Although rising 13,000 feet above the Turkestan plains, the Pamir is limited north and south by ranges towering 7,000 and even 10,000 feet higher. On the south the Hindu-Kush, continued by the mountains connecting with the Kuen-lun, forms the great parting-line of the Indus basin. On the north the Trans-Alaï and the Alaï, forming geographically a section of the Tian-shan, separate the Pamir from the slopes draining to the Sir-daria. But the region thus comprised between two escarpments running west-south-west and east-north-east is far from presenting a uniform surface, for it is divided into a number of smaller Pamirs by ridges and deep ravines, through which the streams drain, west to the Oxus, east to the Tarim, without any well-defined water-parting. The relief of the uplands, even excluding the distinct ridges, presents deviations of over 3,000 feet, which suffice to produce a certain variety in the climate and scanty flora of the plateau. Still the ridges offer no effectual barrier to the nomad Kirghiz pastors or travellers, and the Pamir is crossed in every direction by a thousand tracks. In the north the eminences attain a relative height of no more than 1,000 to 1,500 feet, while in the centre and between the Rang-kul and Yashil-kul the routes may be compared to artificial highways. In the west General Abramov was able to transport a battery over the Alaï, so that with modern appliances the Pamir presents no insurmountable obstacles even to well-appointed military expeditions, at least during the four months from June to September. At other times the surface is covered with snow and exposed to fierce gales, rendering the Pamir uninhabitable.
Below the upper clays and sands the Alaï rocks consist of granites and crystalline schists. The granites run precisely in the same direction as the Tian-shan and the spurs projecting westwards into the Turkestan lowlands. But the intervening spaces are occupied by triassic and other more recent formations. The general tilt of the land is towards the west and south-west, and the somewhat ill-defined water-parting lies much nearer to the Eastern Tarim than to the Western Aralo-Caspian basin. On its eastern verge also rises Mount Tagharma, or Taghalma, culminating point of the land. This mountain, known also as the Wi-tagh ("House Mount") and Muz-tagh-ata ("Father of the Ice Mounts"), rises, according to Trotter and Kostenko, to a height of 25,500 feet, and is continued south-eastwards by the Chichiklik, which is itself about 20,000 feet high. These highlands, which run transversely with the Tian-shan, are the Tsung-ling, or "Onion Mountains," of the Chinese, and the Kizil-art of the Kashgarians.
The Pamir is often swept by terrific gales from the north-east, where its sheltering mountain barrier is broken at several points. On the shores of the Kara-kul and in the sandy gorge of the Kizil-art the very rocks are worn by the sands incessantly playing on them from the north. In those lofty regions the air is generally very dry and clear, except when clouded by the powdered mists of the desert winds. The extremes of temperature occasioned by this transparent atmosphere, combined with the snow-storms, which prevail chiefly in February and March, are amongst the principal dangers to which travellers are exposed. They also suffer much from "mountain sickness" and distressing headaches.
