KASHMIR HIMAL

The Himal (literally covered in snow) of Kashmir is a ring of mountains that surround the Vale. Of particular interest are the ranges tyo the north and east, which are part of the Great Himalaya, extending across northern India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and beyond to its terminus in the great bend of the Brahmaputra. For many the Himalaya is not just a geographic entity but "a great spiritual presence, stretching from the west to the eastern sea like a measuring roid to guage the world's greatness." (Kalidasa, Sanskrit poet of the Gupta era [4th-6th Century CE]). 

 While living on a houseboat and, quite literally floating through the incredible beauty that is the Vale may be fine for some. To really experience the woinder that is Kashmir, you must undertake at least one trek into the "hills".

Trekking in Kashmir is a well-established enterprise, much of it controlled by the same wallahs who manage the houseboats. With its origins in the extravagance of the Raj and the Moghuls of ages past,  nowhere in the Himalaya can you travel in quite the same comfort--if you choose. Kasshmiris are more than happy to lay on all manner of luxuries and, of course, the staff to tend it. However if your tastes and/or wallet are more modest, you can still do quite nicely with a cook cum guide, and a pony or two to carry the gear. Unfortunately ponies require pony wallahs who need to eat and have a modicum of creature comfort necessitating more baggage. So to keep a track manageable, some planning is required.

While not a challenging as the Karakoram, the himal of Garhwal or Nepal, trekking here is still strenuous, particularly for flat-landers, as passes can exceed 14,000 ft. and paths may be steep and treacherous. Thus you must be in reasonable shape in order to get the maximum pleasure out of the beauty throuhg which you will be passing.

This album--a companion to Kashmir Vale--details four separate treks undertaken between 1975 and 1991: The Golden Trek (1975), Bhotkol Glacier (including the Warwan Valley 1978), Amarnath Yatra (1978) and NunKun (1991).