“I would rather own a little and see the world, than own the world and see a little of it.” -Alexander sattler
"Let me go and freshen up." - My friend said and got up to open her back-pack. She hardly knew what she was about to unpack is going to give us nightmare for the rest of the trip. Now that we have the climax ,let me pause for a moment and start from the beginning.
Since the day I completed my first trek to Roopkund, I realized Nature is impersonal, awe-inspiring, elegant and eternal. It's geometrically perfect. It's tiny and gigantic at the same time. So I decided to complete at least 2 treks a year. I along with my friends booked Kashmir Great Lakes trek because of it's sheer beauty. It is a dreamland for anyone who has been lusting for some relaxing moments amidst the breathtaking panorama of nature.
“Gar Firdaus bar-rue zamin ast, hami asto, hamin asto, hamin ast.” – A famous quote by Mughal Emperor Jahangir when he visited Kashmir in the 17th century is often quoted by many when they visit Kashmir. The quote when translated into English means "If there is heaven on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here".It was our chance to walk on this paradise and experience the beauty and know that nature can be breathtakingly amazing. The beauty here can leave anyone speechless.There is a magical aura in Kashmir that one can feel and live with. Sir Walter Lawrence, the author of ‘The Valley of Kashmir’ has written lucidly about the beauty of Kashmir. He penned “The valley is an emerald set in pearls; a land of lakes, clear streams, green turf, magnificent trees and mighty mountains where the air is cool, and the water sweet, where men are strong, and women vie with the soil in fruitfulness”. Kashmir in Sanskrit means land desiccated from the water. It is made up of two words ‘Ka’ meaning water and ‘shimeera’ implying desiccate. As per mythological tales in Hindu scriptures, it was the revered Sage Kashyap who drained an erstwhile lake to carve a place like Kashmir.There are many tales, folklore, and stories that essay the forming of this beautiful and blessed destination that we know as Kashmir.
"Verify the tag. Does it have your name?" - I questioned. She confirmed it was indeed her name on the tag.We were perplexed on how a different bag can have the tag bearing her name. Then it dawned upon us that the bag might have got exchanged in Delhi, our transit airport. The bag didn't contain any id in it, making it almost impossible for us to track the owner. She was on the verge of crying. There was no way she could go on a week long trek without her trekking gear. We scanned the bag umpteen times hoping for a miracle to happen. Finally, there was some luck, we found a small sticker bearing sequence number and a bar code. Anybody would hardly care about it owing to its size and uselessness. But that little piece of shit saved us that day. Our minds were working faster than ACP Pradyuman and Dr.Salunkhe (CID teleseries reference) trying to solve the mystery and get back the bag. The fact that we had almost 5 days before our trek began, gave us some hope. After lots and lots of dilemma and anxiety, we were successful in getting the contact details of the actual owner of the bag. We called him up hoping that he would courier us our bag. After a series of explanations and discussions,plan to exchange the bags was chucked out. This saga finally came to an end around 12 AM, 7 hours after we had landed in Srinagar. In this mishap, we almost forgot about our magnificent boathouse. Once everything was sorted out, we noticed the intricately carved cedar-wood of the houseboat wearing the outlook of a fancy looking medieval artwork. We spent another hour sitting in the balcony of the house boat and enjoying the tranquil waters of the Dal Lake.
It was July the 22nd. We woke up to a bright sunny morning. After last night's fiasco, we were skeptical about getting our back-pack on time but there was hardly anything we could do brooding over it. We let that thought pass and decided to enjoy the trip. I had already prepared an itinerary on things to do in Kashmir. Amidst this colourful world lies something sensuous and swift. Shikara, a small wooden carved boat, is one of the mesmerizing attractions. It provides a unique way to experience the eternal beauty of Kashmir. A relaxing ride while enjoying the surrounding views is truly a worthful pleasure. Shikaras are used for selling varieties of flowers and handicrafts that are quite popular among tourists .We visited Neheru garden,Lotus garden and floating market.After 4 hrs of joyous ride we felt hungry. In the disarray last night, we had to pay a hefty amount of 500 per head for dinner which included just roti,rajma and beans curry!! We decided not to fall prey to this trap again. Nathu's at ghat no-9 came to our rescue. This restaurant served us for the rest of our stay in Dal lake. Post lunch we decided to visit various attractions around Dal lake. Luckily we found a friendly rickshaw driver. He was generous enough to suggest us few more places to visit. The first in the list was Chashme Shahi,the garden presents Mughal architecture. The artistically build garden has Iranian influence in its art and architecture. It is built around a fresh water spring, which flows through its centre in terraces and discovered by Rupa Bhawani,who was from the Sahib clan of Kashmiri Pandits. The water of the spring is tasty and is believed to have some medicinal properties. Next in the list was Pari Mahal, also known as the name of ‘The Abode of Fairies’, is a seven terraced garden located at the top of Zabarwan Mountain in Srinagar and south west of Dal Lake. It is as much a monument as garden. The garden was established by Dara Shikoh, the son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the mid of 1600s on the ruins of the Buddhist monastery.It houses vivid varieties of flowers laid out in its terraces. Being placed on the very edge of a mountain, it provides a spectacular view of Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake. It was already 5.30 PM but we were in no hurry. Though we visited two gardens already, we still wanted to visit Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Garden. It looked amazing in a canopy of landscaped flowering plants. we bargained with our driver and got ourselves 45 minutes to enjoy the garden. It also had a beautiful lake, oak and apple trees. An eventful day had come to an end. we retired to our houseboats and again spent good 2 hours sitting in the balcony chit-chatting and enjoying amidst the quiet waters.
