The advantage of living close to the mountains is that they keep knocking at your heart every time. Even if you don’t want to go, they compel you to come. This is the magic of the soaring spectacular mountains of Himalayan Kashmir.
The five members of the Glacial Trails Club prepared their backpacks and tied shoelaces, to set out again in search of new destinations. The journey began from Kaprin, a small village in Shopian (a district in Jammu & Kashmir). On June 11, 2022, at 3 pm, doctor sahab and I were ready, waiting for three people, who had to come from three different places to join us.
Hello, my name is Aamir Sharief founder of GT Club. While typing the same text “please jaldi aajaw bahut dair ho gayi” over and over again on the WhatsApp group for the last two hours I felt pain in the area between the thumb and index finger on my right hand. My face turned grey with fatigue and unknowingly my fingers slid across the touch screen typing some meaningless words. Despite that, I repeatedly get the same text: “bas panch minute aur” from that side.
It was 5:30 pm. As a trek leader, I had a good idea of how late we were. Well, we got in two cars and started travelling together. No matter how prepared we are, we often forget some things at the last minute. The only thing we forgot was bread, but in return, we came with lots of things… Which, of course, became a burden on us because there was no space left in the bags. We had to carry this stuff in our hands.
We Finally Started Our Journey
Leaving behind two towns of district Kulgam: Nehama and Damhal, we were now heading towards Nandmarg (a remote village in Kulgam). The redness of the setting sun had completely disappeared. The mosques were resounding with the call to prayer. We were hurrying towards the first campsite: Zumastal. The bumpy roads greeted us and slowed down our vehicles. A five-minute journey ended in two and half hours.
Zumastal is at a distance of about 5 km from Nandmarg. On the way, we parked our cars somewhere and covered the remaining distance on foot. Because the road no longer allowed us to proceed. In the coming year, this road will connect Gulab Garh (which falls in district Reasi) to the Kashmir valley.
It was pitch dark. The weather was bad and it had rained some time ago. We were having trouble walking due to mud. The moon was playing a game of hide and seek with clouds. But we didn’t care. We have been walking on such trails in the dark for years.
When you have a strong desire to reach your destination, nothing can stop you. And with this motivation, we moved forward. We covered our bags and bodies with rain covers, clasped head torches with our foreheads put trekking poles in our hands and moved forward.
It’s Important To Be Prepared Against Dangers
At a distance of about 500 m from our vehicles, we felt suspicious movement in the middle of the road. Seeing this, we became alert. We stand close to one another, jointed shoulders and formed a circle. It was a part of our defence strategy. In a few seconds, we uncovered defensive equipment like axes and combat knives.
Further, we glow our head torches with red lights. Then after we cast a bright white light on the troubled side. After seeing that they were not wild animals but horses standing like statues in the centre of the road we breathed a sigh of relief.
It is important to take such measures. Death is always hovering over one’s head when someone walks in desolate areas. An adventurous trip is always full of risks and sometimes proves fatal. No one knows what will happen next. We have escaped death many times during our previous tours.
Last year, on the Chohurnag lake trek (Anantnag), we encountered five bears near a lake. Something similar happened to us three years before when we were heading towards Nandansar lake (Shopian) from Pir-ki-Gali. It was evening and the Bakarwals (a nomadic tribe of J&K) had left open their dogs to protect the cattle.
Five dogs were rushing toward us and in a matter of seconds, we were under siege. I praise the bravery of a local guide named Aftab Alam who brought us safely risking his life.
Winning Others’ Trust Is Not An Easy Task
Well, we were on our way to Zumastal. This path is not as terrible as it seemed at the moment. There was still an atmosphere of fear. We were walking on a ghastly winding road. The ferocious wild dogs were barking loudly. Everyone was in deep sleep. A ray of light was not coming out from any kotha (mud house) to brighten the gloom. The fear of wild animals scared us constantly.
After walking two kilometres on foot we reached the first campsite. It was half-past nine in the evening. We were standing right in front of the meadow but didn’t know where to pitch the tents. We were looking for a local guy to guide us. Under the eye, there were two nomadic tents. Their dogs were barking at us while we were calling them for help.
As we shouted, our throats dried up, but there was no indication that they would come to our aid. It was not the fault of these poorish people. They were scared too. Later, we came to know that they fear the attack of wild animals, so they are apprehensive about the movement of people at night.
We now slowly began to walk towards their kothas. Meanwhile, a man was coming to us. From afar, we assured him that we are tourists. Hearing this, he approached us and stopped on that side of the stream. We were standing on this side of the stream.
Both parties were trying to understand each other to reduce the distance of hearts, if not of steps. That day I came to know how difficult it is to convince someone. Winning somebody’s trust is not an easy task.
