(15) Winter in the Pamirs

After a wonderful month-long break, I returned to Tajikistan in mid-January. The trip from America to Dushanbe was flawless but I arrived just after a winter storm. The Pamir highway was closed due to avalanches so I (and others) waited five days in a hotel until the weather settled. Finally departing on a Monday afternoon, we drove only 3 hours before UCA administrators told us to find a hotel....no driving over mountain passes at night. Resuming the next day we drove another 5 hours to Darvaz, stopping a second night since we couldn't complete the entire drive to Khorog in daylight hours. So a 200-mile trip took 48 hours to complete. The pictures show some of the difficulties - patchy ice and snowpack on the roads, no guardrails, and a dozen or so avalanche deposits. Honestly, despite good drivers and capable Land Cruisers, it's only a matter of time before we'll have a tragic accident on this winter road.

Now ensconsed in the comfortable confines of UCA, I've spent the past month teaching geology to sophomore students. They're all earth science majors and it's the first geology class ever delivered here, so all of us are enjoying the class. Due in part to arriving late, the class meets for 90 minutes almost every day which keeps us on our toes. Other than teaching, I've been ordering lab supplies and designing the Geology lab renovation, in preparation for the full-fledged earth science instruction that starts next Fall.

Beyond work, well, we're mostly stuck on campus. Back home I would be x-country skiing or snowshoeing every day, but here we don't have the equipment. Snow and ice keep travel to a minimum and even walking on the ubiquitous ice is hazardous. Lots of falls, a few broken bones. We shop for groceries evary Saturday at the downtown bazaar, where sellers sit semi-frozen by their stalls selling semi-frozen produce. Lately the Afghan bazaar has opened at the foot of the bridge that connects the two countries, allowing trade of basic goods. Last week we rented a car/driver for an afternoon drive on the snow-packed (but relatively safe) road to Murghab. And yesterday because I was going stir-crazy, l walked across the valley to the Botanical Garden. Winter is gorgeous but I need to get outside more.

Snowmen along the Pamir highway, overlooking a military checkpoint on the Pamir highway

Pamir Highway west of Darvaz

Canyon along the Pamir highway, west of Darvaz

All too frequently, avalanches block the Pamir highway. Worst time is the day after a snowstorm and on warm afternoons. When I asked about using mortars to induce controlled avalanches, the response was "that would cause the mountain to slide down instead"

View for the past month looking out my apartment window

Figuring out Plate Tectonics from first principles

Afghani market. Once in awhile, border patrol allows Afghanis to enter a trading compound on Tajik soil and exchange goods with Tajiks (and expats): inexpensive clothes, jewelry, makeup, electronics, and household goods. Small but bustling with energy, it's a great place for people-watching.

Last weekend we took a day-trip east of Khorog along the Pamir highway. Overcast skies simplified the view to a black & white landscape.

80 km east of Khorog, the Gundt river is a small tributary stream.

Yesterday's view to the west over Khorog showing the mountains of Afghanistan. I never tire of this view.

From the Botanical Garden looking north at the landslide above the UCA campus