How can we continue our journey? An oppressive feeling!

Press reports:
Tages Anzeiger
Welt-online
NZZ
Wallstreet

By now we are 30 kilometres from Khorog. Riding through villages, we are stopped several times to explain the situation to the unsuspecting people. A family whose relatives live in the combat zone invited us to dinner and to sleep. Our thoughts remain in Khorog, because the rumble of the artillery echoing through the mountains was impossible to miss.

Within just 4½ days we reached Murghab. Behind us now lay a safe distance of 300 kilometres and 3 passes, each over 4,000 metres. Because of the turmoil of war, the mobile network was no longer available, and landlines and internet don't exist in these remote mountain regions. So we couldn't let anyone know about our successful "escape". Our goal now was to get over the "Pamir" to China quickly, to get back in touch with the people at home.

What the locals knew about events in Khorog couldn't have been more varied. The roadblocks and the mobile network outage left room only for guesswork. There was talk of anything from the war being over to heavy artillery and combat helicopters. This uncertainty accompanied us throughout the whole ride over the "Roof of the World".

The cause of these events happened while we were on our way to Khorog. A high-ranking officer was murdered, which led the government to hunt down those responsible. Nobody could have guessed that it would lead to such a massive military operation. This event showed us how quickly a situation can escalate.

Within 25 days we covered 1,242 kilometres and crossed 8 passes. The "Ak-Baital Pass" (4,655 m) was the highest, the "Uy-Buloq Pass", with a hurricane-force headwind and temperatures below freezing, the coldest, and the "Kyzyl-Art Pass" made us flee into the tent in a shower of sleet.

13:00: for 4 hours we have been "working" our way up to the top of the pass. A hurricane-force headwind and the cold mean we make very slow progress. The short but steep climbs up to the Tajik passport control (4,220 m) turn into exhausting stretches of pushing. Short of breath, we reach the first barrier of the Tajik border. The exit formalities are straightforward and quickly done.

By bike on the "Roof of the World"
Once again we were fascinated by the turquoise lakes, the high plateaus and the snow-capped summits of the 5,000-metre peaks against a blue sky. The "Pamir Highway", unique as it is, enjoys an international reputation among many cycling enthusiasts. Anyone who doesn't always want to ride on asphalt, and wants to enjoy nature in all its facets, is in exactly the right place here.

An anecdote from Alexandre:
On the way to Khorog, a car honks wildly beside me and the passenger shouts something to me. A few metres further on, the jeep stops. After the usual standard questions, "where are you from, where are you going, are you married, do you have children", the driver explains that he is Russian and thinks it's fantastic to meet "bicyclers" who cover this route with their luggage under their own muscle power. He says he is on the "Pamir Highway" right now especially because of these "bicyclers", to support everyone he meets with money, bread, water and fruit.

No, not a dream or a made-up story. Reality: the driver pulls out his wallet and hands me a few notes, 2 litres of water, apricots and a plastic bag of bread. In the meantime, drivers have come up from in front and behind, honking impatiently to claim their right of way. The Russian puts them in their place with a few words and calmly carries on our conversation.

After a few minutes the Russian gets back into his car, assures me once more of his enthusiasm for "globetrotters" like me, and drives on in his jeep. I can hardly believe it, and yet...... it's real.

Biker info:
GBAO permit for the Pamir (all 5 regions) from:
Visa Center
Pushkin 46, Dushanbe
eMail: visacenter@tis.tj
Cost: 180 Tajik somoni per person.

14-day Kyrgyzstan visa: 40 USD per person.
Waiting time about 1 week
Note: according to customs, Swiss citizens need NO visa for Kyrgyzstan

Our recommendation:
Mariann's Guesthouse (reservation necessary)
Shotemur 67, Dushanbe
80 euros/day
Central location, ideal for preparations: GBAO, consulates, shopping centre

Info on the "Pamir Highway" route:
Section 1: Dushanbe - Kalaikhum, 385 km, 6,650 m of climbing
Dushanbe - Vahdat - "Shar-Shar Pass": at 1,200 m, a well-built, 2,200 m long tunnel, lit and ventilated. Danghara - Kulob - up to the top of the pass (1,966 m) about 10 km before Anjirob, a steady climb on asphalt. CAUTION: dry region! Carry enough to drink! Camping at the top of the pass; to Zigar (90 km) partly unpaved, disastrous road conditions (2 days!), stretches of pushing! (Widening + renovation to be finished by 2014.) From Zigar to Yoged (38 km) excellent; Yoged to Kalaikhum (27 km) unpaved, bone-shaking track.

Section 2: Kalaikhum - Khorog (Pamir M41), 250 km, 3,500 m of climbing
From Kalaikhum, 10 km of good road, then getting worse and worse, down to very bad, with steep climbs. From "Shipad" the road improves, and from "Rushan" it rolls well to Khorog. Few places to camp (rock on the left, river on the right), but good "homestays" (look out for the signs), and some water taps.

Section 3: Khorog - Murghab (Pamir M41)
"Koitezek" Pass 4,280 m
From Khorog (2,070 m), 150 km to the last house/construction machinery/last water tap (3,950 m).
7 km of riding (good), partly pushing (fine), to the "Koitezek" Pass, 4,280 m; 19 km of gravel (bone-shaking track) across the high plateau, then 3 km of pushing to the "Tagarkaty" Pass, 4,176 m; then a 5 km descent, then 32 km to Alichur, 3,890 m. 53 km of asphalt to the "Neizatash" Pass, 4,137 m, 2 steep climbs, then 51 km of asphalt to Murghab.
Note on Alichur: 2 homestays, 2 small kiosks, no bottled water! After 4 km clean water again; a yurt stay each at 8 km and 10 km from Alichur.

Section 4: Murghab (Tajikistan) - Sary-Tash (Kyrgyzstan)
"Ak-Baital" Pass 4,655 m
61 km from Murghab, 3,620 m, to the end of the asphalt at 4,270 m, then 15 km to the top of the pass, 4,655 m (partly pushing, broken asphalt with potholes; we needed 2.5 hours for 385 metres of climbing). From the top of the pass, 4,655 m: a very good 5 km descent (clean water again) – then 17 km of very bad gravel, followed by 38 km to Karakul, 3,930 m.
"Kyzyl-Art" Pass 4,290 m
From Karakul, 45 km of asphalt, then 9 km of gravel to the Tajik border post, 4,220 m (exit), then 2 km of gravel to the top of the "Kyzyl-Art" Pass, 4,290 m. A 22 km descent on gravel to the Kyrgyz border post, 3,495 m (entry). 25 km of asphalt (collapsed road + bridge) to Sary-Tash, 3,150 m.

-	Active (19 days of riding)	1,242	kilometres
-	Total climbing	17,866	m
-	Average speed	12	km/h
-	Riding time in motion	103:24	hrs