50%+
At least 50% of the country has an elevation of more than 3,000m
hen I told my well-travelled friends I was going
to Tajikistan, most would stumble over the pronunciation of its name as well as its location, to ask: ‘You’re going where? Is that in Russia?’ (It isn’t). After the past few years, the privilege to dream of standing
between and below big mountains once more was incredible. Travelling to Tajikistan was a bit like stepping back in time to an alpine landscape that felt a world away from the usual chairlifts, phone signal and digital modernity. But, if you’re the sort of person that anxiously wonders about packing extra ‘proper’ tea bags from back home, thankfully, Tajikistan is a country where you needn’t worry. ‘Choi seoh?’/ ‘Black tea?’ asked Karromat, our mountain guide and cook who fixed his inquisitive eyes onto us. Hendrik and Val shook their heads, content with their pale green tea. ‘Choi seoh, meh ho ham, / ‘Black tea please,’ I replied hesitantly,
reading one of the Tajik phrases I had already typed phonetically into my phone’s notes. A fragrant stream of black tea leaves poured forth from a slightly kicked-in kettle, and it hit the spot as good as a mug of Yorkshire’s finest – phew. As well as being our guide, Karromat was also in charge of the strength of the tea, the daily menu and like many Tajiks, a master of presenting each home cooked meal as beautifully as an artwork. Ingrained into Tajik culture was the custom of providing food and drink to guests regardless of one’s own background or the remoteness of location and ability to source ingredients without difficulty. It was a matter of personal pride referred to as das tar khom andozi – the art of a good spread. The fact that we were nearly 4,000m above sea level was no issue; often what I thought was a little picnic lunch turned quickly into a large banquet for a far larger group. From the depths of numerous hessian sacks, a feast fit for a king emerged. A patterned rug laid out on the grass was then
38 | CLIMB. WALK. JOIN.
FROM THE DEPTHS OF NUMEROUS HESSIAN
SACKS, A FEAST FIT FOR A KING EMERGED.
ALL PHOTOS: JESSIE LEONG
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