On the Road to Iskanderkul Lake

On the Road to Iskanderkul Lake

Tajikistan, about the size of New York State, is 93% mountains. Their mountains top out at 24,590 ft, making our Mount Whitney look like a toddler. One thing that Tajikistan has a lot of that its neighboring countries don’t is water. All that glacial melt is the source of its hydroelectric power.

Glaciers on towering mountain slopes seen from the roadway.

Something else that these mountains are rich in are minerals. Minerals ranging from the lowly coal to the coveted gold. The road leading out from Dushanbe to Iskanderkul Lake 2.5 hours away snakes along various mines.

Coal mine
Silver mine

And the lucrative gold mines beyond Iskanderkul lake are operated by Chinese corporations. China has invested heavily in this area as evidenced by the tunnels they’ve built along the mountain pass.

Tunnels
The inside of a Chinese built tunnel with lights and reflectors.
In contrast to the 3-mile Anzob Tunnel, also called the Tunnel of Death, is an Iranian built tunnel completed in 2015 after 9 years of construction. No lights nor reflectors, just blind trust in our driver.
The mountains aren’t necessarily the most picturesque.
But there are pops of colors along the way.
First glimpse of Iskanderkul Lake, named after Alexander the Great.
Our guide told us this is the head of Spitamenes, a Sogdian warlord who lost to one of Alexander the Great’s general. Not sure if it’s true as I couldn’t find any information online to confirm it.
Iskanderkul Lake is a glacial lake in the Fann mountains.
A short half mile hike in the area gets you to the Fann Niagara Falls.
With a viewing platform dangling over the raging waters.
Another view of Iskanderkul Lake

Was the lake worth the price we were charged by Viator? Not necessarily, but the journey provided us a visual of how the country is using its resources, as well as how other countries are exploiting the weaknesses of a corrupt authoritarian government.

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