Langar is the last real village of the Tajik Wakhan, a cluster of stone and mud-brick houses at about 2,800 metres, hemmed in by the Panj river on one side and the high, bare mountains on the other, and beyond it the valley narrows toward the Wakhjir pass and China. It is a village of orchards and walled fields, irrigated by channels from the mountains, and in the evening smoke rises from every roof and children play on the dirt lanes. Across the river, in Afghanistan, a faint track runs along the foot of the Hindu Kush, and one sometimes sees a donkey or a man on a motorbike on the other bank.
The people here are Pamiri Ismailis, and their houses are built to a traditional plan, with a single main room under a roof of five carved wooden pillars, each said to represent a person of the faith. The village is also known for its petroglyphs. On a hillside above, thousands of carvings of ibex, hunters and symbols have been scratched into the dark rock over many centuries, and a short walk up the slope leads to the best of them. The animal figures, with their curved horns, look surprisingly lively. Marco Polo is believed to have passed through the Wakhan in the thirteenth century on his way to China, and the route was an important one for travellers and traders.
The road from Khorog to Langar is long, rough and slow, and the surface alternates between broken tarmac and gravel, with plenty of dust. It follows the Panj for most of the way, through a series of villages and fortresses, with views over the border. Sections can be washed out by floods or buried by rockfalls, and bridges are sometimes basic. A permit for the Gorno-Badakhshan region is required, and the weather can be hot in the day and freezing at night, so pack accordingly. The best time is from June to September.
Fuel is a concern, as there are very few stations along the valley, so carry extra, ask locally and fill up when you can. Food and shelter are available in homestays, which serve fresh bread, soup, apricots and tea, and a bed and a meal are modestly priced. Do not expect a shop with much choice.
If you have a day to spare, walk to the petroglyphs in the evening, when the light is low and the valley is quiet. It is a small place at the end of a long road, and it feels like the edge of the world.