Rost/Ghuzn Pass

Rost/Ghuzn Pass 

This pass connects the Yaghnob Valley and the Zarafshon Valley (Novobod to Ghuzn). It’s not a perfectly safe or easy pass, but shepherds, sheep and donkeys regularly cross.

Local name: Rost Pass; name used by non-local shepherds: Ghuzn Pass. You may also find Russian variants: Guzn and Rast. The pass is at 4012 meters on Russian maps, 4025 meters on newer surveys.

The following trip report describes the hike from the destroyed village of Novobod in the Yaghnob gorge, over the Rost/Ghuzn Pass and down to the village of Ghuzn in the Zarafshon (Zeravshan) Valley.

The video below is a non-narrated summary of a longer trip I made in late September 2021 from the lower Yaghnob valley to the village of Esiz along the Zarafshon river. The part of the video that includes the hike over the Rost Pass to the village of Ghuzn is from 0:53 to 5:57.

Short summary: you should be able to get from the destroyed village of Novobod and through the pass to the Jayi Bolo lake in a single day of hiking if you are in good shape, acclimatized to altitude and you can move comfortably over rough ground. There is the possibility of needing crampons and an ice ax earlier in the summer.

To follow along with this trip report, you will need the OsmAnd map app, the only map app to fully integrate OSM map data into an app. And note that the spellings below and on OSM are the official Tajik place names, but that there is still some confusion over exact spellings and even local disagreements on correct versions (example, the destroyed village has the Soghdian/Yaghnobi name Novobod [Gorge Dwelling], not the Tajik name Navobod [New Dwelling]).

Long version: Likely you will have spent at least one full day of hiking (but probably more) up the Yaghnob Valley to reach Novobod (incorrectly spelled elsewhere as Navobod). I made it from the destroyed village of Dehbaland to Novobod in one full day of hiking. You would need to start early in the morning and move very fast to make it to Novobod from the end of the road in the Yaghnob valley (the car road, as of 2021, ends in the gorge between Chukkat/Pitip and Gharmen). More likely you are hiking from one of the guesthouses in Margheb and the hike will take you as many as 3 days to Novobod.

The most common and easy approach to reach Novobod from the lower Yaghnob valley is on the left bank of the Yaghnob river (the south side). This will mostly be on an old mining road. I found that it alternates between boring (road walking, and no interesting villages and landscapes like in the lower Yaghnob) and slightly terrifying (when passing by shepherd camps - 5 different dogs chased me, and several others barked angrily when I passed by). The upper Yaghnob is a very busy shepherding landscape. Expect many shepherd camps, sheep and guardian dogs. The alternate is to walk up the right bank and skip Novobod (cross river below Piskon, and walk past/through Kansi, Kiyronti, and Dehkalon, then up the mountain and across the Obizam stream/creek, then angle towards the wide gorge that leads up to Rost pass). This route (a foot path) is sunnier, drier, and more direct, but with a steep creek crossing and open terrain towards the end. In late September I saw no sheep on the north side (right bank) of the river (and therefore no guardian dogs). But I do not know about earlier in the summer.

The flat areas along the river below Novobod seem like a logical place to camp, but they have been claimed by shepherds. You may arrive to find a huge flock, endless manure and angry dogs. Even camping within sight of a sheep camp makes the dogs go crazy all night with barking (no fun for you or the shepherds). When I arrived there were no shepherds on the north side of the river (across the bridge), but I did awake to sheep passing through my camp at daybreak. Alternate camping? Any flat spot before the Novobod area, or perhaps a little further upriver. I don’t suggest camping in the ruins of the village of Novobod. It is the site of genocide (Soviet/Russian authorities destroyed the village and deported the survivors to work on cotton plantations in the lowlands). So, no guaranteed free camping spots in this area. You will be taking your chances if you arrive at nightfall.

The foot bridge below Novobod has metal structures, and was installed when a mining road from the Romit area still existed. It is very sturdy. It is also the last bridge on the Yaghnob river. There are no bridges upriver.

