Strength and Honor! - A Fanfiction Story from the "World of Warcraft" Universe

Kroghur opened his eyes. A soft light filtered down through the hut's roof, through the gap in the chimney—the sun had not yet risen. From outside came a noise like a disturbed beehive. For years, this sound had instantly stirred Kroghur's fury and the sweet anticipation of battle. The orcish clans of the Horde were preparing for a campaign. Today, like all the mortal races of Azeroth, the orcs were marching against the Burning Legion.

Salt Cave, Khoja Mumin Mountain, Vose District, Khatlon, Tajikistan

One of the landmarks of the Khatlon region, near the city of Vose, is Khoja Mumin Mountain. The people of Tajikistan see a product from this mountain on their tables daily: common salt. The Khoja Mumin plant is located at the foot of the mountain and produces this salt, supplying all of Tajikistan and also exporting it. According to expert estimates, the salt from Khoja Mumin Mountain could feed the entire world for a hundred years, so abundant are the deposits here.

All ten bridges in the Odjuk Gorge, Varzob, located in the mountains of Tajikistan.

On the last day of my hike, I trekked through the Odjuk Gorge from the Kumkayakutal Pass to the village of Varzob. I took this opportunity to dedicate a photo review to the ten bridges that now span the gorge. Previously known as the "Gorge of the Seven Bridges" among tourists, the presence of these ten bridges is a welcome sight compared to the Semiganch Gorge, where no bridges exist, and I had to jump over stones to cross the river.

Kumkayakutal Pass is a 3-day hike located in the Semiganch Gorge of the Romit Mountains in Tajikistan

This is a photo review of the third day of my four-day trek from Kharangon to Ojuk through the Semiganch Gorge. In the llast photo review, I stopped at the moment when I descended from Mount Mushteppa to the village of Dora. In the kishlak, I visited Faiz, reloaded my camera, had a delicious and filling lunch, and rested a bit from the hardships of camp life. Then, I continued along the river in the Semiganch Gorge towards the Kumkayakutal Pass in the Romit region. Once I pass the pass, I'll find myself in the Odjuk Gorge in the Varzob region..

Mount Mushtepa, day 2 of the hike, is a ridge between the Varzob and Ramit gorges, in the mountains of Tajikistan.

The second day of my four-day hike was entirely dedicated to Mount Mushtepa. Mount Mushtepa is located on the watershed ridge between the Varzob and Ramit rivers, so on this day, I visited both of them. I began the ascent on the Varzob side in the Harangon River gorge, and by midday, I had reached the summit of Mushtepa before descending to the Ramit side in the Semiganch gorge.

The Harangoni Gorge and Ridge, a one-day trek in the Varzob area of the mountains of Tajikistan

So, I decided to go on a hike, during which I planned to visit places such as the Harangoni Ridge, climb Mount Mushtepa, descend from the mountain into the Semiganch Gorge, and hike through it to the Kumkayakutal Pass. After crossing the pass, I would end up in the Ojuk Gorge and hike through it all the way to the village of Varzob. I fully completed this route plan in four days. This is a photo overview of the first day of the hike.

Hiking to the peak of Gushor, Chilikak ridge, Varzob gorge, mountains of Tajikistan

The peak of Gushor is well visible from any point in Dushanbe. I have been planning to climb it for a long time, and finally I did it. The mountain, or rather the peak of Gushor, is one of the peaks that crown the Chilikak ridge. This ridge stretches from the Varzob River (approximately 16-21 kilometers from the Varzob highway) to the Luchob River in the area of the village of Shiratalo. The Gushor peak (2450 meters) is not the highest point of the Chilikak ridge; there is another peak with a weather station above it (2552 meters), another unnamed peak (2606 meters), and the highest point, the Chilokak peak (2702 meters), which is already closer to Shiratalo and cannot be seen from the city.

Hiking to the waterfalls in the Voru Gorge, Odzhuk Mountains, Varzob District, Tajikistan

The first hike of the year, I decided to go to the waterfalls in the Voru Gorge in Odjukskie Mountains, Varzob district, Tajikistan. Previously, I called it the Lost Waterfall. Of course, no one lost this waterfall, but it needed a name, so why not call it Lost? I had already seen it a couple of times before, once when we descended from the ridge that lies between Takob and Odjuk on this hike: Crossing from the Begar Gorge to Odjuk. At that time, I thought I should go to this waterfall, and the convenient moment finally arrived. I also thought it was the only one there, but there were other waterfalls, though smaller.