Pamir expidition: Yellow brick road

That strange phone talk was between two people thousands kilometers from eachother. One, Sergey, chief of "Ural Oil and Gas" company, was on kind of important meeting with share holders and managers. Second one, Yury, just a kayaker, was sitting on Katun river bank somewhere in Altai mountains with fishing rod in one hand and a phone in the other.

And just a few hours later air tickets Novosibirsk-Dushanbe were safe in his pocket while he was riding a bus down the Chuya road among autumn mountains covered with gold-leaved woods. Soon, very soon he's gonna be in whole other mountains, with no forest, with mountain deserts and glaciers. He's going to Pamir.

"What am I expecting from this journey?" - was thinking Yury - "first of all, I wanna see Pamir. It has been a dream destination for a long time for me. I wanna try my skills on the most difficult rivers of former Soviet Union. On the rivers that were the classic of river running, of which I've heard from older brothers since childhood. And heard so much that nothing can possible erase out those river names from my memory. And the expedition were twice interesting with such a great kayaking team." But still there was something more important for what all those things are done.

Meanwhile engines roared deafineng and the plane started to take off. There was something more, of which he had a dream couple days ago, on Karagem, when he woke up thinking "What does it mean?". Plane jumped and became airborn. And then he realized it. "I want to gain the feeling of clearity and peace, which are possible to achieve only running difficult stuff. To get the new view to the world, true ideology. Get the new level of freedom in this game". The plane pitched the wing to turn and dived into the clouds.

Yuri Shishkin, also known as Chinese wise man Yu-Shi, also known as kayaker chronicler Shishka. Successfully masks under the person of absolutely certain nationality, but different in each situation. (Korean or German if silent, Uzbek if puts national hat on). Never were considered to be Russian. Approaches any deed thoroughly and cautiously. Does not approve reckless schemes. Bad habits: gives tours to parallel worlds, the founder of Katun rodeo map.

High up in the sky, tiny, barely visible, white spot appears. It grows slowly turning itself into a little cloud looking like a sheep… And here a chain of clouds slowly crouches the sky coming up from the gourge. The first cloud now looks more like a snow peak which is nearby. Like if could is looking down the earth trying to imitate what it sees, smoothly fading to the blue sky. They appeared from nowhere and nowhere they go. Why did they visited this world? May be just to be seen by people who are down the deep mountain creek where Yagnob river flows. Maybe for this reason cold cyclone came down Gissar mountains to meet masses of warm morning air coming from the valley? The night was cold. Much colder then two before, no matter that people came down from 3000 to 2500 meters above the sea level. And only two days before the team moved down from Zahob pass of 3500, coming up there from Rufigar of 2100, making more then 20km walk in one day. After long and cruel haggle with Rufigar village people kayakers could not get donkeys to carry the stuff. And just after all of them started climbing mountains themselves, one herdsman took four donkeys to carry empty boats for a reasonable price. Poor animals slowly crouched up the mountain often cheered by shouts and sticks, pushed on steep talus. Sometimes they would just stop and nothing could possible move them forward.

Nikolay Timonin, also known as The Chief, also know as opossum. Has bad temper. Good organizer. Opossum is very careful, but affected by traumatism. Concerns alcohol negatively, but enjoys consuming it. Looks respectably. Has love handles. Favorite sayings: - there were no fucking command to argue!

But the culmination was when doneys reached ice. Stepped on the surface of melting glacier, poor creatures would slide away madly moving their feet. Starting again, and sliding backwards, trying to get rid of their load. People had to pull our boats up the ice, breathing hardly because of the height, and then pull the donkeys. That was how we had acclimatization. Nevertheless by the evening kayakers and animals reached the pass and started going down to the river. By twilight they’ve reached cold and muddy river, more looking like a stream, flowing across the yellow valley, surrounded by ice mountains which hided their peaks somewhere up in the clouds.

Tired kayakers were sitting around gas burnerm cooking groats in a small can. After meal they have fallen asleep as if they were shot in the head, without feel of height or cold.

They've spent 3 days on Yagnob, from 14 to 16 september. From put-in to the entrance of the first canyon they paddled pretty fast. This section had only two tunnels, sawed by the river in the bodies of old avalanches. But those didn't bring any difficulties, but the mental discomfort. The first ice cave was especially bleak with melting water dripping from the ceiling and a tiny light spot of exit far in front.

Group stubbornly moved forward to meet the first break which should be stuffed with tons of rapids of the top grade. Scouting the first 100 meters of the break showed that it's impossible to paddle at such low water level. Rapids might have become much easier if liquid level would rise 30cm. But for now most of the rapids turned into boulder drifts, with water trickling between the rocks. Kayakers had to climb up the bank to the old road to walk 500m down and get back to the river by the small stream bed. From here it was about 2km till the end of the canyon. There are some local obstacles, mostly narrow passes with small rapids.

Next day had all the same. Just when entered the canyon, drifts started. Countless portages took a lot of efforts and time. After all, one boat was cracked, while Antonio was falling on it deep to the river, Nikolay Timonin has torn his ear while falling. But the doctor stitched his ear back.

Anton Ogoreltsev, also known as Antonio.
The most positive character in any society. Conscience of the team. Secretive nature of exploding type. At critical situation is capable of criticizing who ever. Bad habbits: text messaging. Has nothing to do with smoking and alcohol. Has no favourite sayings.

The most interesting rapids start from 10-15km up the river from village Anzob and are possible to drive to. From Anzob they took a drive along the river, bowling it's muddy waters towards the stretch of geological catastrophe. About 20km down from the village river goes under colossal boulder mess. It is absolutely impossible to describe, and even photo would not show the real scale.

Being impressed by what they've seen the team continued to catch up with beer while driving through Zirovshan-2 village towards Iskanderkul lake. Maybe it was the critical blood alcohol level or the surrounding mountain landscape, but it totally blew our minds. Shoulders of mountains polished by glaciers started glowing red with an evening dawn. Tired sun splashed orange paints on white peaks. Cypresses were standing still along the road. The evening was stitched by the first bright gold of autumn. When the car arrived to the camp base it was about 2am. Yu-Shi and Red were doing their magic with cattles making sheep delicatessen, which instantly disappeared in bottomless stokers of gluttonous riders stomachs. All that was rich flavored with patriotic named vodka "Republic of Tajikistan"

Vasya Mozzhuhin, also known as Red, also known as Doctor. Hangover-saucy temper. Maniacal behavior. Disorganization abilities are vast. Suffers alcoholism of the first stage. Scandinavian orang-utan looking with unformed sexual orientation. Favourite saying: - I would drink!