Next day we decided to shun the luxury of the houseboat and go on a full day sight seeing. Last night's rickshaw driver had agreed to take us for a ride. The list included Shankaracharya temple, Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh and Hazratbal Dargh. The Shankaracharya temple is on top of the Shankaracharya Hill on the Zabarwan Mountain in Srinagar, Kashmir. It is dedicated to Lord Siva and is thought to be the oldest shrine for worship in the Kashmir valley.Erected on a high octagonal platform, the temple can be reached by a flight of steps. The fencing walls of the steps have some inscriptions on them. The temple is located in the valley under high security zone and hence no camera and mobile is permitted to the top.Inside the temple, there is a Persian inscription that dates back to period of Shahjahan. The main shrine is in the shape of a circular chamber and provides a breathtaking view of the valley. We could feel the sanctity of the place. After spending some quiet time, we moved again to the Mughal gardens. This time it was Nishat Bagh.It is a terraced Mughal Garden situated on the eastern side of the Dal Lake in Srinagar.It is the second largest Mughal Garden in Kashmir and is beautiful and stunning.Zabarwan Mountains form its backdrop.Nishat Bagh has 12 terraces representing the zodiac signs and offers splendid views of the Dal Lake and Hari Parbat fort. A mountain spring has been made to slide down from a height into a rectangular pool right in the middle of the garden. There are pools in every segment of the gardens with gushing fountains. The long water channels interspersed with fountains and tanks, rows of Chinar trees along with vivid colored flower beds enhanced the beauty of the garden to a great extent. We didn't miss any opportunity to click photos under the colossal Chinar trees which casted perfect shades to sit under them.After spending roughly 2 hrs it was time to visit the largest Mughal garden in Kashmir, Shalimar Bagh. The garden looked surreal and inexplicably beautiful. The grandeur of the garden is difficult to match. It is segregated into three terraced portions, each serving a different purpose. The outer portion of the garden is named Diwan-i-Aam that was open to public, whereas the central portion named Diwan-i-Khas was exclusively for the emperor. Its uppermost portion was designed for women belonging to the royal family. The garden is encompassed by tall trees of chinar and is dotted with colourful flowers. A beautiful canal with polished pebbles runs through the centre of this garden and adds to its beauty. The highlights of Shalimar Bagh are chini khanas, which are delicately designed arched niches placed behind waterfalls. During olden times, these chini khanas were lighted with oil lamps that created a stunning effect. Here we met a person who was playing flute to the tune of old bollywood classics. It was really soulful and breathtaking. It was past lunch time and we were terribly hungry. The only thing that we could find nearby were dhabas. We had planned to visit Hazratbal Dargah after that and the rickshaw driver wasn't willing to take us to a good restaurant because we were running short of time. We just replenished our stomach somehow and then we moved on to our next destination, Hazratbal Dargh. It is situated on the bank of Dal Lake. We couldn't spend much time here not because we didn't want to but because we were tired and hungry. So we asked the rickshaw driver to drop us at Nathu's :). We had stomach-full of delicacies at this restaurant. It was just 5 in the evening and we didn't want to go back to the houseboat. So we decided to visit the Botanical Garden again. After spending 2 odd hours, we returned to our houseboat and again spent hours watching the calm and steady waters of the Lake.
As part of our itinerary, we were supposed to visit Pahalgam the next morning and spend a day there exploring places around.After 3 days of stay in Srinagar we came to know, safety in Kashmir, or anywhere in the world, is superfluous. Everybody has their own definition of risk and have their own battles to fight when they go outside the proverbial comfort zone. So we decided to take shared cabs and save some penny.There were many shared cabs that ply from Srinagar up to Anantnag and then another one from Anantnag to Pahalgam. The journey was backbreaking due to the amount of luggage that we had to carry. The road out of the city was heavily guarded but the journey was uneventful. We were lucky that we didn't have to change the cab at Anantnag as there were 4 of us who wanted to go to pahalgam directly. So the taxi driver agreed to drop us at the hotel at some extra cost. We agreed as it would help us avoid the hassle of finding another shared cab.It took 3 hours of rickety cab ride and awkward seating positions to get there. We had already booked an oyo. The room was exquisitely designed and contemporarily decorated, the hotel is situated on the banks of magnificent Lidder river and offers breathtaking Views through its windows. Surrounded by scenic splendor of Pine trees of glorious Pahalgam valley. We rested for a few hours. We wanted to avoid crowded tourist attractions. So we decided to give the famous Aru valley a skip and visit Betab valley in the evening. The valley owes its name to the film stars Sunny Deol-Amrita Singh hit debut film Betaab. It is a breathtaking combination of picturesque surroundings that is encircled by mountains full of tall deodar trees and pine forests, with the Lidder River flowing right through it. The valley is located at a distance of 4 kilometers from our hotel. We decided to walk to the valley. It turned out to be a good idea. We met few army officers on our way. They were pretty excited to see us and they were happily surprised on our idea of walking all the way from our hotel. The valley was beautiful and we spent couple of hours walking around the place and enjoying drizzle. The Bollywood connect of the valley, coupled with the scenic views that the place offers, have made the area a popular tourist destination. We walked back to our hotel. It was quite an adventure. Pahalgam was a pleasant surprise. We had plenty of time to kill so we sat by the river. We returned back to our room and spent time lying on the bed by the window. It was like a portal to a different world.It was magical in the sense that it was quaint and so picturesque that you can easily and lazily spend a day sitting there simply doing nothing. We had our dinner and slept peacefully.
It was 25th July Wednesday, we woke up to a nice,beautiful and warm morning. We were so lazy and so mesmerized by the view our window offered, we dropped the idea of visiting any tourist spot and thought of spending some quality time on bed and then visiting a garden before traveling back to Srinagar in the afternoon. We visited Poshwan park which was a kilometer away from our hotel. It was no different from any other normal park. We killed time lying down under a tree and listening to music. We were so caught up with nature that we were oblivious of what god was transpiring for us. Another tragedy was about to unfold in front of us. We were mere mortals,puppets in the hand of God,how can we decipher his plans? We walked back to our hotel room and had our lunch,packed our bags and was ready to leave. We decided not to spend a penny more and take shared cab to Anantnag and then another one to Srinagar though it would mean double trouble for us!! All our hopes were shattered when we came to know that there had been some military activity in Anantnag and the roads are closed. We can't get back to Srinagar the same night. We were worried and tried all means of booking a private cab but all our attempts tasted failure. We were skeptical of missing our trek which was supposed to start the next day. We called up our trek co-ordinator and informed him of our situation. He reprimanded us for visiting south-kashmir and suggested us to leave very early the next morning. The hotel people arranged us a private cab which was supposed to pick us up from hotel the following morning at 5. With all nightmarish thoughts,we retired to our beds. An atheist, in the toughest of times, also prays to god to make things right. We were anyway theists.
Next morning we were awake before the alarm buzzed. Got ready and were waiting for the cab to arrive. The driver was on time and we started our journey back, still doubtful if the army personnel would allow us to cross the checkpoint. Our concerns turned true, the officer in-charge at the security gate didn't allow us to pass through. Our dreams and 3 months of intense planning and preparation were about to get shattered. We were dejected to the core. But our driver was smart, he knew of an alternate route and we were hopeful that the officer in duty would allow us to go through. When we reached the checkpoint the officer was checking every vehicle and allowing them to pass through only if they have a flight to catch the same day. We were asked to wait for an hour and he assured us that he would allow us to pass. He stood by his word and we were allowed to cross after some time. The road back was heavily guarded and I had never seen so many armed personnel and armored army vehicles in my entire life. Once we crossed Anantnag, there was a smile in our faces. We will be finally living our dream. What's meant to be, will always find a way.We were going on the trek for which we enrolled. We were eagerly waiting for the panorama of nature to unfold upon us and to enjoy watching the loneliness of a wild lake. As someone truly said "It is not the destination where you end up but the mishaps and memories you create along the way".Kashmir may not be "travel-safe" if advisories are to be believed, but it is definitely one of the friendliest places I have ever visited. The valley and its people are known for its deep rooted sense of warmth and friendliness. They want you to take back fond memories and unforgettable experiences of their lands, and hope against hope that you will share the right message, enlightening people that they are not what the media wants you to believe. After all this drama, we reached our reporting point (Sheik Tours and Travels). We were like lost kids returning to their parents. Happy to be back safe and sound. We surrendered ourselves to IndiaHikes, the trekking community with whom we were supposed to go for the week long trek, Kashmir Great Lakes. From now on , they would guide us, nurture us,plan for us and it is their responsibility of dropping us back to Srinagar after the trek.I Liked these unforeseen misadventures,uncertainties on the road and many misfortunes that we had in last few days. You will be amazed to see what you can or cannot do, when faced with certain situations.
