Photo Tours in Tajikistan.

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving” 

Terry Pratchett. “A Hat Full of Sky”.

Guided trekking and Group Tours in Tajikistan.

On the junction of two huge ranges of the Central Asian Pamir Altai Mountainous system, the Zeravshan and Hissar, only 120km from the world renouned historic city of Samarkand, are the Fann Mountains. An area once known to insiders only, the Fany Mountains are becoming increasingly popular among nature lovers, hikers, trekkers, mountain climbers and those in search of undiscovered adventure sports destinations.
 This area once referred to as “Kukhistan" (from Persian "the country of mountains") must be one of the most gorgeous nature spots on earth - and that is not just a cliche. Add to that the advantage of pleasant temperatures and stable weather.
Words to describe the undescribably beautiful Fany Mountains come straight out of the jewel box. Peaks of over 5000m are strung up like a pearl necklace and tower over the magnificent high altitude lakes that glitter in emerald green and turquoise, fringed by jade green Asian juniper forests. 
The Fany Mountains are comperatively intimate, overseeable territory. More than 30 different lakes are scattered over the area, magically interlaced with each other and reachable within a few hours hikes. The grandest, most famous of these lakes is the Iskander Kul (a toponym related to the legendary Alexander the Great) also cited by Fann Mountain fans as the most beautiful. (3.5km2, 70M deep).
On a high altitude plateau, the Kuli Kalon are a row of multi-colored lakes at the bottom of a sheer cliff by the same name. Kalon being the Farsi word for big, the Kuli Kalon do quite impress by their sheer size. The Major Allo (there are 3 Allo lakes: the Upper, Major, and Lower) is another beautiful and majestic lake, confined on three sides by vertical cliffs, the Zindan ('Prison') gorge; the turquoise Marguzor lakes cascade through the broad valley of the Shing river; the Allaudin lakes, 3 lakes that oscillate in every imaginable shade of ultramarine. 
Lakes are but one aspect of what make the Fany Mountains so unique and attractive. Peak Chimtarga at 5489M is 1 of 10 five-thousanders raising vertically up from the archa forests at their feet. There is a considerable number of routes to pick from, allowing every visitor to put together his very own custom made stay in the Fany Mountains, depending on time, fitness, capability and personal interest.
Through picturesque valleys and canyons, over arresting passes, up rock faces, with unlimited possibilities of ideal spots to pitch up the tent camp.
On a hike through the Fany Mountains, every day brings a new discovery, herein lies one of the area's best advantages. The Fany Mountains are different from the Tien-Shan, and they are a far cry from Nepal, a Mecca for climbers and tourists, where, with all dues to the spectacular surroundings, there is practically not a single patch of untouched, uninhabited, or unexplored wilderness left and the routes are being referred to as "Coca-Cola tracks", well-trodden for the longest time.
In the Fany Mountains you are sure to meet no other visitors for days on end, you have the best of unspoilt nature all to yourself. That does not mean you will not come upon the odd summer camp, where semi nomadic locals and herdsmen extend the same unspoilt hospitality to whomever passes through these lands, bidding you to take place at the dastarkhan, a table laid for you as the most honorable guest; you will be treated to the best food available.
Here is round Tadjik bread (national bread baked directly on hot coals), sour goat's milk (ayran), and delicious organic roast potatos made from potatos grown in the mineral rich soil on the steep flanks of the surrounding mountains.
And of coures, the ultimate Central Asian gesture of welcome, a cup of smoky green tea, here made over the open fire, extended by the host with all his heart or offered as a farewell, before you once again set out on one of the world's truly spectacular nature trails. 

Authority:
Vladimir Dolgiy

Photos by
Faridun Khamroev, Dushanbe town.