Irkeshtam is the end of the line, or the start of the next one. It is a border post high in the Alay mountains, where the road from Osh and Sary-Tash reaches the frontier with China and the long way down to Kashgar begins. The setting is bare and enormous: a wide, treeless valley at the foot of the Trans-Alay range, with lines of trucks, a few buildings and mountains that keep going until they turn to blue haze. It is not a place to linger, but it is the kind of place that makes you think about distance.
The ride from Sary-Tash is a quiet pleasure. The road follows the broad Alay valley eastward for some eighty kilometres or so, mostly paved though with sections of rough surface and frost heave, and the traffic is a mix of Chinese trucks, shared taxis and herders on horseback. To the south, the Trans-Alay range shines with snow, and on a clear day the high peaks of the Pamirs, including Peak Lenin, rise above the horizon. Light here is clean and hard, and the air is thin. Wind can be fierce, so expect a constant lean on the bike.
This corridor has served trade for ages, with camel trains carrying goods between Kashgar and the Fergana valley long before trucks took over. The border itself is a modern, bureaucratic place, and rules for foreign travellers and especially private vehicles change often. Crossing into China on your own motorcycle usually requires advance arrangements, permits and a guide, and hours are limited, with closures on holidays. Check the current situation well before you set out, because turning up on a hope is a fine way to waste a day.
There is no real town here, so supplies are a matter of planning. Fuel should be topped up in Sary-Tash or Osh, with a margin for the return. Small cafes and guesthouses near the border serve tea, noodles and bread, and a few yurt camps can be found in the valley during summer. Dress for cold, even in July; the altitude is around three thousand metres, nights are sharp, and weather can change in an hour. If you only come to look at the mountains and the border, you will still leave glad you did.