Second Darvoz Ridge

Darvoz Range

This section has three sub-sections:

  • First Darvoz Ridge Crossing

  • Vakhyo Traverse

  • Second Darvoz Ridge Crossing

Second Darvoz Ridge Crossing

My initial plan was for the second crossing of the Darvoz Ridge to be over Psoda Pass, after visiting the Psoda Lakes. However, in 2021 I came across a couple of problems. One is that the entrance to the Psoda Gorge is now a Chinese mining operation. The gorge looks to be blocked. The second problem are the security forces in this area. If you went over Psoda Pass you would eventually come right down to a security checkpoint on the Qalai Khumb to Taviladara road. It’s 100% legal to do this, but this may cause you problems anyways (for a range of reasons I won’t go into right now).

So, my plan, after my 2021 visit is to go from the village of Sangvor and then up to the Viskharvi Pass.

After Sangvor you need to go up the Obimazor River. There is a road, but it looks like there is also a parallel livestock trail above the road that may be more interesting. After crossing the road bridge, you arrive in the hamlet of Nayguft. I was here in 2021 and the local were extremely friendly, and I was invited in to join other guests (pilgrims on their way to the Hazrati Burkh shrine).

In Nayguft you have a choice: head straight for the pass, or do a side trip to the Hazrati Burkh shrine and then beyond to the abandoned village of Borshid. This is well over 20km away, with a car road taking you all the way to the Hazarati Burkh shrine (with several river crossings that are about knee deep). This video is a summary of my trip after Hazrati Burkh, up to the abandoned village of Borshid.

From Nayguft through Viskharivi Pass is a historical route that was abandoned after roads were built and the population exiled by Soviet authorities. After Viskharvi Pass the route is straight down a gorge (exact route unknown) through the abandoned village of Viskharvi and onwards to the Pamir Highway along the Panj River. But I don’t plan to go this way after Viskharvi Pass.

But first, I’ll provide a description of the ascent to Viskharvi Pass up the Obizanki River. First you will cross the footbridge near Nayguft to the left bank (north side) of the river and then stay on this side until the very top of the gorge.

This old helicopter view photo by the 1977 Rudakov expedition shows clearly what side of the river you need to be on.

This section has a new addition: what appears to be an exploratory mining road. This newly bulldozed road crosses the footpath and goes straight up a ridge. The newest satellite images show no mine at the top - the road just ends at the top of the ridge.

Your route along the Obizanki River has no major obstacles. There are no major river tributaries, only some streams that may be steep and rough.

At about 3350 meters you will come to a wide area where the river is heavily braided. At this point you may need to consider crossing, depending on how you want to approach Viskharvi Pass. There are plenty of options here with the three tributaries rivers. I may go up the right (east) tributary for a view of what looks like a very wide hanging glacier.

As for Viskharvi Pass, I don’t intend to go up the glacier and through the low point in the saddle. Rather, I will go up and around to the west on a scree slope, using the Upper Viskharvi Pass at 4170 meters, thereby avoiding all glacier and cornices.

From here I want to not go down the historical route, but rather go laterally to Viskharvi-Jorf Pass across a very steep slope. This slope faces the sun, so it should be completely dry and snow free. Viskharvi-Jorf Pass is a glacier, but a very short one. Below the glacier there may be some scrambling on rock and plenty of work to find the easiest route over the next kilometer.

Eventually there is a small side saddle that takes you to the Jorf Gorge. At about 3500 meters the livestock trails start and you are in a grazing area. At about 3000 meters there is a shepherd camp (that may or may not still be active at this time of year). Below this there are clear shepherd trails all the way to the village of Jorf. However, it’s not clear from satellite exactly where the river crossings are.

The village of Jorf is your end destination. This village is on the Pamir Highway on the Afghan Border (the Panj River). Local traffic in this area is regular, so you should be able to eventually find a car going to Qalai Khumb. Once in Qalai Khumb you can choose from a range of hotels and guesthouses. I suggest a guesthouse, they are more likely to be able to find you shared transportation the next day to Dushanbe.

Other resources

PamirTrail.org will hopefully eventually have a route through this area.

Alexey Alexeev wrote a guidebook to the Darvoz Range (in Russian). I’ve taken as mucn useful info form his book as I could - mostly for map editing purposes.