Romit to Zarafshon Valley

Short version: this involves difficult and dangerous river crossings at all times of the year, and at some point in August in a separate section of this route the snow bridges you need may be collapsing. Then you must also consider a final glacier pass.

I did this route (north-to-south) in the first week of July 2002 when snow bridges were still intact, and I was helped across the river by a shepherd with a very strong horse. Russian climbing groups and one group of locals have come through this area by doing the river crossing(s) using a rope set-up.

Route: village of Romit —> village of Lifighar —> Zahob Pass —> cross “Little Barzangi“ River —> Ziyorat Pass —> Ti Shakh, Jindon or Dehmanora Pass —-> Zarafshon Valley.

On the Romit side you will have difficulty getting to the trailhead: the village of Lifighar (Rufigar on old maps, locals all pronounced it “Lufghar”). To get to the village of Romit won’t be so bad for someone experienced in hitching rides in Central Asia, but very few people go onward up the Sardai Miyona gorge to the end of the road. Furthermore, after the village you need to go through a massive Chinese gold mine. The shepherd resupply caravans have a right of way through these mining facilities, and I had no problems (a Chinese supervisor looked at me for a few seconds and then ignored me). But there is no guarantee that this won’t change in the future. It’s a massive industrial zone.

The Zahob Pass to the Gulboz pastures is very easy - donkeys and horses use it. But the crossing over the Little Barzangi River will be very difficult and dangerous. It’s basically swimming in a cold and fast river. Next you will have numerous crossing of streams and smaller rivers, and some may involved a trip far upriver to find an easier crossing. Then you go over the easy Ziyorat Pass to the Dashti Ziyorat pastures (not a difficult pass). But in the Dashti Ziyorat area you will only be able to make it across rivers if the snow bridges are still intact. The shepherds say they collapse sometime in August and then you can cross the rivers only once the water levels drop in later September. Finally, you need to go over at least one difficult final pass: Ti Shakh, Jindon or Demnora.

I was able to do all of this thanks to being able to speak Tajik, having the good luck to meet a shepherd with a strong horse that could cross the river, meeting shepherds who showed me the way over a dangerous glacier, and being there early enough in the season when the main snow bridges were still intact. I don’t suggest others attempt this route.