Strength and Honor! - A fanfiction story based on the game World of Warcraft

Krogur opened his eyes. Soft light was filtering in from the top of the hut through the chimney, the sun not yet fully risen. From outside, he could hear a noise like a disturbed beehive, a sound that had instantly excited Krogur for many years and filled him with the sweet anticipation of impending battles. The orc clans of the Horde were preparing for a military campaign. Today, like all mortal races in Azeroth, orcs were fighting against the Burning Legion. Krogur was old, and his battles had long since passed into history. For an orc whose whole life had been spent in battles, old age was a curse. He envied his fallen comrades and regretted not sharing their fate. His wife had died of old age, and his sons did not return from the icy lands of Northrend. But death had so far avoided him, even though he had thrown himself into the thick of battles, fought fiercely, without thinking about caution, for which he had been dubbed "The Furious Axe" by his fellow tribesmen.

All ten bridges in the Odjuk Gorge, Varzob, located in the mountains of Tajikistan.

On the last day of my hike, I trekked through the Odjuk Gorge from the Kumkayakutal Pass to the village of Varzob. I took this opportunity to dedicate a photo review to the ten bridges that now span the gorge. Previously known as the "Gorge of the Seven Bridges" among tourists, the presence of these ten bridges is a welcome sight compared to the Semiganch Gorge, where no bridges exist, and I had to jump over stones to cross the river.

Kumkayakutal Pass is a 3-day hike located in the Semiganch Gorge of the Romit Mountains in Tajikistan

This is a photo review of the third day of my four-day trek from Kharangon to Ojuk through the Semiganch Gorge. In the llast photo review, I stopped at the moment when I descended from Mount Mushteppa to the village of Dora. In the kishlak, I visited Faiz, reloaded my camera, had a delicious and filling lunch, and rested a bit from the hardships of camp life. Then, I continued along the river in the Semiganch Gorge towards the Kumkayakutal Pass in the Romit region. Once I pass the pass, I'll find myself in the Odjuk Gorge in the Varzob region..

Mount Mushtepa, day 2 of the hike, is a ridge between the Varzob and Ramit gorges, in the mountains of Tajikistan.

The second day of my four-day hike was entirely dedicated to Mount Mushtepa. Mount Mushtepa is located on the watershed ridge between the Varzob and Ramit rivers, so on this day, I visited both of them. I began the ascent on the Varzob side in the Harangon River gorge, and by midday, I had reached the summit of Mushtepa before descending to the Ramit side in the Semiganch gorge.

The Harangoni Gorge and Ridge, a one-day trek in the Varzob area of the mountains of Tajikistan

So, I decided to go on a hike, during which I planned to visit places such as the Harangoni Ridge, climb Mount Mushtepa, descend from the mountain into the Semiganch Gorge, and hike through it to the Kumkayakutal Pass. After crossing the pass, I would end up in the Ojuk Gorge and hike through it all the way to the village of Varzob. I fully completed this route plan in four days. This is a photo overview of the first day of the hike.

Hiking to the peak of Gushor, Chilikak ridge, Varzob gorge, mountains of Tajikistan

The peak of Gushor is well visible from any point in Dushanbe. I have been planning to climb it for a long time, and finally I did it. The mountain, or rather the peak of Gushor, is one of the peaks that crown the Chilikak ridge. This ridge stretches from the Varzob River (approximately 16-21 kilometers from the Varzob highway) to the Luchob River in the area of the village of Shiratalo. The Gushor peak (2450 meters) is not the highest point of the Chilikak ridge; there is another peak with a weather station above it (2552 meters), another unnamed peak (2606 meters), and the highest point, the Chilokak peak (2702 meters), which is already closer to Shiratalo and cannot be seen from the city.

Hiking to the waterfalls in the Voru Gorge, Odzhuk Mountains, Varzob District, Tajikistan

The first hike of the year, I decided to go to the waterfalls in the Voru Gorge in Odjukskie Mountains, Varzob district, Tajikistan. Previously, I called it the Lost Waterfall. Of course, no one lost this waterfall, but it needed a name, so why not call it Lost? I had already seen it a couple of times before, once when we descended from the ridge that lies between Takob and Odjuk on this hike: Crossing from the Begar Gorge to Odjuk. At that time, I thought I should go to this waterfall, and the convenient moment finally arrived. I also thought it was the only one there, but there were other waterfalls, though smaller.

In Search of the Gusgarf Waterfall - Short story

Long before I set off on this journey, I was asked if I had been to the Gusgarf Waterfall. "No," I answered, "what waterfall is that?" Various descriptions followed, all of which essentially amounted to it being a large waterfall, about thirty meters high, also known as "Pioneer". I decided I should go, but I couldn't find anyone to go with me. It seemed like many people were hiking, but not specifically to that waterfall. I asked where exactly the waterfall was located, but the explanations were confusing. In the end, I decided to go by myself and find it. If it's such a big and famous waterfall, I'll surely find it, I thought. I'll ask the locals if I need to.

The Odzhuk Ring - Short story

People usually go on mountain hikes in groups - it's more fun and safer that way. However, there are exceptions to this "usually," and there is such a thing as solo hikes. Sometimes a person finds themselves alone in the mountains out of necessity, but that's different. I'm talking about when someone chooses to hike alone. The specific reasons why people choose to hike alone are always different, and this phenomenon applies to all types of mountain hikes. There are even mountaineers who climb peaks alone, the so-called solo ascents. This phenomenon is not new, it's just not very common. In the Soviet past, such individualism was not encouraged at all, so in the West, this phenomenon is more developed.