The Rough and Unforgettable Pamir Highway (Unseen Tajikistan - Full Documentary) | TRACKS

this is the caracal a lake on the roof of the world the caracal can be found high in the Pamir mountains its name translates from Tajik to mean the Black Lake on the roof of the world the higher the mountain you climb the darker the lake appears some of the mountain summits surrounding the lake are taller than 7,000 meters [Music] [Applause] [Music] the caracal is located in northeastern Tajikistan at nearly 4000 meters above sea level the lake is surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the panniers mountain range all roads to the Tajik Pamirs lead over coral which is the capital of the autonomous region of Badakhshan khorog has only 30,000 inhabitants there are no other large towns or cities within 500 kilometers of Quahog this means that the central shopping area known as the bazaar is one of the largest and most important in the country Tajikistan officially the Republic of Tajikistan is a mountainous land blocked country in Central Asia most of Tajikistan's population belongs to the Persian speaking tajik ethnic group khorog is a hub for many ethnic groups to convene Tajiks from the hot subtropical west of the country haggle here in quran with pamiri from the reebok area and Uzbek sfrom the Fergana Valley and Kirk is from the upland of the eastern pamir [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] short one want to reach the mountains via the legendary premier highway you'll find that Keurig is the last stone to get supplies for the upcoming days travel through the mountains the pannier highway is a road traversing the Pamir mountains through Afghanistan Uzbekistan Tajikistan and kick is star in Central Asia it is the only continuous route through the difficult terrain of the mountains the journey to caracal is long and arduous first it crosses the breakneck paths along the puncher talus then you arrive at the Panch river a tributary of the MU Darya the river is 1125 kilometres long and forms a considerable part of the Afghanistan Tajikistan border here the Soviet Army and Mujahideen fought long and bloody battles warning signs for minefields can be found along the border as many regions are still littered with mines left behind from those battles these areas are highly dangerous [Music] [Applause] Tajiks live on the Afghan side of the river to hear the men still wear the traditional dress of kurta and turban which is not found in Tajikistan the path artistically carved into this side of the mountain appears to be even more precarious and narrow than the road on the Tajik side [Music] but even with traffic warning signs there is no way of alerting all travelers to some of the hazards ahead that may greet them rather unusually the locals choose to clean their carpets out on the road the floors of their homes are made of packed clay a porous substance that would absorb water too quickly to ensure the rugs are cleaned properly there are few alternatives to the water resistant asphalt of the highway so these locals would appear to rather risk their lives cleaning on the road than have a dirty rug in their home [Music] [Music] water is the greatest and most precious resource of tajikistan in ancient times the Panj river turned the Asian deserts into lush green Gardens once the river ran under the name of the Oxus during this era it was considered one of the four rivers of paradise but this paradise has come under threat in recent times [Music] environmental expert yon shared is on his way to the mountains to investigate weather threat to the river lies [Music] when you read about the Pamir and the Tian Shan are two mountain ranges that play a very important role in all of Central Asia most of our rivers are fed by glaciers this means they originate from glaciers flow through the valleys and provide water for the people of Central Asia clear clean water but now we have a problem many scientists claim that the glaciers are getting smaller some say that the glaciers have lost 35% of their mass in the last 20 to 25 years and scientists fear in another 20 years only a third of the day's ice will remain this would be a disaster they would simply be no more water the people here would have no drinking water and nothing to irrigate their fields potentially it would be an ecological disaster [Music] the mountains are the source of all water in garnish ma before the water settles it embarks on a journey through the mountains as the water travels it becomes enriched with natural mineral salts producing these bizarre salt domes and a solution famous for its medicinal properties according to Tajik doctors if a treatment at the Dead Sea provides the patient with six months relief of certain skin diseases then the enriched waters here will offer remedies that will last as long as a year [Music] the path from coreg to the caracal along the Panj valley and the mountains of the Pamir is about 500 kilometers long however even travel is in a hurry should anticipate that this journey will last much longer than a day [Music] it is impossible to get to caracal in 8 hours but only because of the long distance but there are high-altitude roads in poor condition for the journey to carry cool you need to allow several days but there is plenty to see along the way in the Valley of the Panch River a great deal of evidence can be found to prove that the area has been inhabited for thousands of years [Music] this includes