Tajikistan is a landlocked country and the smallest nation in Central Asia by area. Dominated by the Pamir mountain range, most of the country lies above 3,000 meters (9,800 ft). The Amu Darya and Panj rivers form its border with Afghanistan, while glaciers in the Pamir mountains provide much of the runoff that feeds the Aral Sea. Tajikistan is also home to more than 900 rivers longer than 10 kilometers. I spent most of my time trekking through the vast Pamir mountains, whose snow-covered peaks are truly breathtaking. The roads are rough, human infrastructure is almost absent, and only a handful of travelers venture there. It remains one of the world’s last untouched mountain regions.