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The Irkeshtam Pass is one of the major border crossings to China and belong to the network of the [[silk road]]. It is also the eastern end of the {{E|60}}. Road contidions are quite good (the Chinese keep improving it as of October 2010), but the border formalities can be a bit tricky. For example it is not allowed for Kyrgyz cars to cross. So you have to change at the border into a chinese vehicle. The border is opened during the day only and it is CLOSED on the weekends. The pass is approached from the city of [[Osh]] via [[Sary Tash]] on the Kyrgyz side and from [[Kashgar]] via [[Ulugqat]] in the [[Xinjiang]] province from the Chinese side. The road from Sary Tash to Irkeshtam is famous for road accidents because the pavement is in poor condition or not existing - but the scenery is fantastic (if weather conditions are good you can see Pik Lenin(7,134m))
==To ''Kyrgyzstan'', ''Osh''==
The easiest way to to opt for a ride with a truck driver. If you start in Kashgar, take the earliest (around 6am local time) shared taxi to Wuqia. The taxis depart outside Kashgar's international bus station and charge around 25Y per person. After 2 hours you will be half ways to the border, just hitchkike straight - try your luck with the huge white-container trucks, and make sure your head towards Irkeshtam and not Torugrat!
Conditions can change any time. Please stay informed and update this site.