Hiking from Takob to Odzhuk, Varzob Gorge, Mountains of Tajikistan

We decided to make a two-day hike with a crossing over the watershed ridge from the Takob gorge to the upper reaches of the Odzhuk gorge. The plan was to go through the Childukhtaron pass, but since no one knew the exact path, we asked the locals for directions. They confused us a little, and we initially went to the wrong couloir. As it turned out, locals don't use this pass to get to Odzhuk, as it is not very convenient for them. Moreover, the locals refer to the whole ridge as Childukhtaron, which does remotely resemble the famous mountain of the same name in Muminobod. And one can cross this ridge from Takob to Odzhuk in several places.

Hiking to Kabanye Gorge in Odjuk, Varzob, mountains of Tajikistan

The Odjuk Gorge seems familiar and nearby, but in reality, it is very large with many branches leading to small gorges in different directions. Among these small gorges, there are many unusual and beautiful ones, and today I am introducing one of them to you - the Kabanye Gorge. I do not know why it is called "Kabanye," perhaps because wild boars roam around, but I am not a hunter and cannot say anything on this matter. The Kabanye Gorge is also called the "Jacuzzi" Gorge due to the many indentations in the rocks along the river that flows through it, which really resemble Jacuzzis.

Hiking to Upper Chayka, Varzob Gorge, Mountains of Tajikistan

Upper Chayka gorge is located 23 km along the Varzob highway and gets its name from the former pioneer camp Chayka. The designation of upper or lower simply depends on how you plan to move along the gorge, i.e. downwards or upwards, and we chose Upper Chayka.

Hiking in Odzhuk Gorge for Epiphany, Varzob, mountains of Tajikistan

The tradition of Epiphany bathing dates back to ancient times. Of course, if you have the opportunity to bathe in the holy Jordan River (in Israel) on Epiphany, do not miss it. However, you can bathe on Epiphany in any lake, river, or body of water. It is preferable for the ice hole to be in the form of a cross. But there are no strict rules for how to bathe on Epiphany. In other words, a mountain river, in our case, is perfect.

Hiking to the 21st kilometer of the Varzob Gorge, mountains of Tajikistan

The 21st kilometer gorge is probably one of the most visited gorges in the Varzob area, at least it used to be. It starts, as the name suggests, at the 21st kilometer of the Varzob highway and stretches for about half a day's journey until it reaches a waterfall. It's very convenient for a day hike. But that's in the summer, and today I don't think we'll make it to the waterfall, but nevertheless, we'll wander around...

Winter hike in the Odjuk gorge, Varzob, mountains of Tajikistan

The Odjuk gorge, also known as the Canyon of 7 Bridges, is quite extensive, and lovers of long hikes can walk through it all the way to the alpine meadows. Anywhere in the canyon, you will find a cozy spot for resting and camping. I found this description online. It is quite easy to get there from Dushanbe; there are minibusses going to the village of Varzob from the Vodonasosnaya station, and the cost is around 50 cents. You need to get off at the supermarket. I left Dushanbe at around 8 in the morning and arrived at the supermarket at 8:30. The temperature in the city was -1°C, while in the canyon, it was around -4°C to -5°C. The sky was clear, and there was almost no wind, which means the weather was perfect for hiking.