Eshkashem to Khorog with a detour to Garam Chashma Hot Spring

We were moving fairly fast through the Wahkan Corridor of the Pamir Highway. Almost everyday was riding day but slowing down did not feel right for me. The Pamir was proving to be one of the most challenging journey so far and I was very glad that we (Luchs & Donkey & myself) teamed up to do it together.

Saying goodbye and staying behind a few more days in the Wahkan Corridor to slow down did not feel right to me. Sticking to the group felt right and although we were traveling fast, I did not feel like I was missing much other than rest days to do nothing.

Welding Back my Broken Bracket in Eshkashem Tire Shop

Emergency repair work at Tire shop in Eshkashem

That morning in Eshkashem, I still had to fix a broken left auxiliary bracket for the top box. If I could fix it up in the morning, I would catch up with them in Khorog but if the fix would take longer, I may just have to say goodbye earlier. 

The tire shop luckily had a welder which quickly patch up Bragge well and good and by 10am I was well back on the road to meet up the gang in Khorog.

There was only one detour today and that was Garam Chashma Hot Sping. Luchs pushed on skipping the hot spring to get to Khorog early and I managed to catch up with Donkey just before the turn off to the hot spring.

Bridge from Tajikistan to Afghanistan 

Road to Khorog

It was a natural hot spring with beautiful pool made out of mineral sediments from the hot springs. There was a time factor involve thou. Girls would go in for an hour then it would switch to the boys for an hour. 

The locals all goes in butt naked so we followed the local way. Too bad it was already hot and burning in the sun as we had gone down in elevation and no longer had any cold weather. In winter thou this place would be amazing.

Garam Chashma Hot Spring

The rest of the journey was lousy roads to Khorog but simple enough. Our tolerance to bad roads had gone up so much since the beginning of Pamir highway that there are different grades of bad road now. Running 40km/hr through lousy dirt/semi tarmac road is actually lovely in my mind now. Weird but very true.

City of Khorog - Tajikistan

Downtown Khorog

Traveled on: July 2024