Across Shamshabari with WBB 2021
We were lucky enough to have completed the Winter Kelsuu expedition in Kyrgyzstan with WBB before the world was ravaged by the coronavirus. The Lockdowns, work restrictions, and travel bans were taking their own toll with all expeditions thrown out of the window for the year. A year had just gone by without any travels. Passing through a dark tunnel, suddenly saw a ray of light when Nidhi called in one evening to tell me about an expedition in Northern Kashmir called “Across Shamshabari”. The details given during that short call compelled me to say yes. The next thing was, I announced this trip in the ever-enthusiastic Dubai expedition WhatsApp group, and a whopping 8 hands rose up and it looked like it would be an all-Dubai group on this expedition. As time passed by, the numbers dwindled and only Ashlyn, Ajesh, and I signed up for this expedition. I must confess here that the dates were changed from March to Feb end on my request. Since I didn’t have a partner for my car, Santosh without an H, a participant from our previous Kyrgyzstan expedition and a friend now, agreed to partner with me. I forgot to mention earlier, that this was a 10-day trip from the 19th of February to the 1st of March. Ajesh and I had to extend our trip by a day as we had to undergo a PCR test for COVID-19 and carry a negative report to enter the UAE.
“This is once in a lifetime expedition and we don’t think it will happen again nor will we be attempting it again” were the words Satty and Nidhi had told me.
As time passed, the ritual of forming a WhatsApp group took place and we got a fair idea of all our travel mates on this expedition. The mail from Nidhi with enrolment formalities and setting expectations with all the requirements of the trip reached all participants. With the airline tickets booked (Dubai -Delhi – Srinagar – Delhi – Dubai) and following the COVID protocols of PCR test results, we were ready for our flight, after a year of being in Dubai. When we entered the Airport, the enthusiasm was like a kid entering a candy shop. Armed with 4 liters of Vodka, Cognac, and 2 cartons of Marlboro, we were ready for an unforgettable journey in the next few days.
Day 1, 19th Feb. After a soothing flight from Dubai to Delhi and a 4-hour stopover at Delhi airport, we were on an early morning flight to Srinagar. Being on the window seat that too facing east at dawn gave me a beautiful view of the sunrise across the horizon. Nearing Kashmir, now with the beautiful morning sunlight, the views of the snow-clad Himalayas were so welcoming and mesmerizing.
In no time we had landed in Srinagar well ahead of the arrival time. As we had paid for priority check-in, our luggage too was the first to come and we were the first for the PCR test in the line. The moment we stepped out of the airport, the cool crisp air chilled to 1 degree caressing our faces welcomed us to Kashmir. As usual, the taxi driver with a WBB placard was waiting for us, and off we were to Hotel Downtown where the team members were staying for the night. Satty and Nidhi came down to the reception to welcome us. I introduced Ajesh to them as this was his first expedition with WBB. The short conversation with the couple gave me a fair idea that they had to ride rough waves to put things in place at the last moment. After a nice hot breakfast (mind you, breakfast in Kashmir isn’t available before 8. 30 AM.) we got little time to freshen up and we had to gather for the expedition briefing, do’s and don’ts, handing over goody bags and vehicles, and most importantly a crash course on the wilderness emergency procedures.
The group looked good and ready to mingle. The interaction with the participants on the first day gives a fair idea of how the remaining days of the expedition would pan out. It was a small group and it wouldn’t be difficult to get along. During the morning routine got to eat some fresh Jackfruit from Trishur and fresh milk sweets from Ranchi. I having a sweet tooth got reprimanded by my partner Santosh for shamelessly keeping the box near me and eating continuously. Meanwhile, I also got introduced to the 2016 Mahindra Thar which would be our home for the next 8 days. The interiors were very basic, but the build was potent enough to survive this tough expedition. Post Lunch at the hotel, we drove to the Royal Springs golf club for a flag-off ceremony by the director of tourism for J&K and interaction with the media. Was lucky enough to be interviewed by Doordarshan about our expedition and how it would benefit the local population. We also got a chance to mingle with some locals there. We were shown some beautiful tourism promotional videos of J&K while sipping a steaming cup of delicious saffron Kaava.
Once back in the hotel, we had some free time to organize our luggage as per the expedition’s requirements. With WBB, the evening meetings and the morning and evening circles hold very high importance. You won’t be able to skip the meeting unless you are in a dire emergency. So we all assembled in the leads room for the meeting where the next day’s itinerary was briefed and team roles were doled out. From here on our team would be addressed as Whisky 1 and we were assigned the role to handle the Tea and coffee department. The only thing here is, roles are not assigned to you, but you have to volunteer to take up a particular role. The various roles available are coffee and tea in charge, Water in charge, and Timekeeper. Once the meeting was done, it was time for some mingling. To get to know each other, there is nothing better than having a couple of drinks together. Once we know each other, we try to understand each other by continuing this ritual for the rest of the expedition. That night, came to know how difficult it is to activate a mobile sim in Kashmir. After dinner at the restaurant, we headed straight to our rooms to be fresh enough for the start of the expedition.
Day 2, 20th Feb. Srinagar to Kupwara. It was a perfect morning even though it was cold, to start an expedition. As breakfast was expected to be late, we loaded our luggage in the respective vehicles and checked out from the rooms. Once breakfast was done, we assembled in the car park to start our remarkable journey for the next 8 days. The customary morning circle signals the start of the day along with the day’s briefing and a Silent prayer. With a lot of hope and excitement, the convoy began rolling into the not-so-busy streets of Srinagar. Surprisingly the shops open only after 11.00 am and the roads get busy after that. Pretty laid-back people and no one is in a hurry here. It didn’t take us long to get out of Srinagar city. The team had hired a local Kashmiri to escort the convoy. We had been told the local drivers are very rash and not at all considerate to other drivers. Even a small incident involving a non-Kashmiri snowball made a big issue and it doesn’t take time to create a traffic jam. So here the role of the local guy was important to us to get us to Kupwara without any trouble. Once we were out of the city limits, the views were getting better and the air was getting crispier.
