It was April 2021. We had just started from Tapoban, the base camp of our Kuari Pass trek. We had trekked for hardly two hours, when commanding views of Mt.Dronagiri brought us to a halt. Our trek leader decided it was the perfect time for a break, to enlighten us with stories of the mountains and trails. 

He took us back to 1905, when Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy General of India and an avid trekker, was on a quest to explore the mountain ranges of the Garhwal region. So smitten was he by the pristine beauty of this land, that he asked his local guides the native translation for the word ‘virgin.’ “Kuari,” they said. Thus was born the Kuari Pass Trek.

Kuari Pass is one of those special treks that allows you to stand up close with few of the biggest Himalayan peaks with very less effort. Picture by Valay Bhatt.

Quite fittingly, the Kuari Pass Trek is also known as the Lord Curzon Trail.

As I researched this article, I realized that most trails have a story behind them — some more obvious than others and some shrouded in fables and folklore. Knowing these anecdotes isn’t just about just listening to a story. It provides a depth, a perspective that makes one appreciate the entire experience so much more. 

If you are about to set off on any of these treks, I hope, knowing these stories; some fact, some fiction, adds to the magic of your journey.

Widely considered one of India’s prettiest trails, the Tarsar Marsar Kashmir Trek takes you to two of the most beautiful alpine lakes of the country. But behind the shimmering waters and crystal clear mountain reflections lurks a tale of mystery. 

Trek Leader Vijeet Shaw gives me the lowdown. “Tarsar is considered to be sacred, a lake that is blessed. Marsar, on the other hand, is considered to be cursed. And there is a reason for it. 

“Local legend is that there once was a shepherd who took his sheep grazing in these valleys. One day, his herd ended up going close to Marsar and accidentally wandered into the lake. He ran after them but unfortunately, they had already gone too deep into the lake. 

“For the next couple of days, the shepherd kept hoping his sheep would come back, but to no avail. Almost on the verge of giving up, he looked up to the skies and prayed to the heavens. 

“God heard his appeal and instructed the shepherd to go to Tarsar Lake. He told him that he would find his herd there. At Tarsar, the shepherd found his sheep emerging from the lake, one by one. 

“The shepherd got curious and decided to find out where the sheep were emerging from. But God cautioned him from doing so. Not paying heed to the advice, he went into the lake, looking for the rest of his herd. It turned out to be a mistake. The sheep that had already emerged from the lake got to the safety of the shore, but the rest of the herd never came out.

The striking blues of Tarsar Lake. Picture by – Kishan Harwalkar.

“That is how the lakes got their name – Marsar means the lake that kills (‘Mar’ means to kill and ‘sar’ means lake in Kashmiri) and Tarsar means a lake that gives life, that resuscitates (‘Tar’ refers to ‘तैरना’ or to swim).

“Even today, locals are petrified of going near the lake or touching its waters. And for that reason, nobody camps around Marsar, and it is an isolated lake. You can watch it from a distance, but you cannot touch its waters,” sums up Vijeet. 

One of the most popular trails in India, the Valley of Flowers Trek needs no introduction. Every year, hundreds of trekkers from around the world make their way through the valley to marvel at close to 500 species of flowering plants and pay their respects at Hemkund Sahib.

The name is as simple as it gets. But what is interesting is how the valley was discovered and named.

A trail through the valley with flowers on either sides. Picture by – Rupesh Thakre.

Trek Leader Nitesh Kumar narrates the story.

“In 1931, a British mountaineer called Frank Smythe was attempting to climb Mt Kamet along with a handful of other explorers. After a successful summit climb, the group lost their way. On the way down, they found themselves in a valley covered in mist and clouds. When the fog cleared, they noticed that the entire valley was a carpet of flowers. Frank Smythe found himself in a setting so stunning that he thought he had died and gone to heaven. 

It was only after six years of studying flowers and learning gardening that Smythe returned to the valley again. Armed with extensive knowledge of the region’s flowers and a deeper appreciation of the valley’s splendor, Smythe christened the region ‘Valley of Flowers.’ He also wrote and published a book titled The Valley of Flowers in 1937. 

That is when the whole world got to know about this place. It was 51 years later that the Valley of Flowers was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 1988,” says Nitesh. 

