Ak Baital Pass - Tajikistan - 4,663 meters - 15,300 feet

On highway M-41 at northeast corner of Verkhniy Muzhkul Nature Refuge. Not far from China.

photos by Karst Postma, 8/13/2016

At the summit.

At the summit.

At the summit.

At the summit.

Google Maps

Google Maps

Google Earth, looking north.

Google Earth, looking west.

Notes from Karst: Ak Baytal Pass, 15300 feet, on the way from Kyrgyzstan to Murghab, Tajikistan. The road was pretty good,
really bad and everything in between. At 15300 feet the carb'd bikes were not doing too good, but the road starts high and
ends high, so not too much climbing except for the last couple of miles where we ran in to a few hair pins. It was really cold.

Khargush Pass - Tajikistan - 4,344 meters - 14,251 feet

Near highway M-41, 40 miles north of Afghanistan.

photos by Karst Postma, 8/19/2016

At the summit.

At the summit.

At the summit.

At the summit.

Google Maps

Google Maps

Google Earth

Google Earth

Notes from Karst: Khargush Pass is at 14,000', but not much of a climb to get there. It is as the crow flies 40 miles from Afghanistan.
We rode for 2 days thru the Whakan Valley on the way to this pass, following a river separating Afghanistan from Tajikistan. Like all of
the Pamirs, the name of this region, the landscape is barren with no trees and very little vegetation. Not enough even for goats and sheep.
Lots of mountains with snow covered peaks.

Koytezek Pass - Tajikistan - 4,292 meters - 14,080 feet

On highway M-41, 40 miles north of Afghanistan.

photos by Karst Postma, 8/19/2016

At the summit, looking west.

At the summit, looking north.

At the summit.

At the summit.

Google Maps

Google Maps

Google Earth, looking north.

Google Earth, looking west.

Notes from Karst: The pass was just over 14,000 feet, but it was just a bump in the road. The valley
is at that elevation for 100 miles. It is surrounded by snowcapped mountains in a bare landscape.