Our Mission

Our mission is for the Pamir Trail to become a world-class long-distance hiking route across the mountains of Tajikistan that enhances economic opportunities for both local mountain communities on the route as well as the Tajik tourism sector in general. The Pamir Trail should also contribute to the preservation of the Tajik mountains and mountain culture and increase the knowledge and understanding about Tajikistan as a country.

Why the Pamir Trail?

The most famous and well-visited trekking destinations, routes like Everest Base Camp in Nepal and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, attract a lot of attention (on social media) and thus receive tens of thousands of trekkers annually. The exposure these treks get (and fair enough, they are amazing), overshadow more obscure destinations without the marketing power. Tajikistan as a country is not well-known, let alone as a tourist destination. The nation is one of the most mountainous countries in the world, with 93% of the landmass considered mountainous. Tajikistan was part of the USSR until it fell apart in the early ‘90’s. It almost immediately plunged into a civil war, lasting for most of the decade. The first foreign tourists started visiting around the start of the new millennium, with a huge tourism development gap compared to established (mountain) tourist destinations. Although the tourism sector is gradually growing, and more local tour operators are active, Tajikistan remains a tourism underdog.

The Tajik mountains are blessed with a vast network of trails, connecting valleys and crossing plains across the country. Slow travel is trending and the most simple form of slow travel is walking. It’s perhaps the most authentic and pure way of visiting a place, an experience that triggers all your senses. In recent years many new long-distance hiking trails have been developed or popularised. Examples are the Great Himalaya Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Jordan Trail. These are tangible, marketable travel products that reaches a broad audience. Over time, some trails have developed a big economy around them with businesses that provide logistical assistance or simply sell food or offer accommodation. Creating such a long-distance trail is about connecting the dots. The pathways are there, it’s now a matter of choosing a both stunning and feasible route and making sure to maximise the number of mountain communities that can economically benefit from passing hikers. The Pamir Trail could provide rural tourist jobs, such as guiding, handling pack animals, cooking food and hosting trekkers. Tour operators could provide full packages and arrange transport and booking accommodation. In places where trails and bridges get damaged regularly, the trail could provide maintenance jobs. Shops will see an increase of customers and they may extend their selection of goods with arts and craft products.

The Pamir Trail can give a boost to the local rural economy throughout Tajikistan, even in the most remote corners of the country.

The Pamir Trail team

Jan Bakker - Initiator and Chief Trail Officer Pamir Trail

Jan is the initiator of the Pamir Trail. He works as an expedition leader in the remotest mountain ranges on the planet and writes about his adventures for Dutch and British magazines. He currently works as an outdoor tourism consultant in Kampala, Uganda. As the co-author of the guidebook Trekking in Tajikistan, published by UK-based Cicerone Press, he realised most of the trekking routes in Tajikistan are connected. To Jan, a long-distance hiking trail, stretching from the northeast of the country all the way to its most southern boundary, seems like a logical next project.

Ed Rogers - Pamir Trail Logistics Support

Ed has been exploring the mountains of Central Asia for the last 25 years. Originally from the edge of the Peak District in the UK he has spent the last 8 years living and working in Tajikistan with his wife and sons. He grew up in Uzbekistan and from there also spent time in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In 2014 Ed began dreaming and working toward what would eventually become the Archa Foundation. He is passionate about giving local people an opportunity to explore the mountains and wild spaces that surround them. In his day-to-day work with the local NGO “Central Asian Partnership” Ed is an advocate, partner and consultant for rural tourism development. If he’s not in his home-office in the hills above Dushanbe then he’s probably somewhere in the Fann Mountains of northern Tajikistan.

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Christian Bleuer - Pamir Trail Explorer

Christian Bleuer has been visiting Tajikistan's mountains since 2009, and has lived for several years in Dushanbe and Bokhtar while working for or volunteering at local NGOs. He is originally from British Columbia, Canada where his family's business is mountain tourism. He is the co-author of Tajikistan: A Political and Social History (Australian National University Press, 2013). More recently he has been mapping Tajikistan's mountains, particularly in the Hisor, Zeravshan and Karategin ranges, as well as in Khatlon Province, where he is a volunteer and advisor for a tourism development programme of the Bokhtar-based NGO "SWORDE-Teppa."

Meital Kupfer - Partnerships and Fundraising

Meital Kupfer supports partnerships and fundraising for the Pamir Trail. While new to Central Asia, they have been trekking, hiking and climbing for two decades. Meital lived in Uganda for eight years and contributed towards the development and curation of mountain tourism and trails in the country, from the Rwenzori Ranges to the flat-topped peaks in Karamoja. They have completed several thru hikes, including the Appalachian Trail (2,198.4 miles (3,538.0 km). They are also the partnerships manager for the forthcoming Mwamba Climbing Gym in Kampala, Uganda, slated to be the first climbing gym in Uganda. When not hiking, Meital works in tech policy and humanitarian research.

Partners and sponsors

If your organisation is interested in becoming part of the Pamir Trail project, we would love to hear from you. Drop us a line here.

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Archa Foundation - Tajikistan

The Archa Foundation (www.archataj.com) was conceived of in 2014 and began working toward official registration in 2017 (UK charity status application in process). The Archa Foundation exists to promote the wild spaces of Tajikistan by pursuing social and economic development through sustainable stewardship of outdoor resources. In partnership with local Tajik NGO “Central Asian Partnership” we focus on rural tourism development - especially in the Fann Mountains of northern Tajikistan. We have projects and partnerships around the 7 Lakes, the upper Zerafshan Valley, Saratoq and the Iskandarkul area, and the Yaghnob Valley amongst other places. We are thrilled to be supporting the development of the Pamir Trail and excited for how it will positively impact the rural communities of Tajikistan!

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