The Nanga Parbat from the Kashmir Valley

Nanga Parbat from Gulmarg

The Nanga Parbat Massif is the Western anchor of the Great Himalayan Range which stretches from here right upto the Namche Barwa in the East. At 8126 m its also the Ninth Highest Mountain on the Planet and for many Years in the 1800s when Western Explorers first came across this Mountain was considered the highest Mountain in the World. Its local name is Diamer or Deo Mir. One wouldnt blame them due to the sheer perpendiculairty of the Rupal face of the Mountain. The Nanga Parbat Massif consists of a number of different Peaks with the Nanga Parbat being the Highest.

The Peaks of the Nanga Parbat Massif marked

Of course due to the play of History and Politics the Nanga Parbat lies in a part of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir which is under illegal occupation by our Neighbourso we cant really get close to the Peak. But thank God for small mercies that we still have places in the Kashmir Valley from where we can view the "Killer Mountain", named so because of the sheer difficulty it presents to Mountaineers that try and climb this Peak as well as a reference to the great number of People who have lost thier lives while trying to climb this Mountains. Anyways mentioning below a few places in the Kashmir Valley from where one can view the Nanga Parbat.

The Nanga Parbat from the Razdan Pass

First and foremost probably the best view of the complete Massiff is from Gulmarg. Gulmarg is a Meadow in the Pir Panjals at the South Western end of the Valley and the Great Himalayan Range is right across the Valley. Infact technically the Nanga Parbat should be visible from other Meadows in the Pir Panjal. In Gulmarg there is a point called the Nanga Parbat viewpoint. Of course if you move higher to Kongdori or Khilanmarg the view just gets better. Actually even from points below Gulmarg like Kunzer for example you can see the Nanga Parbat on a clear day. Ive even seen an captured the Nanga Parbat while coming down from Tosa Maidan.

The Nanga Parbat on the Horizon while around Gogaldhara

Another point which has great views of the Nanga Parbat is the Zamindar Gali or the Z Gali which connects th rest of the Valley to the Machil area. Actually the Nanga Parbat is visible from all high Points on the Shamshabari Mountains as beyond these Mountains it is by far the most formidable Mountain and dwarfs the entire Geography around. On the Zamindar Gali alos there is a Nanga Parbat view point as well as an observation Tower built for the same.

Hidden in the clouds as seen from the Shamshabari Mountains

Then another place from where you can see the Nanga Parbat is the Razdan Top which connects Kashmir with Gurez. Though only the tip of the Mountain is visible and very few people are aware of the exact point where its visible from. Infact the first time I had gone looking for the Nanga Parbat from the Razdaan Pass I had to use all my Knowledge of Mountain Geography and ofcourse an app helped but still took us sometime to get a view of the Giant. However most peopl who go to Gurez miss this great sight because someone hsto point it out to you otherwise you will just miss it.

A Pic taken from a Flight

Last but not the least you can catch a glimpse of this Giant when your Flight takes off from Srinagar and the day is clear and you know which side to look. Again it just appears for a moment before the Aircraft usually takes a turn towards the opposite direction.

From Gulmarg

Hopefully on your next Trip to Kashmir you would be able to get a Glimpse of this outstanding Mountain.

Guide to Catch a Snowfall !

Guide to Catch a Snowfall!

One of the most frequently asked Questions here has to be this one :

Q. I am travelling to XYZ in ABC month. Will I be able to see snow ?

A. First thing you need to do is differentiate between "Snow" and "Snow Fall". Snow is usually available in some form or the other near the Hill Stations through-out the year. But Snow Fall happens during the winters. I assume when most people say "Snow" they refer to the witnessing the falling of Snow and not the dirty muddy pieces of icy snow that they pass off as snow at places like Rohtang in the Summers just to take the tourists for a ride. So you need to get the facts right and plan accordingly.

