Shakhdara:
when paddled: 12- 14 Oct, 2007
volume: 500cfs 70 km above Khorog (10km above Sedg) to 700cfs at confluence with Gunt
There is a good and frequently traveled road up the Shakhdara; daily buses leave from Khorog. About 70km upstream from Khorog (10km above the town of Sedg) there are 2 km of very steep, big boulder drops. 5km above Sedg there is a 30 foot waterfall. Most of the water goes into a badly undercut cauldron on river left. It then proceeds through a kilometer long gorge that is flat with two exit waterfall/drops. The largest of which can be seen from the road; the river slams into the river left cliff wall and funnels down. After this 500m section, it is again flat for a short while. This ends about 30 km out of Khorog. From here the river is class IV for about 10 km, then class III for about 15 km. Just above the confluence with the Gunt there is a big boulder section of fun class IV.
Recs: While flat, the upper Shakhdara is incredibly scenic with banks full of aspens and birches.
Pleasure: Pain 6(including flats):0-1