Zumastal Was Shining In The Moonlight
When a person was looking at us with suspicious eyes, at the same time, a senior member of our club opened his mouth: “Hi gentleman, my name is Bashir Ahmad Naqshbandi from Srinagar. I work in the Public Works Department. To my right is Dr Wasim (general surgeon), posted as a medical officer in the District Hospital Kulgam…”
As he was busy introducing all members of the club, I interrupted him in the middle and pointed my finger toward dear G and said: “This person, a dentist by profession, from Pulwama, is responsible for our late arrival. But being a modest man we are not angry with him for coming late. Instead, we are grateful to have such a humble companion in this group with impeccable manners.”
The stiffness in his face flushed away. We were convinced that the introduction of three people was enough for him. He then walked a few more steps, crossed a stream and came to shake hands with us.
Then with his help, we chose a good place to pitch a tent. Clear spring water was passing by the tent. We had dinner at 11 pm followed by lemon tea. After that, a little gossip, and three people fell asleep. The fully conscious Mohsin and I came out of the tent and embraced the pleasant environment. The clouds had disappeared and the weather was clear. The small valley of Zumastal was shining with the light of the moon.
We Started Smoking A Hookah
We sat in front of the tents. The soft music was already playing at a high pitch. The playlist was full of Kashmiri and Urdu ghazals. In the meantime, Mohsin surprised me as he took out a hookah from his bag. When I scolded him, he was trying to convince me that this is different from cigarettes.
In despair, he handed me two small packets one filled with charcoal and another was the flavour of hookah. He then asked me to read aloud the words written on both packets. I stood still while he with his finger showed me how little nicotine and tar this packet contain.
He began to say: “Mango flavour tum jaise bache peete hai, ham log to brainfreezer ka istemal karte hai.” Hearing this, I started laughing out loud. Anyways, he made use of such words to fix my mood. Mohsin made the hookah ready and after a few quick puffs, he held the pipe in my hand and said: “Chal beta, ab tu bhi zindagi ke do ghoonth pi le.” He finally convinced me.
By the way, the atmosphere was conducive to smoking. Hookah is a true leisure activity. While I took smoke inside my chest, he gaped at me silently. Then after a while, he said: “Kyun bhai, maza aaya ki nahi?” I smiled and said: “Dude, there’s more fun in smoking than camping.” He replied: “Issi wajah se to dear G dair se pohanche the.” He had travelled more than 50 km to buy the flavour.
All Of Us Had A Nice Breakfast Together
For an hour, we shared the mouthpiece of the hose and exhaled smoke in tons. A whiff of smoke had gathered around us due to which a moon looked dim. It seemed as if a lunar eclipse had occurred. Besides the loud gurgle sound of hookah smoke being swallowed, the silence of the valley.
After consuming a heavy dose of nicotine I began yawning. I felt like being poisoned. My legs did not support me to get up, with great difficulty I crawled to my sleeping bag.
The next day bright rays of the morning sun greeted us. We saw this place is more beautiful than we had imagined. Yesterday, it looked like a deserted field. When we gazed at the surroundings closely, we found out that we had set up a tent in a good spot. This place is surrounded by beautiful grassy mountains. Many rivers are flowing in the middle of the meadow.
After face wash, we had a gentle walk around the meadow. Next, we started making tea. Mohsin went to buy milk from nomads, I fixed the stove and handed the command to dear G, while Dr sahab was busy making toast. Bashir bhai was trying to fix the camera on a tripod. We had breakfast, packed up the scattered goods and again make our backpacks ready. It was 9:30 am and we were about to leave the place.
The Hardest Part Of The Trek Was Yet To Come
The hardest part of our trek was about to begin. We had to cross a difficult mountain – a steep ascent from 2,600-3,800 metres. It takes a local wayfarer only 90 minutes to cross this hill, but it took us five hours… The reason being our bags were too heavy. Everyone had about 15-20 kg of load in their bags.
Also, we sat for small meals on way to our next campsite. Due to extreme fatigue after waking a few steps we used to sit for a little rest. There was no shortage of water along the way. A mountain stream was flowing alongside the trail. But we were unable to fetch water from it. The rugged terrain had prevented access to the water. It was quite difficult to take these few steps to refill empty bottles.
As we were climbing the mountain, due to Intense thirst and excessive sweating things were getting progressively worse. We were longing for a sip of water to quench our thirst. In despair, we reached halfway up the mountain. To our surprise, we came across a natural spring along the way.
Whether we call it a miracle or a marvel of nature this reminds me of the famous Urdu lines written by someone to describe the hospitality of Kashmir:
“Zarah zarah hai mere Kashmir ka mehman nawaz
Raste mein pattharon ne bhi pani pila diya”
After drinking a few drops of icy water, we felt like we got a new life. We started walking again after regaining our composure.
We Finished All Our Snacks By The Time We Reached
By the time we reached the top of the mountain, all the energy drinks, chocolates, chewing gums, and dry fruits, had finished. We took it easy. Our bags were still full. We had plenty of frozen and ready-to-eat items. The marinated meat for barbecue, chicken kababs, matar paneer and rajma had not even been touched yet.