The best way to plan for seeing a Snow Fall to do is check with the forecasts on various Internet websites and compare the forecasts. If a majority forecast snowfall then there is a good chance of snow. Also check the minimum and maximum temperatures for that period. If the day time temperature is around 4 degrees C or lower and its cloudy, the precipitation would likely be in the form of Snow. It might initially start as rain and then turn into sleet and finally into snow. And if it starts raining in the night it would be good chance that you would wake up to a white morning with a shroud of silence around that only a snowfall could bring.

In the Himalayan context it usually snows at the better known Hill Stations mostly in December, January and February. There could be snowfalls out of this period as well but 80% of the snowfalls take place in this season at Hill Stations with an altitude of upto around 2000 meters. There of course can be freak Snowfalls which might extended into April. At altitudes beyond this level it could snow (as in a snow fall) from October to April. And above 3000 meters it could snow all round the year once the conditions are ripe.

I give you an example of the Snowfalls in Kashmir in 2017 which might give you an idea as I was personally present on these occasions of Snowfalls and hence remember them quite well.

The first Snowfall that I witnessed in Kashmir was on, believe it or not April 6th when we had freak Snowfall in Srinagar itself though it was quite brief but still unusual.

The first heavy Snowfall of the Winter season I witnessed in Gulmarg where it snowed in the first Week of November. The first Snowfall of that season in Srinagar occured on December 12th. And then there was a Snowfall in the second Week on February, 2018.

In between it was Snowing regularly in the higher reaches like Gulmarg. That's no surprise, Gulmarg being in the Pir Panjals gets the heaviest snow as no where in the Himalayas does it snow as much as in the Pir Panjals.

You need to keep an eye out for the Western Disturbance which comes from the Mediterranean side and causes Snowfall especially in the Valley and the Western Himalayas.

Just adding a pic of a snowfall in February 2018. As seen in Badamwari.

PS : We at, Travel The Himalayas are organising "Snowfall" special Tours, which are tailored specifically keeping in mind the Weather patterns historically and combining them with real time Data from the Indian Meteorological department and other Weather forecasting Websites. Its your best chance of catching a Snowfall. Do get in touch if interested.

https://travelthehimalayas.com/kashmir-in-winters

The Best of Kashmir in Pics

The Hazratbal Shrine besides the Dal Lake

A Collection of some of the best pics showcasing the beauty of Kashmir. Truly "Paradise on Earth"

The Pir Panjals as seen from Rajbagh in Srinagar

The Jamia Masjid in Down Town Srinagar

Sun comes out after a day of Snowfall in Gulmarg. The Apharwat Mountain glistens

The Jehlum as it flows down Srinagar. The Shankaracharya Hill with the Temple in the background.

A Horse drinks at the Pond at the ruins of the Temples at Naranag

Somewhere in the Jungles above Bandipora

Near the Dachigam National Park

Shikaras on the Dal Lake during a Snowfall

The Dal Lake

In full bloom in Gulmarg

The Rani Temple in Gulmarg with Mt.Haramukh in the background

The Lidder River near Pahalgam

The Monster of the Snows : Rolba 1500

The Monster of the Snows : Rolba 500

That yellow Machine on the top is a Rolba 1500 with a Massive Snow Blowing Capacity used for clearing heavy snows.

The Snow Warriors with the Monster Rolba 1500, the destroyer of the snows. Swiss engineering at its best. Snow blowers are amazing machines.

The robust Rolba 1500 is designed for snow clearance on mountain passes and airports. This machine’s optimized weight distribution allows it to drive excellently uphill on snow! It is used in India at places like Gulmarg, Rohtang and Zojila Passes.

Rolba 1500 Specs
Clearing Performance: over 3,500 t/h
Clearing Width: 250 cm / 98 in
Clearing Height in one pass: 4.9 ft
Ejection Range: over 130 ft
Turning Radius: 17.2 ft
Clearing Speed: up to 25 mph
Road Speed: up to 31 mph
Engine Output: 442 hp
Fuel Tank: 132 gal
Weight: approx. 23,000 lbs
Drive: Infinite hydrostatic traction and clearing drive. 