In case you are wondering what happened to our misplaced bag, it finally reached Srinagar. We called up the courier office and told them, we would come and collect it. Luckily the office was close to the pickup point. We assumed everything bad that could happen to us has already happened, so we should sit back and enjoy. We boarded our vehicle around 2.30 pm. We met 4 other trekkers who were traveling with us. We exchanged our stories and everyone was all excited and raring to go. Our campsite was at Shitkari.It is at an altitude of 7,800 ft.The drive to the camp took around 4 hours. On our way we could see the construction of the All weather tunnel to Leh.I felt so thrilled looking at mountains and general aura was mesmerizing.We were asked to assemble for a briefing. we were formally introduced to our Trek Leader Nikhil. He was lanky but joyful. He started with the team introduction and briefed us on various aspects of the trek- trek itinerary, etiquettes,medical tips, green trail etc. Our guide was Imtiaz bhai, may be in his 40s, sarctastic to the core. He would pass on a comment and then apologize for it. Rafique bhai, tall and handsome, in his late 20s was our sweeper. You ask him anything, he would reply with a song. He is too good at it. The dreadful morning gave way to tiring journey and finally to a cold night with overcast conditions. After a sumptuous dinner, we retired to our beds.
Next day we were woken up to heavy rain. We were supposed to start by 7 AM but the rain delayed it. After the rain subsided, we completed our morning routine and were ready to un-pitch the tent. KGL is a running trek meaning we have to un-pitch and pitch our tents daily. All our support staffs would trek with us unlike many other treks where we have fixed camp sites. We learned to un-pitch and pack our tents. It was a great experience. The day's trek consisted of a 3 hour ascent followed by a 1 hour descent and finally a gentle 2 hour ascent to Nichnai. The trekking trail started with a steep ascent.After an hour it entered a green meadow. This directly overlooked Sonamarg town. The ridge provided a grasping view of its neighboring valley.It is surrounded by Maple and Pine trees.We stopped over at a dhaba and had kahwa, an exotic mix of Kashmiri green tea leaves, whole spices, nuts and saffron, which was traditionally prepared in a brass kettle known as samovar. Then we moved on and after probably 3 hours we stopped for our lunch beside the river stream. We relished our stomachs with packed lunch,puri and aloo curry. Though the trail was long we enjoyed every bit of it. On the previous day when Nikhil was briefing us he mentioned different scenarios where we can be sent back. One of them being asking "How far is the campsite?" He made it a rule that during the whole period of trek each person is entitled to ask this question only 2 times. Though it was in a lighter note everyone refrained from asking the dreadful question.After 3 more hours of dragging ourselves, we reached Nachnai campsite. It was a wide valley enclosed by mountains on either side. We could see snow-clad peaks from Sonamarg valley. We were greeted with welcome drink, Tang and delicious pasta.Though this was not the best of campsites, we were still awed by its beauty eagerly waiting for the next few days to surprise us with grandeur views and pristine lakes.
The day's trek to Vishansar campsite was a long walk. The first milestone for the day was to climb to Nichnai pass . It was a medium climb to Nichnai pass, 13,500 ft. From the Nichnai pass, we could see the beautiful Sonamarg valley .Panorama changed drastically as we crossed the Nichnai Pass. Steep ascent gave way to a small descent followed by a long flat meadow walk ending near Vishansar Lake. In the next hour, the rocks gave way to grass. We walked over myriad flowers. Next we noticed a big waterfall splashing down the mountain cliff. We had our packed lunch of roti and soyabean,cabbage curry in one of the shepherd's houses. The clouds break loose and we had a heavy rainfall. We were lucky to reach the shed on time. After the rains stopped, we were on our way beside a stream, walking on a carpet of grass with wild flowers, for over 2 hours to reach a river crossing. It had been 2 full days and 25 odd kilometers since we started our trek. There was no sign of any lake. Vishansar was supposed to be the show starter.It continued to elude us. Vishansar lake was not in sight.We reached the campsite and inquired Nikhil about the whereabouts of the mighty lake. It was behind the small mountain which had to be crossed. We changed our clothes and layered up to beat the cold and proceeded straight to the lake. The first sight of it left me dumbstruck. It lies nestled below 4 mountains.The view was surreal.The Lake with its scenic beauty, snow-covered mountains and their gorges filled with small glaciers and the meadows around, with alpine flowers was definitely a show starter. It is fed by the Krishansar Lake and glaciers. The Vishansar Lake is the source of Neelum River which flows northwards up to Badoab and then westwards through Gurais along the Line of Control. I faintly remembered a quote which I read a few days before
"To those who have struggled with them, the mountains reveal beauties that they will not disclose to those who make no effort. That is the reward the mountains give to effort. And it is because they have so much to give and give it so lavishly to those who will wrestle with them that men love the mountains and go back to them again and again. The mountains reserve their choice gifts for those who stand upon their summits"
-Sir Francis Younghusband
That evening during our briefing,Nikhil mentioned we would be using our buffer day at this campsite if it rains heavily the following morning because that would mean the mules won't be able to cross the Gadsar pass which would mean we won't get food and shelter even if we managed to reach the Gadsar campsite. With lots of uncertainty looming large, we went to our sleeping bags.