If you start your hike from Novobod in the early morning, you should be able to reach the camping spots next to Jayi Bolo lake on the other side of Rost pass by the end of the day. I made the 15km hike in 9 hours with one hour worth of breaks and 8 hours moving time (1500 meters up, 1065 meters down). I’m faster than most average hikers, but slower than actual athletes or local shepherds. I had perfect weather, but the day ends early this late in the season (I did the hike on the 20th of September, 2021, with a sunset time at 6:25pm).

From Novobod you go up a gorge without a clear path, and then past a temporary shepherd camp at 2950 meters. From here there is mostly a clear trail as you angle over into the main gorge that leads up to the Rost Pass. Once the trail enters the gorge it mostly disappears (with occasional reappearances). The terrain is rocky and the sheep don’t leave any clear trail. But it’s obvious that you just need to walk up the wide, rocky gorge towards a clear saddle. There are multiple routes you could take.

Water is not a problem. You can see the springs of the south side of the pass on OsmAnd at 2770 meters, 2950 meters, 3090 meters, and 3340 meters (this was at the end of the dry season, you may find more sources above earlier in the summer). I did not find another source of drinking water until the other side of the pass (a glacier stream at about 3700 meters). Note that there is a pile of about 100 dead sheep on the glacier at about 3800 meters. So make sure your glacier stream is not coming from that direction. At about 3200 meters you will have the choice of several small streams that were mostly silt-free. I would avoid drinking, cooking or washing with water from Jayi Bolo lake. It has a very strong algae smell (and from experience, it likely tastes terrible). This is thanks to livestock manure flowing into the lake.

The southern approach is to Rost pass is technically very easy, you could almost walk the whole section with your hands in your pockets. The north side is icy and technical. Immediately you will be presented with three options for a descent: to the middle over the glacier, to your left (west) over steep rocky terrain, and to the right (east) over a rocky slope on a switchback trail. Late in the year the glacier is no longer an option, and you will go over one of the rocky routes. The route in the middle goes across the steep upper glacier. This is for the early season when there is still plenty of snow to walk on. The shepherds cut a trail into the snow and ice and then regularly maintain it. At some point in the early/mid-season (date varies), the shepherds switch to the routes that goes over the rocky slopes. These are steep and rocky routes on a slope full of loose rock. It is very rough, but there are no steep drops to fall over. At about 3850 meters the routes converge on the large lower glacier to squeeze between two bergschrunds (the crevasses seen at the top of glaciers). This section is regularly maintained by shepherds and their resupply caravans. They cut into the ice and lay down gravel and sand. It was very easy and did not at all require crampons (seen starting at 2:56 in the video above). Just below this section you may see many sheep skeletons and sheep remains in a large pile (with scavenger birds nearby). After this the glacier is often covered in rock and gravel, and the trail will appear and disappear. There are no crevasses or steep sections below. At about 3500 meters the route becomes less steep. By about 3200 meters it is almost flat as you walk to Jayi Bolo lake.

For camping on the north side of Rost pass, below the main glacier has a few spots where you could set up an uncomfortable emergency tent pitch, but the goal is obviously the very pleasant Jayi Bolo lake at 3070 meters. There are some good spots to camp at the southeast corner of the lake. About 600 meters before the lake there is a temporary shepherd camp next to some large boulders. You can find emergency shelter here in a covered nursery corral for newborn sheep and goats. If you are making good time you can make it further down to Jayi Poyon lake, but I found Jayi Bolo to be much nicer for camping (the area around Jayi Poyon is dry and dusty, and there is a shepherd camp right next to the lake). Note that you need to get water before Jayi Bolo lake, as the water is algae-infested and will taste terrible, even after filtration/treatment.

Dangers (north side): In early June 2019 two shepherds and 200 sheep died in an avalanche near the pass. On the 28th of September 2017 a large flock of sheep was caught in a snow storm and cold temperatures on the north side of the pass, with more than 100 sheep left for dead (the shepherds needed rescuing by villagers from Ghuzn as they refused to leave their sheep and walk down to safety). Video of the sheep triage the next day can be seen here, as rescuers separate the dead and dying sheep from the live sheep. I passed through the pass on the 20th of September 2021, and I had great weather. But to be prepared for the worst, you should be ready for wind and snow and below freezing temperatures if a storm comes through.

When is too early in the season? I do not know when the spring and early summer avalanche danger subsides, and it very likely varies from year to year.  

