July 18, 2016
To river camp: Berenburg on the Pamir Plateau
We sleep well at the sanatorium/ hotel. The plumbing leaves something to be desired though: there is only one sink in the whole building, in the dining room. We have no idea where all the people staying here brush their teeth. The interior toilets have been abandoned a long time ago. These days everyone needs to make the pilgrimage out the long corridor, exit the building and head to the far corner of the compound where a dilapidated adobe box houses two sets of two pit toilets. A three foot high partition makes it a social endeavor.
After some cornflakes and muesli, we carry our gear back to the front door, retrieve our bikes from the storage room (housing some ancient squat toilets that obviously are not used anymore) and hit the road. For the next twenty kilometers the road climbs steadily at a manageable grade, we gain about 300 meters. Simon, a Slovenian cyclist, catches up with us and keeps us company up the hill. He is the bike with orange panniers we had seen two days before and also stayed in Jelondy.
Then the asphalt ends and a much steeper grade on gravel climbs up the hill side. The views get better and better with tall snow covered peaks rising over the brown and green rolling hills and different wildflowers in bloom. It is about 5km of serious climbing, a false summit and another 2km of light climbing before we reach the summit of Koitezek Pass at 4271 meters. Again today a strong westerly wind is blowing, helping us along. Simon reaching the summit before us, waves to us behind a huge rock and we join him to get out of the wind and to have lunch. After a photo shoot taking pictures of Simon and he of us, we start the descent.
For another 8 km we bounce down the rough road, then the asphalt returns. At a beautiful spot where a small river crosses the road and runs into a colorful canyon we decide to call it a day. We are halfway to Alichur and can easily reach it tomorrow morning. Simon decides to try and make Alichur today, he is on a more restricted schedule and has to keep moving.
We filter water, fix some coffee, pitch our tent and settle in to escape the cold wind. Later Maarten and Edwin, the two Dutch cyclists also arrive and decide to join our camp. We thought they were ahead of us, but we must have passed them when they had a late start. Before we retire in the sleeping bags Edwin pulls out a small bottle of Berenburg, a Friesian alcoholic drink (like Jägermeister) and shares is around. He is Friesian, and according to him when you are cold you either skate faster, or you drink Berenburg. The wind still blows ferociously and very cold. Before we fall asleep we hear sleet hitting the tent fabric.
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Today's ride: 43 km (27 miles)
Total: 19,284 km (11,975 miles)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 0 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |