The flight from Delhi is on time and I’m quickly out of the airport and dashing to the Vacationer Reception Centre (TRC) to gather that valuable allow which can transport me to Kashmir’s legendary Gurez Valley, the place I’m advised the likes of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Franklin D Roosevelt (earlier than his Presidency days) went driving and trekking. With recollections of such august firm in its glory days (within the pre-Partition period) to buoy me up I’m thrilled to bits that the federal government has opened up this distant valley for vacationers once more.
A fast replace: You don’t want a allow now to go to!
Dr Alyas, Ast Director Tourism Gulmarg, a Gurezi himself, beneath whose purview the promotion of the now peaceable Gurez falls, has so kindly helped me make all of the preparations for my journey…Proper from guiding me concerning the allow, discovering me a dependable driver (I’m travelling alone), my lodging, and naturally my itinerary. Imagine you me, as a primary timer you’ll actually come to understand all this mollycoddling travelling by way of this distant area, secured by our troopers each step of the way in which.
On the outset suffice to say that there isn’t any means a vacationer could be allowed to journey right here if the military had not given the go-ahead. After all, there are safety checks alongside the way in which from Bandipore, but when your papers are in place and it’s clearly evident you’re right here as a vacationer they only make an entry and wave you alongside. Gurez and Talial, within the brief months they’re freed from snow (June-September), not solely supply vacationers a tremendous journey by way of the beautiful internal Larger Himalaya, but in addition a chance to discover the tradition certainly one of Kashmir’s oldest tribal peoples the Shina – talking Dards, who have been minimize off from their fellowmen throughout the LOC at Astore, Gilgit and Chilas. The endangered Shina tongue is spoken completely within the valleys and in its ancestral elements of Baltistan and Gilgit. The Shina tribe of Dards can also be present in Drass in Kargil district, Ladakh.
Along with its cultural choices the federal government is taking cautious steps to make the valleys a horny journey tourism vacation spot with trekking, tenting
and fishing as added allurements.
Excessive Highway to Gurez
Leaving the mayhem of HMT Chowk behind we set off for Bandipore the place the tender spoken Mustaq, my driver will get the allow okayed on the checkpost. It’s a cool and clear morning with blue skies offsetting the snow crested fangs of the Pir Panjals. From a lookout by the roadside Wular Lake, Asia’s greatest freshwater lake is an enormous haze of greyish blue. I stretch out the kinks of the journey amongst the landscaped expanses of the Wular Gardens, mercifully freed from picknicking households so early within the day.
Good as a pit cease…you received’t discover many on the way in which up the mountains. The highway is displaying the results of the melted snows as we rattle our means up the stiff climb to Tragbal (400ft) with its sheltering firs and tender mountain breezes. The dhaba right here affords anda-toast and conventional kahwa to perk you up. From right here the view of the nice mass of Wular with the magnificent backdrop of the Pir Panjal peaks catches your breath. To the left the Nice Himalaya begins displaying its superior jagged pearly enamel. And earlier than we all know it we’re zig-zagging our means up and down these snow-felted flanks. The Border Roads Group (BRO) retains the freeway clear so we have now it pretty straightforward…However the winters are brutal in these elements; tons of snow retains Gurez utterly minimize off from the remainder of the nation for virtually half the 12 months. Solely the occasional helicopter sorties present important companies.
At 11,672ft (my coronary heart’s in my mouth, but I’m speechless with delight on the superior snowy vistas!) we’re driving between the ten foot- excessive ice partitions of the slim reaches of Rajdhan Cross. So stunning in its snowy splendor— however so dangerously treacherous in a blizzard, this move over the Shamshabari Vary connects Gurez with the remainder of Kashmir. Rajdhan, in a means, additionally marks the divide between the 2 areas on geographical, socio-cultural and linguistic landscapes. I virtually miss sighting the holy Harmuk Peak to the appropriate as we work our means out of the move. From Rajdhan one highway leads off to Pakistan-controlled Chilas. We veer off to the one taking us to the frontier space of Gurez, which falls alongside the traditional Silk Route that related Kashmir Valley to Gilgit and the remainder of Central Asia.
Bowling alongside the tight mountain highway awash with snowmelt, we arrive at Kunzalwan (surmised from inscription found within the valleys north of Gurez alongside the Silk Path to be the positioning of the final Buddhist Council held between the first and 2nd centuries CE) the place engineers are busy on the diversion tunnel for the waters of the Kishanganga River to the Wular Lake at Bandipore. The controversial 330-MW hydro-electric venture can be sited on the Wular Barrage. The river, originating from the Drass space, gathers momentum at Koubal on the Indian facet; quite a few tributaries be part of it on its journey by way of the valleys. One in every of them is the Burzil stream from Pakistan. The tumultuous confluence of the 2 is close to the Brigade Camp close to the Vacationer Bungalow, the place I’ll be staying in Dawar, Gurez. The Kishanganga finally debouches into the Neelam Valley, throughout the precise LOC. For journey buffs and explorers within the Raj-era of the mid-
20 th century, the Srinagar-Bandipora-Gurez path to the Neelam Valley was additionally the simplest entry level for Nanga Parbat, earlier than India and Pakistan, post-
Independence, firmly secured their borders.