Dangers (south side): This side is facing the sun, and has no glaciers. But in heavy snow years there may still be snow in the gorge leading up to the pass. For example, in the last week of August 2012 there was still some snow (i.e., avalanche debris from earlier in the year) in the gorge, forcing these cyclists(!) to  detour to the side of the hillside. At about 3100 meters when the trail enters the main gorge there are some steep drops next to the trail, but nothing too scary by Tajikistan standards.

Onward to Ghuzn village: The route down from Jayi Bolo lake is mostly on clear and easy trails. There is some grazing in this area, so beware of random trails that take you in the wrong direction. There is an excellent spring on the east side of Jayi Poyon lake at about 2650 meters where a good clean stream appears from under the rocks. Once down on the main road there is a spring under a cliff at about 2400 meters. After this you will pass through farming areas with suspect water sources that should be filtered. But you should easily be able to make it to the drinking water stand-pipe in the village of Ghuzn.  

Route options: You can go through the tiny hamlet of Sari Pul, or skip it. There is very little difference in time required to go through Sari Pul. The route options are clear on the map.

Time required: 2.5 hours from Jayi Bolo lake to the road just below Sari Pul. The walk on the road from Sari Pul to Ghuzn village will take about 1 hour. The locals here don't see many tourists and are very friendly. You will likely be invited for tea/lunch or a chat. The road goes by potato fields and next to the river. It is a pleasant road with almost zero traffic.

Ghuzn village: In 2021 I found one small village shop, but it only sells snack food and candy (chocolate, sweets, Coca-Cola, Fanta, ramen, etc…). The locals buy their food in bulk from the city (flour, rice, pasta) or grow it locally (potatoes, fruit and meat). There is no formal accommodation in Ghuzn. But as I was only the 4th tourist they had seen that year, they were very enthusiastic to invite me in for lunch. In 2022 two French hikers reported finding a second small shop in Ghuzn with better selection.

Gear recommendations: if you do the pass in June or July, or in early August in a heavy snow year, then crampons and (definitely) an ice axe would be a good idea. However, shepherds come through here from late May to early October with nothing but regular boots and a shepherd stick. They, however, scout the route ahead of time early in the season and share info, so they can delay their crossing until it is safe. I did not bring crampons and an ice axe and there was no need at all for them in late September 2021. But if it had snowed I would have had a difficult time.

Maps and GPS: Use the OsmAnd map app, and use your common sense. The routes on the north side may change throughout the year. Follow where the sheep and donkeys have gone recently. I will not share a GPS track, as the location of the safe gap between the bergschrunds/crevasses may change, and I don’t want somebody following an old GPS track (that may differ by 20 meters or more with my real actual position) into a bergschrund. Same for the glacier below. DO NOT FOLLOW GPS/GPX/KML TRACKS ON GLACIERS. They move and change, sometimes quite radically.

Where to next? If you are going north-to-south, then you are headed towards Margheb, the tourist entry-way village to the Yaghnob valley (where there are three guesthouses and regular shared taxis to Dushanbe and Sarvoda - some days you may have to pay extra if it’s not a popular local travel day). If going south-to-north, you may be on the Pamir Trail, and therefore heading east over the Sabzki Pass to the Rivut gorge. You can find info on that route on the Pamir Trail website (scroll down to: “SECTION 3: YAGNOB AND ZERAFSHAN“). The video above includes the hike onward to the Rivut gorge and the village of Esiz. You may have better luck finding a village grocery store in Esiz (but I make no promises). Note that there is a formal guesthouse in the village of Langar (“Ustod Fayzullo’s Guesthouse“), a 2-day hike from Ghuzn.

If you are looking to find a car in Ghuzn to get back to Ayni, Panjakent, Dushanbe or Khujand, then I’m not sure. Usually people at this distance from the bigger towns and cities leave in shared taxis early in the morning. Traffic on the roads, even the main roads that goes along the Zarafshon river, is very sparse later in the day, as I learned (and those that pass you are usually full).

Are there alternatives to Rost Pass? Yes, plenty. Read our descriptions here of other passes that connect the Yaghnob valley to the Upper Zarafshon Valley.