Long-time KE traveller Al recently celebrated an incredible milestone – his 40th adventure with us. To mark the occasion, he joined the bestselling Ultimate Fann Mountains Trek, exploring the dramatic mountain landscapes of Tajikistan before finishing in the historic Uzbek city of Samarkand.

After every adventure, Al takes the time to write about his experiences, and as this was his 40th trip with KE, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to share. We're incredibly grateful for Al's continued support over the years and are delighted to feature his account. From high mountain passes and remote campsites to warm local hospitality and fascinating history, here's Al's adventure on the Ultimate Fann Mountains Trek in his own words.

I have just returned from my latest adventure travelling to both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Over 90% of Tajikistan is covered by mountains and we spent 7 days trekking on trails used by local shepherds in remote areas. Each day we ascended rocky paths to high mountain passes and then descended to our camp site. 

Before our trek we toured the capital, Dushanbe which included visits to the National Museum of Antiquities, Navruz Palace and a mosque. The history here dates to Alexander the Great and houses artifacts dating back to the 5th - 4th century BC. There is also one of the largest clay reclining Buddha statues in the world that dates to the 5th to 7th century AD. The mountains are home to the Marco Polo sheep famous for their massive spiralling horns. The Navruz Palace was quite impressive with incredible detailed craftmanship in the woodworking and tiled designs. Over 4000 craftsmen worked on the intricate details that can be found in every room. After a nice lunch at a local restaurant that included fresh bread, vegetables and meat and of course the local beer, we started our journey into the mountains. In addition to mountains everywhere, there are numerous rivers, waterfalls and turquoise lakes. We stopped in a local village to walk around and hang out with some of the local kids. There were 11 people in my group - it was a great group. We all got along and shared many stories of adventure. We also had our share of laughs. Many of the group were my age or older and all in good shape. A few of us are already planning a trip together next year.

On our first day of trekking, we ascended 950m to the Hazorchashma Pass. It was extremely hot and we were in the sun all day; temps were in the 90's F (30+ degrees). It was a welcome relief when we spotted the first campsite set up by a stream where we could find relief from the heat. There would be other long days of 1000m ascents and 1000m descents and camping by rivers. We enjoyed a homestay in a village where our assistant guide, Saad, lived. We visited his mother's store, you could see how proud she was of her son. We had a free afternoon at the homestay and sat around on the terrace overlooking the river playing cards and drinking beer. I taught a few of my companions the game of blackjack. It was a good thing for them that we were not playing for money, or my trip would have been paid for!

I should mention that our guide, Beck, was one of the best I have ever travelled with. Every day he gave us a history lesson on his country. I love those lessons. These are the kind you don't read about on Wikipedia. 

Each day we stopped for lunch along the trail. The cook walked with us and he whipped up an incredible spread every day with a few freeze-dried meals too with fresh salad, canned fish, meats and cheese and fruit and snacks. One of our lunch stops was by a lake where we took the opportunity to dive into this ice-cold lake. It was extremely refreshing after hiking for several hours in the heat and over the mountain pass. Each day we took a little nap in the shade after lunch. One day a pack of wild horses crossed the pass and ran right by us which I will never forget. 

One afternoon we were also entertained by some locals practicing their acrobatics by the lake. That evening we stayed in a guest house with a private room and hot shower. There was also a full bar, and I had to try the local vodka which was delicious. I brought a bottle home to add to my collection. Beck told me the vodka was better than Russian vodka, because the Russians taught the Tajiks how to make it, and then they just made it better! I will take his word for it because we nearly polished off the entire bottle in one sitting.

I must also mention the coffee! We had pressed Lavazza coffee every morning at breakfast. Now for those of you who have trekked you know that we usually drink freeze dried Nescafe coffee. Having pressed coffee was a huge treat. We also had real hearty soup every night with dinner with fresh vegetables, potatoes, meat and herbs. Again, for those of you who have trekked you know the soup is often hot broth with a few small vegetables. These soups was a real treat. We also had fresh honey every morning with our oatmeal. 

Along the way, we discovered countless beautiful campsites and mountain passes, with plenty of opportunities to swim in the crystal-clear lakes too. For much of the trek, we had the mountains almost entirely to ourselves, making the experience feel truly remote and wild. At the end of our trek, we said a fond farewell to our camp staff and began the long journey towards Samarkand.

All in all a great trip to a part of the world that does not get a lot of visitors. Central Asia has a lot to offer and is much cheaper that most of Europe. I enjoyed my holiday there. I have now visited 5 of the 7 'Stans' with Turkmenistan and Afghanistan left.

Until next time.

Al

A huge thank you to Al for taking the time to share his experiences and photos (see below) from his 40th adventure with KE.
Having travelled with us on 40 different adventures, Al has explored an incredible variety of destinations and landscapes around the world, and we're incredibly grateful for the continued trust and support he has shown us over the years. Congratulations again on an incredible 40 trips – and we can't wait to see where adventure takes you next!