For me, the season is coming to an end. The last trip was what I would call a BANG – in every respect. "Two handbreadths below the sky" is a promising name for our Pamir crossing by mountain bike, named after the book by the East German climbers Volker Krause, Uwe Jensen, and Werner Rump from 1977.
It is as it sounds, a tour high up on the "roof of the world". Being on a bike at over 4,000 meters is exhausting and is always a challenge for everyone – for the participants and the team. This trip has little to do with vacation. Rather, it is about adventure and experiencing something truly extraordinary. You need to be physically fit and mentally ready to dive into a completely different world. The Pamir is original, wild, characterized by a harsh climate, and the conditions are very simple. Those who can handle it can also enjoy the Pamir and experience the special. Otherwise, the Pamir tour can quickly become a torture.
This year's tour was unusually hot and therefore very exhausting. We regularly faced headwinds on the last stages, fierce river crossings due to strong meltwater, one of our support vehicles broke down during the tour, the border guards in Kyrgyzstan did not want to let me in, a rear shock on the fully gave out, ... many hurdles but in the end, we were all happy and relieved when we arrived at the Pik Lenin yurt camp in Kyrgyzstan.
By the way, it was the first time that we had more women on the tour than men in the Pamir. Our 7 female participants handled this tour excellently. And they were often at the front. My greatest respect for that!
A lasting highlight for me on this tour was the invitation to a wedding in Savnob. Being there up close and experiencing the traditions and hospitality will definitely stay in my memory forever!
In Savnob, we also handed over a donation to the school in the village. Thanks to the donations from our participants, we were able to donate 5 laptops to the school as well as three more to female and male students directly. Many thanks to all donors!
Our tour in 2026 is already almost fully booked. We are already looking forward to being back in the beautiful Bartang Valley.
Stefan - Founder and owner of Epic Trials
09/11/2025
Impressions from the trip