Part pilgrimage, part adventure, Gaumukh Tapovan is one of the earliest established treks in India. Young and old come from near and far chanting Jai Gange and Har Har Gange to be in the presence of the holiest river of India — the Ganga. While trekking along its waters is an experience in itself, knowing the significance behind the name ‘Gaumukh Tapovan’ makes the journey a mystical one. 

The snow white Mt Shivling in the dark of the night. Picture by Nitish Walia.

Nitesh talks about the mythology associated with the trek. 

“You can trace the story of Gaumukh Tapovan back to the BC period. 

Gaumukh is the origin of the River Bhagirathi, which later merges with the Alaknanda to form the River Ganga. The Bhagirathi River derives its name from a king named Bhagirath, who is said to have brought the Ganga from the heavens to the Earth. 

The story goes that King Bhagirath, who was the ruler of the Sagara dynasty, gave up his kingdom to atone for the curse laid upon his ancestors by Saint Kapila. He headed to the Himalayas to pray to Goddess Ganga to come down upon Earth to purify his dynasty of the sins of his ancestors. 

Pleased by his devotion, Goddess Ganga appeared before him and agreed to descend from the heavens. She, however, warned Bhagiratha that Earth would not be able to handle her power. She could come down only if her powers were reined in, and the only person who could do that was Lord Shiva. 

King Bhagiratha approached Lord Shiva and requested him to control Ganga’s fury. 

That’s when Lord Shiva wrapped Ganga around his jata (his hair) thereby controlling her flow. He then let her enter Earth from a glacier in the Himalayas. The snout of the glacier was shaped like the face of a cow or Gau mukh— a deep symbolism in Hinduism as it represents Nandi, Lord Shiva’s vehicle.

“Tapovan, on the other hand, translates to holy land of penance. And how beautiful is it that right at the heart of Tapovan, you see Mount Shivling, a form of Lord Shiva?” says Nitesh. 

With a steady stream of trekkers doing the difficult climb to see the awe-inspiring Mt.Shivling, its allure and distinct spiritual vibe remain undiminished. 

4. Ali Bedni Bugyal Trek and Brahmatal Lake Trek

It’s not just the basecamp of Lohajung and majestic views of Mt.Trishul and Mt.Nanda Ghunti that the Ali Bedni Bugyal and Brahmatal Lake treks share in common. On these adjacent trails, trekkers can see the expansive meadows of Ali Bedni Bugyal from Brahmatal top and vice versa. It’s, therefore, no surprise that the stories of these two trails are inextricably tied together. 

Trek Leader Syama Krishna throws light on the legends surrounding the meadows and mountains of these trails – 

“It is believed that Lord Brahma wrote the Vedas from different parts of the world. One of the places where he wrote a part of the Vedas is thought to be Bedni Bugyal. In fact, Bedni Bugyal derives its name from “Ved,” referred to as ‘Bed(h)’ in the Garhwali language. Bedni Bugyal literally translates to Meadow of the Vedas. 

An imposing Mt Trishul rising behind Bedni Bugyal in month of April. Picture by Tarun Gupta.

This is where the story of Brahmatal comes in. 

When Lord Brahma was writing the Vedas sitting in the meadows, he needed to wet the tip of his finger to turn a leaf in his book. He needed pure water to turn the pages with, and thus Lord Brahma created Brahmatal. “Tal” means lake in Hindi and Garhwali. The name literally translates to Brahma’s Lake.” 

The frozen Brahmatal Lake in winter. Picture by Gajendra Kumar.

Religious or not, knowing that you are walking the lands where the Vedas might have been written adds a certain allure that cannot be quantified. 

The Roopkund Trek holds a very special place for Indiahikes. In 2007, Arjun Majumdar, CEO, and founder of Indiahikes wrote a detailed account of his trek to Roopkund that caught the imagination of trekkers around the country. This propelled him to start Indiahikes in 2008, announcing the first organized trek to Roopkund.

Trekkers standing by the Roopkund lake at 15,750 ft. This picture was shot in summer (May) by Ravi Singh Rana.

