Hindu Kush

The eastern Hindu Kush forms a barrier between the valleys of Badakhshan and the lands south of the mountains. Near Zebak, routes turn towards Ishkashim, where the upper Oxus makes a great northward bend. To the east the high ranges approach the Pamirs, while streams cut deep valleys through the mountains. Snow-covered peaks and difficult passes stand above the inhabited valleys that connect the region with Central and South Asia.