Of course, the route can be taken in reverse, starting at the Childukhtarun pass and then heading to Kichkine. However, it is not very convenient as if one were to go through the Childukhtarun pass, they would have to suddenly gain an altitude of around 1,200 meters, which is not very convenient to do in the latter part of the day, having already covered about ten kilometers.
Moreover, there would also be a problem with overnight stay or rather, with water supply. One would have to carry water from below or descend to the spring in the gorge, which would also take a lot of time. However, if one were to hike correctly, as I did, up to the Kichkine pass, they would gradually gain altitude up to 2,300 meters and find a comfortable place to spend the night with a small river nearby. In the morning, it would be a climb up to the Kichkine pass, around 400 meters in height. We would then traverse the plateau, which is shaped like a bowl, descending slightly, then climb again to the Childukhtarun pass. The pass is situated at the top of the mountain, with a height of 2,838 meters, which is the highest point of the route. From the Childukhtarun pass, there is a steep descent into the Odzhuk gorge.
The length of the Ojuk Canyon is approximately 24-25 kilometers, if you measure all the twists and turns along the trail in the canyon, which also turns at the end and has the shape of a letter "Г" or "Р". However, if you draw a straight line, it is only 12 kilometers to the furthest point. On the first day of the hike, I just walked along the river and didn't take many photos because I had already taken many pictures of the Ojuk Canyon and wanted to conserve my battery for the mountain passes. Nothing particularly interesting happened that day, I just walked along the river. I became interested when I reached the tenth bridge because I always thought there were only nine bridges, but it turned out I was wrong.
To illustrate my route on the Ojuk Ring, I'll start with a diagram, although of course, there were a few deviations from the actual route. Firstly, the route requires walking through the center of the plateau after Kichkine, but I walked along the edge. Secondly, I didn't immediately climb to the second pass, but instead circled around it, searching for a place to camp and water.
So, as I already mentioned, I'll start with the tenth bridge, there is no bridge itself, recently there was a mudflow, and the bridges at the top of the gorge were washed away. As I walked, the eighth bridge was being restored. We haven't reached that yet. But, he is, now instead of him a log is thrown across the river.
After the bridge, the gorge makes a turn to the left, in front there is a dividing ridge between Varzob and Romit. This is a photo after the turn and we can say it is almost the end of the Odjuk gorge, there are several kilometers left. This is where the real bearish corner begins, and not in a figurative sense. Everywhere there are traces and various signs of the life of a bear.
The Obi-dzhuk river itself, here already looks more like a stream.
After passing the last few kilometers of the Odzhuk gorge, already near the Kichkine pass, I found a convenient clearing and set up a camp, the Kichkine pass itself is not visible from here. Therefore, I took a photo in the other direction, on the dividing ridge between Varzob and Romit, behind it is the Semiganch gorge.
In the morning, already from my parking lot, the trail begins to climb, I spent the night, it turns out, as if in a grove with a clearing. And after passing this grove, I come to the last fork in front of the pass. To my left, to the right, there is also a path along which you can go to the gorge of the Jos River, this is in Romit.
Before this fork we met a convenient sandbank, yesterday I did not reach it a hundred meters, I thought it would probably be more convenient to set up a camp there. But, on the other hand, the constant noise of the river under your ear, maybe it's good that it didn't get there.
I think that we can say from here the Obi-Dzhuk River begins, at this confluence of two streams.
As I said earlier, I walked along the left stream, which is interesting to see the pass from here, but I know it exists...
The stream, up here, moves in very intricate ways.
The trail finally separates from the stream.
And it begins like a rocky area, small 100-150 meters, where I met an interesting juniper. It seems that this juniper has all the roots outward.
After passing this section, the saddle of the pass becomes visible.
It can be seen from this site.
The last spurt and here I am at the pass.
This is how the Kichkine pass looks from the side.
Well, if you follow the route "Odjuk Ring", then you should go straight along the center of this plateau.
But, I went to the left to walk along the edge and take pictures, this is where I came from.
The plateau itself is not very impressive, someone told me that it was kind of beautiful, hmm .. Nothing beautiful, personally by me, was not found here. But, having passed a little higher, I came across some kind of "witch" clearing, all overgrown with thorns, with some strange ashes and heaps of stones.
I reached the edge of the plateau, and there appeared a path along which ships could also rise from Ojuk, right along the spur. Of course, I knew, or rather I assumed the existence of this path, but the point was to go through the entire Ojuk, from beginning to end.
To the right, I can see the Childukhtaron pass, another plateau on which we walked on this hike: "Transition from Takob to Odzhuk, Varzob gorge, mountains of Tajikistan".
To my left is such a hill, which, of course, I climbed, it's like an edge or maybe a corner of a plateau.
Having risen, I photographed in different directions, the first photo in the direction of Romit.