Oh! I forgot to tell you about our mascot on the trip. Say Hi to Buster, a lovely 4.5 year old Labrador owned by Satty and Nidhi. He is such a sweetheart and loves to play. He became a good friend of mine on the first day itself. He occupies the rear of the leads Thar. The place is not very comfortable, but he is used to making himself comfortable with whatever he gets around his bed. Now he is an integral part of WBB and travels everywhere.
After passing through the town of Pattan, while heading to Baramulla, the lead received some information about Baramulla and we took a detour to continue our drive through Sopore heading towards Handwara. We were to visit the Military unit at Handwara commanded by Col. Gagandeep, a friend and junior of Satty. It was so overwhelming to see the welcome we received and the respect conferred on us by the military personnel. They had organized snacks, coffee, and tea in the open which added to the excitement. We received some positive insights into the region from the Colonel himself. Also had the privilege of seeing the pictures in their library depicting the heroics of the past officers posted over there. The story about Bungus Valley and its beauty has been stored in memory for a revisit to the area during summers.
After thanking Col. Gagan and his team for the wonderful hospitality, the convoy moved towards Kupwara which would be our destination for the day. We were being hosted by a local Kashmiri family in their palatial bungalow. Sajjad, an entrepreneur is a friend of Satty and Nidhi. He didn’t want us to stay elsewhere while in Kupwara. But unfortunately, he couldn’t be in town on our dates. But we were very well taken care of by his cousin Arshid and his father Bashir Ahmed Wani. We were welcomed by Arshid with a warm hug. While seated in the majlis on the thick traditional carpet, we were given blankets to cover as per tradition.
Then came the local snacks accompanied by some delicious Khawa. Our first brush with authentic Kashmiri food was a memorable one. You don’t even have to get up from the place to wash your hands as hot water is brought to your sitting place and hands washed in a big vessel. Then came the dishes part of the Wazwaan, one by one, and it felt like never-ending. Arshid made sure that no plate was empty and we were being pampered like royals. After a heavy lunch, before people could go to sleep, we decided to carry on with our schedule. We were to visit Kalaroos, a cave on top of a hillock. It was also a good opportunity to test our 4 wheel drives as it was a narrow uphill track with slush and stones. The roads were good till we crossed the bridge on Kalaroos naala and entered Dab Bal village. The roads got narrower and steeper and we were happy to know that the 4 wheel drives were working and doing the job. Finally, we reached Lishtyal village and that was as far as the vehicles could take us. We could see the giant stone named Satbaran with some entrances into it on the hillock from the place we had parked. We started our hike towards the rock thinking that was the entrance to the caves. After a lot of huffing, puffing, and panting, finally reached the Satbaran rock and were shocked to learn that the caves were further up in the pine forests.
While we were busy taking pictures at the Satbaran, my 60-year-old partner Santosh had made friends with some local boys and went ahead to the caves uphill. If not for him and his resilience to reach the caves, I would have aborted the hike to the caves. So I continued the hike with some periodical stops until finally, we reached a natural spring.
The chilled cold water brought back some energy and I could finally reach the cave through some treacherous steep tracks. Santosh, Ajesh, Vivek, Sushil, and Manoj were the others who reached this cave. The local boys were so enthusiastic in telling us about the myths and legends of this cave. It was believed that this network of ancient caves that started from Kalaroos ended up somewhere in Russia. Earlier traders and people used to travel between Russia and Kashmir through these caves when Kashmir valley used to get covered in snow. Here we were standing in front of these mysterious caves.
We couldn’t explore more of this cave or the caves around due to the dwindling daylight and also, we had to go down the mountain to reach our cars. The richness of various metals and minerals present in these caves was evident from various formations and layers on the stones inside. Upon receiving a call from the lead, we started our descent down the treacherous path. On the way down, we got a beautiful view of the famed Lolab valley through the pine trees. The walk down was tricky but not at all tiring. On our way back to Kupwara through the villages, we were fodder to the eyes of the curious local people. When we reached home, we were taken straight into the room with heated flooring known as Hamam and treated with Namkeen chai (salted tea) and some local snack.
The evening circle was held in the comfort of this room. If you are wondering what a circle is, it’s the evening meeting, discussing the day, appreciating the good things that happened, and the space – where you can vent out the frustration or anger about what you didn’t like. We had warned Arshid not to prepare a heavy dinner as we were light eaters. The evening session of drinking took place in the privacy of Nidhi’s room as a mark of respect to our host being a Muslim family. After a long time enjoyed sleeping on the mattresses laid on the floor and it was a good night’s sleep with me sharing the room with Santosh, Ashlyn, and Ajesh, sleeping in a row.
Day 3, 21st Feb. It was a big day for us as we would be just along the LOC where River Neelam is the boundary. The day began with a quick breakfast of Poha, prepared by Nidhi. We all assembled on time near the cars as in the evening meeting it was emphasized that the timekeepers had not done a good job the previous day. Arshid and his friend Showkat were joining us in Showkat’s Thar on this leg of the trip of Kupwara-Teetwal-Tangdar-Kupwara. Post filling up fuel, the fuel station was specially opened for us as nothing opens here till 10.00 am, the convoy began the journey towards Teetwal. On the way passing through the beautiful villages and Terhgam town, we reached the military unit of Chowkibal. This was the place where Satty last commanded and has fond memories of. We were treated with some hot tea and snacks by the army personnel and they even fixed Indian tricolors on our vehicles. It was a surprise to see them so enthusiastic about our trip. Thanking them for their warmth and hospitality, we began our ascent towards the Nasta Chun pass, or locally called the Sadhna pass. We were thoroughly surprised to see the number of drones the army patrols on the way had. They are used for surveillance while patrolling, but now were shooting our convoy all along the way. In fact, one army vehicle was accompanying us and recording the movement of our convoy to make a documentary for themselves. The views suddenly changed the moment we passed Chowkibal. It was snow everywhere on the mountains and besides the road.
