Tajikistan: Jizeu Valley Trek
Таджикистан: Долина Джизэу
The Jizeu Valley feels like a lush oasis after leaving the barren, arid Bartang Valley behind. One of the lower altitude treks in the Tajik Pamirs, Jizeu makes for the perfect acclimatization warm-up to higher elevations or an easy cool-down hike when the more serious stuff is over.
Total km: 15.2 km
Total days: 2
Elevation gain/loss: 786m+/786m-
Start point: Jizeu Bridge, Bartang Valley
Endpoint: Jizeu Bridge, Bartang Valley
GPS Files
The Jizeu Valley trek is one of the easiest multi-day hikes in the Pamirs, not even breaking 3,000 meters at its highest point. Those that have just arrived in Tajikistan and haven’t done any trekking yet will still likely feel the altitude a bit, even at this range of 2,065 meters to 2,490 meters, making it a good practice run for treks ahead.
Even with its short 15.2 km out and back distance, it’s recommended to spend a night here in Jizeu village to relax and enjoy the rural life and beautiful panoramas, but if you’re in a time crunch a day trip out and back is entirely plausible.
Jizeu village is divided into two sections, Upper Jizeu and Lower Jizeu, each section scattered around gorgeous turquoise lakes fed by the Jizeudarya river. Nearly half of the homes in Jizeu operate as homestays, so showing up unannounced poses no issues – don’t be surprised if one of the many children from the village spot you on your arrival and guide you to their family home.
To reach the trailhead to the Jizeu Valley, ask to be dropped off at the suspension bridge across the Bartang River to begin the trek to Jizeu. The bridge is located 28 km from Rushan along the Bartang Highway.
Once across the bridge the trail quickly bends to the left and climbs swiftly upward, where you’ll see the confluence of the Jizeudarya and Bartang rivers. The path follows the southwest shore of the Jizeudarya for a few hundred meters before the river goes underground.
After about 1 km, the Jizeudarya reappears – make sure you’re still on the west/southwest bank of the river. Follow the trail on this side for roughly 2.3 km, though note that the trail can be eroded in this section due to winter avalanches, springtime landslides, and the frequent earthquakes that rattle the area.
You will come to a small wooden bridge at 4.5 km just before you reach Lower Jizeu. Cross to the northeast shore and continue up that last stretch of the path as it ascends to the village.
After selecting a homestay or picking a campsite, take time to explore both the upper and lower sections of the village or continue exploring further up the Jizeu valley.
The return section of the Jizeu Valley Trek is simple and almost entirely downhill, following the same path back down to the suspension bridge, so should be considerably quicker than the ascent.
Alternate Options for the Jizeu Valley Trek
It is possible to continue trekking along the Jizeudarya further into the valley. Another 4.9 km beyond Jizeu Village will bring you Tsakinkul Lake and an excellent campsite.
Another 8 km beyond Tsakinkul brings you to Toraz-Dogobkul Lake, which offers another nice camp spot near the lake’s northern shore. The path to Toraz-Dogobkul usually offers sublime walking, but some spots can be a little unstable underfoot owing to boulders and rocks that are pushed down from the valley walls each winter from avalanches.
A path continues beyond Otraz-Dogobkul for another two kilometers to Gumkul Lake, and a further 6 km beyond Gumkul will bring you right to the terminus of several glaciers in the Rushan Range. However, it’s worth mentioning that the walking beyond Gumkul is strenuous due to difficult terrain and a steep ascent to 4,300 meters.
Good to know
There are no fees for visiting Jizeu, and no technical equipment is needed as this is one of the easiest treks in the Pamirs. Those wanting to hire local guides and donkeys to porter gear can contact PECTA in Khorog to make arrangements.
Realistically, transportation is the biggest difficulty of the Jizeu Trek. There is shared transport available in the area and hitching is possible, but the majority of travelers will find arranging private transport to be the easiest. PECTA can help advise on transport as well.
Getting to the Jizeu Valley
By shared transport: Grab a shared taxi from the main taxi stand next to the bazaar in Khorog to Rushan for about 15 TJS per seat. If aiming to make the journey in a single day, try to get to Rushan before noon (the drive from Khorog to Rushan is 90 minutes). It’s also sometimes possible to find shared taxis going further up the Bartang to Siponj, Basid, or beyond- it doesn’t hurt to ask around in the event there is one leaving (this won’t typically happen every day).
Once to Rushan, you’ll need to catch a shared taxi to Siponj ~20 TJS, or Basid ~30 TJS, though let them know you’d like to get out at the Jizeu bridge. These shared cars usually leave in the early afternoon.
The major problem with shared transport is getting back from Jizeu to Rushan. There is no schedule for shared transport so there is no guarantee on what time the taxi will be returning down the valley, which could mean for a long wait or the potential of missing it for the day.
Hitchhiking a ride back to Rushan is also a possibility but know that cars running up and down the Bartang Highway are scarce, so it could be several hours to find a car.
By private transport: By far the easiest way to go about visiting Jizeu. You can expect to pay about $150 USD for a ride from Khorog to the bridge and back to Khorog, plus $20 USD per night that your driver waits for you. This cost can easily be split amongst other travelers (4-6 max depending on vehicle). Contact PECTA to arrange a car or go to the main taxi stand in Khorog with your group and negotiate a ride.
Where to Stay and Eat
Gulsha Homestay and Lola Homestay are located in the lower village as you reach Jizeu from the road. Dasha Homestay in the upper village is also a great option. Homestays can provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well. You can expect to pay about 225-285 TJS per night including dinner and breakfast.
If you plan to camp, you can still opt to pop into a homestay and ask them to prepare a meal for you for a few TJS (though do ask a few hours in advance to give ample time to prep and cook). Otherwise, grab all the snacks and provisions you’ll need from the Khorog Bazaar before you leave for the trailhead.
[All photos courtesy of Adventures of Nicole]
