Monthly Archives: May 2008

Kolahoi - trek to Glacier, Trekking & Camping

Trekking routes around Pahalgam to reopen

4 Comments

Pahalgam is the starting point of some of the best that trekking can offer in the Himalayas. Trekking to Kolahai Glacier is a dream come true – and their are potential treks to across the ranges to Sonamarg and even Ladakh for the brave. Besides, there are many day treks originating in Pahalgam for the novices, like hiking to Basisaran or to Chunasar and Mansar lakes, or not to forget to Sheshnag or all the way to Amarnath Cave.

These trekking routes have been for all practical purposes closed to tourists and serious trekkers due to the security situation. Basically no one would venture. Well, all that seems to on verge of a massive change, going by this news item covered by Arif Shafi Vani of GreaterKashmir:

Srinagar, May 13: The breathtaking snow-clad mountains of Kashmir that were closed for the past 18 years for ‘security reasons’ would soon be thronged by foreign mountaineers and trekkers, if all goes well.   
 To attract tourists and promote adventure sports, the government has given green signal to the Tourism department to market the traditional trekking and mountaineering routes, including troops-dominated peaks of Sonamarg and Pahalgam.
 The routes were unofficially closed with the onset of militancy in early 90s. The mountaineers, mostly foreigners, could not freely undertake trekking on routes like Kolahai, Tattakuti and Gangabal due to heavy presence of troops.  
 “The traditional mountaineering and trekking routes of the Valley will be opened for promoting the adventure sports, which is gaining popularity among the tourists. We have to keep on experimenting and offer something new to the tourists to attract them to Kashmir. Some famous peaks have the potential to make the Valley one of the best mountaineering destinations,” joint director Tourism, Sarmad Hafeez told Greater Kashmir.
 Hafeez said a team from International Mountaineering Federation (IMF) recently made on the spot assessment of the Valley’s trekking and mountaineering destinations. Another team, Access and Conservation Commission visited trekking spots in famous tourist resort of Aru in Pahalgam.
 “The team was highly impressed and promised to go for massive promotion of the routes. As a first step, the IMF has decided to celebrate its golden jubilee year in the Valley and 90 mountaineers from various countries are scheduled to participate in the event,” Hafeez said.
 Officials said high-profile mountaineers and trekkers are scheduled to participate in the IMF celebrations, which includes trekking, here from May 15.
 The Tourism department has set up tourist trekking hire shops on various peaks. “We are receiving inquiries from various countries about out preparedness to host their mountaineers. We are geared up to host any mountaineering event. The mountaineers, trekkers or tourists intending to trek the peaks will get all facilities, including the gear and equipments at nominal charges,” Hafeez said.
 Rauf Tramboo, general secretary of the JK Ski and Mountaineering Association, said, “Heavy domination of peaks by troops scares trekkers and mountaineers. We have to seek permission from the Army to undertake trekking. Ironically, in most of the cases the request is rejected on trivial grounds and it discourages the trekkers. Government needs to look at this aspect.”
 Tramboo said the travel advisories from different countries during past decade had also forced the trekkers to remain away from the Valley. “As Jammu and Ladakh were exempted from the advisories, it remained a hub for global trekkers. I hope that the magnificent mountains of the Valley would soon get its share of trekkers,” Tramboo said. 
 Carin Fisher, a consultant on tourism to the state government said the restoration of trekking routes would boost inflow of tourists to the Valley.
 “Kashmir has been projected as a trekking paradise. The initiative of the state Tourism department to restore trekking is timely in view of the similar facilities in neighboring states. But there is dire need to market it,” Fisher said.

Amarnath Yatra, Lodging

Amarnath Yatris may be allowed to stay in Pahalgam Hotels

Amarnath Yatris normally stay in Nunwan camp just outside of Pahalgam, and they have to hike all the way up to Pahalgam to just visit the beautiful Place (which is enroute to Amarnath yatra anyways). Because they don’t stay in Pahalgam proper, its a loss for the locals as well so they cannot reap much economic benefits. And of course its Yatris’ loss as they so close to Pahalgam, yet not in Pahalgam. The situation might change this year…..IT SHOULD.

Read what came out in News today: merinews.com – TRADERS IN Pahalgam, the traditional base for the annual Amranath Yatra, have decided to offer huge discounts to pilgrims making the yatra this year through the traditional route. They also sought the support of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) in carving out a bigger role for the local business community.

In a meeting with the chief executive officer, SASB, Dr Arun Kumar, the Pahalgam Hotel Association said that it was ready to slash down tariff drastically, bringing it at par with the rates of tent accommodation. It also appealed that no one should be stopped from staying in their hotels during the yatra period.
The chairman of the association, Javed Burzza said that the hoteliers have all along extended hospitality to the pilgrims as this pilgrimage has been the only silver lining during the peak of militancy when tourist influx to the valley was almost zero. “It will not be an exaggeration to say that our sustenance during that period was due to Amarnathji pilgrimage,” he added.
The association said that it was not averse to having Nunwan as base camp but it should not be at the cost of hoteliers, whose business has suffered immensely during the past few years. They complained that the security exercise had created various obstacles in carrying out their vocation and called for its streamlining.
On his part, Kumar reiterated that the board wants massive local participation in the yatra and it will continue to remove obstacles in its way. He said that the law and order and security did not come under the ambit of the shrine board. However, it said that it will take up issues projected by the association at appropriate levels to enable maximum utilisation of the already available hotel accommodation in Pahalgam during the yatra period.
He appreciated the gesture of various trading association that have been meeting him for the past few days and gave an overview of measures being taken to elicit the local participation in yatra management like house keeping, distribution of prasad made of local ingredients, watch and ward, road and track maintenance and provision of various utility services.
Kumar suggested setting up of a tourist reception centre in Nunwan base camp with representatives of hoteliers and other associations for taking care of their interests during the yatra.

Tourist Information

Reliance to launch mobile phone services in Pahalgam and other places

10 Comments

Reliance Communications is planning to launch its mobile phone services in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, including Pahalgam in next couple of months.
A top company source told Business Standard that Reliance would emerge as the most favourite cellular service provider in the state, with its extensive network not only in the Jammu and Kashmir region but in entire Ladakh, bordering China. With its 700 towers, the company has managed to cover even the remote areas of Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Rajouri, Uri, Kupwara, Baramulla and Leh-Ladakh.

Reliance has covered the entire national highway right from Lakhanpur at Punjab border to Srinagar and Uri. It has also laid reliance network chord (R-chord) to provide quality internet services to its customers in J&K. This chord has already been laid from Punjab border to Jammu, Srinagar and up to Sonamarg which is on the Srinagar-Leh highway.

All the major tourist destinations including Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Patnitop and Yusmarg have been covered besides important pilgrimage sites including Katra Mata Vaishnodevi, Chara-e-Sharief, Khir Bhawani. Those visiting Shri Amarnath ji pilgrimage would also benefit from the service to larger extent.

The broad band facility to the customers will be available shortly after the launch of cellular service. It has started the process of erecting 144 towers in the Ladakh region where no other private player could reach so far. A special team of experts in the Reliance Group are in Kashmir to supervise work on this most difficult mountainous region of Ladakh.