Back from the Fan mountains now. Had a really enjoyable short hike with another traveller called David, and a local guide whom we hired.To begin, we shared a taxi with some local guys to the 250km and 7 hours from Dushanbe to Penjikent, where we were met by our guide, and spent the night in his basic accomodation in the city.

The following morning we set off for Artush - the village which marks the start of the trek - via the '7 lakes'. The alpine lakes, each one at a greater altitude than the last, are all surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and full of turquoise water, staright off the mountains, and therefore extremely cold (as we came to find out, when we went swimming in one of them).

The trek lasted 3 days and 2 night, but we covered a lot of ground. Trekking from the village up to a high, snow-covered pass (for which I was lamentably ill-equipped), on days 1 and 2. On the last day we trekked back to the village via Chukurak pass and Chukurrak lakes, one of the most amazing places I've ever been - 2 high alpine lakes, with perfectly clear water and the backdrop of a 5500 meter mountain, rising directly above.

The plan for the next few days is to head south to the Pamirs. I'll fly to Khorog, with Tajikistan Airlines (arghhhh), on the only route (as the lonely planet tells me) on which Soviet Aeroflot pilots were given danger money! From Khorog - assuming I arrive - i'll take local transport to Iskashim on the Afghan border, then along the Wakhan valley, which seperates the Hindu Kush from the Pamirs. I should be crossing into Kyrgyzstan on or around the 1st July - all things being well.