My blogs

The awe-inspiring sublimeness of Krepin Gali ( 3884m) Krepin Peak from Gugaldor From the village of Gugaldur, Islamabad, the trail winds its way through the dense cedar forests alongside the course of Panzori stream. It was for the second time, I was back on this particular trail with high hope of be there on top of the pass.  A year ago, I gave up halfway across the pass because I was dealing with anxiety and other issues, which left me mentally worn out. I only learned about my flaws and weaknesses in the mountains, which helped me become more mentally resilient and progress in life. The sky was overcast in the morning, with no sign of sunshine. Through the forest, we ascended, passing the isolated dwellings at Nikki Hazi and heading north at Panzori, where the tree line starts to thin out. It sucked to have total whiteout conditions and poor visibility.  Tree line fading out And then, as we climb higher, we break through the cloud cover,  saw rugged peaks rising majest...

Pir Panjal Traverse Banihal to Aharbal Vale of Kashmir Kashmir, undoubtedly the most picturesque valley, is distinctive in its character and there is no parallel to it in the entire Himalayas. A plain embedded among the mountains, an elongated trough surrounded by the mountain ranges. From the North east it is surrounded by the central Himalayan range separating the valley from Ladakh region. On the South West side is the Pir Panjal, the first sub Himalayan mountain barrier separating the valley from the plains makes the first mountain rampart within the Himalayan belt. An impressive unit of mountains whose average crest level lies above 3800m above sea level. The mountains North of Kashmir are more or less a divergent assemblage of ranges (like Kajnag & Shamshabari), off-shoots and spurs from the north branch of the Central Himalayan range. The valley is blessed with hundreds of alpine lakes, uplands (margs in local language) stunning peaks and unexplored landscapes. In December o...

Ice climbing Revival in Kashmir Kashmir is well known among adventurers for its trekking routes and Skiing. Climbing (rock and ice) is lagging behind in some way, even if this valley offers a lot of opportunities. Under the guidance of Junaid Beigh, JK Tourism and JKMAC hosted the inaugural ice climbing event in Kashmir back in 2016. This persisted until 2018. It was more like a two- or three-day long multi-day event. For obvious reasons—gear being one of them—no one keeps up the sport after that. As a student, I have to wait two years to collect the necessary equipment and become independent of any organization before I can climb because the equipment is so costly. My requests for our adventure clubs, JK Tourism, to arrange these kinds of sports have met with many barriers over the past two years. But nevertheless, it did happen last year, even if we were unable to climb because of the extremely difficult approach caused by the snow at the time. I've now achieved the objective of ...

Unquestionably one of Kashmir's finest peaks is KOLAHOI, which lies above the West Liddar Valley. The lower levels are shielded by steep, severely crevassed glaciers, while the massive pyramidal summit, which dominates the nearby heights, rises suddenly out of an enormous plateau of surrounding ice. As viewed from SW, it appears almost the shape of a sugar loaf. From the east or west, the shape is that of a pyramid, two or three sides of which are well seen from the North.  Kolahoi from the Barfsar lake (Sept 2021 by Zeeshan Mushtaq) 1899 -Major C. G. Bruce on his way from Suru valley to Warwan from Bhot Khol pass and eventually arriving to Pahalgam writes, "Our intention on arrival at Pahlgam was to arrange for a trip to Kolahoi or Gwashbrari, a very beautiful peak and beautifully situated. In fact, the whole valley of the Lidder and its branches is most striking — typical Kashmir mountain scenery and fine specimens of forests. Near Pahlgam itself there is nowadays a regular ...

Mamneth Meadow trek is  the perfect way to explore the natural beauty of Srinagar in a short amount of time. The trek starts from Dara Harwan which is about 14kms North of Srinagar. The trek promises to be a rejuvenating experience that will leave you refreshed and invigorated. The  meadow offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and the valley. The normal route is about 4 km and is very beginner friendly but the trail to this meadow that I am going to discuss here is quite uncommon among hikers and is mostly known by forest officials and Bakerwals/Gujjars who during summer time stay with their herds at this place.  Elevation profile of the route using CalTopo terrain analysis Route details: The starting point is the same as the normal route but after reaching the top of the spur where the conventional route climbs directly up, you have to take the trail that goes towards the right. This trail will traverse the slopes and eventually enters into dense ...

  Pir Panjal Range The Pir Panjal Range runs through the Kashmir valley and separates it from the rest of the Indian subcontinent. This range is known for its lush green meadows, alpine lakes, dense forests, and snow-capped peaks. The Pir Panjal range is easily accessible and offers a variety of activities such as trekking, skiing, and camping. Alpine lakes are a unique feature of the mountainous regions around the world. They are often found in areas where glaciers formed thousands of years ago and have since melted, leaving behind small, pristine lakes that are surrounded by stunning scenery. These lakes are often referred to as "jewels of the mountains" due to their clear waters, amazing colors, and breathtaking views. One of the unique features of alpine lakes is their stunning colors. These colors are due to the presence of natural minerals and organic matter in the water. The location of alpine lakes is usually at high elevations, often above the tree line. They are usu...