The temperature also took a dip and we could feel the chill in the air. All cameras were out and having a field day capturing the beauty of the area. The higher we drove, the more beautiful were the views. We even got a small glimpse of the famed Bungus valley which is covered in snow and inaccessible during winter. The lead was generous enough to give us breaks whenever there was a good view and a photo opp.
With our minds refreshed and savoring the mesmerizing beauty of this virgin area, we reached the NastaChun pass. Nastachun means numb nose or cut nose in the Kashmiri dialect. It seems the wind chill is so severe at this pass that you don’t even feel your nose while touching it. Hence this name is Nastachun. There was fresh snow all around. Luckily it was a bright and clear morning and we were able to get clear views of the valley and mountain ranges on both sides of the pass. Again we were treated to hot tea and snacks by a smiling major, in charge at this pass. He in fact gave us a good briefing, showed us around, and even told us a story of the legend of “Chudel Pathar”. We were also briefed by him why the locals called this pass as Sadhna pass. During the war with Pakistan, the then-famous Bollywood actress Sadhna visited this pass to provide moral support and encourage the Indian troops. She interacted with the troops to boost their energy and morale. They have a lot of pictures of Sadhna adorning the walls of their office. A group picture at the pass with the enthusiastic Major was a must. As we would be driving through the same place on our return journey, with short goodbyes we moved on towards Teetwal. The views on this side of the pass were mind-boggling.
It was very distracting to drive with such beautiful sights in front of you. We were told earlier that the local youth of the area had organized a cultural function for us at Teetwal and a rally of cars and bikes would accompany us from Tangdar to Teetwal. They were waiting for us at the entrance of Tangdar. Small contingents of media people were ready with their mikes and cameras to know the purpose of our visit.
We were welcomed with a goody bag of snacks, water, and juice. The friendliness of the local people was so heart-warming and we were being treated like some celebrities. With the local youth on their bikes leading the convoy, we drove towards Teetwal with some awesome views around us. The valley just being on the LOC was so peaceful and doubt was created in the mind about the news we read in the media. The village of Teetwal wore a festive look on our arrival. The Brigadier of the area was present at the ground to flag us in. It looked like the whole village had assembled in the field to welcome us. After some refreshments, it was time to attend the cultural program put together by the local youth for us.
No doubt that there is no dearth of talent in any corner of our country. Be the singing or the dancing, it was top-notch and entertaining. It was such a pity to see the vehicles stop on the road and watch the program from across the LOC.
It makes you wonder how an invisible line divides the people having the same culture, speaking the same language, and eating the same type of food. Only hope that one-day peace would prevail and that invisible line is wiped off and people from both sides of the valley get to move about freely. A group picture taken with the locals and the army personnel would be the one to cherish for a long time. Bidding goodbye to our hosts we drove towards the legendary Teetwal Bridge.
This is a small walking bridge built across the river Neelam connecting the valley on either side of the LOC. We were told that this bridge was operational till article 370 was repealed last year. Once a week the bridge would be opened with immigration counters on both sides of the bridge and visa holders were allowed to cross. It is one of the 5 crossing points along the LOC between India and POK. This bridge was first constructed in 1931 but was destroyed in 1948 when Pakistan attempted to occupy Kashmir. However, in 1988, the bridge was reconstructed jointly by India and Pakistan. Our wish to get on the bridge and push across the white line a couple of inches on the bridge which is the actual LOC couldn’t be fulfilled as the gates to the bridge were locked. Our stay tonight was at the brigade of Tangdhar in the comfortable guest houses. We were going to experience the hospitality of the Indian Army firsthand as we were invited for dinner at the Officer’s mess. As we were adventure travelers, we were excused from adhering to the strict dress code followed at the officer’s mess. The discipline that is followed in the mess be it serving drinks, snacks or dinner was something new for us, civilians. The warmth and simplicity with which the Brigadier, Colonel, and Majors were mingling with us, never made us feel like we were in the midst of high-ranking officers. They were so eager to listen to our stories and reciprocate with stories of their own. Also, certain facts that the Army doesn’t only fight, but also does a lot of good things to keep the youth of the area occupied and train them for better things in life came to light. In fact, the army was arranging a district-wide cricket tournament, getting expert skiers to train the local youth, getting mountain bikes for the adventurous, etc. This was a night to cherish and would remain in our memories for a long time. We were told that there was heavy snowfall forecast on the NC pass in the morning and the roads would close. Depending upon the situation in the morning, our departure time would be decided.
Day 4, 22nd Feb. The day began with an overcast sky with clouds and mist surrounding us. The Brigade was surrounded by mountains on all sides. Standing outside our cabin with a cup of steaming tea felt like heaven. Got the news that snowfall had begun on the pass and had started accumulating. Also, there were some small avalanches en route and were getting cleared by the army personnel. Breakfast was served in our rooms and we were all gathered in the car park for the briefing for the day. It was a bit scary the way the briefing went on. We were told it would be a long day with multiple stops and slow movement due to the amount of snow on the road. We were told to keep our cool, not to panic, keep snacks handy to ensure that we would reach our destination safely. While some were anxious about the news, I was egging to go to face the day filled with adventure. Thanking our hosts for their great hospitality, the convoy began moving out of Tangdhar towards Kupwara. The check post where the ascend into the mountains began was already closed for the public. As we were prepared and equipped to face these challenges, we were let go. The previous day on the same road, it was sunny and clear and we had a beautiful view of the far-off mountains. Today it was totally covered in mist and visibility had drastically decreased. The higher we went, the thicker became the snowfall. But we reached the NC pass safely without any conflict with nature. Since the traffic was blocked, we were able to drive on virgin snowmaking serpent-like tracks. The pass, every inch covered with thick snow was looking beautiful and mesmerizing. The winds had picked up and it was a cool -7degrees at the pass.
We were again welcomed by the ever-smiling Major at the pass and we were in no mood to refuse his invitation for a hot cup of beverage and snacks. It felt so good in the heated office. The persistent snowfall didn’t allow us to waste much time at the pass. Knowing of the dangers lying ahead, we had to start moving to make sure to cater to any delays thrown at us by nature. The news that the roadblocks were cleared by the Jawans brought us some cheer. It is always trickier to drive downhill on snow-covered slippery roads. We literally had to crawl on the steep roads. Driving cautiously for an hour on the scenic but dangerous road downhill, we reached Chowki Bal and the snowfall too had subsided by then. We made it through the pass without any incident and we were thankful to Mother Nature. But in the corner of my mind, I was a little disappointed as we didn’t face any challenge we anticipated. In fact, we could have taken the old road which we had planned to take the previous day. Now the team was facing new challenges because of reaching early to Kupwara. With help of Arshid, lunch was organized in a restaurant. The mutton and the soft Naans were a good combination and made a delicious meal. We knew something was cooking looking at the tense faces of Satty and Nidhi. Only after lunch, we came to know that the tension was that the road to Keren, our destination for the next day, was closed due to heavy snowfall. Nidhi and Satty were busy pulling all the available strings to make the drive happen. Also, an emergency meeting was called, that too on the roadside in front of the restaurant. We were asked if we were ready to drive to Keren the same day before the snowfall increased and completely block the roads, to which we readily agreed. As we had been deprived of the anticipated delays and adventure this morning, we were ready for any challenges that were thrown our way. A few more minutes loitering on the roadside, we got the news that even the option of driving to Keren today had failed and The CO of the area was sticking to his guns to keep the road closed at any cost despite knowing that we were adventure seekers and were fully equipped to handle any type of travel emergencies. Here is the best part about WBB. Even before we could figure out what was happening and what would happen, after a few calls by Satty, Nidhi announced that we were back on track and would be driving to Machel the next day, which was 2 days later in our schedule. Relieved that things had fallen into place, we drove back to the palatial house, our stay for the night. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at home and the evening meeting. Knowing how good our host was at hospitality, we requested Arshid to prepare a simple dinner as we were all full after a heavy lunch. As usual, we gathered in Nidhi’s room for the pre-dinner ritual of warming up our bodies for the night with the assorted beverages in stock. Ashlyn was down this time with health issues and we really missed his company during the pre-dinner ritual. He used to be the loud guy around after 2 drinks and this time around was found sleeping whenever time permitted. Now the team had spent a few days and nights together and the camaraderie was showing. Ashish, Manish, and Vishal too were on the same page as us and we were enjoying each other’s company.
Day 5, 23rd Feb. An early departure was planned for today as we had been invited for breakfast at the RR41 battalion known as Humdarde Kupwara. As usual, it was a chilly morning and we were all ready for the morning briefing post-loading our vehicles. The crackling of the radios meant that the convoy was rolling. Arshid our host was joining us on this leg of the adventure. As usual, Satty was very informative about the area and gave us a lot of inputs. We were welcomed at the battalion by Major Puneet. As it was quite early, we were directly taken to the canteen for Breakfast. It was a good spread and I enjoyed the Aloo parathas and wadas. They even opened up the canteen stores for us and we bought some gloves, caps and other military winter wear. I bought our mechanics and lifeline on this trip, Sushil, and Manoj a pair of snow boots. The smile and happiness on their face were worth much more. The commanding officer of the Unit Colonel Navalgatti joined us for breakfast. A native of Belgaum, but settled in Bangalore, he too was thrilled to meet some Kannada-speaking folks here. We were all thrilled to see his bodyguards, slim and fit, six and a half feet tall commandos watching over us. The Col was so very cooperative and accommodating. When he heard about our change of plans due to the road closure, he suggested a challenging off-road track that goes up to Sona Pindi Galli pass also known as the SPG pass. This road is only open in summers and cut off during winters. He also offered us accommodation for the night when we return from Machel. Our team with no hesitation accepted the offer with open arms I must say. A group photo was called for with the Colonel and his men, lined up in front of our convoy of vehicles.
Upon departure, Satty and Nidhi were all smiles with this new unexpected development as the gap in the itinerary got filled up. Today we would be passing the 2nd mountain pass of our expedition known as the Zamindar Khan Galli pass popular as Z Galli. The higher we went, the better the views were getting. But soon the clouds came in and blocked all the view. As we were getting closer to the pass, the weather gods decided to test us with heavy snowfall.
Getting through the snow became a challenge as we hadn’t installed our snow chains yet. The pass was closed for the public, but we were let through. In fact, we were invited for tea at the battalion officer’s mess, courtesy of Satty. As always, the officers were very courteous and the commanding officer of the unit Col. Mahesh too joined us for the tea and snacks. It was windy at the pass and the snowfall was steady too. On the way up to the camp, one Scorpio of the media team slipped off the road in the snow and had to be winched out. This warranted us to install the snow chains on the front tyres of the vehicles. It was again a first for us to install and drive with snow chains. Sushil and Manoj had mastered the art of installing the snow chains on the previous expedition with WBB.