The following day bright sunshine greeted us. We were ready to move. We packed our backpacks and lunch-boxes and started to reach the highest point of the trek.The next lake in the series was Kishansar. This was about 0.5 km away and 500 feet higher than Vishansar. The Kishansar lake lies at the base of the Kishansar peak.It takes about 45 minutes to reach Kishansar lake from the camp site. Kishansar is also big and blue. The reflection of the mountain peak along with the blue sky with patches of white clouds , was a sight to behold. We looked so tiny in the vast panorama of nature. The trail climbed up to the top of the ridge and on the top of the ridge was the Gadsar pass at an altitude 13,800 ft - the highest point on this trek. The view of the twin lakes lasted till we reached the ridge top or the Pass.We were welcomed by 2 cute little Himalayan marmots busy searching food. They are very shy creatures.We could hardly photograph them. We found snow at the Gadsar pass and descent to the other side was tricky.On the other side of the Gadsar pass stretched a long valley with 2-3 small lakes visible. I would stop after every few steps soaking in the beauty and clicking pictures. After about an hour walking on the multi-colored flowers, we reached Gadsar Lake,one of the prettiest and most pristine of the lakes on this trek. Gadsar in Kashmiri means the lake of fishes, a natural habitat of trout and other types of fishes.It is surrounded by alpine meadows full of various kinds of wild alpine flowers.The Gadsar Lake is also named as Yumsar which means the lake of demon and is referred as the lake of death.A myth still unresolved. Shepherds grazing their flocks in the outskirts of Gadsar lake during summers believe that, there lives a Lake Monster, a freshwater Octopus which drags the creatures from shores by its tentacles into the water. There is an uncertainty in the minds of visitors, a kind of threat which prevents them going near the shores. We sat amongst wild flowers and grass and kept gazing at the lake.I felt like my soul is talking to me and I was trying to find the essence in the clear waters of Gadsar. I felt naked without a facade.I was at peace and doing things which define me and matter the most to me. Reaching there I realized what life was and what it meant.We had our packed khichdi and spent a few moments before we were asked to move on because there were grey clouds gathering over us and we had a long way to reach our campsite.Our campsite was a little ahead of the Gadsar Army camp beside a small stream. To move beyond the army camp, one needs permission. We were stopped by Army at the entrance and our Id proofs were verified and validated and we were allowed to move on to our campsite.They were very warm and cordial with us. This was probably the longest day of our trek. "when they said that tough roads lead to beautiful destinations,they weren't kidding".It was already 5 in the evening. We had sore backs and mild headaches. We rested for a while and then explored surrounding areas. We met few local shepherd kids who were enjoying, jumping around big rocks and small streams.We also saw glacial caves with water stream flowing through them. We had our dinner at 7.30 pm .The beauty of Kashmir is that their days are exceptionally longer. It was almost past 7.30 pm and it was still clear as day. But we knew that sun would set in a matter of minutes.
Come the next day, we were made to cross a small glacier to reach the narrow path followed by a steep climb. We could spot a lone tree standing strong and river valley was visible below. After continuing for an hour the trail bent round to the left. This was supposed to be the view point from where we could see the ninth highest peak in the world, Nanga Parbat.It lies in Gilgit Baltistan region of Pakistan.The sun was shining bright. It was probably the day of the trek when we didn't experience even a drizzle. The weather god was with us for the next few days too. We had clear blue skies till our trek ended. After a long break of 1 hr, we continued our journey. We were walking on a flat trail surrounded by mountains on a meadow. Isolated mountains stood in front. Soon we reached Satsar army check post. It is the 3rd line of defense from the LOC. The same process of identity checking, collection and questioning repeated. The army people were playing cricket. I assume it was a leisure day for them. They invited us for a friendly cricket match. The match lasted 30 minutes, though we were no match to the seasoned campaigners, we put up a valiant effort. We enjoyed some friendly banter too. We bid adieu to them and continued on our path. Ten minutes out of the army camp, we spotted the first of the Satsar lakes. The lake was pretty big and looked picturesque in its green setting with mountains in front. The Satsar Lake consists of seven small lakes connected with each other, in a series of cascades. It was a leisure day for us. We had to cover just 8kms. We reached our campsite which was nestled within mountain ranges, by 1 pm. Finally, we had the opportunity of pitching our own tents. Though it looked tricky, we mastered it in couple of attempts. We had a lot of time to ourselves. Few of the team members wanted to visit one of the lakes which remains hidden and requires a tough climb to reach. Imtiaz bhai agreed to take them. They started around 3 pm. We played Uno,cards and Dumb charades the whole evening and we continued this post dinner too. Once we stepped out of the dining tent after all these time-pass, we could spot the milky way along with many other stars. I could recall what Stephen Hawking once said
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up.”
We started early morning.First there was river crossing and then boulders, boulders and boulders of all shapes and sizes. It took us good one hour to complete boulder hopping exercise.The ascend and descend continued for quite a lot of time. Finally two hour ascent brought us to the top of the highest ridge there. It is called the Zaij pass. The altimeter read about 13,400 feet. We were taken by surprise. When they said that tough roads lead to beautiful destinations,they weren’t kidding.Ah! The view was majestic. My all tiredness vanished. There comes a moment on a journey when something sweet, something irresistible and charming as wine raised to thirsty lips, wells up in the traveler's being. This was the moment.Two magnificent lakes lie next to one another.A stream takes water from the higher lake to the lower. we could spot two more blue lakes, one on either side at a distance. The one to the left is named Kola while I don't remember the other, but the biggest amongst the set is the Gangabal. It's companion is the Nandkol.It lies at the base of the Harmukh peak. I couldn’t believe I was seeing mount Harmukh called in Kashmiri mythology as abode of lord Shiva. Both lakes looked magical and pure. I felt a strange serenity and silence which had eluded me for quite sometime now.The route descended a bit more and ascended again to the lakes. But on the descent we crossed a stream mid way. It was our lunch point. Today we had Aloo paratha and pickle. We rested on the meadows for quite sometime and then moved on. An hour and a half ascent brought us to green meadows again. We could see our destination but it seemed far away. A shorter descent followed by stream crossing over a wooden log bridge brought us to our campsite. We sat on the grass outside our tents for quite sometime that day wondering the following
"Look at the Mountains - It won't fix the economy. It won't stop wars. It won't give you flat abs, or better sex or help you figure out your relationship and what you want to do with your life.But it's important. It helps you remember that you and your problem are both infinitesimally small and conversely, that you are a piece of an amazing and vast universe."
- Kate Bartolotta
Next day was a rest day for us. We planned to visit Gangbal which is 1.5 km, 20 mins walk from our campsite. We got up late that day, may be around 7 AM,had our breakfast and got ready to move towards Gangbal. We passed by Nandkol lake which is fed by Gangbal Lake and the melting glaciers of the Mount Haramukh. Unlike other lakes, it wasn't completely surrounded by mountains on all sides. It was pristine, crystal clear lake not affected by time or vagaries, lying there in complete solitude witnessing the annals of time. We took our group photo here. We wanted to spend some more time but Nikhil asked us to move and assured us that he would allow us to come here again after lunch. We went back ,gulped our lunch in a hurry. Our minds were stuck there. We visited the Nandkol Lake first which gives rise to Wangath Nallah, the major right tributary of the Sind River. The lake looked wonderful and it is worth catching a glimpse of the lake in all its hues. After an hour we started walking towards the Gangbal Lake,pretty scared that we might lose our way but I was confident . This time there was no one at the lake. I sat on a rock close to the lake. Varied thoughts crossed my mind. I wanted to be alone in this moment, in silence and in peace.Tears welled in my eyes, tears of joy as they say,a feeling of happiness. It was a deeply emotional moment for me. I had never thought I could make it . I realized my life was mountains and this is where I belong. My soul lay bare in all it’s nakedness. I walked along the lake and tried to get the good tidings. It was a gratifying day. A day I would not forget in this lifetime. Evening, we had a good game of cricket. Post snacks, Nikhil distributed our trek completion certificates. I felt so humble to plan and complete the KGL trek,the very first attempt. Tonight was the last night of our trek.
