Kyrgyzstan > Misty on the mountain top

Kyrgyzstan - Over the Kaldaman Pass to Kazarman

After breakfast, we get going a bit slowly. We don’t have enough cash to settle the hotel bill and need to withdraw money first. Eventually, we leave Osh a little before ten o’clock. At first, we follow a stretch of the main road toward Bishkek, then turn off toward Jalalabad. We drive right along the border with Uzbekistan. In the border area between Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, there have historically been conflicts over the exact borders. In this region, there are several abandoned uranium mines. During the Russian period, uranium was actively mined here. The radiation in the mines can pose a risk during earthquakes in this area. From Jalalabad, we leave the border zone and head east. We need to cross the Fergana mountains. In summer, some mountain passes are open. For the rest of the year, there is no choice but to drive hundreds of kilometers via Bishkek. The road quality has been good so far, but when we turn onto the route toward the Kaldaman Pass, the road becomes unpaved. We carefully climb into the mountains. Through hairpin bends, we ascend higher and higher. Outside, it is lightly raining, and clouds hang low in the valley. The mountain pass seems endless. We climb upward for kilometers. Visibility decreases due to the low-hanging clouds, and it becomes quite chilly.

Kyrgyzstan - Rain and mist at the top of the mountain pass in Kyrgyzstan

At the top of the Kaldaman Pass, at 3,063 meters, you cannot see a hand in front of your face. Visibility is less than fifty meters due to the clouds. We descend very cautiously. The descent is less dramatic, with the road gradually winding along the mountains. Around four o’clock, we arrive in Kazarman, a village nestled in the mountains. It is still raining, giving the village a somewhat bleak impression. We find a Bed and Breakfast with just two rooms available. The motorcyclists arrive more than two hours later. They have had a tough day crossing the mountain range. Due to the rain, many sections had become muddy. Fortunately, they managed to complete the journey without any falls.