A river a few hundred metres wide is all that separates Tajikistan from Afghanistan at Ishkashim, and you can watch farmers on the other bank working their fields as you drink your tea. The Panj, the upper Amu Darya, runs through a broad green valley here, hemmed in by the great ranges of the Pamir to the north and the Hindu Kush to the south. Snow peaks stand across the water, close enough to count the ridges, and the sight is among the most dramatic on the whole Pamir route. The town is small, around a few thousand people, with a bazaar, a handful of guesthouses and a border crossing that opens for traders and aid vehicles.
This is the entrance to the Wakhan Corridor, the narrow strip of land that stretches east toward China, created as a buffer between the British and Russian empires in the nineteenth century. Marco Polo is believed to have passed this way on his journey east, and the Silk Road caravans did for centuries. The people are Pamiri, mostly Ismaili Muslims who follow the Aga Khan, and they speak languages unrelated to Tajik. Hospitality is a point of pride, and a rider who stops will be offered tea and bread before long.
Heading east from town, the road along the Panj is spectacular and demanding. It is a mix of rough asphalt, gravel and stretches of track, running at the foot of cliffs and between fields of barley, apricot and poplar. The Wakhan road to Langar passes ruined fortresses, such as the one at Yamchun, with views across to Afghan villages. Rivers cross the road, and some bridges are narrow. Hot springs at Garm Chashma, a short side trip, are a welcome treat after a long day. Rain is rare, but the sun is intense, the wind can be brutal and the dust gets everywhere.
Fuel needs planning. Ishkashim has little, and its supply is variable, while Khorog, to the north-west, is the larger regional centre with proper stations, banks and shops. Carry extra fuel in the Wakhan, as distances between supply points are long. A GBAO permit is required, and you should check the current conditions on the Afghan border, which can change.
A Saturday market was once held on the border itself, where Afghans and Tajiks traded goods from a tent. The market's status has varied, but the thought of two countries meeting over a river is a fine memory to take away.