Finally the last day of the trek had arrived. It was a gradual descent followed by steep descent. Our knees and toes hurt real bad. On top of that sole of my shoe had come off and I was having trouble navigating slippery trail. Our last destination was Naranag. We reached there by 1 pm, had our lunch, bid good bye to fellow trekkers and drove back to Srinagar. This signaled the completion of our eventful trek.
Years of admiration,months of planning and preparation,hours of mishaps,misfortunes & adventure and lots of memory to cherish for the lifetime. This sums up my tryst with Kashmir and Kashmir Great Lakes trek.It will definitely create an indelible impression on me.Life is filled with tragedy,with long patches of struggle but then it also gives you a chance to turn these into beautiful bursts of joy and accomplishments. Utilize the opportunity and travel to some place away from the hustle and bustle of the city,away from the madding crowd and enjoy the tranquility, watching the calm and pristine lakes.I find beauty in all things natural, mountains are my soul and adventure is my passion. I hate being stagnant and my mind feeds on problems. I travel because I believe that change is the only constant in this universe. So embrace it, love it and celebrate it! Travel is what you make of it. You see what you see and you take back what you experience. Each person has their own version of a city visited by a million other people. Travel is unique like that. It is up to you if you want to form an opinion based on over-hyped media channels or take it from someone who has gone and made it back, in one piece, happy and content with the decision.Live amidst nature, pen down heart touching verses and take back poetic memories to cherish.We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond.There is a part of me that always wants to go out and grab a backpack and unplug - not take a cellphone and just get out there and experience the world and travel. If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it's lethal!!
As John Muir said
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”
View more photos here
signing off
"Let me go and freshen up." - My friend said and got up to open her back-pack. She hardly knew what she was about to unpack is going to give us nightmare for the rest of the trip. Now that we have the climax ,let me pause for a moment and start from the beginning.
Since the day I completed my first trek to Roopkund, I realized Nature is impersonal, awe-inspiring, elegant and eternal. It's geometrically perfect. It's tiny and gigantic at the same time. So I decided to complete at least 2 treks a year. I along with my friends booked Kashmir Great Lakes trek because of it's sheer beauty. It is a dreamland for anyone who has been lusting for some relaxing moments amidst the breathtaking panorama of nature.
“Gar Firdaus bar-rue zamin ast, hami asto, hamin asto, hamin ast.” – A famous quote by Mughal Emperor Jahangir when he visited Kashmir in the 17th century is often quoted by many when they visit Kashmir. The quote when translated into English means "If there is heaven on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here".It was our chance to walk on this paradise and experience the beauty and know that nature can be breathtakingly amazing. The beauty here can leave anyone speechless.There is a magical aura in Kashmir that one can feel and live with. Sir Walter Lawrence, the author of ‘The Valley of Kashmir’ has written lucidly about the beauty of Kashmir. He penned “The valley is an emerald set in pearls; a land of lakes, clear streams, green turf, magnificent trees and mighty mountains where the air is cool, and the water sweet, where men are strong, and women vie with the soil in fruitfulness”. Kashmir in Sanskrit means land desiccated from the water. It is made up of two words ‘Ka’ meaning water and ‘shimeera’ implying desiccate. As per mythological tales in Hindu scriptures, it was the revered Sage Kashyap who drained an erstwhile lake to carve a place like Kashmir.There are many tales, folklore, and stories that essay the forming of this beautiful and blessed destination that we know as Kashmir.
"Verify the tag. Does it have your name?" - I questioned. She confirmed it was indeed her name on the tag.We were perplexed on how a different bag can have the tag bearing her name. Then it dawned upon us that the bag might have got exchanged in Delhi, our transit airport. The bag didn't contain any id in it, making it almost impossible for us to track the owner. She was on the verge of crying. There was no way she could go on a week long trek without her trekking gear. We scanned the bag umpteen times hoping for a miracle to happen. Finally, there was some luck, we found a small sticker bearing sequence number and a bar code. Anybody would hardly care about it owing to its size and uselessness. But that little piece of shit saved us that day. Our minds were working faster than ACP Pradyuman and Dr.Salunkhe (CID teleseries reference) trying to solve the mystery and get back the bag. The fact that we had almost 5 days before our trek began, gave us some hope. After lots and lots of dilemma and anxiety, we were successful in getting the contact details of the actual owner of the bag. We called him up hoping that he would courier us our bag. After a series of explanations and discussions,plan to exchange the bags was chucked out. This saga finally came to an end around 12 AM, 7 hours after we had landed in Srinagar. In this mishap, we almost forgot about our magnificent boathouse. Once everything was sorted out, we noticed the intricately carved cedar-wood of the houseboat wearing the outlook of a fancy looking medieval artwork. We spent another hour sitting in the balcony of the house boat and enjoying the tranquil waters of the Dal Lake.
It was July the 22nd. We woke up to a bright sunny morning. After last night's fiasco, we were skeptical about getting our back-pack on time but there was hardly anything we could do brooding over it. We let that thought pass and decided to enjoy the trip. I had already prepared an itinerary on things to do in Kashmir. Amidst this colourful world lies something sensuous and swift. Shikara, a small wooden carved boat, is one of the mesmerizing attractions. It provides a unique way to experience the eternal beauty of Kashmir. A relaxing ride while enjoying the surrounding views is truly a worthful pleasure. Shikaras are used for selling varieties of flowers and handicrafts that are quite popular among tourists .We visited Neheru garden,Lotus garden and floating market.After 4 hrs of joyous ride we felt hungry. In the disarray last night, we had to pay a hefty amount of 500 per head for dinner which included just roti,rajma and beans curry!! We decided not to fall prey to this trap again. Nathu's at ghat no-9 came to our rescue. This restaurant served us for the rest of our stay in Dal lake. Post lunch we decided to visit various attractions around Dal lake. Luckily we found a friendly rickshaw driver. He was generous enough to suggest us few more places to visit. The first in the list was Chashme Shahi,the garden presents Mughal architecture. The artistically build garden has Iranian influence in its art and architecture. It is built around a fresh water spring, which flows through its centre in terraces and discovered by Rupa Bhawani,who was from the Sahib clan of Kashmiri Pandits. The water of the spring is tasty and is believed to have some medicinal properties. Next in the list was Pari Mahal, also known as the name of ‘The Abode of Fairies’, is a seven terraced garden located at the top of Zabarwan Mountain in Srinagar and south west of Dal Lake. It is as much a monument as garden. The garden was established by Dara Shikoh, the son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the mid of 1600s on the ruins of the Buddhist monastery.It houses vivid varieties of flowers laid out in its terraces. Being placed on the very edge of a mountain, it provides a spectacular view of Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake. It was already 5.30 PM but we were in no hurry. Though we visited two gardens already, we still wanted to visit Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Garden. It looked amazing in a canopy of landscaped flowering plants. we bargained with our driver and got ourselves 45 minutes to enjoy the garden. It also had a beautiful lake, oak and apple trees. An eventful day had come to an end. we retired to our houseboats and again spent good 2 hours sitting in the balcony chit-chatting and enjoying amidst the quiet waters.
