The Panj river is the border here, and across the water the land is Afghanistan. At Yamchun, in the Wakhan valley of Tajikistan, the road runs high above the river on the Tajik side, and the other bank is a narrow ribbon of farms and mud-brick houses under the great wall of the Hindu Kush. The valley is one of the most remote inhabited places in Asia, and its people, the Wakhi and Pamiri, are largely Ismaili Muslims who have lived here for many centuries, farming barley and apricots in small terraced fields.
Yamchun Fort is the great monument. A ruined fortress of stone and mud-brick on a rocky spur above the river, it dates from the third century BC and was part of a chain of strongholds that guarded the old caravan route between China, India and Central Asia, and the view from its ramparts across the valley is long and dramatic. Close by, the hot springs of Bibi Fatima, said to be good for women's ailments, bubble up in a small stone bath, and local people use them regularly. The fortress and the springs are about a hundred metres apart in height and a short walk, and both are worth the trouble.
The riding on the Wakhan road is rough, slow and tremendous. The route follows the Panj, with a mix of dirt, gravel and broken asphalt, with washouts, rockfalls and sudden stream crossings, and the surface changes every few kilometres. Dust, heat in summer and cold at night are normal, and the altitude is moderate, around three thousand metres, but enough to tire you. A permit for the Gorno-Badakhshan region is needed, and is best arranged in advance, and the border zone requires care and respect.
Fuel is a serious issue, since stations are few and supplies uncertain, so fill the tank in Khorog, carry extra if possible and ask at each village. Food is available at homestays, where families serve bread, tea, soup and yoghurt, and the hospitality is generous. Accommodation is in Pamiri houses with their distinctive roof structures and a warm central room.
Take time at the fort. In the early morning, the light turns the valley gold, the river is quiet and the air smells of dust and apricots. The mountains on the Afghan side look near enough to touch, and the peace of the place is hard to forget.