Karakul lake (GBAO) - Murghab

We begin our day on the easthern edge of Karakul Lake, a vast, high-altitude saltwater lake surrounded by barren, windswept hills. After a last look at its icy blue waters, we follow the M41 highway southward along the lake’s shoreline for about 7 kilometers, then continue across a desolate plateau for another 22 kilometers. The landscape is stark and wide open—an immense silence broken only by the wind and the occasional herd of yaks.

The road gradually begins to follow the Ak-Baital River, fed by glaciers high above. For the next 22 kilometers, we drive through a wild and isolated valley carved by this river, surrounded by bare slopes and scattered stones. The terrain becomes steeper as we ascend toward the Ak-Baital Pass, the highest point of the Pamir Highway at 4,655 meters above sea level. On the left, we can see the dark outline of Ak-Baital Peak (5,102 m), which towers above the road and the rugged Tuzkol massif.

Before reaching Murghab, we make a short detour to explore two hidden alpine lakes—Shorkul and Rangkul, isolated in the wide mountain basins and rarely visited. From there, we rejoin the road and follow the course of the South Ak-Baital River, which flows into the Murghab River, guiding us toward the village of Murghab.

Arrival by late afternoon in Murghab, a remote settlement inhabited mostly by ethnic Kyrgyz. We settle in a traditional house of the Eastern Pamir hosted by a local family. Depending on time and energy, we explore the village on foot, visiting the small local bazaar and getting a feel for daily life in the heart of the Eastern Pamirs.