1,000 KM Trek Atop the World, Pamir Trail in Tajikistan

Jan Bakker Podcast

SEASON 1 EPISODE 6 – SUMMARY

In this podcast conversation, Chris Watson sits down with Jan Bakker.

Jan Bakker, author of the guidebook Trekking in Tajikistan, discusses his vision for the Pamir Trail, a 1000 kilometer hike through the mountainous Pamir region of Tajikistan.

He shares his experiences trekking in Tajikistan and the challenges of mapping out the trail.

Jan Bakker Is Guest on Adventure Diaries Podcast Episode 6
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Jan Bakker, author of the guidebook Trekking in Tajikistan, discusses his vision for the Pamir Trail, a 1000 kilometer hike through the mountainous Pamir region of Tajikistan.

He shares his experiences trekking in Tajikistan and the challenges of mapping out the trail.

Jan also talks about the culture and communities in Tajikistan, the wildlife encounters, and the recommended seasons for hiking.

He also discusses his involvement in adventure tourism in Uganda and his plans for future trail development in Scotland.


Episode Takeaways

  • The Pamir Trail is a 1000 kilometer hike through the mountainous Pamir region of Tajikistan.
  • Tajikistan offers a unique and adventurous trekking experience, with stunning landscapes and welcoming local communities.
  • The terrain in Tajikistan varies, with some sections being more challenging and others more accessible for beginners.
  • The best time to hike the Pamir Trail is from June to September, with different sections becoming snow-free at different times.
  • Jan Bakker is also involved in adventure tourism in Uganda and plans to develop hiking trails in Scotland.
  • Support the Women Rockin’ Pamirs project, which trains women to become hiking guides in the male-dominated industry.


Call To Adventure

Yeah, of course Uganda.

I mean, apart from Pamir Trail, because we’ve talked about it, but Uganda we talked about as well, but it’s an incredible country and it has, I think, you know, if you compare it to Kenya and Tanzania, it gets all the attention.

It has so much variety in landscapes, you know, for trekking, you can go to a proper mountain range rather than climbing up a volcano, which is quite unique.

And it’s unique. Like there’s landscapes you will never see. You never see anywhere else. Like a glacier on the equator with the vegetation.

I think Uganda is some place that if you, if you love adventure, but not just hiking, you know, you can do all kinds of stuff.

You can go gravel biking here. I take my gravel bike twice a week out here to go riding on the African red dirt roads.

Of course, kayaking is world class here in Jinja on the Nile.
That’s, you know, if you’re a kayaker, you will know.

Yeah, so, you know, in a small country, you can do pretty much almost everything if it comes to adventure sports. So, yeah.


Pay It Forward

Tajikistan related, there’s a project that supports women to become hiking guides in the Pamirs.

The project is called Women Rockin Pamirs.

If you go to womenrockinpamirs.org, female hiking guides in a sort of male-dominated industry.

It’s quite a breath of fresh air, really. And I think that’s a worthy cause to support.


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