Pereval Koitezyak, a mountain pass on the Pamir Highway
Koitezyak Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.122m (13,523ft) above the sea level, located within the Badakhshan National Park, in the Pamir Mountains of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, Tajikistan.
The road to the summit, also known as Koi-Tezek Pass, is the historical Pamir Highway, officially called M41. Most of the road is paved, except for the mountain passes. The road is heavily damaged in places by erosion, earthquakes, landslides, and avalanches. Do not travel this pass in severe weather conditions. Some sections of the road have a notorius lack of oxygen that tests the organisms and a high degree of steepness. Most people feel altitude sickness at around 2,500-2,800 meters. The zone around the summit is a lunar landscape. Only 4x4.
Pic: Piotr Varadero