Forest clad slopes set towards the ranks of snow peaks hurtle previous as we enter the verdant bowl of the Gurez valley for Dawar. These nice mountains, dwelling to snow leopard, hangul, musk deer, markhor and are legendary for his or her botanical wealth; the medicinal herbs and crops grown right here have historically been very helpful for the Dards. The crystalline Kishanganga falls on my left, however my eyes are drawn to the nice pyramid-shaped mountain that straddles the valley separating it from Talial— Habba Khatoon (Zoonie), named after the legendary poetess, is claimed to have stolen the guts of the extremely cultured Kashmiri king Yousuf Shah Chak (1580-86).Whereas he was imprisoned by Akbar she roamed these elements craving for him. Legends abound that the king married her.
Ponies are fattening themselves on the luxurious grasslands. Gurez’s ponies and horses have been a lot treasured for his or her sturdiness. Gurez was an necessary staging put up for expeditions to the British garrison at Gilgit and commerce path to Kashghar.
Concertina wire marks the route of the military presence to Gurez all the way in which from Bandipore, ‘eloquently’ reminding you that you’re travelling alongside the borderlands. At Dawar I’m warmly acquired by Sonaullah Akhoon, a retired college trainer who works with the JKTDC guesthouse, positioned close to the Brigade Camp. Up on the lofty ridge is silhouetted a lone soldier standing on the picket dealing with our ‘pleasant’ neighbour’s facet.
After a late lunch, following the outdated Gilgit Transport Highway, in 20 minutes we attain the final village, Chorwan/Sandyal, on the Indian facet of the LOC. A solider on the checkpost steps up, asks us our enterprise and firmly however politely tells us we are able to go no additional. The primary village on the Pakistani facet (as soon as part of undivided Gurez), is lower than quarter-hour away. Standing on the checkpost…wanting longingly on the tough highway snaking off behind him to the Burzil Cross for Astore-
Gilgit and on to Central Asia I’m reminded that I used to be wandering round locations which have been a part of the taking part in fields of The Nice Sport — that tussle for supremacy between the British and Tsarist Russia for the commerce with Central Asia and safety of India…that nice gem within the crown of Victoria’s England. Not solely was this highway necessary for commerce,it was additionally important for the protection of the English garrison city of Gilgit.
Disillusioned I return, previous the village the place the youngsters are at play whereas their dad and mom are out making ready their small fields for the brand new crops. These with larger plots use tractors, however largely it’s with the normal bullocks. I discover a lady digging by the roadside. I look intently and discover she’s recovering the potatoes she has saved deep within the earth at the start of the lengthy exhausting winter. Life’s robust right here. Dwelling in isolation for six months it’s essential refill meals, fodder and gasoline. Even then the work and the fear don’t cease—it’s essential clear the snow as quick as its falls (10 -20 ft excessive at occasions) within the lanes, on your home, your store. All this… however life goes on…
Exploring Talial Valley
Gurez not solely connects Kashmir to Gilgit it additionally hyperlinks it to Drass in Ladakh, and subsequent morning finds us bright-eyed and bushy-tailed sweeping alongside the mountain highway behind the Habba Khatoon into the Talial Valley. The slim valley opens up with clusters of conventional mud and log Dard habitations clinging to the hillsides on both facet of the river, beneath the shadow of the towering snow peaks towards a blazing blue sky. We hope to get to Chakvali the final village that joins the start of the Drass Highway. An formidable try given the climate modifications in these distant elements! So we observe the patchy mountain highway previous village after village with their curious however pleasant folks. Barnai, Kashpat, Zedgay, Purana Tilial, Danghithal, Sheikhpura, Gobaz. Right here a smiling soldier tells us he’s homesick for Benaras…elsewhere a gruff Sikh military officer from Hoshiarpur affords us tea and khatir… Bihari labourers are chilling by the roadside the place they’ve strengthening the river financial institution…
Neeru emerges subsequent with its helipad… Badugam with its increased secondary college (64 per cent literacy in these valleys), previous the water mills and on to Buglunder the place—we get caught within the deep mud. We hadn’t counted for the slush created by the snowmelt and the JCBs at work—And so the guffawing kids, the woman carrying dwelling a plank of wooden and the lads push they usually puff—and get us out with an awesome sucking sound…Yech!!! And so onward we sure for Gundugul Sheikh the place a vacationer officer on go away offers us lunch at his dwelling.
Hungry as horses we tuck into rajma-chawal, Dard-style hen and boiled eggs–all washed down with good robust tea and gulab jamuns. We have to take a name —Lets go on? However we might get caught once more! Not a good suggestion when darkness descends. And so its goodbye to Chakvali…Perhaps subsequent time. The journey is the vacation spot…. And Gurez and Talial reveal that’s past clichés.
The Data
When to go
June to September
The place to remain and eat
Your only option is the clear and comfy TRC Bungalow. TRC Gurez affords 5 guestrooms and a couple of dorms, aside from a number of log huts cottages. Heat bedding, sizzling water can be found, however in your meals head for Noorani restaurant within the village.