Fann Mountains Tent Views: Camping by Tajikistan's Alpine Lakes

Unzip the tent, and the view is a mountain lake beneath peaks of more than 5,000 metres. These tent-door photographs come from the Fann Mountains of Tajikistan, a compact range of jagged summits and glacial lakes that draws trekkers and climbers every summer.

The Fann Mountains of Tajikistan

The Fann Mountains, or Fanns, rise in Sughd Province in western Tajikistan, between the Zarafshan Range to the north and the Gissar Range to the south, and stretch a little way into Uzbekistan. They form the western part of the Pamir-Alay system and run east to west from the Fan Darya to the Archimaydan River.

The range holds about 100 peaks, several of them over 5,000 metres. The highest is Chimtarga at 5,489 m, followed by Bodkhona (5,138 m), Mirali (5,132 m), Energia (5,120 m) and Chapdara (5,050 m).

Kulikalon, Alaudin and Big Allo: the lakes in the photographs

The camps in this gallery sit beside some of the Fanns' best-known lakes. The Kulikalon Lakes lie on the northern slopes of Chimtarga, the Alaudin Lakes in the Chapdara valley, and Big Allo is another of the range's classic camping spots. Other frames were taken by the Muddy Lakes and near Mirali Peak.

Two more lakes complete the picture. Near Panjakent lie the Seven Lakes of Marguzor, also called Haftkul. On the northern slopes of the Gissar Range sits Iskanderkul, a glacial lake at 2,195 m, 3.4 km² in area and up to 72 m deep, about 134 km from Dushanbe. Its name means Alexander's lake: Iskander is the Persian form of Alexander, and two local legends tie the lake to Alexander the Great, one of them to his horse Bucephalus. Today it is a popular destination within a 300 km² nature reserve.

Trekking in the Fann Mountains: season and access

• Best season: trekking runs from late June to mid-September; mountaineers favour July and August, when summer brings the most settled weather.
• Getting there: most trips start from Panjakent, reached by road from Dushanbe or from Samarkand in Uzbekistan.
• Camping: lakes such as Kulikalon, Alaudin and Big Allo are the classic places to pitch a tent.

Go with a local guide or an experienced partner on the high passes, and pack for cold nights at altitude.

A landscape framed by a tent door

The tent door is a natural frame. The dark opening pulls the eye towards the bright lake and peaks, while a pair of boots or the edge of a sleeping bag adds a human touch without stealing the view. Try it on your own next camping trip: shoot once from inside the doorway and once from just outside, and compare.

For another long journey through the wider region, follow Pieter and Mandy’s 2014 travels, or watch the American Loneliness trailer for wide-open landscapes in the American West.