October in the mountains is unforgettable. The mountains are moving from autumn to winter. The forest trees are sprinkled with snow, and the grasslands begin to form their bed of snow. The skies are clear during this time, and views from the summit are incredible. We’ve seen some amazing pictures from the Everest Base Camp via Gokyo Ri, and the Buran Ghati Trek in this contest.

Everest Base Camp via Gokyo Ri – Nand Kishore Pandey

The Winner of the Trekker’s Choice Award

That’s all for this month. Stay tuned to our website for updates about the next photo contest.

Announcing Winners of October 2019 Trek Photographer Contest

Tourism has always been a mainstay of Kashmir’s economy. But the 90’s and early 2000’s witnessed a near total collapse of the industry. Few tourists, apart from devout yatris to the ancient Amarnath shrine, opted for Kashmir; instead, they preferred to vacation elsewhere. Undying political unrest and violent insurgency has changed the very image of the state. However, over the past couple of years, there has been a steady, albeit slow, rise in the number of trekkers and tourists in the region.

But is Kashmir really safe for trekking? 

“Heading to Kashmir is not as easy a decision to make as travelling to any other part of the country,” opines Sandhya UC,  who has been trekking in Kashmir since 2011.

“I get lots of calls from anxious trekkers and parents, questioning the safety of Kashmir. Although one cannot vouch for the safety of the region, we do reassure them that life is quite normal in Kashmir. Yet, it is better to be prudent,” adds Prathima Chhabria, the mountain coordinator at Indiahikes.

Indiahikes has been running treks in Kashmir for over three years now. The mountains have always been incident-free. Though there were a few sporadic curfews and stone-pelting incidents at Srinagar and Kangan (a small town en route to Sonamarg), the teams managed to safely tide over these incidents with adequate precautions. “When such incidents occur, we simply halt all vehicle movements and resume only when things calm down. Besides, in Kashmir, there are CRPF check posts every few hundred metres on the highway, while driving to our base camps,” says Sandhya.

Izzat Yaganagi, green trails co-coordinator of Indiahikes, who was also part of the Kashmir Great Lakes exploratory team, shares her take on the matter. “Kashmir is magical. Once on the trek, it’s complete wilderness. We felt protected as we were manned by four army camps. There was no feeling of trouble or fear. The army folk were very warm and welcoming. They made us chai, played music and were very happy to meet people from different places. We felt very safe amidst them.  If there is any hint of trouble near the army camp, we wait at the army camps. Only once the army gives us a green signal, do we move ahead. The army officers are strict about rules. They ask for proof of identification of all trekkers to ensure there are no infiltrators,” says Izzat.

This year, Indiahikes introduced the Tarsar Marsar trek, which goes through the interiors of Kashmir, from Aru to Homwas. “It’s true that Kashmir is a troubled state. But trouble occurs closer to the border areas. Both our treks are away from the borders, and they’re as safe as any other trek in India,” says Arjun Majumdar, who explored the Tarsar Marsar trek in July 2014.

While Kashmir can never be a Himachal or Uttarakhand, it has become a lot more normal over the past few years. In 2014, 900 trekkers registered with Indiahikes to trek in Kashmir alone. Discernibly, tourism is growing and so is the number of trekkers. The economic survey conducted by the government of J&K declared that a total of 11.71 lakh tourists visited the Kashmir valley in the year 2013-14. This is a huge improvement from the figures of previous years.

Despite two state elections and the devastating floods that hit the region in September 2014, Kashmir hosted more than 20,000 tourists each month post the floods, said Talat Parvez, Director Tourism, Kashmir in a statement to the press. The tourism department, along with other stakeholders, are taking up a number of new initiatives to put the sector back on track. “We are doing everything to spread the message loud and clear that destination Kashmir is as normal and pristine as it was before the floods,” Pervez said.

So, if your heart is set on visiting Kashmir, go for it. Be prudent, but don’t let anxiety paralyze your decision. After all, there is only one heaven on Earth. We call it Kashmir.

If you’re staying overnight at Srinagar, stay in touristy areas like Dal Lake or Lal Chowk.