They even taught us how to install the chains so that in the future if required we could do it and save a lot of time. Driving down the Z Galli pass to Machhal with persistent snowfall was quite treacherous. But following the path and pace of the lead was shading us from any dangers. The only thing on these snowy roads, the concentration level of the driver needs to be 100%. One small mistake would ruin the fun of the full convoy. So steadily and slowly we inched towards Machhal Garrison soaking all the beautiful views thrown at us by Mother Nature. This is one area where Bhojpatra trees still grow. Bhojpatra known as the Himalayan Birch is an ancient tree growing in the Himalayas up to an altitude of 4500 mts. The bark of this tree was used centuries ago in India as paper for writing scriptures and texts, particularly in historical Kashmir. Books made from Bhojpatra barks are still available and usually given as gifts which are quite expensive. Deforestation has almost brought these forests to extinction. Efforts are being made to rejuvenate these forests. We were lucky to have been with Satty or else we wouldn’t have heard about these Bhojpatra forests. Our stay tonight was at Machhal Garrison, sitting barely 6 km from the LOC. We went for a short walk into the Machhal village and the village head welcomed us into his house.
It was a relief from the outside cold to sit beside the Bukhari (traditional heater) sipping hot Khawa and discussing their way of life and the challenges they face. They were thrilled to be connected to the world through the mobile tower installed by the army. Since it was peak winter, the village wore a deserted look as most of the people had migrated to the valleys to escape the harsh winter. We were using the visiting officers’ quarters for our stay. Dinner and drinks were at the officers’ mess. It was a perfect and cozy place to wind up the evening. We were lucky to have very good officers who shared some really interesting details about the area. Back in the room, each room was equipped with a kerosene heater. Water in a vessel was placed on top of the heater. The jawan told us that this water helps generate and maintain the oxygen level in the room which I am still pondering about. Hot water was supplied in buckets to us as water freezes within the pipelines. It was a comfortable place to be in a total wilderness.
Day 6. 24th Feb.
It had rained last night and Nidhi was sure that the water in the puddles would have frozen along the road and would make our drive difficult. It’s easy to drive on snow, but the ice on the road known as black ice terrorizes drivers. After a hot breakfast, the convoy rolled out towards Kupwara again. We were going through the same Z Galli pass which we had come through. The journey was short distance-wise, but the roads are very unpredictable here. The good news was that the snowfall at the pass had ceased and it wouldn’t be difficult to get through. Nidhi’s prediction came true. There was a lot of ice on the road and it was tricky to handle the vehicle. Even though we were going uphill, we had to cut down on the pace. The photographer was having a field day capturing the stunning beauty of the area at every given opportunity. It was a beautiful morning with the sun in the sky. It was so peaceful here that made me want to spend some more time in these mountains.
My partner Santosh, a retired gentleman from the corporate world, was good company on this trip. We didn’t have to rely on music in the car as we would have long conversations on various topics. When we reached the Z Galli pass, it looked like we were in Santa’s Lapland in Finland. Driving amidst the snow-covered buildings of the army unit was like we were dreaming and would wake up any moment. We didn’t stop at the pass this time and carried on the downhill. When we hit the roads where the tarmac was free of snow, it was time to remove the snow chains to prevent them from breaking. We were back at Humdarde Kupwara for Lunch. Our accommodations were around the officer’s mess. We preferred to have lunch outdoors as the weather gods were in our favor. It was a relaxed afternoon. This unit was special because there were a lot of dogs here. These dogs only recognized army uniforms and we were told not to venture out alone as the dogs would attack people not wearing uniforms. Satty had previously told us that there would be a small surprise for us here and we were waiting for it. We also had our interviews done for the beautiful video that would be prepared for this expedition. We were told that there was a beautiful meadow with small ponds on top of the hillock within the battalion and we could go for the walk there. When we reached there, the surprise we were told of was in front of us. The beautiful-looking humongous artillery Bofors guns, 6 of them were spread on the field. We had only seen them on TV and in movies and now here we were standing next to them and feeling them. We were also given a complete demo of how these humongous guns are operated including the loading of the shells. These guns are equipped to move by themselves in case they need shifting during operation. It seems that Diwali was celebrated at the border with these guns. The meadow itself was beautiful with green grass just after the snowfall season. The many ponds scattered around with the reflection of the surrounding peaks added to the beauty. It was a very interesting one hour we spent there before returning to camp. One more interesting thing that happened was Satty found Rony’s son who resembled Rony a lot. Rony was Satty’s Rottweiler dog who was with him during service and the people around confirmed it. The Colonel was hosting the dinner tonight at the mess. At our request, a pretty big Bonfire was also arranged and the evening ritual took place in the warmth of the bonfire in the company of the senior army officers of the battalion.
We got to hear some interesting stories from the Colonel himself before a sumptuous dinner was served indoors. It was time well spent on this relaxed evening. The Colonel wished us luck that night itself as he was leaving early morning to catch a flight back home.
Day 7, 25th Feb.
An interesting day lay ahead of us. We were all ready for some adventure. Bidding goodbye to our wonderful hosts, we were back on the road again. Driving on the Kupwara- Kalaroos road, we took a diversion towards Muhri. As usual, the views were mesmerizing and we were getting used to it. It was virgin territory and these roads had not seen any visitors other than the locals and the armed forces and this fact was authenticated by a local man. Two armed soldiers met us where the tarmac ended and would accompany us. To our luck, again one of the soldiers was a Kannadiga and was happy to be with us. He gave us a lot of information about the area and the terrain. We got a glimpse of how tough the life of a soldier was because they patrol these areas by foot whereas our 4-wheel drive vehicles were struggling. They even warned us not to accept anything to eat or drink from the locals as some can be hostile. We got to cross 2 clear water beautiful streams on the way. The roads were getting narrow and steep as we ascended. It was a true feeling of off-roading on these dangerous roads where one silly mistake would prove very costly.
