With almost 2 weeks of leave over my least favourite season (summer) for the Xmas and New Year break I was going a bit stir crazy. What to do? Where to go? Where could I go that wasn't going to cost much and wasn't going to kill me with heat stress? Well... with lowish summer temperatures down south for the following week, a very impromptu 7 day solo 135 km trek from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin seemed to fit the bill. ... Impromptu, as in... decide on Wednesday night, prepare on Thursday and leave on Friday. I'm completely kitted out for this style of trip now and usually have a few homemade dehydrated meals kicking around for last minute trips like this so it just took a small amount of preparation to be ready. On ... read more

Day 17 Rest Day in Alichur (3881m) Aunty (Tamara) brings me rice with salty milk, 3 boiled eggs, bread, cherry jam and yoghurt for breakfast. M and B turn up later after farewelling Mohammed's Mum, who is a teacher, off to school. A decision is firmed up- we condense Days 16 and 17 into 1 in order to take a day off here in Alichur. I think it's a good plan: 1. Gives me another day at 3881m for acclimatisation 2. I can have a shower (!!) in the spotlessly clean bathroom and potentially wash my hair (joy), although I have been firmly instructed not to do so until after lunch when it will be a bit warmer "as I will catch a cold". 3. I can wash clothes. 4. I can catch up on writing ... read more

Day 15 Chadbar Valley (Somewhere on the Gunt River) to Marjanay Jailoo (Summer Pasture Spot) Sleeping altitude 3840m Highest point altitude 3940m Feel utterly fatigued this morning, really sluggish. Initially I wonder if it's the river water that we are washing everything in but ultimately decide it's probably altitude related. I have absolutely no appetite for breakfast (like in Nepal as we were ascending), but make myself eat something as we have a big day ahead. We are aiming to camp past Yachikul Lake, it involves an overall 400m further altitude gain. Yashikul is a freshwater lake in the Upper Gunt Valley, 3600 hectares with a max depth of 52m and is in the "Bulunkul and Yashikul Lakes and Mountains Important Bird Area". The area is a combo of grassland, desert, wetland and rock habitats. Birds ... read more

Day 13 Yamg to Langar to Bachor Driving Distance- 270km Sleeping altitude 3370m Highest point altitude -4360m Take a walk through the village this morning, first to the site of the stone pillar that the Sufi mystic, Muabara Kadam Wakhani (there are multiple spellings of everything here, you will see the K and Q are pretty interchangeable), fashioned into a solar calendar. We then reach the museum which is a reconstructed Wakhan house, each of the rooms displaying various artifacts, books, poems, letters and display boards. The usual TJS 10 admission (you should all know this is AUD $1.24 by now). It's a fascinating stop and the caretakers are proud of their heritage. I keep wishing I could spend a full day in each of these villages. I also really like the way the walls and ... read more

Day 11 3rd Village Jizeu/Gizeiv, Bartang Valley to Khorog Driving Distance- 60km Sleeping altitude 2200m Woke up early, chilly out but toasty in those quilts. Such a beautiful place to sleep! Took a wander down to the river, light was pretty special. Had breakfast with the Israelis, they run an organic flower farm and are well travelled. We share rice with milk, jams, tea and bread. Mohammed and I take off for a 5km return hike to the next village and lake . It's mostly a gentle grassy uphill walk, whenever there's an uphill though I get out of breath really quickly, it's annoying. Lots of little streams, trees, flowers and bird life once again. Wander around the lake for a while before backtracking. By the time we are back at Munira's the early chill has ... read more