Day 167 (Tajikistan): Khujand - middle of nowhere (putting the socks on)

daily distance: 107km
total distance: 10,070km
riding time: 8h

Out of Khujand and into the unknown. After a yummy milk and cheese curd breakfast prepared by Nodir’s wife I set out and started working on the hills that lay ahead.

Too bad I didn’t gain that much altitude quickly. But slowly things were getting more and more desolate as I was leaving the Western end of the Fergana Valley. It looked the same as when I entered after coming over Kamchik Pass in Uzbekistan. Long, long stretches of desolate dusty land with a few villages here and there. Very few though.

I went through the only - unremarkable - town of any proportion and passed a number of smaller villages. Just prior to Istarafshan, I picked up some yummy melons from this stand and had a go at it.

A lot more climbing until the end of the day followed through more and more alpine surroundings. All day long, I was either skirting snow-capped peaks or was heading towards them. Great scenery overall.

I ended the riding before sunset and found a good little shed to spend the night. It did get cold though towards the end of the day and I am getting a bit apprehensive about the temperatures in the Pamir region which is considerably higher. But for the time being it’s all good.