Roopkund Trek is a trek surrounded by lores and legends! While the most popular stories surrounding Roopkund are related to the skeletons found in the lake, Nitesh told me the story behind how and why the lake and trek got its name. 

“This is a story that not many people know,” narrates Nitesh. “There was a fierce battle between Goddess Ambika (Durga’s incarnation) and a demon called Raktabija. Maa Ambika was joined in this war by the Matrikas or divine mothers. But they found it tough to defeat him. 

Raktabija had a boon that every drop of blood that fell from him would turn into a clone of Raktabija. Soon, the battlefield was filled with duplicates of the asura. 

To help the Devis, Parvati took the form of Maa Kali. She prevented even a drop of blood from touching the ground by collecting it in a bowl and drinking it. She went on to kill the other Raktabijas that had emerged from his blood drops by swallowing them whole. However, even after Raktabija was destroyed, Maa Kali’s fury did not subside. She went on a rampage demolishing everything that was in her path. Nothing and nobody could help her get out of this fury. 

It was then that Lord Shiva was called upon to put an end to Maa Kali’s rage. Shiva went and lay down at the top of Kalu Vinayak, a steep hill near Bhagwabhasa. Unaware of her actions or surroundings, Maa Kali stepped on Lord Shiva accidentally. 

As soon as she realized that it was her husband under her feet, Kali was extremely ashamed of her actions, and her tongue came out.

This act brought her to her senses. Lord Shiva proceeded to calm her down and requested her to return with him to Kailasa. At that point, Maa Parvati looked at her reflection in the small glacial tarn and realized that she needed to return to her original form before going back to Kailasa. She proceeded to beautify herself, her roop, and that is how the tarn got the name Roop Kund. ‘Kund’ means small lake in the native language.” 

The Himalayas are considered the abode of Lord Shiva, and you will hear stories about Shankar Mahadev on many treks, including the Kedarkantha trek. 

Kedarkantha translates to Shiva’s (Kedar) throat (kanth).

There’s a very interesting story behind this. It is believed that when the Pandavas were journeying through the Himalayas, they wanted to seek Lord Shiva’s blessings. Shiva, however, did not want to meet them and transformed himself into a bull. 

However, Bhima recognized that the bull was none other than Lord Shiva and rushed after him. To get away from the Pandavas, Shiva hid, and during the whole process, the parts of his body got separated from each other and landed at different places. The locals believe that Shiva’s throat landed on this mountain and thus the name Kedarkantha. 

The golden hour! With snow changing its colour from pure white to golden. Picture by HarshitChawla.

It’s interesting to note that Juda Ka Talab, a lake that comes on the way to Kedarkantha top, is also said to have been formed when Lord Shiva, who was meditating there, let his hair free and the water dripping from his Juda fell on the ground and formed the lake. 

Talk about mystery and mystique! And yet, there are so many more to hear and know. The best way to find out about the history of your trek is to ask your Trek Leader, local guides, and kitchen staff who accompany you on the trail. Believe us when we say they are a wealth of information! 

The Legacy Of Indiahikes – Exploring And Naming Some of India’s Most Popular Trails

At Indiahikes, our endeavor has always been to explore and present new trails in some of the most pristine and untouched parts of our country and enable you to experience the transformative nature of trekking. 

Some of the treks that we popularized have been trails that were already established, such as Kedarkantha. We have presented new routes such as the EBC via Gokyo Ri for some well-known treks, and for still others, we have combined multiple trails to give trekkers a more complete experience. Examples of this are the Har Ki Dun – Ruinsara or the Deoriatal Chandrashila Trek. 

But, for some, we’ve had the honor of exploring virgin trails and even naming them. Two of these have been the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek and the Phulara Ridge Trek. 

We went straight to the explorers themselves to find out the back story of how these treks were discovered and named.

Arguably, one of the most beautiful trails in our country, the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, or KGL as it is popularly known, was explored by Sandhya, the cofounder of Indiahikes, way back in 2011. 

“During 2010-2011, we explored many treks in Uttarakhand, Himachal, Sikkim, and even Ladakh. We thought that if there was something else we had to explore, it would have to be very different from all these. Arjun suggested Kashmir since he felt that the beauty of Kashmir was unmatched by anything else. Kashmir was a little beyond our imagination and was coming out of troubled times. Tourism was starting to pick up, and trekking was unheard of. 