We all struggled on a slushy slope upwards where the wheels were simply spinning and the vehicle was stationary. This was a lesson to learn about the type of tyres to be used in respective terrains. The Scorpios and our Thar were running on all-terrain tyres and gypsy on mud-terrain tyres. While the gypsys made it with ease, the Scorpios and the Thar struggled. Finally using the snow chains for traction we somehow managed to get uphill. We were all totally drenched and dirty helping the vehicles move in the slush. Manish slipped and fell flat on the ground while pushing the vehicle. The balaclava I had taken from Dubai came in handy along with a hot cup of coffee. Back again on the road, the progress was slow as we had reached the section with hairpin bends and the roads were totally covered in snow. It was clear that there hadn’t been any vehicle movement for some time there. When the convoy had found a rhythm and was moving forward, we heard Satty screaming on the radio for the convoy to stop.
The media Scorpio had slipped into the roadside gutter and I had to stop in the middle of the hairpin bend. It would take some effort for the lead car to find a place to make a u-turn and come down to do the recovery with the winch. As mine was the car behind this vehicle, we decided to tow it backward and, in a few minutes, the Scorpio was back on the road. As we had lost quite a bit of time in the slush section and recovery of the Scorpio, the lead took a call to return down as it was already afternoon and we had not even reached halfway to SPG. On top of that, we had to drive close to 4 hours to reach Watlab, our destination for the night. Once all the vehicles managed to make a U-turn on this tricky narrow road, we took a break. There was a nice little flat area with knee-deep snow where we were all playing like kids, posing for pictures, etc. we doubled it up as our lunch break too. The Ranchi boys had a good stock of Kakras, pickle, and Sev. Manish took lead in making the Kakra sandwiches with pickle and Sev.
In the middle of nowhere, we were enjoying lunch so tasty that you wouldn’t enjoy it even in a 5* hotel. After a week together, we were all so gelled, that we were taking the liberty to have lighter moments with each other. Now it was time to tread back on the treacherous path downhill. Extremely cautious the convoy drove down including the slush section where you could see the vehicles fishtailing. Amid all this drama found out that the brakes were acting funny on my Thar. I had to almost stand on the brakes to bring the vehicle to a stop. Somehow managed to reach the tarmac and the mechanics found out the problem and did a quick fix. It was not 100% but drivable, with the pumping of the brake pedal required to slow down or stop the vehicle. With Satty giving us a heads up on the radio about the oncoming traffic, I was able to control the vehicle till we reached Kupwara. While filling up fuel at the pump, Sushil and Manoj were on job rectifying the brake problem. Roughly around 30 minutes, the problem was sorted out and we were on our way to Matlab. The forest guest house had been arranged for our stay which would be for 2 nights on the banks of the famous Wullar Lake. When it was told to us that this guest house is being refurbished for us, I had thoughts that it would be a dilapidated small house. But to my surprise, it was a beautiful 2 storeyed building completely done up. Fasil Ali Dar and Arsullah Habib our hosts and caretakers were there to welcome us. We were sort of tired after a long day. But, first things first, the evening meeting went on even before we could see our rooms with some hot tea served by our hosts. We were put up on the first floor in a big dormitory which had 8 single beds. Our hosts had arranged a nice bonfire in the front garden and there we were enjoying our daily evening ritual saying cheers. After a delicious dinner with local cuisine served in the warmth of the indoors we retired to our dormitory. It was for the first time we were all sleeping in one room and the camaraderie went on till late at night.
26th Feb, day 8.
Watlab is a small town on the banks of Lake Wular. It is said that if you want to experience the real Kashmir then a trip to Watlab is a must for you. The Wular Lake is as famous as the Dal Lake in Srinagar. But due to extremist activity in the region, it’s been neglected as a tourist destination now. The lake’s size varies seasonally from 30 to 180 sq. km and is fed by the Jhelum River. The early morning view of the lake from the balcony of the guest house was so mystical. We planned to go by the lake if we reached back early in the evening.
Today we were attempting to reach Razdan pass and see Kashmir as it has never seen before. It was the 3rd pass we were attempting on the Shamshabari ridge. The road through the Razdan pass connects the famed Gurez valley to the rest of Kashmir. But thanks to the snow levels, the road is closed for6 months and open only in summer. But due to heavy snowfall for the past couple of days and forecast for more snowfall, nobody was sure about the road condition to the pass. The road was already closed to the public and opened specially for us. It was a rainy day in the valley and things could be worse up in the mountains said Nidhi. A nice hot breakfast gave us the required energy to get into our vehicles. Habib, our host at the guest house was accompanying us on today’s trip. Radio checks made sure that all vehicles were in the convoy and were moving. The road to Bandipora by the shores of Lake Wular with mighty shamshabari ridge in the background is the best drive one can ask for. The rain was falling steadily as the convoy surged forward. The views became more enchanting as we started our uphill drive in the mountains. At a vantage point, the convoy stopped for a breather and Habib was giving us an explanation about the view from the top. The valley looked so beautiful with Bandipora town by the lake and the Pir Pnajal mountain range in the background.
Habib described the beauty of the valley in a poem that I am not able to recollect now. Slowly the rainfall turned into snowfall and became thicker as we moved upwards. The road to Razdan top is labeled as one of the scariest roads in the world. The road is winding and in many places bordered by a drop of hundreds of meters unprotected by guardrails. The road certainly offers breathtaking views of the area and has a fearsome reputation too. Vivek our filmmaker was having a field day capturing everything that was possible. The views got better and better and so did the thickness of the snow on the road. The pine trees covered with snow and the pristine virgin beauty of the area brought back memories of the movies of Santa Claus.
We decided to install the snow chains when we stopped at the military checkpost, without which I doubt we could move further. When required the most, here they were the army guys serving us hot tea and pakodas. We were so used to the cold now, that nobody bothered to check on the current temperature. This was easily the best part of the drive in the past week I can say. Words can’t describe the road and pictures don’t do justice. You just have to be there to believe it. I am so thankful that I took the risk in the midst of this pandemic to make it on this trip. And as if the snowfall was not enough, Mother Nature sent down a thick blanket of mist on us to make it a complete adventure platter. We reached a point on the road where there was not a single mark on the road.