Pic from February 2017. Aru Pahalgam Road, Kashmir

The Nanga Parbat

The Nanga Parbat

The Kashmir Valley with a gallery of Peaks in the background. These Peaks belong both to the main Himalaya as well as the Zanskar Range. Visible in the pic from the left are the Kotwal Peak, the Harwar Peak, the Mahadev and the highest Peak of the Valley, the Kolahoi Peak and the Buttress Peak to its right.

Below in the Valley floor you can see the road which comes from Srinagar to Gulmarg as it snakes it’s way up the Valley. This view of the KashmirHimalaya is from the Pir Panjals where Gulmarg is located.

Not in the pic to the left are the Haramukh and further left is the Nanga Parbat Massif. To the right of the pic are the Nun Kun and the Peaks of the Kishtwar Himalaya like the Brahma. Of course you have to be a lucky person to get clear weather and get to see all Peaks. While I was there I could never really see much to the right of the Kolahoi.

In your next trip to Gulmarg (whenever that is) please try and capture these Himalayan giants.

Pic from April 2016. Gulmarg, Kashmir.

The Inglorious Bastards of the Pir Panjals

The Inglorious Bastards of the Pir Panjals

It was early morning when the phone rang. It was a cold winter’s morning and it was snowing outside. As I struggled out of bed to pick up the phone the last thing I imagined was that I would get vital information about the most wanted canine outlaw of the Western Himalayas. Jagawar aka Jaggu aka Jaggu Satrangi aka Jags Caninleone.

On the other side was an informer who told me about Jaggu and his dog friday, Carlos the Jackal, being seen in the snows of Gulmarg. As the Sub Inspector in charge of the Canine Crimes Group this was the chance I was looking for. If I could get hold of Jaggu I could finally become an Inspector and maybe Basanti would then agree to marry me.

I put on my clothes, a t shirt, a half sleeves sweater, sweatshirt, a jacket and another jacket. Gulmarg snow season is cold and it’s there where all these Gangsters hideout. But I was a man in a mission and Jaggu was firmly in my cross hairs.

Last seen near one of the Ski lifts, Jaggu was armed and dangerous. And more so Carlos the Jackal, always ready to fight till the end for Jaggu. I needed to proceed with caution. But someone needed to do the job and I was the man for the job. And I could already hear Basanti saying yes to my marriage proposal.

And then came the time of reckoning. Out in the distance near the Ski lift I spotted Jaggu and Carlos. Planning their next heist, their next kill, their next hit. But they seemed to be frolicking in the snow like little kids. Who could have imagined that these were the Inglorious Bastards of the Pir Panjals having taken over the canine underworld after eliminating the heads of seven criminal canine families.

And then I decided to take the bull by the horn and called out to Jaggu and Carlos. We had met before but at that time Jaggu was an innocent six months old Puppy far removed from the murky crime world. He responded. I think he still remembered the butter chicken leg that I gave him.

The dangerous duo trotted towards me. I knew there was danger but I had to take the risk. And then they were upon me. And I asked him his name. He didn’t respond. I asked again in English knowing how conscious these Gangstas was. No reply again. I asked in Kashmiri. And then in Punjabi and assured him no harm will come upon him.

But Jaggu the crime lord, the name a mother would take to scare a crying child to stop crying, would say nothing. Like a Costa Nostra of the Pir Panjals. There was something Sicilian in the air. He just looked at me with his big beautiful eyes. And Carlos was all the time giving me the look, ready to pounce.

It was then that I realized that I should let these Inglorious Bastards be. Let them roam the snows of the Pir Panjals. There time wasn’t up yet and maybe the Almighty had deemed these devils to roam and spread terror in the Western Himalayas.

My marriage to Basanti would probably have to wait.

The Inglorious Bastards of the Pir Panjals won this round. But only this time.