Khargush Pass, at 4,344 metres, is the high point of the road along the Wakhan corridor, and it feels like the roof of the world. The track climbs from the Panj valley near Langar, where the river runs along the Afghan border below the white wall of the Hindu Kush, up into a stony plateau of the eastern Pamirs, cold, windy and almost without people. From the top, you can see the snow-capped Hindu Kush to the south, the barren Pamir ranges to the north and an enormous, empty sky.
The road is a challenge. It is an unpaved track of rough gravel, sand and rock, with river crossings, steep grades and sections of loose scree, and it requires a bike with good ground clearance, good tyres and a rider who is not alone. Altitude brings its own problems, since the air is thin and the engine loses power, while the rider can suffer headaches and nausea. Weather can change fast, with snow possible even in summer, and the cold at night is severe. It is a place for experienced adventure riders with proper preparation.
The surroundings are remote but alive. On the high plateau, herds of yaks and sheep graze near summer camps, and the Kyrgyz herders who live in yurts offer tea and bread to passers-by. Lake Zorkul, the source of the Panj river and a protected nature reserve, lies a short distance to the south, and the high grasslands around it are the habitat of the Marco Polo sheep, a magnificent wild sheep with great spiralling horns, named for the Venetian traveller who described it in the thirteenth century. You may see marmots as well.
Murghab, a small town of containers and low houses at 3,600 metres, has a bazaar, a few guesthouses and basic supplies. Bring water, food, tools and spare parts, and tell someone where you are going, since phone signal is almost non-existent. A special permit is needed for the region, so check conditions before you go. The dawn light on the peaks is a reward for the cold.