Hiking in Fann Mountains for 3 days

Leaving behind my luxiously decorated Green House hostel dorm room in Dushab ($7 per bed in a 10-bed room including breakfast) and a private comfy hotel room ($10 per bed in a 3-bed room including breakfast) in Penjikent, and hiking/camping in the Fann Mountains for three days since 8/25.  Most visitors left Penjikent and the Zeravshan valley to Samarkand. I was the only guest in the hotel might be the fact that the border crossing between Penjikent and Samarkand has been closed since 2010.

Unlike most people started hiking Fann Mountains from Dushanbe or Khujand, I started from Penjikent the biggest city in the Fann Mountains, for the lake loop hike including Kul-i-Kalon and Twi other Lakes 3 day 2 night hike. Mr. Niyozkul a Panjakent Tour Guide and Lonely Planet co- author (Niyozkul@mail.ru) set me on a local bus left at 11 am (25 simoni) to get to Yakkahona village, from where I walked 5 km uphill to Artuch Hujali (base camp). There was one donkey boy following me the whole way and bagging to load my 10kg camping gears on the donkey, regardless that I told him many time that I was my own donkey. He helped me to set up my tent on a free camping ground and invited me his house for tea. I walked up hill to say hi to his family and gave him a souvenir but did not take the tea to avoid stomach issue. I decide to finish three lakes in one day without camping at the lakes site to reduce my load. 

The stunning hike took me through semi-arid mountains, juniper forests and led to Carib-blue lakes. The Lakes Loop is easily the most popular trek in the Fanns. Had I known that Artush Alplager offers simple accommodation, I would not drag the camping gears with me. The shoreside of Kul-i-Kalon is great place to camp but I hate carrying weight. There were nearby settlements of herders on the far side of the lake, which probably can provide simple accommodations, but I only needed a taste of Fann Mountains. I safely got back to my camp site via slippery slopes. The trails were pretty clear as long as you follow fresh donkey drops. 

I slept early to get up early so I could go back to Panjakent for shower and laundry. I am just not into camping and backpacking. I did not want to wait for one and only bus would show up around noon, so I hitchhiked twice to get on a shared taxi back to Panjakent by 11 am. The return transportation costed 11 somoni. Rudaki Mausoleum. No one knew where this poet was buried, but via  restoration of human face based on the skull, And accurate measurements of the correlation between the flesh covering of the face and the skull imprint, they matched and found the burial place and restored his look. After trying for half hour, I found a ride via a village person from Rudaki Mausoleum to the main road, then he put me on a shared taxi to Penjakent.

I am glad that I did the hike and managed to use English and body language to find help. TJ people are very helpful, and only very few commercial tour operators try to overcharge tourists. One guy offered $20 USD to taxi me 27 miles back to Panjakent, which is a readable price in western world but a huge number in TJ.