The next day, we set off from Murgab and head further north. We soon reach the highest point of the Great Journey, and most likely the highest point we’llever reach in this camper van: The Ak-Baital Pass, which sits at an altitude of 4,655 metres. We realise that there is something seriously wrong with the engine, as we only have enough power to crawl over the pass in first gear at less than 20 km/h. Nevertheless, having reached this milestone of our trip, we are extremely happy and relieved. We’re now very confident that we can complete the rest of the Pamir Highway.
After achieving this, we treat ourselves to a delicious plov at a yurt camp shortly after crossing the pass, before heading to a camping spot for the night.
The next morning, after driving for a few hours, we reach Karakul Lake, which is located at an altitude of almost 4,000 metres. It formed roughly 25 million years ago in a meteorite impact crater. The dark blue, almost black surface (hence the name ‘Black Lake’) and the surrounding pastures and marshes make for a fantastic hiking route. We were not only blown away by the beauty of the lake, but also quite literally by the very strong southern winds. We had originally planned to camp here today. However, after lunch, we notice that the weather is changing strangely. We can see yellowish clouds in the distance. Uncertain whether they are storm clouds forming, we decide to leave earlier and head for the next pass.
It soon becomes clear that the clouds are indeed dust blown up by the strong winds and pushed against the northern mountains, resulting in sand and dust being blown into the atmosphere. This strange phenomenon made the landscape seem even more eerie and lifeless. Since it’s still early, and we decide that this is not an ideal place to camp, we head towards the Kyrgyz border.
Soon, the dust in the air around us thickens, trapping us in a literal sandstorm between two mountains. We’ve never seen anything like it. With a maximum viewing distance of 2 metres, we crawl through the storm at walking speed, barely able to see anything in front of the van. There is no life here anymore, and we feel as though nature is telling us that we really shouldn’t be here. The sunlight is strongly absorbed by the dust, giving us strong Arakis vibes (luckily, we spot no worms). Ironically, we even overtake two cyclists who are also trying to get through the dust. They’re arguably in a worse situation than us. At least we can just keep the windows closed and turn off the ventilation. We’ll meet them again in a few days in the hostel in Sary-Tash.
Soon, the dust settles, leaving us in a grey, arid landscape. It is eerily quiet and once again, it doesn’t feel like we’re on planet Earth, but rather on the Moon, albeit much brighter in the early afternoon light. We carry on and soon drive up towards the Kyzyl Art Pass again, which marks the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. After an easy border crossing on the Tajik side, we drive on for about 20 km through no man’s land between the two border crossing points and reach the Kyrgyz border in the evening. Luckily, this one is also very straightforward and quick. A few kilometres after the border, we stop for the night.
We soon realise that we had a good gut feeling about the weather at Karakul Lake when it starts to snow. The snowfall turns into a snowstorm overnight, and when we wake up, the world is completely different to how it was only yesterday. What a day! A hike at a beautiful mountain lake, a sandstorm, the highest border crossing we might ever make, and finally, a snowstorm. Kyrgyzstan, here we are!