As part of our itinerary, we were supposed to visit Pahalgam the next morning and spend a day there exploring places around.After 3 days of stay in Srinagar we came to know, safety in Kashmir, or anywhere in the world, is superfluous. Everybody has their own definition of risk and have their own battles to fight when they go outside the proverbial comfort zone. So we decided to take shared cabs and save some penny.There were many shared cabs that ply from Srinagar up to Anantnag and then another one from Anantnag to Pahalgam. The journey was backbreaking due to the amount of luggage that we had to carry. The road out of the city was heavily guarded but the journey was uneventful. We were lucky that we didn't have to change the cab at Anantnag as there were 4 of us who wanted to go to pahalgam directly. So the taxi driver agreed to drop us at the hotel at some extra cost. We agreed as it would help us avoid the hassle of finding another shared cab.It took 3 hours of rickety cab ride and awkward seating positions to get there. We had already booked an oyo. The room was exquisitely designed and contemporarily decorated, the hotel is situated on the banks of magnificent Lidder river and offers breathtaking Views through its windows. Surrounded by scenic splendor of Pine trees of glorious Pahalgam valley. We rested for a few hours. We wanted to avoid crowded tourist attractions. So we decided to give the famous Aru valley a skip and visit Betab valley in the evening. The valley owes its name to the film stars Sunny Deol-Amrita Singh hit debut film Betaab. It is a breathtaking combination of picturesque surroundings that is encircled by mountains full of tall deodar trees and pine forests, with the Lidder River flowing right through it. The valley is located at a distance of 4 kilometers from our hotel. We decided to walk to the valley. It turned out to be a good idea. We met few army officers on our way. They were pretty excited to see us and they were happily surprised on our idea of walking all the way from our hotel. The valley was beautiful and we spent couple of hours walking around the place and enjoying drizzle. The Bollywood connect of the valley, coupled with the scenic views that the place offers, have made the area a popular tourist destination. We walked back to our hotel. It was quite an adventure. Pahalgam was a pleasant surprise. We had plenty of time to kill so we sat by the river. We returned back to our room and spent time lying on the bed by the window. It was like a portal to a different world.It was magical in the sense that it was quaint and so picturesque that you can easily and lazily spend a day sitting there simply doing nothing. We had our dinner and slept peacefully.
It was 25th July Wednesday, we woke up to a nice,beautiful and warm morning. We were so lazy and so mesmerized by the view our window offered, we dropped the idea of visiting any tourist spot and thought of spending some quality time on bed and then visiting a garden before traveling back to Srinagar in the afternoon. We visited Poshwan park which was a kilometer away from our hotel. It was no different from any other normal park. We killed time lying down under a tree and listening to music. We were so caught up with nature that we were oblivious of what god was transpiring for us. Another tragedy was about to unfold in front of us. We were mere mortals,puppets in the hand of God,how can we decipher his plans? We walked back to our hotel room and had our lunch,packed our bags and was ready to leave. We decided not to spend a penny more and take shared cab to Anantnag and then another one to Srinagar though it would mean double trouble for us!! All our hopes were shattered when we came to know that there had been some military activity in Anantnag and the roads are closed. We can't get back to Srinagar the same night. We were worried and tried all means of booking a private cab but all our attempts tasted failure. We were skeptical of missing our trek which was supposed to start the next day. We called up our trek co-ordinator and informed him of our situation. He reprimanded us for visiting south-kashmir and suggested us to leave very early the next morning. The hotel people arranged us a private cab which was supposed to pick us up from hotel the following morning at 5. With all nightmarish thoughts,we retired to our beds. An atheist, in the toughest of times, also prays to god to make things right. We were anyway theists.
Next morning we were awake before the alarm buzzed. Got ready and were waiting for the cab to arrive. The driver was on time and we started our journey back, still doubtful if the army personnel would allow us to cross the checkpoint. Our concerns turned true, the officer in-charge at the security gate didn't allow us to pass through. Our dreams and 3 months of intense planning and preparation were about to get shattered. We were dejected to the core. But our driver was smart, he knew of an alternate route and we were hopeful that the officer in duty would allow us to go through. When we reached the checkpoint the officer was checking every vehicle and allowing them to pass through only if they have a flight to catch the same day. We were asked to wait for an hour and he assured us that he would allow us to pass. He stood by his word and we were allowed to cross after some time. The road back was heavily guarded and I had never seen so many armed personnel and armored army vehicles in my entire life. Once we crossed Anantnag, there was a smile in our faces. We will be finally living our dream. What's meant to be, will always find a way.We were going on the trek for which we enrolled. We were eagerly waiting for the panorama of nature to unfold upon us and to enjoy watching the loneliness of a wild lake. As someone truly said "It is not the destination where you end up but the mishaps and memories you create along the way".Kashmir may not be "travel-safe" if advisories are to be believed, but it is definitely one of the friendliest places I have ever visited. The valley and its people are known for its deep rooted sense of warmth and friendliness. They want you to take back fond memories and unforgettable experiences of their lands, and hope against hope that you will share the right message, enlightening people that they are not what the media wants you to believe. After all this drama, we reached our reporting point (Sheik Tours and Travels). We were like lost kids returning to their parents. Happy to be back safe and sound. We surrendered ourselves to IndiaHikes, the trekking community with whom we were supposed to go for the week long trek, Kashmir Great Lakes. From now on , they would guide us, nurture us,plan for us and it is their responsibility of dropping us back to Srinagar after the trek.I Liked these unforeseen misadventures,uncertainties on the road and many misfortunes that we had in last few days. You will be amazed to see what you can or cannot do, when faced with certain situations.
In case you are wondering what happened to our misplaced bag, it finally reached Srinagar. We called up the courier office and told them, we would come and collect it. Luckily the office was close to the pickup point. We assumed everything bad that could happen to us has already happened, so we should sit back and enjoy. We boarded our vehicle around 2.30 pm. We met 4 other trekkers who were traveling with us. We exchanged our stories and everyone was all excited and raring to go. Our campsite was at Shitkari.It is at an altitude of 7,800 ft.The drive to the camp took around 4 hours. On our way we could see the construction of the All weather tunnel to Leh.I felt so thrilled looking at mountains and general aura was mesmerizing.We were asked to assemble for a briefing. we were formally introduced to our Trek Leader Nikhil. He was lanky but joyful. He started with the team introduction and briefed us on various aspects of the trek- trek itinerary, etiquettes,medical tips, green trail etc. Our guide was Imtiaz bhai, may be in his 40s, sarctastic to the core. He would pass on a comment and then apologize for it. Rafique bhai, tall and handsome, in his late 20s was our sweeper. You ask him anything, he would reply with a song. He is too good at it. The dreadful morning gave way to tiring journey and finally to a cold night with overcast conditions. After a sumptuous dinner, we retired to our beds.
