In July this year our mixed gender group of seven travelled to the Afghan Wakhan to complete the trail logging of unexplored and under-documented trekking routes for the Mapping the Afghan Pamir project.
How would things pan out this year?
This year it took us 4-days initially in Corollas, switching to 4WDs to push through the 35-40c degree heat to reach the trail head, whereby we split into 3 teams to maximise trail route coverage.
The Afghanistan-Pakistan border dispute and related issues meant that Team 1’s plan to trek Irshad Uween Pass, that leads up to the Pakistan border was now off-limits. Instead they instigated a Plan B, that took in the Small Pamir and Aqbelis Pass (4595m), before meeting Team 2 in the Wakhi settlement at Qarabel.
Team 2 had better luck. Starting at Kipkut, we logged two new passes in Big Pamir, deviating from the known Zorkul High Route. Abah Pass, which at 5003m is now the highest trekking route pass in the Big Pamir, and Vinser Pass at 4868m, both surrounded by numerous 6000m+ peaks
One of the challenges of forging a new trail is what to name it. In consultation with our mountain guide Gorg Ali Khairkhah, it will be referred to as the Shikar Gah (hunting grounds) Route, in reference to the last King of Afghanistan who ran big game hunting expeditions in the Dida-Seqpon valley (Day 3 of the trek) during his reign.
The Shikar Gah Route through the Big Pamir is a demanding 12-day trek, with 6 passes over 4700m, ascending up to 5003m. It takes in numerous basins of glacial fed lakes, one of the last remaining natural habitats of the Marco Polo sheep and other wild fauna, pristine alpine meadows, high desert plateaus, and numerous other micro-climates. The first section of this trek is tough—it starts at 3000m and ascends a total of 3540m over the next 4-days.
The reward at the end of the fourth day is a full submersible hot spring at Bacha Pir Yakh Sard (“The Cold-Iced Old Man”, also known as Ali Su).
Team 3 had a shorter trip, with a few days trekking the Mt Noshaq (7492m) approach valley.
Teams 1 and 2 reunited at the Wakhi settlement at Qarabel for the final three days of the trek, before the 4-day drive to Kabul and some well deserved R&R.
Reflecting on the risks/rewards of travel to Afghanistan—the country is now the most stable it has been since the start of the war with the US-led NATO forces. The Taliban has strengthened their control of the country, pushing through their political agenda, and quelling most of the violence that persisted post-takeover. Although large scale infrastructure projects seem to be stagnant, there was considerable evidence of smaller scale urban renewal with small commercial developments in the major cities we passed through.
This ‘normalisation’ extends to welcoming foreign visitors, including female travellers. However, it does not extend to local women, girls, or religious minorities whose freedoms are significantly suppressed.
There are many layers to Afghanistan experience: adjusting to being in a country that was recently at war, a glimpse into the lives of remote mountain communities, solitude and disconnectivity, and adapting to the dynamics of a new team. Our overarching goal was to return from this trek in good spirits, which we achieved with aplomb.
Post-trek, the reacclimatisation process arrives with waves of appreciation as we move from the mountains to increasingly more urban environments: the first taste of fresh fruit, the first egg, water from a tap, a squat toilet, a sitting toilet, a bed, an asphalted road. There were mixed emotions about returning to internet connectivity.
As a trivial aside, all team members lost weight on this trek, up to 8kg, despite bringing balanced nutritional supplies and a comprehensive meal plan on the mountain—including Japanese curry rice, pho, and our very own Pamir Pizza.
Epilogue
We’re now safely back in our various home countries, and the design team is heads down on developing the printed and digital assets for the Afghan Pamir Trail Map. It is scheduled for release Q2 2026.
For those of you who wish to wrap your head around travel to higher risk environments, Studio D will launch a second Expedition Mindset Course in early 2026, with a view to returning to the Afghan Pamir in that summer.
With thanks to our fixer Mohammed Azim Ziyahee, mountain guides Gorg Ali Khairkhah and Malang Darya, pack animal herders, drivers, the expedition team of AV, CC, CT, GYS, GR, JC, KC, KM, and JAG for remote base camp support, and to our 2025 Expedition Mindset Course cohort whose attendance helps fund the MAP project.
Photos: the route ahead; summer herder settlement in the Big Pamir, breakfast with espressos at the Alu Su hot springs; , the receding glacier at Shawr Pass (4886m).