a Stone Age ritual site with its famous petroglyphs perched high in the mountains of langar here you can find rock drawings depicting cultural and hunting scenes that are considered to be more than 3000 years old [Music] these ancient works are well protected from our planet's natural elements but unfortunately the site is under threat from vandalism the site could do without the graffiti of visitors who should respect the ancient drawings and leave them for others to enjoy [Music] [Applause] this is Yong Chun once the most powerful fortress between the Pamir and Hindukush its oldest Tran charts are said to originate from the time when Alexander the Great advanced to the Oxus River from here the route to caracal leads north into the Pamir mountains in the craggy rocks the streams pour so rapidly that they're colored by the white spray that's why they are aptly named the mill closed by the Tajiks [Music] Isabel and over Elga are on their way from Germany to Singapore [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you must mention entirely we come from Munich we love the mountains we've done a lot of mountain biking in the Alps so we were attracted to these mountains for a new challenge and this is the most beautiful thing the highlight of our trip so far it's sometimes exhausting to ride with such a heavy load up here on some sections we had to push our bikes luckily for us we have plenty of time that's the best thing if you can spread your journey over a long period you're completely relaxed about time if it gets too steep and we get off our bikes and push a bit and just enjoy the scenery this mountain has an ambiguous connection to Germany in that it is named after the German philosopher and referred to as mount karl marx it is six thousand seven hundred and twenty six meters high the only significant settlement on the Pamir highway is Morgan which has approximately 4,000 inhabitants [Music] Morecambe was founded in the late 19th century there's a Russian military post today it is the main administration center of eastern pamir [Music] the people here make a living from herding cattle and trading with passing travelers somehow time seems to have stood still in this rugged mountain region not much has changed since the end of the Soviet Union era [Music] [Music] one thing that does indicate that we are in modern times is the presence of satellite dishes and mobile phones [Music] [Applause] most of the inhabitants of Moga barky occurs in these mountainous regions their faith has long been dominated by shamanism only in recent years have people started turning to at last we reach the final stage of the long journey to coracle as the road crosses the arca by tal the highest pass in Tajikistan standing at four thousand six hundred and fifty five metres above sea level and there is the lake surreal like a giant dark ink stain between the snowy peaked mountaintops on the roof of the world it is only now that you can begin to understand why it's called caracal the Black Lake 4000 metres above sea level in the middle of a mountain desert the thin air is difficult for strangers to breathe but for the people who live here they claim that with time you get used to the thin air however they say that they take for granted the landscapes beauty and often forget to marvel at the environment they live in when it is there to see everyday Samira has lived like this all her life [Music] her ancestors and those of her husband mama Czechia lived his kick his herdsmen in these mountains for generations they hadn't realized how attractive their home was to foreigners until passing travelers arrived to appreciate the stunning scenery a tourist industry has slowly begun to emerge as more and more people have heard from other travelers that the landscape and scenery is well worth a visit the kyoki's hotel has opened for tourists who want to see the lake and its surroundings actually not quite a hotel but more of a yurt the exact translation for the typical yurt is Kiki's house however these tents are actually much more comfortable than they may at first appear cool in summer and warm in winter visitors sleep eat and sit on the floor the thick rugs prevent the visitors from realizing that the ground beneath them is freezing cold Sriman in homestay our ancestors were born here and lived here I inherited this Kyrgyz house from my father we want to turn it into a visited site therefore we have set up the tent to welcome tourists all these houses have been preserved for us by our ancestors and hand-built and of course there is our food to offer yogurt pastries and fried bread baked in a wok digester on batter [Music] we do there there are many legends about the lake many of them they say for example that it has not always been there only a well was there eventually the wells water overflowed and it became this great lake there are neither advantages or disadvantages to having this lake here nature has decided that so it lies here with its salty water it's no use to us clean drinking water in the kishna caracal can only be found in public fountains son have been drilled by foreign aid agencies because the area around the caracal is something of a forgotten corner of Tajikistan [Music] [Applause] [Music] in Soviet times there was a regular electricity supply and telephone connections to the rest of the country [Music] today there is neither electricity nor telephone television can only be viewed with Chinese made solar panels [Music] [Music] [Music] [Laughter] the redundant masts are used as building material that's if they don't end up in the stove as firewood [Music] environmental expert Yun shared has other worries he moderated at the roundtable of climate researchers in Dushanbe here in the Permian mountains he conducts his research based upon the water levels of the lake he has an appointment with the geologist Nozick under a factory on the journey to the caracal it became clear that the lake still has a lot of Secrets to share [Music] yet the Muslims in Paris over the lake is very interesting for many researches some believe that the lake was formed by tectonic processes others argue that the lake is a crater where a meteorite struck no let me show you the debate goes on even today Yun shed and Nozick under are preparing for an expedition which they hope will reveal the secrets of caracal they want to know if the water level of the lake is rising or sinking [Music] other questions they wish to research our how are glaciers and sea connected how does the permafrost react how and where can certain measurements be accurately made the great many lives in Tajikistan were reliant on the answers to these questions caracal is considered to be a key indicator as to whether the water resources of the whole country are under threat by melting glaciers the water editor of blizzy serezha doc dam of caribou the target RCT the rubber dinghy is not necessarily an appropriate research instrument nobody has crossed the lake on water for more than 20 years and it is important to know what kind of boat can ride on the water and where it can cast off [Music] the life vests are a necessity for everyone's safety the weather here can change in seconds strong wind and waves can appear from seemingly nowhere and would capsize a bait such as this with ease to date there has not been any scientific research into how the lake is responding to climate change in Tajikistan one thing is certain the glaciers used to be much larger than they are today EF can't say please latina vast ocean of America will Aladeen in some time at the end of the Pleistocene era the eastern pamir is completely covered with ice was good lead Nicky's Pascale's ego-t that rhyme this build but lately Comi so a very long time ago the whole premiere was covered with glaciers Buddha Tsubasa the kilometer glaciers were probably up to a kilometer in with it Nikki summit OSHA would three Goethe and when the ice began to melt the glaciers moved and acted like bulldozers it is possible that the ice masses dug the basin for the lake and thus created it the geologists morning about the weather's temperament is not unfounded perhaps many of the legends surrounding the lake are related to the rapid weather changes in the mountains [Music] locked on wood fishermen hae thrower bedazzled they say the lake accommodates a Tulpa a stallion with wings but not everyone can see it the almighty shows him to only one person at a time my cousin saw him once just like a bird he flew from one end of the lake to the other [Music] as controversial as the origin of the lake is amongst the experts so too is the value of the lake to the people who live here [Music] for 35 years this has been a working place for Baghdad or nobody can we've liked her and cozy the passion this is a ribbon to hold together yet [Music] she can't make her living from the lake [Music] desist from their biggest you the lake is no use to us it's salty water there's not even fish [Music] [Applause] [Music] nice little watch sample is me the music our lake is very useful if you're sick just drink the water and it will heal you the lake with its salt has healing powers beyond the legendary healing powers there is a big demand for water from the caracal [Music] twice a day an old truck drives to the lake for hours the young men of the village scooped the salty water into a tank [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] they bring water to the systems which can be found everywhere in the village [Music] [Applause] [Music] they need the water for new buildings being built of clay in the village of Caracol the bricks are usually made of clay and straw in low-lying areas of the town once molded they are then air dried [Music] as there is no straw in the barren mountains the salt from the lake replaces the straw [Music] the bricks need to drive for two months before they are strong enough to build with during the drying process the salt crystallizes in the clay and makes the bricks rock-hard [Music] but the constructed walls consists only of salt and clay this method of building phony exists here at caracol [Music] another produce that is unique to the caracal is the production of felt the tapping of the yak here is the first step for producing the felt the fibers entangled before hot water can shrink the wool into solid mats here to the salt from the lake is in play it will protect the felt later from vermin we did the salinas this little koala she sees about 60 people live here they live by farming but look at how little grace here no Theory scheme up in the mountains there are slightly better pastures so they drive their cattle up to the mountains every summer this is often very far it's loose good very cochinita pibil uki only in september they return but they have no other choice apart from herding cattle there is nothing here cascada was wrong [Music] in fact most villagers have left their houses on the lake in summer the kicker's