Next day we were woken up to heavy rain. We were supposed to start by 7 AM but the rain delayed it. After the rain subsided, we completed our morning routine and were ready to un-pitch the tent. KGL is a running trek meaning we have to un-pitch and pitch our tents daily. All our support staffs would trek with us unlike many other treks where we have fixed camp sites. We learned to un-pitch and pack our tents. It was a great experience. The day's trek consisted of a 3 hour ascent followed by a 1 hour descent and finally a gentle 2 hour ascent to Nichnai. The trekking trail started with a steep ascent.After an hour it entered a green meadow. This directly overlooked Sonamarg town. The ridge provided a grasping view of its neighboring valley.It is surrounded by Maple and Pine trees.We stopped over at a dhaba and had kahwa, an exotic mix of Kashmiri green tea leaves, whole spices, nuts and saffron, which was traditionally prepared in a brass kettle known as samovar. Then we moved on and after probably 3 hours we stopped for our lunch beside the river stream. We relished our stomachs with packed lunch,puri and aloo curry. Though the trail was long we enjoyed every bit of it. On the previous day when Nikhil was briefing us he mentioned different scenarios where we can be sent back. One of them being asking "How far is the campsite?" He made it a rule that during the whole period of trek each person is entitled to ask this question only 2 times. Though it was in a lighter note everyone refrained from asking the dreadful question.After 3 more hours of dragging ourselves, we reached Nachnai campsite. It was a wide valley enclosed by mountains on either side. We could see snow-clad peaks from Sonamarg valley. We were greeted with welcome drink, Tang and delicious pasta.Though this was not the best of campsites, we were still awed by its beauty eagerly waiting for the next few days to surprise us with grandeur views and pristine lakes.
The day's trek to Vishansar campsite was a long walk. The first milestone for the day was to climb to Nichnai pass . It was a medium climb to Nichnai pass, 13,500 ft. From the Nichnai pass, we could see the beautiful Sonamarg valley .Panorama changed drastically as we crossed the Nichnai Pass. Steep ascent gave way to a small descent followed by a long flat meadow walk ending near Vishansar Lake. In the next hour, the rocks gave way to grass. We walked over myriad flowers. Next we noticed a big waterfall splashing down the mountain cliff. We had our packed lunch of roti and soyabean,cabbage curry in one of the shepherd's houses. The clouds break loose and we had a heavy rainfall. We were lucky to reach the shed on time. After the rains stopped, we were on our way beside a stream, walking on a carpet of grass with wild flowers, for over 2 hours to reach a river crossing. It had been 2 full days and 25 odd kilometers since we started our trek. There was no sign of any lake. Vishansar was supposed to be the show starter.It continued to elude us. Vishansar lake was not in sight.We reached the campsite and inquired Nikhil about the whereabouts of the mighty lake. It was behind the small mountain which had to be crossed. We changed our clothes and layered up to beat the cold and proceeded straight to the lake. The first sight of it left me dumbstruck. It lies nestled below 4 mountains.The view was surreal.The Lake with its scenic beauty, snow-covered mountains and their gorges filled with small glaciers and the meadows around, with alpine flowers was definitely a show starter. It is fed by the Krishansar Lake and glaciers. The Vishansar Lake is the source of Neelum River which flows northwards up to Badoab and then westwards through Gurais along the Line of Control. I faintly remembered a quote which I read a few days before
"To those who have struggled with them, the mountains reveal beauties that they will not disclose to those who make no effort. That is the reward the mountains give to effort. And it is because they have so much to give and give it so lavishly to those who will wrestle with them that men love the mountains and go back to them again and again. The mountains reserve their choice gifts for those who stand upon their summits"
-Sir Francis Younghusband
That evening during our briefing,Nikhil mentioned we would be using our buffer day at this campsite if it rains heavily the following morning because that would mean the mules won't be able to cross the Gadsar pass which would mean we won't get food and shelter even if we managed to reach the Gadsar campsite. With lots of uncertainty looming large, we went to our sleeping bags.
The following day bright sunshine greeted us. We were ready to move. We packed our backpacks and lunch-boxes and started to reach the highest point of the trek.The next lake in the series was Kishansar. This was about 0.5 km away and 500 feet higher than Vishansar. The Kishansar lake lies at the base of the Kishansar peak.It takes about 45 minutes to reach Kishansar lake from the camp site. Kishansar is also big and blue. The reflection of the mountain peak along with the blue sky with patches of white clouds , was a sight to behold. We looked so tiny in the vast panorama of nature. The trail climbed up to the top of the ridge and on the top of the ridge was the Gadsar pass at an altitude 13,800 ft - the highest point on this trek. The view of the twin lakes lasted till we reached the ridge top or the Pass.We were welcomed by 2 cute little Himalayan marmots busy searching food. They are very shy creatures.We could hardly photograph them. We found snow at the Gadsar pass and descent to the other side was tricky.On the other side of the Gadsar pass stretched a long valley with 2-3 small lakes visible. I would stop after every few steps soaking in the beauty and clicking pictures. After about an hour walking on the multi-colored flowers, we reached Gadsar Lake,one of the prettiest and most pristine of the lakes on this trek. Gadsar in Kashmiri means the lake of fishes, a natural habitat of trout and other types of fishes.It is surrounded by alpine meadows full of various kinds of wild alpine flowers.The Gadsar Lake is also named as Yumsar which means the lake of demon and is referred as the lake of death.A myth still unresolved. Shepherds grazing their flocks in the outskirts of Gadsar lake during summers believe that, there lives a Lake Monster, a freshwater Octopus which drags the creatures from shores by its tentacles into the water. There is an uncertainty in the minds of visitors, a kind of threat which prevents them going near the shores. We sat amongst wild flowers and grass and kept gazing at the lake.I felt like my soul is talking to me and I was trying to find the essence in the clear waters of Gadsar. I felt naked without a facade.I was at peace and doing things which define me and matter the most to me. Reaching there I realized what life was and what it meant.We had our packed khichdi and spent a few moments before we were asked to move on because there were grey clouds gathering over us and we had a long way to reach our campsite.Our campsite was a little ahead of the Gadsar Army camp beside a small stream. To move beyond the army camp, one needs permission. We were stopped by Army at the entrance and our Id proofs were verified and validated and we were allowed to move on to our campsite.They were very warm and cordial with us. This was probably the longest day of our trek. "when they said that tough roads lead to beautiful destinations,they weren't kidding".It was already 5 in the evening. We had sore backs and mild headaches. We rested for a while and then explored surrounding areas. We met few local shepherd kids who were enjoying, jumping around big rocks and small streams.We also saw glacial caves with water stream flowing through them. We had our dinner at 7.30 pm .The beauty of Kashmir is that their days are exceptionally longer. It was almost past 7.30 pm and it was still clear as day. But we knew that sun would set in a matter of minutes.
