Cycling the Pamirs - Tajikistan 2018 : Day 6 - Kargush (3600 metres)

Yesterdays small relief was repaid in full when we started our "big day" with a bum busting 15km climb up to "altitude"on a really really rough road. In some parts the gradient exceeded an excruciating 10+% leaving as alternating between swearing and gasping for air !

The initial climb (the steepest part !) on semi switch backs gave those ahead the perverse pleasure of looking back on those struggling behind ! After a couple of hours of pain, including sections where some of us (me) walked our bikes, we took a civilised morning tea break on a plateau with amazing views looking back into Afghanistan

Refreshed we continued to climb against a backdrop of stunning mountain vistas.

The "rough as guts" descent that followed took us past past numerous waterfalls to our lunch stop right beside the Pamir River - a small "sand wedge" from Afghanistan !

Taking lunch so close to Afghanistan and so far away from civilisation was surreal as we plowed into a welcome pasta soup followed by copious quantities of tea and coke.

The 22kms that followed after lunch were some of the toughest we'd done to date going over numerous rolling sand hills with little evidence of life other than the some adventurous motorcycle riders and the occasional two humped Afghan camel. In the exhausting heat they were looking weirdly attractive !

Beginning to sag towards the end of the day I rounded a corner to see our support van stopped mirage like in the middle of the road. 5kms from our camp stop our support team had set up some "life saving" afternoon tea - what a god send !

The resupply gave the last of us just enough energy to get to our camp site arriving just after 6p.m. - enough time to locate our tent and go & wash in the nearby freezing & fast moving Pamir River.

While dinner options were plentiful the effects of altitude and the days ride meant that few of us were up for a full feed ! What an amazing day !