herdsmen are still nomads ma ma Jia and his family are nomadic people [Music] our hospitality is very important to us my cattle are up here on a mountain meadow the summer past year the place is called Jeunesse ooh there we have yaks sheep goats and donkeys as I said visitors are welcome anytime yeah whoever cents up for a mountain 4,000 meters above sea level is aiming high [Music] mama marches animals graze at almost 5,000 meters high here even in the summer the snow fields don't melt [Music] by Jeep the journey here only takes three hours my matches family took five days to reach here with the animals and the packed donkey click his Horseman often need to abandon their horses up here there are few mammals that can survive in the thin air there is also just one kind of cattle that flourishes here the Yak [Music] up here there is no sign of climate change yet even in summer the temperature never rises above 15 degrees Celsius the yaks don't mind the cold and altitude they are well adapted to this specific climate however predators still roam so the yaks are not safe all the time carthesian via strim we're gonna brush her every night we have to bring the animals in the park in the morning they go back to the past year don't you yes let's do the walk hot bar so hot my dinky we do this because at night which the wolves come but dumbest idea for topical three or four can kill a calf the young ones are naive and curious jealous good luck it was not and the Wolves then leap out at their throats and kill them survive nor mamaj sir has goats and sheep like most of the people here [Music] [Applause] [Music] the acts are his pride and joy and it is a challenge to keep them money Paula Dickie they are semi-wild therefore they need these cold places in the mountains they produce less milk and cows what Corolla did that humorous hot water but because there is not much grass we have to keep yaks what ya Kadir yeah my local genie they give a small amount of milk but it contains up to 30% fat percentage it when you Milo [Music] [Music] milk processing is a woman's task in mamaj stirs big family and Samira the oldest daughter is in charge mother my daughter is making carrot it is a cheese from yak milk it will be made into little balls and dried in the Sun we will eat the cheese in winter [Music] the yaks offer a lifeline to the people here providing milk cheese meat and wool but that's not all the yaks give to the people in the treeless mountain desert of the Pamir yak dung is collected and used as fuel [Music] the glaciers on the peaks of the Pamirs are vital for the whole of Central Asia mighty rivers such as the AMA Daria and sear Daria fuel huge power plants and transform deserts into fertile landscapes further downstream [Music] just a small sample of the glacier water flows directly into caracal and this is what makes the water so interesting to climate scientists no one knows exactly how the ice behaves at the peaks the salt around the shores of caracal indicates a dropping water level this is a good clue for young said but he's concerned that a particular plant known as the serra tidies is under threat [Music] [Music] the others nope I'm irika sh t which he mulatto blue there is no fuel in Pamir this makes life difficult for the people who live here rescue to get in recent years they started chopping down territories you Alicia these are shrubs that have been growing for 20 to 25 years that are essential feed for the yaks in this barren mountain landscape every flower is special and here shed is thrilled about this one it thrives in the Saline soil that the lake has left behind perhaps another indication that the caracal is receding [Music] Garofalo is a coracle future now what is the caracal has to be measured accurately in the upcoming investigation to determine whether his area has decreased or increased what we see here is an indication that the lake has shrunk one can only hope that the glaciers may increase in spite of everything for now we have no firm answers about the level of this great lake its depths may depend on rainfall as well as the size of classes an increase in the level of the lake would be great news for the water wealth of tajikistan the Pamir and most importantly for the caracal the black lake on the roof of the world [Music]

Channel: TRACKS

Views: 2,042,889

Rating: 4.8357096 out of 5

Keywords: TRACKS, tracks, tracks travel channel, tracks travel, tajikistan documentary, the black lake tajikistan, pamir highway, pamir mountains (mountain range), Tajikistan, Pamir mountains, trekking, mountain trekking, secrets of the sacred lake | tracks, kyrgyzstan, global heating, Travel Documentary, Travel vlog, Full length documentary, full documentary, Real Stories, Documentary Movies - Topic, lakes on the roof of the world, sky vision documentary, timeline

Id: pj-ONg-09Dg

Length: 47min 14sec (2834 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 25 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/easilypersuadedsquid]

fascinating. I love seeing people living in remote areas and thinking about what their lives must be like.

[u/wendyclaire]

Excellent , an authentic portrait of a people and landscape rarely seen or discussed. Even in this remote area, climate change is encroaching....

[u/-_Skizz_-]

Doctor

[u/reversedposterior]

Fantastic and informational. I'd like to see more stuff like this rather than silly documentaries about famous figures.

[u/dogcowzz]

As seen in "Spies Like Us"