Jan Bakker is an expedition leader, co-author of Trekking in Tajikistan, and pioneer of the Pamir Trail, a long-distance trekking route that connects remote mountain communities.In this conversation, we talk about:How a boy from flat Netherlands fell in love with mountainsFirst mountain at 16 in MallorcaWhy Tajikistan captured his imaginationDesigning 1300 km Pamir Trail in TajikistanHow to map a long distance hiking routeChoosing routes from satellite and shepherd pathsWorking with local communities along the trailReal world dangers including glacial rivers and rockfallWhat to do when rescue is days awayPolitics on the ground and border permitsBeing a white tourist in AfghanistanMyths versus reality on the Afghan borderEthics of opening remote valleys to tourismHow a trail creates local jobs and homestaysWhy he kept government at arms lengthFunding phase two for homestays and guidesFamily life in Uganda while building trailsFirst multi day trek with his kidsCultural differences in time and prioritiesWhat comes next after the Pamir TrailYou can find Jan's book, Trekking in Tajikistan, here: https://shorturl.at/9cMiLJan is the Founder of:pamirtrail.org packraftafrica.com. You can find Jan Bakker here:LinkedIn - ⁠https://shorturl.at/KLapD⁠Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/summitsofafrica/?hl=en⁠

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