Acclimatisation begins
In the morning, there was nobody around at Alaudin Vertical again.
We gathered our stuff and headed for Lake Alaudin. There were supposed to be small campsites there too. We passed the first and walked along the shore to check out the next one. We pitched our little tent in a secluded spot among the junipers.
We began our planned acclimatisation with a walk up to Talbass Pass. The pass rose to 3,450 metres, and the view took our breath away (all the more so as we were only just beginning our journey through the Fann Mountains). In the sun, the lake shimmered in a whole palette of colours, from light blue through intense turquoise to the occasional green. Yellow alpine flowers growing on the slope added to its charm.
The forester from the guidebook
When we returned, Ali appeared at the campsite in his forester’s uniform, collecting a visitor fee. I had read about him in Trekking in Tajikistan (by Jan Bakker and Christine Oriol), which had become our bible on this trip. Ali ran the campsite at the other end of the lake with his brother. We chatted for a while, then he invited us over for chai that evening.
Over tea, we talked for longer. About Tajikistan, its people, the Fann Mountains and the animals we might encounter there. Apparently bears, wolves and lynx lived in the area, among others, but they avoided people, so seeing them was very difficult. We also asked about the empty Alaudin Vertical camp. Ali explained that it was a post-Soviet establishment still geared mainly towards mountaineers from Russia. They were expecting a group of several dozen people who would base themselves there and spend an extended period in the mountains.
Heavy metal on the pass
The next day, we climbed higher, to Alaudin Pass at 3,780 metres. We kept a good pace. We felt good too.
From the pass, we could see Lake Alaudin and our camp. In the sunshine, shades of blue and turquoise shimmered on the water again. On the other side of the ridge, Lake Kuli Kalon glinted. We were due to reach it during the trekking part of our trip.
We heard Emin first. Heavy metal was playing from his little Bluetooth speaker. The cheerful Chechen spoke excellent English.
Back at the campsite, we ate lunch prepared by the host. Lamb, thin chips and salad. He served the Belgian chips and ketchup with great ceremony. Perhaps he thought Western tourists preferred their own Western inventions to traditional food? The pride showed on his face. A fine lunch nonetheless.
Helping him run the campsite were several teenage sons and a young husky-type dog. One of the boys used crutches. The others helped him get around the uneven ground, sometimes carrying him. He managed quite well on his own too.
20 dollars is nothing
The following day, we planned to move camp to Mutnye Lake. Just 6 kilometres and 700 metres of ascent. Close enough. But with more than 50 kilograms of luggage and the burning sun, it would take a lot of energy.
On the walk from Alaudin Vertical to the lake, we had already felt how much effort it took to carry that load in the heat. Each of us carried a large pack on our back and a smaller summit pack in front.
After reaching Mutnye, we also wanted to do a reconnaissance before climbing Zamok. It was worth saving our strength for that.
We set the budget we were willing to spend on it: $20 for a donkey with a guide. If it worked out, we’d take the donkey. If not, we’d be the donkeys ourselves.
At our campsite, we approached a local guide looking after German tourists. His group had donkeys at their disposal. He called over a donkey handler. When the man heard our offer, he laughed at us and said $20 was nothing to him. Then he walked away. The guide looked embarrassed.
That evening, we went over to Ali’s for chai again. He had to go somewhere, so we joined Emin, whom we had met below the pass.
The conversation turned to geopolitics. Emin knew about the recent presidential election in Poland. He thought Nawrocki’s candidacy was some kind of joke.
We also told him about our search for a donkey. The handler’s reaction surprised him. In his view, 20 dollars was a fair price for the service. He approached the first donkey handler who appeared at the camp. They spoke Russian. The Tajik enthusiastically accepted the offer. He promised to be outside our tent with the donkey at 7:00 the next morning.