Come the next day, we were made to cross a small glacier to reach the narrow path followed by a steep climb. We could spot a lone tree standing strong and river valley was visible below. After continuing for an hour the trail bent round to the left. This was supposed to be the view point from where we could see the ninth highest peak in the world, Nanga Parbat.It lies in Gilgit Baltistan region of Pakistan.The sun was shining bright. It was probably the day of the trek when we didn't experience even a drizzle. The weather god was with us for the next few days too. We had clear blue skies till our trek ended. After a long break of 1 hr, we continued our journey. We were walking on a flat trail surrounded by mountains on a meadow. Isolated mountains stood in front. Soon we reached Satsar army check post. It is the 3rd line of defense from the LOC. The same process of identity checking, collection and questioning repeated. The army people were playing cricket. I assume it was a leisure day for them. They invited us for a friendly cricket match. The match lasted 30 minutes, though we were no match to the seasoned campaigners, we put up a valiant effort. We enjoyed some friendly banter too. We bid adieu to them and continued on our path. Ten minutes out of the army camp, we spotted the first of the Satsar lakes. The lake was pretty big and looked picturesque in its green setting with mountains in front. The Satsar Lake consists of seven small lakes connected with each other, in a series of cascades. It was a leisure day for us. We had to cover just 8kms. We reached our campsite which was nestled within mountain ranges, by 1 pm. Finally, we had the opportunity of pitching our own tents. Though it looked tricky, we mastered it in couple of attempts. We had a lot of time to ourselves. Few of the team members wanted to visit one of the lakes which remains hidden and requires a tough climb to reach. Imtiaz bhai agreed to take them. They started around 3 pm. We played Uno,cards and Dumb charades the whole evening and we continued this post dinner too. Once we stepped out of the dining tent after all these time-pass, we could spot the milky way along with many other stars. I could recall what Stephen Hawking once said
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up.”
We started early morning.First there was river crossing and then boulders, boulders and boulders of all shapes and sizes. It took us good one hour to complete boulder hopping exercise.The ascend and descend continued for quite a lot of time. Finally two hour ascent brought us to the top of the highest ridge there. It is called the Zaij pass. The altimeter read about 13,400 feet. We were taken by surprise. When they said that tough roads lead to beautiful destinations,they weren’t kidding.Ah! The view was majestic. My all tiredness vanished. There comes a moment on a journey when something sweet, something irresistible and charming as wine raised to thirsty lips, wells up in the traveler's being. This was the moment.Two magnificent lakes lie next to one another.A stream takes water from the higher lake to the lower. we could spot two more blue lakes, one on either side at a distance. The one to the left is named Kola while I don't remember the other, but the biggest amongst the set is the Gangabal. It's companion is the Nandkol.It lies at the base of the Harmukh peak. I couldn’t believe I was seeing mount Harmukh called in Kashmiri mythology as abode of lord Shiva. Both lakes looked magical and pure. I felt a strange serenity and silence which had eluded me for quite sometime now.The route descended a bit more and ascended again to the lakes. But on the descent we crossed a stream mid way. It was our lunch point. Today we had Aloo paratha and pickle. We rested on the meadows for quite sometime and then moved on. An hour and a half ascent brought us to green meadows again. We could see our destination but it seemed far away. A shorter descent followed by stream crossing over a wooden log bridge brought us to our campsite. We sat on the grass outside our tents for quite sometime that day wondering the following
"Look at the Mountains - It won't fix the economy. It won't stop wars. It won't give you flat abs, or better sex or help you figure out your relationship and what you want to do with your life.But it's important. It helps you remember that you and your problem are both infinitesimally small and conversely, that you are a piece of an amazing and vast universe."
- Kate Bartolotta
Next day was a rest day for us. We planned to visit Gangbal which is 1.5 km, 20 mins walk from our campsite. We got up late that day, may be around 7 AM,had our breakfast and got ready to move towards Gangbal. We passed by Nandkol lake which is fed by Gangbal Lake and the melting glaciers of the Mount Haramukh. Unlike other lakes, it wasn't completely surrounded by mountains on all sides. It was pristine, crystal clear lake not affected by time or vagaries, lying there in complete solitude witnessing the annals of time. We took our group photo here. We wanted to spend some more time but Nikhil asked us to move and assured us that he would allow us to come here again after lunch. We went back ,gulped our lunch in a hurry. Our minds were stuck there. We visited the Nandkol Lake first which gives rise to Wangath Nallah, the major right tributary of the Sind River. The lake looked wonderful and it is worth catching a glimpse of the lake in all its hues. After an hour we started walking towards the Gangbal Lake,pretty scared that we might lose our way but I was confident . This time there was no one at the lake. I sat on a rock close to the lake. Varied thoughts crossed my mind. I wanted to be alone in this moment, in silence and in peace.Tears welled in my eyes, tears of joy as they say,a feeling of happiness. It was a deeply emotional moment for me. I had never thought I could make it . I realized my life was mountains and this is where I belong. My soul lay bare in all it’s nakedness. I walked along the lake and tried to get the good tidings. It was a gratifying day. A day I would not forget in this lifetime. Evening, we had a good game of cricket. Post snacks, Nikhil distributed our trek completion certificates. I felt so humble to plan and complete the KGL trek,the very first attempt. Tonight was the last night of our trek.
Finally the last day of the trek had arrived. It was a gradual descent followed by steep descent. Our knees and toes hurt real bad. On top of that sole of my shoe had come off and I was having trouble navigating slippery trail. Our last destination was Naranag. We reached there by 1 pm, had our lunch, bid good bye to fellow trekkers and drove back to Srinagar. This signaled the completion of our eventful trek.
Years of admiration,months of planning and preparation,hours of mishaps,misfortunes & adventure and lots of memory to cherish for the lifetime. This sums up my tryst with Kashmir and Kashmir Great Lakes trek.It will definitely create an indelible impression on me.Life is filled with tragedy,with long patches of struggle but then it also gives you a chance to turn these into beautiful bursts of joy and accomplishments. Utilize the opportunity and travel to some place away from the hustle and bustle of the city,away from the madding crowd and enjoy the tranquility, watching the calm and pristine lakes.I find beauty in all things natural, mountains are my soul and adventure is my passion. I hate being stagnant and my mind feeds on problems. I travel because I believe that change is the only constant in this universe. So embrace it, love it and celebrate it! Travel is what you make of it. You see what you see and you take back what you experience. Each person has their own version of a city visited by a million other people. Travel is unique like that. It is up to you if you want to form an opinion based on over-hyped media channels or take it from someone who has gone and made it back, in one piece, happy and content with the decision.Live amidst nature, pen down heart touching verses and take back poetic memories to cherish.We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond.There is a part of me that always wants to go out and grab a backpack and unplug - not take a cellphone and just get out there and experience the world and travel. If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it's lethal!!
As John Muir said
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”
View more photos here
signing off
