Alakjin

Alakjin is a high hike-in launch in the mountains north of Dushanbe, and by the account of the pilots who have flown it the potential here is enormous: 1,700 m of altitude, a launch that works through almost the whole compass, and thermals, ridge soaring and cross-country all on offer over the main Tajik valleys. It is also genuinely remote. There is no road to launch — you take a taxi out to the village and walk up past a cherry orchard onto a steep hillside — and there is no local infrastructure to fall back on if something goes wrong. Two things need thinking about before you fly rather than after: the Uzbekistan border, which pilots are warned to stay well clear of, and the airspace around Dushanbe's airport to the south of the city. Landing options are good in the main valley and thin out quickly as you move up into the side valleys.

Launch & conditions

A hike-in launch on an open hillside above the village, working through a wide arc from northeast round to northwest. Allow a good half hour on foot from where the taxi drops you.

Getting there & local rules

From the Rudaki and Omar Khayam street intersection at the north end of Dushanbe, take a taxi to Alakjin village. From the drop-off, walk north on the small road that becomes a path alongside the stream. After about ten minutes the stream forks: take the right-hand, easterly fork and follow the donkey trail for five minutes more, then turn sharply right along the back of a cherry orchard and work your way up the steep hillside.

Local rules & hazards

Stay well away from the Uzbekistan border — pilots flying here are warned that Tajik military are authorised to shoot. The airspace is not clearly documented, so keep well clear of the main Dushanbe airport to the south of the city. In the main valley there are many large fields to land in and a water basin that is easy to use when empty, but options thin out fast up the side valleys, and hidden cables run down the hillsides into villages.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Alakjin, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Alakjin with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.