Tag Archives: hiking

Nuratau Mountains — UZ12

Ostensibly a three day horse ride from village-to-village homestays, this ended up being so much more than that. We stopped mid-way on the drive from Bukhara to Asraf to scramble around to see some roadside petroglyphs. Approximately 4,000 years old! Ride One A 6.7 mile loop from Aslon’s Homestay in the tiny village of Asraf,Continue reading “Nuratau Mountains — UZ12”

Dushanbe — UZ6

Dushanbe is considered a difficult post for US Embassy staff, so emphasis is given to providing comfortable home spaces. Heather’s house for her three years here is close to the US Embassy on the edge of the city. Behind the gated wall is a large paved area, a rose and magnolia garden, and a grapeContinue reading “Dushanbe — UZ6”

Haftkul (Seven Lakes) — UZ5

The drive from Samarkand to Panjakent and then up to the Seven Lakes isn’t far, but it did take us about 7 hours to get from the hotel to the 7th lake. The first time suck was the border crossing from Uzbekistan to Tajikistan. It took us about 90 minutes to complete numerous steps forContinue reading “Haftkul (Seven Lakes) — UZ5”

Chimgan Trekking — UZ3

I may be spoiled for future backpacking after trekking with donkeys to carry the gear! We spent 3 days with a guide and 5 other guests hiking in the Chimgan Mountains, part of the Tien Shan range. The conditions were more dusty and dry than typical, since there’s been no rain for 80 days. TheContinue reading “Chimgan Trekking — UZ3”

More desert hiking

Butcher Jones Trail to Burro Cove The path is mostly packed dirt, weaving through a mix of saguaros, mesquite, and palo verde. It’s not a difficult hike, but there are a few rocky sections and mild inclines. We heard and smelled a critter in the brush, but didn’t spot what it was; some other hikersContinue reading “More desert hiking”