Mission Pamir: How It All Started
People often ask me where the idea for Mission Pamir came from. The truth is that it wasn't something I planned in a single day. It was an idea that slowly grew over several years.
After moving to Gothenburg, Sweden, I spent most of my free time traveling. I loved getting in my car and exploring different parts of Sweden. Before long, my trips became bigger, taking me across the Nordic countries and around Europe. I always enjoyed setting myself small challenges and trying to reach places that many people never visit.
One of those challenges was to visit the famous point where Sweden, Norway, and Finland meet. Reaching the Three-Country Cairn, high above the Arctic Circle, had been on my list for a long time. In the summer of 2017, I finally made it there.
Standing at that point, I felt proud that I had reached one of the northernmost places I had ever dreamed of visiting. At the same time, another thought came into my mind.I was born in Afghanistan, yet I had never explored some of the country's most remote regions. If I could travel to the far north of Europe, why couldn't I one day travel to one of the most remote places in Afghanistan?
When I came home, I started reading more about different parts of Afghanistan. One place caught my attention more than anywhere else: the Wakhan Corridor. At that time, it was considered safe enough for visitors, and I found stories of a few travelers who had managed to visit the area.
That was when the idea changed.
At first, I thought about traveling inside Afghanistan. Then I asked myself another question. Instead of flying there, what if I drove all the way from Sweden?
The more I thought about it, the more exciting it became. I enjoy adventures, and I like taking on challenges that seem difficult. Driving from my home in Gothenburg to the Pamir region and then crossing into Afghanistan sounded like the biggest challenge I had ever given myself.
That was the moment Mission Pamir was born.
The idea came to me in the summer of 2017, but turning it into reality was another story. I had to prepare my car, save money, plan the route, arrange visas, and wait for the right time. The years passed, but I never gave up on the dream.
Finally, in April 2023, I packed my car, left Gothenburg, and started the journey I had been thinking about for almost six years.
The adventure had finally begun.
