Mawarnag lakes

-

Exploring SE extremity of the valley.

On sunday 12 june 2022, explored two alpine lakes namely Mawarnag at an elevation of around 3800m, located towards South-East extremity of the valley near the administrative boundary of Kashmir and Kishtwar. 
A chunk of land with beautiful alpine flowers near the ist lake.

Roadhead: Ahlan Garol Kokernag (33.49373 75.40190) Then a 2km off-road drive through forest to a place known as Yaripather where the road ends.

Details:

The trek starts from Yaripather, a 2km off-road drive from Ahlan Garol, following the stream through the forest. Enroute to the valley comes a place known as Akhran bror/ Arian bror, with dozens of terraced isolated dwellings of nomadic people.

Settlements at Arian/Akhran Bror 

As it is early summer, shepherds are yet to visit high alpine valleys which resulted in the valley being full of wild alpine flowers like Buttercup (Botanical name:Rununculus acris. 

Kashmiri name : Batakh Loon’t بطخ لونٹ).

Buttercup flowers in the valley.

From the valley the gradient increases and trail goes over the moraine/boulder area towards the Mawarnag lakes. It takes about 15min to reach the second lake from the first one, just 50m elevation gain. The second lake was more beautiful than the first as it has crystal ice sheets & chunks  floating on its surface and the sunlight reflecting over was a treat to eyes. The reason of ice chunks over the surface is because it is surrounded on its three sides by 4100m Mawarnag ridge and if one climbs to top of it, he can get a view of both the lakes and valley. 

Second Mawarnag lake

We had our lunch at the lake and weather suddenly changed. It started to rain following with the hailstorm,  which turned the whole area into white carpet. Anyways we put on our raingear and descended back to base.

First lake after the hailstorm 


It is a one day trek from Ahlan and is a beginner friendly trek. The gradient is not too much steep.Total distance 18kms (to & fro) and an elevation gain of around 1300m.

Download the GPX  here.

#explore #kashmir #trek #himalayas #mounatins #lakes #alpine #flowers #exploremore #hiker



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guide to Alpine lakes of Pir Panjal Range

-
Image
  Pir Panjal Range The Pir Panjal Range runs through the middle of 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
Read more

Hirpora Lakes trek | Day1: Dungimarg Mughal Road to Handu Sar.

-
Image
05 Aug 2022 | Pir Panjal Range Topo sheet along with route and terrain details Far towards the South western end of the valley, around Pir Ki gali, there are dozens of alpine lakes within 3-4 km of radius. Some of them fall in Kulgam district and some in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu & Kashmir and accordingly there are many routes from these districts to explore all of them.  I started my journey from Kashmir division and m inimum of three days is required to explore the whole area. Jaddi nar valley On 5th of Aug 2022, I with my friend Muhammad Zahid left from Srinagar towards Dongimarg, Mughal road, some kms before from Pir ki Gali and parked our car near the wildlife dept. At around 8am in the morning we left from Dungimarg, crossed the Yanga nar stream which at Sokh Sarai is joined by Rupri Nar and forms the Rambiara river, a tributary of Jehlum river. Chandan Sar The trail up to the Chandan Sar goes through
Read more

Sunset Peak

-
Image
Sunset peak     /   Ro mesh Thong (4730m)  Pir Panjal range   is a lofty basaltic mountain range bounding Kashmir valley from South. It  extends southeastward for more than 200 miles (320 km) from the Neelum (Kishanganga) River in the western  Azad Kashmir  area (administered by  Pakistan ), through southwestern  Jammu and Kashmir  union territory (administered by  India ), to the upper  Beas River  in northwestern  Himachal Pradesh  state, India. Rising sharply to an average elevation of more than 13,000 feet (4,000 metres), it separates the Jammu Hills to the south from the  Vale of Kashmir , beyond which lie the  Great Himalayas .   ( B ritannica) Sunset Peak , so named because it is the last of the tops to catch the rays of the setting sun.It is the second highest summit of Pir Panjal  range encompassing Kashmir valley. This peak has a saddle-back, and has been several times ascended by  Dr Arthur Neve ,  Dr Ernest Neve  and various friends. The ascent, which is not difficult, lies
Read more