Photo of the week: High altitude cyclists at Ak-Baital pass

Having just returned from a road trip along the Pamir Highway it seemed appropriate for this week’s ‘Photo of the week’ to be from a high point on my journey from Osh in Kyrgyzstan to Dushanbe in Tajikistan.

After visiting Karakul Lake the road winds up to the 4,655 metre Ak-Baital pass – that is a headache inducing 15,272 feet!

It was a hard climb for our 4-wheel drive vehicles and it took it’s toll on me too with a splitting headache and difficulty breathing. The weather closed in as we reached the top of the pass and it snowed, but there were already people at the top. A group of hardcore cyclists had just reached the top travelling in the opposite direction.

Impressive!

There were many cyclists travelling along the Pamir Highway along my journey and I’ve a profound respect for their strength and commitment to take on the second highest road in the world.