Since Kashmir was famous for its lakes, we started researching and figured out a cluster of lakes starting from Sonmarg. People either did the beginning lakes or the end ones on this trail, but we thought, why not make a trail that connects all of these. This trek did not have a name before this.

We gave this exploration a name – The Kashmir Great Lakes Trek. We didn’t know how these lakes were. We just knew that we could connect the trail to all of these. We had this belief that since it was in Kashmir, it would be beautiful. But when we went there, it surpassed all our expectations.  

We named the trek without seeing a single photograph and our hunch turned out to be right! The lakes really were the GREAT lakes. We also wanted Kashmir to be celebrated and at the forefront, and that is how the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek was born,” she recalls.  

The Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is a significant milestone for two reasons. It was one of the first major treks in Kashmir to be offered by any trekking organization. Secondly, the birth of our Green Trails initiative started with the KGL trek.

Suhas, who heads the Experience Coordination team, talks about the discovery and naming of the Phulara Ridge Trek. 

“The whole discovery of Phulara Ridge was a side effect of another trek exploration we had embarked upon. We had just come back from the Devkyara Meadow exploration. As we discussed things over tea, our slope manager mentioned that the Taloti region was stunning and worth checking out. Arjun Sir asked me if I wanted to check out the trail, and I jumped at the opportunity. 

The second day of the trek blew my mind. Walking on the ridge with 250-degree views of the snow-clad mountains was an experience! And we had these views for a continuous 4-5 hours! I felt like the mountains were trekking along with me. Having gone on a few other treks, I thought this ridge walk was something I hadn’t experienced before. So I knew that the word ‘ridge’ had to be part of the name. After I came back, I spoke to Arjun Sir and Sandhya ma’am, and they were convinced that we should offer this trail to trekkers. 

We were throwing out a few names. I remembered there was a clearing called Phulara on the trek near the ridge. That felt apt because of the flowers that I got to see during the exploration. The ridge and the forest section also had a lot of flowers. Even the meadows are laden with flowers, especially after the monsoon. And it had a local connection, and that is how we knew that naming it the Phulara Ridge Trek was a perfect choice.” 

What are some of the most fascinating stories you have heard on your treks? Share them in the comments sections. We’d love to read them!

Fascinating Stories About How Some Of India’s Most Famous Treks Got Their Names.

Fascinating Stories About How Some Of India’s Most Famous Treks Got Their Names

When we started Indiahikes in 2008, our vision was simple. If trekking had to grow in our country, then information about trekking had to grow first.

People had to know where to trek, how to trek. At that time, trekking was a sport restricted to only a knowledgeable few. Himalayan treks were as good as going to a foreign country.

That’s how we started to document treks on our website. Very soon we built a good library of information. People started loving it! Finally, here was information that people could use to do treks on their own, including Himalayan treks.

This, though, catapulted us into another problem. Even after putting together all our collective experience, the number of treks we knew was limited. Even our extended community of trekkers knew only that much. Trekking would not grow if more treks were not discovered. New treks had to be brought out.

Treks not only had to be brought out but had to be made familiar in a warm friendly manner. There was always an air of uncertainty and difficulty surrounding treks. Expert advice was aplenty, but not the arm around your shoulder that showed you how to do the trek.

That, essentially, was the problem with Indian trekking. It was not that trekking was new to India. But most treks were out of reach of common man. 

There was another strange affliction among serious trekkers. They only took on difficult or extreme treks. Treks like the Mayali Pass, the Kalindi Khal or Auden’s Col were celebrated. It left most trekkers admiring such treks but seldom stepping out of their homes to just walk in the mountains.

In 2008 when we started Indiahikes, trekking was in a state of void; a stalemate. It desperately needed a change. We wanted to change that.

In fact that’s how our oganisation’s name came about. Because we wanted our country to trek, we decided to call our organistion “Indiahikes”. We wanted to name our organisation based on the vision we had for ourselves and for trekking.

That’s why from the very start, exploration was an integral part of Indiahikes. We wanted to bring out treks for people to do. We thought this would bring about a behavioral change in people.