It just looked like a white carpet laid out in front of us. It was getting difficult for the lead to navigate the alignment of the road. So, Satty, with a couple of guys was walking in front of the convoy to guide the movement of the vehicles. It was a little nerve-wracking, but that is why we were here. Once the lead got used to the alignment, the guys got back into the vehicles and the convoy began rolling again. We could only go a couple of kilometers from that point. It was very time-consuming and the weather was not conducive too. The convoy stopped for lunch in the middle of nowhere. It was poori sabji for lunch which was packed and brought. While reading this you can’t help imagining us having lunch on the snow-covered road in the midst of tall pine trees, thick mist enveloping us and to top it all a steady snowfall. We were living a dream till the leader asked us to decide whether to continue ahead or return back as we had lost quite some time. As nothing could get better than it already was and we had already thoroughly enjoyed the drive, we voted in favor of returning back. Knowing that we would never be back on this road and in these conditions, we enjoyed our drive back too.
Once we were back on the tarmac without snow, it was time to dismantle the snow chains. Always return drives are boring, but not in our case. My partner Santosh Ojha and I had so many topics to talk about; we would be surprised that we had reached our destination.
The brigadier of the area, again Satty’s batch mate visited us at the guest house and spent some time with us. Fasil and Habib had arranged for a delightful surprise that evening. A local singer, Muntasir Nissar, blind by birth, made our evening a memorable one with his soulful Kashmiri songs. We were also served the famous local trout from the Wular Lake for dinner. It was the best way to wind up an adventure drive before returning to Srinagar the next day.
27th Feb, Day 9.
We woke up to the thunderous sound coming from the tinned roof due to the heavy rainfall. The view of the lake from the balcony in heavy rain was so soothing. The vehicles too were getting cleaned due to the downpour. Here I should appreciate our whisky 1, the Thar who behaved so well in these adverse conditions and kept us safe on all the dangerous roads without making much fuss. With the majority of my expeditions done on these Mahindra vehicles, and not one failing me, I have become a fan of these. A special breakfast was arranged for us with Harees, kebab, and roti. It’s usually a heavy breakfast for us, but it’s the one that gives energy to the people living in the mountains ahead of a tough day. Even though I have had Harees in Dubai before, this was simply incomparable and delicious. The secret I think is in the Kashmiri spices. By the time we were ready to bid goodbye to this heavenly place, the rain had stopped and it had started snowing. Yes, we had seen snowfall in the mountains, but it was the first in the valley. We had been invited for a brunch by one more army battalion and so we could afford a little late start this morning. Even though it was snowing, our enthusiastic hosts wanted a group picture and we readily obliged.
The lead car wipers decided to have some fun and stopped working. So they had to manually clean the windshield every now and then which hindered our progress. A good one hour’s drive in these conditions was not less than any adventure. Finally, we were in Srinagar and navigating the narrow lanes to reach Nigeen Lake where we would be staying 2 nights on a luxurious houseboat.
A hot shower after a couple of days was so welcoming. Today’s evening meeting would be a little long one to conclude this wonderful and memorable expedition. It was so overwhelming to listen to all the personal testimonies. Yes, we had made good friends on this trip. We had to be forcibly sent to the dining room for dinner as they had to close the kitchen. After dinner, we all spent a lot of time on the boat deck reminiscing the last 9 days we had spent together and the candid moments. After many days we got to sleep in luxury.
1st March, Day 10. A late start was announced for the day as it was a day of leisure. An early morning trip at 5. am to the floating market was organized, but most of us opted out except Ajesh. We didn’t miss the morning trip as Ajesh had brilliantly captured the journey to the floating market on the Shikara with the first rays of the sun kissing the glistening waters of Dal Lake.
Ashish was leaving us this morning as he was to attend to some urgent work. After a lazy breakfast, the team boarded 3 shikaras and began an hour-long journey to the shores of Dal Lake. Nigeen lake and Dal lake are connected by a number of canals and are navigable. The owner of the shikaras Tariq was with us and was explaining the things around. It was such a peaceful ride watching the reflections of the mighty Himalayas in the calm waters of the lake while the shikhara glided effortlessly. Our Shikara driver was an old man and has been paddling the shikara for a long time. He even lent us his hukka, a local version of sheesha which we all tried.
We also got to witness the local people fishing and collecting lotus root from the bed of the lake which is a local delicacy widely used in the valley. Our first stop was by the papier-mache factory and showroom on the shore of the lake. Papier Mache is an art handed over from generations and the owner has been in this trade right from childhood. Kashmiri papier mache is a handicraft of Kashmir that was brought by Muslim saint Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani from Persia in the 14th century to India. It is based primarily on paper pulp and is a richly decorated, colorful artifact; generally, in the form of vases, bowls, cups, boxes, trays, bases of lamps, and many other small objects. The prices can range from hundreds to thousands of Rupees based on the size and decoration. A good bargainer is required while shopping here, as exorbitant prices are quoted to tourists. We were given a full demonstration of how these artifacts are made.
It’s a laborious process and worth the money. Our group gave them good business as everyone bought some memorabilia.