This is a photo with a view of the Odjuk gorge. Here you can see it completely, with the exception of the part that is behind my back. Directly to the road, probably ten kilometers, but this is direct, and so circle and circle.
In the direction of our further path, by the way, if you look closely, in the distance you can see the ridge along which I walked on this hike: hike from Begar to Odjuk.
In this photo, just our entire supposed path, which means we are going along this ridge, just to the last hill, this hill is the Childukhtaron pass.
This is a photo where I came from, the gorge is visible, but the ascent to the pass, and the pass itself is not visible.
Passed part of the way, the pass is getting closer, the Takob gorge is already becoming visible.
To my left is the Odjuk gorge.
On the right of the plateau, it turned out, there is a tent and a herd. Where the tent stands, you can see how the Churakdara River gathers from the streams, this is a tributary of the Takob River.
Finally, all the slides are overcome.
It remains to climb the Childukhtaron pass, it is in front of us. Here you can see why the pass runs along the top of the mountain, there is simply no other way to pass.
This is the last depression before the pass and here I seem to be returning to the correct route again. It can be seen that the entire slope is cut with paths, this is exactly if you go along the center of the plateau, then along the slope and go to this depression.
I got up a little so that I could see our traversed path. You can see the extreme hill, from where I started my journey along this ridge, by the way, its height, like the height of the Childukhtaron pass, is 2838 meters above sea level.
I didn’t climb the pass right away, but went around. In order to inspect all the approaches to the pass and at the same time find water and a place to sleep, since it was already becoming obvious that I would go down to Ojuk and reach the road in an acceptable time, I simply did not have time. I began to bypass the Childukhtaron pass on the right, the Takob gorge opens up here in all its glory.
Came to the other side.
Then I climbed a little higher up the ridge, looking for a place to go down to the spring.
The descent looks not very encouraging.
And so it turned out, due to the fact that the descent was difficult, the camera removed and began to descend. I climbed for a couple of hours, chose the wrong direction, it was not very clear from above how best to descend. While climbing the rocks, I reached the cliff, on the other side I saw a cave. I really wanted to find out what kind of cave it was, but I went down this edge, much lower than it. Accordingly, in order to inspect it, I would have to climb, but by the time I got to the spring, it was already getting dark ... So it's not destiny, well, maybe it will work out another time.
While he drank some water and took with him, the sun had already set. By the time I climbed the next ridge, it was completely dark.
The second night, in splendid isolation, a very unusual feeling. Reflecting on this topic, I realized that I had never been alone in the mountains for so long. An interesting experience, I can say with confidence that it is positive, it should be described in more detail, but this is over time...
I got out of the tent and took pictures around and looked around where I ended up.
Then I walked around the pass and did not visit it myself, so I put all my things in a tent and went lightly to the Childukhtaron pass, he is just on the top of this mountain.
As I wrote above, the pass comes along the top of the mountain, now I will show why this happened. First, two photos - from different sides of the trail that leads to the pass, left and right, respectively.
And to walk between these cliffs, you can only along this narrow isthmus.
After this isthmus, another 50 meters rise and we are at the pass. Here I am standing at the very top, and you can see how the path goes around this peak a little, five to ten meters from me, and goes downhill. And from here you can see the entire path I traveled yesterday, with the exception of the last ascent to the pass itself.
Photographed from the top in a circle
Going back down, I took a photo of the gorge where I went down yesterday to get water. And a couple of pictures from the descent.
Having gone down, I collected my things and went along the side paths to the main path from the Childukhtaron pass.
This is the path.
The trail leads us to the next edge.
Here I again left the main path, it goes around this small hump and goes down into the gorge, in the photo you can see it.
I did not go around, but went straight along the edge to the edge.
I wanted to get here, this is exactly the place where we reached in March this year, "in this trek". Further, that time, the snow did not let us in, in March it simply did not have time to melt.
In theory, I need to go down to this gorge.
But I really wanted to walk again along the ridge, where we were in March.
I got here, the side paths are just visible in the photo, along these paths I again went to the main path that stretches from the Childukhtaron pass.
Now I am already on this path, the photo shows how she, bypassing the top, goes here.
Photo of the rib where I came from now.
This is an extreme photo of the Childukhtaron pass in this photo review, it is a hill in the middle, even lower it will not be visible at all.
Then I didn't take much photographs, firstly, I was tired, and secondly, below it was no longer so interesting, with the exception of a few moments. For example, I go down the mountain and suddenly find myself in a deep forest. :)
Down in the gorge, an old friend again met - a "crooked" waterfall, this time there is little water, autumn...
The last photo from this photo review, from the pass near the Kharangon fork, towards the upper reaches of the Ojuk.
P.S. Based on this trip, a story was written: " The Odzhuk Ring - Short story "