The highest climb gives the greatest joy. And we felt it when we reached the top of the ridge. We took off our heavy bags. All our worries fly away and we feel relaxed once we lay down on soft grass. The green velvet beneath us gave us more comfort than mattresses at home. We were wrapped in the colours of nature. There were huge white mountains in front of us.
Above us, was a deep blue sky. Below was a beautiful meadow of Zajimarg, eagerly waiting to welcome us. We were lost in the mesmerising beauty. Meanwhile, Mohsin and Bashir bhai unfolded their selfie sticks, to catch the fascinating mountain view.
We were quite optimistic when we started descending the mountain. Our day-long journey was about to end in a few minutes. We only had to go down by 300m. While reaching the field, we got enough time to bask in the beauty. We candidly expressed our contentment. We were ready to play cards, again the hookah started releasing a lot of smoke.
We Ate The Food Like Hungry Lions
To commemorate these adoring moments camera was fixed to record the action. We were thinking about ten more people from the club, particularly Dr Tehseen. We missed him so much. He is the most lively person in the club. He could not come with us this time because he had to leave for a holy journey (Haj).
At 3:30 pm, we reached Gogal Marg. This pasture is a part of Zajimarg. The meal for lunch was being prepared. We had consumed a lot since morning but still, we were hungry. Because we hadn’t eaten rice yet. Dr sahab was very worried about the intake of large calories. He had been calculating calories since morning.
We didn’t need to eat anything else according to his calculation. Putting his advice aside, the food that was ready to serve, we fell on it like hungry lions.
Zajimarg nurtured by the rich greenery of grass and glittering streamlets is a beautiful meadowland surrounded by snow-clad peaks of lesser Himalayas. This vast meadow is divided into many pasture lands such as Gogal Marg, Gudar Choek, etc. Above this grazing land are situated some scenic lakes like Sarkant, Pari Nag, Bramsar, Chirsar, Donthsar, Indersar etc.
My Club Has Visited Zajimarg By Different Routes
Zajimarg can be reached by different routes like Halan-Manzgam, Khur-Awil, Dadren-Yadikhah and Zumastal-Nandmarg tracks. The GT Club has visited this meadow from all routes in the past, and this time, it followed the Zumasthal path. This passage is the most challenging of all routes as it tests the patience of a hiker.
Due to the lack of forest cover, it is difficult to walk on barren rocky surfaces for hours. The overhead sun will restrict your movement in the daytime. The early morning hours are best suited for trekking on this trail.
In this mountainous locale, there is a shortage of firewood. With great efforts, you will be able to collect firewood in Zumastal. But it is quite impossible to get it at Zajimarg. Due to a shortage of firewood, it is highly recommended for trekkers who chose this route for trekking to bring with them a gas stove.
Burning a bonfire in front of tents at night is an important part of our camping. We could not light a fire this time due to the unavailability of firewood. Meanwhile, it started raining heavily and continued after nightfall. We were inside the tents. Some were praying, some were watching movies on the phone and some people were fast asleep.
Then, after a meaningful conversation that lasted for long hours, we ate dinner and went to sleep.
It Was The Final Day Of Our Journey
This was the third and final day of our journey. It was six o’clock in the morning. The clouds had parted from the sky and the weather was clear. Dear G and Bashir bhai had to go home due to some urgent work. As they started walking toward home, our eyes were on the snow-topped mountains. We already knew that there are two beautiful lakes i.e. Sarkant and Pari Nag, hidden somewhere in these snowy mountains.
The journey to the lakes was only three hours from Gogal Marg. We walked for an hour and came back halfway. Time didn’t allow us to continue the trek. We also were in a hurry to reach home before sundown. This one-hour journey was a preeminent part of the track. The place where we ended our journey is called Thanda Katha. So what if we couldn’t reach the lakes?
This place has given us a thing that we needed the most at that time peacefulness. I often find comfort in places where two colours, green and white mix. “The green meadows surrounded by white peaks.” And, these places are found only at the foot of the mountains. One needs to walk for days to reach these places.
We were standing tall in front of the white shining peaks. The glacial meltwater streams were flowing to our right and left. The unique integration of cascades and natural springs was ideal for rejoicing in the atmosphere of the tranquillity of this remote spot. The lush green space, deep ravines and glacial peaks presented a breathtaking view.
The beautiful memories we brought with us were from this place. It was a sight to behold to see flocks of multi-colour sheep and goats roaming freely and making mesmerising voices. The whistles of the shepherds after hitting mountains were echoing in the meadow.
Of course, the GT Club repeatedly turns to the mountains to see this extremely valuable ethereal beauty. The motto of the GT Club is to traverse high mountains and explore the unexplored or least explored meadows and lakes found in the lap of the Himalayas.