The turquoise water
Between mountain walls.
Marat Nadjibaev — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marat Nadjibaev — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marat Nadjibaev — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marat Nadjibaev — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marat Nadjibaev — CC BY-SA 4.0
Sarez Lake is a long lake in Rushon District in the Gorno-Badakhshan region, about 75.8 km in length at 3,263 metres above sea level. The mountains around it rise over 2,300 metres above the water. It is among the most isolated lakes in Central Asia, with no paved road to it, and its turquoise colour among brown rocks draws experienced trekkers. It formed in 1911 after a great earthquake, when a landslide blocked the Murghab River and created the Usoi Dam, the tallest natural dam in the world at up to 567 metres. The landslide buried the village of Usoi, and deaths were put at 302. The place was so remote that word took six weeks to reach Murghab and Khorog. The dam survived the 2015 earthquake with no visible damage. After a long walk up a rocky valley you reach fields of piled boulders, which are the body of the dam itself. Then the turquoise water opens between mountain walls, and from the rocks it runs as a long line towards the horizon. On the shore are a wooden hut, a small monitoring station and a few boats. At night the sky clears and the Milky Way shows sharply. It is about 132 km from Khorog in a straight line and about 103 km from Murghab. Travel sources say a visit needs an extra special permission, so arrange it through a local company well ahead. Take a guide, a tent and good fitness. A separate travel permit is required for the Gorno-Badakhshan region on top of a visa. The UK Foreign Office warns of security risks in the region and along the Afghan border, so read the current advice before you plan.
Between mountain walls.
Fields of boulders.
A sharp Milky Way.
Rushon District, Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan
Only part of the way, then a long walk, so arrange the trip through a local company.
Researchers have said a strong earthquake could affect it, but it held in 2015, so follow your guide.