Is there any place the Lake Zorkul permit can be obtained except from Khorog?
We're a group of 6 motorcycles and our initial plan for the area was to do the Bartang Valley, get the permit in Khorog, follow the border route to Khargush and from there Murghab via Zorkul. Due to the current situation in Khorog we're considering doing it the other way around but I can't find any information on if it's possible to get the Zorkul permit in Murghab.
Hi there,
Yes, you can get a Zorkul permit in Murghab - the building is down near the hospital but your homestay provider should be able to point you to the right place. Alternatively ask at the tourist information office and they'll point you in the right direction.
Tourists are travelling through the Bartang at the moment but there is no news, as yet, on when things will be resolved in Khorog.
Zorkul and Shaymak are pretty desolate, empty spaces. Some people come to the Pamirs precisely to see this, but it's still surprising just how empty it gets around there.
B374, did you folks end up going to Zorkul last year? I'm considering doing it this year, also from the Mughrab end, and would like any info you have on the route. Many thanks in advance.
nzsam,
Two routes into Zorkul. First via Shaimak and other via Jarty Gumbez. Both are difficult to find and there is no local traffic.
Check out Russian military maps on the META website.
If you go using a tour operator then ensure you get a local team - the non-locals get lost, even if they are from Khorog...