Murgab - Pamir highway part 2

Conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan resulted in the border closing in 2021, only opening for foreign tourists again in July 2023. The border is still closed for locals which meant that we had to change vehicles and drivers in the miles of mountainous no man's land. We had to say goodbye to our nice Kyrgyz driver (who's name I can't remember) and meet up with our Tajik guide Kanybek and driver Abu. We needed special permits to enter this part of the country due to the proximity to China and Afghanistan, so after a thorough checking of our paperwork by the supposedly notoriously corrupt border guards, we were allowed through without issue. It took longer for us to exit Kyrgyzstan than it did for us to enter Tajikistan.
The Kyrgyz/Tajik border is already pretty high, with the first snow I'd really seen close up on this trip. Shortly after the crossing we passed through Akbaital pass, at 4655 meters (>15,000 ft) it's the highest pass that we'd be driving through on the highway. My head was already pounding from the altitude!
We drove to the beautiful Karakul Lake before heading to Murgab village, where we stayed the night in a home stay run by Kanybek's family. Nearby the village there's a Snow Leopard sanctuary where we got to see a Snow Leopard that had been rescued as a cub. The poor thing looked pretty disgruntled to be there, but all 3 leopards at the centre were being rehabilited for release. Snow leopards are incredibly rare and elusive so to see one up close was awe inspiring and something I never thought I'd see.Read more