Creating the Pamir Trail across Tajikistan
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Introduction
The Pamir Mountain Range in Tajikistan is among the wildest, least visited mountain ranges in the world. It boasts several peaks of over 7000 metres, the longest glacier outside the Poles and it's a safe haven for rare animals species like snow leopard and Marco Polo sheep. The people in the Tajik mountains are warm, generous and welcoming to anyone who is visiting their mountains.
Mountain tourism creates business and job opportunities
Despite being a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, Tajikistan doesn't have the fame of mountain nations like Nepal or Peru. Mountain tourism is one of only few economic opportunities for rural Tajikistan. Jan Bakker, co-author of the Cicerone guidebook Trekking in Tajikistan , wants to make a change by creating the world's newest long-distance hiking trail, the Pamir Trail. The Tajik mountains are connected by a vast network of trails, created by shepherds who travel here with their livestock. It is possible to create a more than 1000km hiking route from the Fann Mountains in the northwest of the country all the way to the southern boundary of the Pamirs in the Wakhan Corridor. The route is designed in a way that it will benefit over 52 remote home stays, creating new homestay opportunities for a dozen more and boosts business opportunities for more than a dozen local tour operators.
What work needs to be done?
The Pamir Trail consist of 67 stages with an estimated altitude difference of more than 25,000 metres. 29 stages have been tried and tested by Jan and his co-author Christine Oriol for their guidebook. To complete the route, Jan needs to verify and document the remaining 38 stages, divided over two reconnaissance expeditions in the summers of 2021 and 2022. These trips will result in a short film featuring the Pamir Trail and detailed route descriptions including photographs and topographic maps, to be released by the end of 2022.
What are the funds used for?
The majority of the raised funds (about 75%) goes to the local tour operators, who carry out the complex logistics (food, guidance, transport) of these recce trips. The rest of the money will be used to create topographic maps, content like film, photography and written stories and to launch the digital platform pamirtrail.org to inspire hikers across the world and share information how they can organise hiking the Pamir Trail themselves (where to find home stays, stock up food and which tour operator covers a certain section of the trail). The second phase of the project is all about capacity building and improving the infrastructure on the trail. For this we will seek additional funding.
Any donation would be welcome and highly appreciated. If you're unable to donate, please spread the word and share this fundraising page.
"The best way to explore the incredible mountains of Tajikistan is on foot. The Pamir Trail will enable trekkers to meet the locals, embrace their hospitality and let them benefit from this long-distance hiking route, so they can build a future in mountain tourism."
For more information you can drop me a message through the contact button below or have a WhatsApp chat at +256 775 373 460
The Pamir Mountain Range in Tajikistan is among the wildest, least visited mountain ranges in the world. It boasts several peaks of over 7000 metres, the longest glacier outside the Poles and it's a safe haven for rare animals species like snow leopard and Marco Polo sheep. The people in the Tajik mountains are warm, generous and welcoming to anyone who is visiting their mountains.
Mountain tourism creates business and job opportunities
Despite being a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, Tajikistan doesn't have the fame of mountain nations like Nepal or Peru. Mountain tourism is one of only few economic opportunities for rural Tajikistan. Jan Bakker, co-author of the Cicerone guidebook Trekking in Tajikistan , wants to make a change by creating the world's newest long-distance hiking trail, the Pamir Trail. The Tajik mountains are connected by a vast network of trails, created by shepherds who travel here with their livestock. It is possible to create a more than 1000km hiking route from the Fann Mountains in the northwest of the country all the way to the southern boundary of the Pamirs in the Wakhan Corridor. The route is designed in a way that it will benefit over 52 remote home stays, creating new homestay opportunities for a dozen more and boosts business opportunities for more than a dozen local tour operators.
What work needs to be done?
The Pamir Trail consist of 67 stages with an estimated altitude difference of more than 25,000 metres. 29 stages have been tried and tested by Jan and his co-author Christine Oriol for their guidebook. To complete the route, Jan needs to verify and document the remaining 38 stages, divided over two reconnaissance expeditions in the summers of 2021 and 2022. These trips will result in a short film featuring the Pamir Trail and detailed route descriptions including photographs and topographic maps, to be released by the end of 2022.
What are the funds used for?
The majority of the raised funds (about 75%) goes to the local tour operators, who carry out the complex logistics (food, guidance, transport) of these recce trips. The rest of the money will be used to create topographic maps, content like film, photography and written stories and to launch the digital platform pamirtrail.org to inspire hikers across the world and share information how they can organise hiking the Pamir Trail themselves (where to find home stays, stock up food and which tour operator covers a certain section of the trail). The second phase of the project is all about capacity building and improving the infrastructure on the trail. For this we will seek additional funding.
Any donation would be welcome and highly appreciated. If you're unable to donate, please spread the word and share this fundraising page.
"The best way to explore the incredible mountains of Tajikistan is on foot. The Pamir Trail will enable trekkers to meet the locals, embrace their hospitality and let them benefit from this long-distance hiking route, so they can build a future in mountain tourism."
For more information you can drop me a message through the contact button below or have a WhatsApp chat at +256 775 373 460
Organizer
Jan Bakker
Organizer
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