Waterfall in the Stone Sack, Kharangoni Ridge, Varzob, Tajikistan

I had known about this waterfall for a long time, but I never managed to see it. The thing is, the waterfall can only be seen in the spring. By June it dries up, and in its place is only a black wall – black because it's damp, as some water still seeps through constantly. I first visited this place as a child at the "Cosmos" pioneer camp, which was located nearby, sometime in the early 80s. It was from this pioneer camp that a big hike involving several groups was organized to the "Stone Sack," as this place is called.

Gorge with a Waterfall at the 50km Mark, Varzob, Mountains of Tajikistan

Back in mid-October, I had the chance to visit a small but very intriguing gorge near the 50th kilometer of the Varzob highway. I can’t say exactly which kilometer it was—it completely slipped my mind to check. On the way back, I asked the driver; he gave an answer, though he didn’t seem entirely sure, so let’s just say it’s in the vicinity of the 50km mark in the Varzob Gorge. Regardless, the hike happened, which means it’s time for a photo review.

Hiking to the Waterfalls in Voru Gorge, Odzhuk, Varzob, Mountains of 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.

Waterfall on the Iskandar River, near Iskanderkul Lake, Fann Mountains, Tajikistan

Waterfall on Iskanderia, one of the main attractions in the vicinity of Lake Iskanderkul and a must-visit for tourists. This waterfall is sometimes called the "Fann Niagara". It is located 800 meters downstream from the Iskanderia River, which flows from Lake Iskanderkul. The prominent scientist-botanist V.I. Lipsky officially mentioned this waterfall in his memoirs.

Spring Hike to the Waterfalls in Gusgarf, Varzob Gorge, Mountains of Tajikistan

I can't say exactly how many waterfalls there are in Gusgarf, but the most famous ones are two waterfalls: "Pioneer" and "Eagle's Nests". Well, officially, these waterfalls are called the Big Gusgarf Waterfall and the Echo Waterfall, respectively. However, I have been to these waterfalls even three times, as I found another one, let's say, unnamed but quite decent waterfall. I visited these waterfalls at different times, and it was interesting to see how these waterfalls look in spring, when there is a lot of water. So, when spring came, I went to see the waterfalls in Gusgarf.

In Search of the Gusgarf Waterfall - Short story

Long before I set off on this journey, I was asked if I had been to the Gusgarf Waterfall. "No," I answered, "what waterfall is that?" Various descriptions followed, all of which essentially amounted to it being a large waterfall, about thirty meters high, also known as "Pioneer". I decided I should go, but I couldn't find anyone to go with me. It seemed like many people were hiking, but not specifically to that waterfall. I asked where exactly the waterfall was located, but the explanations were confusing. In the end, I decided to go by myself and find it. If it's such a big and famous waterfall, I'll surely find it, I thought. I'll ask the locals if I need to.

Hike to the Big Gusgarf Waterfall, Varzob Gorge, Mountains of Tajikistan

The Big Gusgarf Waterfall, also known as the Pioneer Waterfall, is located in the Varzob Gorge past the village of Gusgarf. The hike to this waterfall was quite an adventure. The first time, back in June, I went alone to Gusgarf without any idea of where it was located, relying only on oral descriptions. As it happens, I got lost but eventually stumbled upon some waterfall, apparently nameless.

Hike to the Eagle's Nest Waterfall in Gusgarf, Varzob Gorge, Mountains of Tajikistan

The Eagle's Nest Waterfall is located behind the village of Gusgarf in the Varzob Gorge. Many people call this waterfall "Echo," but Echo is actually a pass that can be reached by following the trail through this gorge. Somehow, the name Echo has also become associated with the waterfall. However, the Eagle's Nest Waterfall was named for good reason - no matter what time of day you come here, eagles or other large birds are always circling above the waterfall. Of course, they are actually circling above the gorge, but it creates the impression that they are circling above the waterfall.

Hiking in Gorge at 22km of the Varzob, Mountains of Tajikistan

The canyon at the 22nd kilometer of the Varzob road is sometimes called "Mulberry Canyon" or "Snake Canyon". At the beginning of the canyon, there are indeed many mulberry trees, but the season for them has already passed. However, there are many other berries, such as blackberries, apricots, and grapes, and they literally cover the ground deep inside the canyon. Fortunately, we did not encounter any snakes as the weather was cloudy and they usually do not come out of their burrows in such conditions since there is no sun to warm them up.

Hiking in the waterfall gorge in Odzhuk, Varzob, Tajikistan

In the Odzhuk gorge, if you don't cross the second bridge and go straight, you can reach a meadow called "Pensioners' Meadow". A funny name, by the way, apparently because it's not far to walk. Although, I know some pensioners who walk so well that not every young person can keep up with them, regardless of their level of fitness. The gorge that begins after this meadow is also called simply "The Waterfall Gorge".

Hiking to the waterfalls in Begar, Varzob Gorge, Tajikistan

Not far from the village of Begar, which is located 27 kilometers from the Varzob highway, there is a small recreation area called "Gulobod". Beyond this recreation area is the Begar gorge, which is of interest to us. Often you can hear people talk about a place called "waterfall gorge", in my opinion, the real waterfall gorge is the Begar gorge, as there are many waterfalls here and they are very beautiful.

Evening Dushanbe - a Waterfall, Singing Fountains, Ismaili Somoni Square

It so happened that I don't usually walk around the city in the evenings, although it does happen, but rarely. And for a long time after arriving in Dushanbe, I couldn't see such attractions as the man-made waterfall and singing fountains in Dushanbe. And yet, I often passed by them, but either in the morning or during the day when they are not operational. I decided to correct this regrettable omission and one evening specifically went to see all of this.

Hiking-Quest - Waterfall in Gusgarf, Varzob Gorge, Mountains of Tajikistan

Last weekend, I decided to go to the Gusgarf waterfall, which is located near the village of the same name. It was not just a hike, but a quest to find the Gusgarf waterfall. The thing is, I didn't know the roads, didn't find any companions, and still decided to go alone, which some might say was a big mistake. But I will say, it was a very cool adventure. It took about three hours to walk to the waterfall, but I walked for seven hours, turned onto the wrong trail, realized it too late, decided to go straight, ended up on rocks, loose soil, and thorny bushes - in short, I entertained myself as best I could....

Hike to the Fanfarok waterfall at the 21st km of the Varzob gorge, mountains of Tajikistan

Our previous hike in the 21-kilometer section of the Varzob Gorge was in winter, and we made it up to the poplar grove where we set up camp and ended our journey. With the arrival of spring, we can now hike further in a day, for example, to the waterfall. That's what we'll do on this hike, we'll reach the waterfall in the 21st kilometer of the Varzob Gorge.