Blend in with the crowd in terms of dressing and behavior.

Don’t panic if there is a curfew. Keep calm and wait for it to pass.

If you have any more queries, don’t hesitate to write to us at info@indiahikes.in.

A lot of people have doubts about whether trekking in Kashmir is safe. Here is an article to solve all your doubts.

Is trekking in Kashmir safe?

Please note that this is a special trek designed for stargazing enthusiasts. The trek fee is slightly more than the regular fee. Know more about the trek here. 

This is a trek specially designed for trekkers above 58 years. The trek fee is Rs 3000 more than the regular fee (Please note this is only for Himalayan treks) Know more about the trek here. 

Please note that this is a special trek. The trek fee is Rs 3000 more than the regular fee. Know more about the trek here. 

Please note that the family treks are meant for families with a child/children under 14 years of age. If you do not fit this criteria, you can register for any of our regular groups. Read more about family treks here.

You are joining our waitlist. Your chances of getting a confirmation are high, but not certain. We will notify you as soon as a trekker cancels their trek.

When we brought out new trails in Indian trekking, safety came with us. Back in 2012, we were the first to introduce microspikes, and two years later, pulse oximeters became standard thanks to us. Nobody does safe treks like Indiahikes. In the mountains, emergencies don't care who you're with – everyone knows that when trouble hits, you look for the yellow tents of Indiahikes.

We are India’s safest trekking organisation

We are pioneers in trekking. Since 2007, we have brought out treks that have become India's most famous treks: Roopkund, Rupin Pass, Buran Ghati, Kedarkantha, Kashmir Great Lakes, Tarsar Marsar, Brahmatal, Phulara Ridge—the list goes on. In 2023 alone, we brought out five new treks in Indian trekking. We know treks better than anyone. This comes directly from the reason why Indiahikes was born: to bring out trek information and enable trekkers to trek on their own.

We are pioneers of treks in India

More than 25,000 people trek with us every year. We are the largest trekking organisation in India. 24% of our trekkers come back to trek with us every year. Over 4,000 students from the top educational institutions trek with us every year. Aside from this, families with children choose to trek with Indiahikes knowing that our treks are the safest. We have taken over 8000 children trekking so far, and the number continues to grow. 

We are India’s largest trekking organisation

We focus on designing transformative experiences. Our trek leaders conduct thought-provoking exercises that help you reflect and contemplate. This impact stays with you for a long time. Trekkers return feeling energised, more confident, or developing abilities to deal with difficulties. Many have changed careers, rethought their core values, become more humble, shown gratitude to others, or started a new fitness journey. 

Our treks are transformative

Since 2012, we have pioneered sustainable practices that have become standard in trekking. Using eco-bags, our trekkers have cleared over 120 tonnes of litter from the mountains. We do not carry packaged foods; instead, we serve freshly made food. We do not light campfires; we carry coal to light angethis to keep you warm. Our bio-toilets not only keep our toilets odour-free but also enrich the soil. When you trek with us, you leave mountains better.

We are India's most sustainable trekking organisation

5 Reasons Why Indiahikes

If you are unable to complete a trek, or if you love a trek, you can repeat it with us anytime. You don’t have to pay us for it. See our thoughts behind this here.

You’re guarded with our trek again philosophy

Our thrice-a-day oxi-metre checks keep altitude sickness at bay, never allowing you to reach a point where you need evacuation.

Daily 3-time health checks keep you safe at any altitude

With around 30% of our trekkers being women, all women, including those travelling solo are comfortable to join any of our groups.

Join any group, they are all women-friendly groups 

Our kitchen teams understand your needs as a vegan (or a Jain). We will take special care of your food, even in the remote Himalayas. 

We have specially designed bio toilets to ensure you have no sight or smell in toilets, at the same time making sure the toilets cause no harm to the fragile ecosystem we trek in.

Be comfortable and sustainable with bio toilets

We’ll admit it. Our love for food surpasses our love for minimalism. Expect freshly cooked, multi-cuisine food at all camps, designed to meet your nutritional requirements and keep your taste buds happy!

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