On the way to Dal Lake, we also got to see the floating vegetable gardens in the lake. I learn that the floating gardens are built from two types of weeds found in Dal Lake and locally known as pech and nargasa. Boatmen weave the weeds together into floating mats that form the base of the garden. Layers of pruned weeds are added and in three years a 2m thick, 3m wide, and 45 m long raft is formed. The sizes of course may wary. There are 2 types of floating gardens, Raadh and Demb. The radh is a mobile floating garden, ideal for growing tomatoes, melons, pumpkin, and cucumber. The demb is static, built either along the shore or in the shallows. Farmers grow almost every variety of vegetables on them. We got to see crops of turnip, radish, carrot which are winter crops, and melons, tomato, cucumber, and pumpkin are grown in the summer. Finally, we had reached the famous cornice of Dal Lake. Thanks to the easing of the lockdown, Srinagar and the usual touristy places were full of tourists. For the first time, there has been so much footfall in Kashmir in the month of February, and hotels and houseboats are fully booked during weekends. It was already time for lunch and we were in a mood for having a beer with lunch as we were not driving. But unfortunately, Srinagar doesn’t have Bar and restaurants and we had to settle down for some lassi and Biryani at a well-known restaurant.
After lunch, we visited the famous Shafee Carpet emporium. We were shown how the carpets are weaved on the loom by hand. We learned many things about how carpets are classified and priced. Higher the number of knots per square inch, the higher the price. In their showroom, carpets with 320 knots to 3600 knots were shown to us. I almost bought a carpet of 2400 knots, but somehow managed to wriggle out of the deal at the last minute. Ashlyn and Ajesh bought carpets which were very good business for the shop in these tough times. Fortunately, the owner of the carpet shop and houseboat we were staying in was the same and he drove us back to the houseboat in his vehicle. After some relaxation and packing our stuff, we all again assembled for our last supper before our departure. Some of them had early morning departures. A Kashmiri Wazwan feast was prepared for us this night. It’s not a simple meal, but a ceremony. Guests are seated in a group of 4 on a dastarkhawn (white sheet) and share the meal in a Traem (Big plate). We were not having Wazwan the traditional way and had individual plates on the dining table. The food was finger-licking good and we had a good 10 varieties served. A few of us lingered out on the deck of the board reminiscing the days we had spent together.
2nd March, Day 12. It was time to bid goodbye to our friends who were departing. Nidhi had arranged for our PCR tests in the houseboat itself which were required to fly back to Dubai. Hence we had stayed back for one extra day. We had planned to do some sightseeing around Srinagar. Tariq had agreed to show us around. We visited a heritage furniture shop full of antic hand-carved furniture, the Hazratbal shrine, and the Moghul gardens. The gardens were still just coming out of winter and there was not much to see.
The tulip season and the gardens are in full bloom during April which coincides with the peak tourist season. Hence, we decided against the visit to the other famous gardens. After lunch, we headed back to the homestay where Nidhi and the team were staying after vacating the houseboat. The evening was spent discussing the future endeavors of WBB and a nice dinner prepared by our host Mehraj, washed down with a good number of beverages.
One more expedition had come to an end. We had seen the Kashmir valley never seen by regular tourists. Thanks to Nidhi and Satty, for pulling every string possible to make this expedition happen. The hospitality we received at the military camps we stayed in and the stay with the local family at Kupwara are unforgettable. It would be unfair if I don’t mention our filmmaker Vivek here. While we were enjoying the drive, he was busy running around capturing every minute detail with his camera, video camera and drone be it snow, rain, or wind. The title of adventure filmmaker definitely suits him and the final film he put out is proof of it. Sushil and Manoj, our mechanics and backbone of this expedition surely deserve a mention in this write-up. These boys, who know the vehicles right up their palms, are full of energy. Any technical issue is handled right at the spot and make sure that nothing stops the movement of the convoy. The expertise they showcased installing the snow chains with their bare hands in freezing temperatures is worth a mention. Once the drive for the day is done and we are settling in the rooms, these boys are busy prepping the vehicles for the next day. All I can do is wish them the best. Santosh Ojha, my partner on this expedition, is the best partner one can ask for. I thank him for letting me do most of the driving on this expedition. We always had something to talk and there was never a dull moment in the car except for a few moments during his afternoon nap. I am looking forward to having him as my partner again. Ashlyn, Ajesh, and I have become a team now after a number of expeditions together. We have gelled so well together, that we don’t have to discuss things to prepare for an expedition, it just happens. I am hoping for many more expeditions together with these two guys. It was nice to meet and get to know the Ranchi boys Ashish, Manish, and Vishal. They too have been on the road on various expeditions and it was good to listen to their experiences. We also got to hear about some rally experiences from Ashish. I have made friends with so many all over the globe from these expeditions. When Nidhi and Satty asked me what they should change to make the expedition better, my answer was, don’t change anything. Keep it the same and run it the way you are doing it. Nidhi and Satty are great planners and plan every little movement during their Recce. As said earlier during the Kyrgyzstan expedition, where participants are treated as team members and not guests, and with it come some responsibilities. They take us to such secluded places where we would never dream to venture and luxury can only be a desire on such trips. The exactly know what they are doing and while signing up for such drives, we know we are in safe hands. And I can proudly say that I have become part of the WBB family. I am sure to be part of many more ground-breaking expeditions with WBB.
Even though I was advised by many not to be part of any expedition during these covid times, I think it was the best decision I made to be on this expedition as I was confident and fully vaccinated. North Kashmir was the perfect location. Every other beauty simply vanishes or feels less when you once see how beautiful North Kashmir is. The valley, the mountains, and the river- everything about the stunning land continues to elevate its beauty at all the junctions throwing new surprises. By the end of it, we found that the valley is peaceful and the people here too want peace and stability which would bring them prosperity.
Glad to have met Tariq, Arshid, Showkat, Fasil, and Habib on this expedition who have become good friends now and are in touch. I surely will visit this place again to enjoy the beauty of the valley in the summers. Waiting for the world to open up post-pandemic and get back to traveling. Will be back writing about my next adventure very soon with this quote.
“TRAVELING ALLOWS YOU TO BECOME SO MANY DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF YOURSELF”
You May Also Like
Authentic Bhutan Road Trip with Mahindra Adventure
Solo Self Drive through Georgia-2018