The 3 behavioral changes that we were looking for were:

a. Remove hesitation around trekking. Opening treks, writing extensively about them, not just with information but to talk about the goodness of the treks would bring down apprehensions around trekking. It would get people to start trekking.

b. Remove the “altitude” attachment from treks. We didn’t want trekkers to aim for higher altitude treks to do as their next trek. We didn’t want treks to be attached to an achievement of the ego. There were glorious treks to do at every altitude, even in the forests and beaches.

c. Remove the herd mentality of doing treks that were popular. Trekkers since years had got too used to doing treks they were familiar with. Experimenting with treks was the only way to move trekkers away from popular trails. This would avoid crowding of trails. At the same time they would get to enjoy a broader variety of treks.

Today we talk about 10 other lesser known treks that Indiahikes popularised in Indian trekking

These are treks that slowly brought about behavioral changes in trekkers.

This was our first step in moving laterally. It was not a high altitude trek. It was a trek with meadows as its attraction. We wanted to see if trekkers could be moved away from the “altitude” affliction.

Result: It took Dayara Bugyal many years to gain traction. Our initial efforts at showcasing this trek did not draw much attention. It was only in 2017 when we opened it as a winter trek that Dayara slowly caught the imagination of trekkers. Later, trekkers started trekking on it in other seasons.

Today, 3 years later, Dayara Bugyal is the most popular trek for families and children.

2. Everest Base Camp Via Gokyo Ri, Nepal (documented 2014)

It is strange we are talking about a trek in Nepal for a study in behavioral change. EBC is probably one of the most popular treks in the world. It was one of the most crowded as well. Around 1,20,000 people do the trek through the regular Tengboche route every year.

We were surprised that on a slightly parallel route, the Gokyo Ri, the number of trekkers was one tenth — and what’s more, the parallel route offered grander big mountain views, 5 alpine lakes, terrific pass crossings and some great summit climbs. You could also combine it with the traditional route on the return to get the best of both worlds.

We wanted to see if we could change people’s behaviour towards a less crowded route. That was the start of our push towards popularising the EBC route via Gokyo Ri.

Result: We have not met with much success here. Though some trekkers in India have started favouring the Gokyo Ri route, globally the traditional Tengboche route is still the most popular.

We wanted to move trekkers away from the riskier Pin Parvati Pass route. The trek had a lot of exposed sections where even a small slip could result in the death of a trekker. Not many were aware of the dangers.

The Pin Bhaba Pass offered little risk but came with better views than the Pin Parvati Pass. The crossover from the greenery to the deserts of Spiti was stunning.

Result: It took more than two years for the trek to gain traction. However, since 2018, the Pin Bhaba Pass has become one of the most sought after crossover treks at Indiahikes. Our groups get filled within weeks of opening. Hearteningly, the traffic on the Pin Parvati Pass route is dipping.

It was an experiment to see if people would take to treks that were very close to each other. In future traffic from crowded trails could be weaned away if this experiment was successful. We didn’t want to make such an experiment with a popular trail. Both Dayara and Mukta Top were new trails — this made them perfect for an experiment on a small scale.

Even though Dayara Bugyal was in close proximity to Mukta Top, the trek offered terrific visual variety in its forests. This was a rarity. The summit views were stunning too.

Result: Mukta Top took time for trekkers to understand. They could not imagine we were focusing on the ‘variety’ in the forests. However, by 2019 trekkers started spreading the good word about Mukta Top. The trek saw a whopping 783% jump in trekkers in 2019.

More than anything, our experiment was successful. Trekkers did not see Mukta as a close proximity trek to Dayara Bugyal. They saw it independently for what it was. This gave us the confidence to open Phulara Ridge next to Kedarkantha.

5. Chhattisgarh Jungle Trek (documented 2018)

We were keen to see if trekkers would do treks outside the Himalayas. The Chhattisgarh Tourism board was very keen to open trekking in Chhattisgarh. The state had an ignominy of Maoist terrorism surrounding it. As Indiahikes they knew we could change trekkers’ perception.

Along with the Chhattisgarh Tourism board, we explored a region in the buffer zone of the Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary, close to the source of the river Narmada. We explored another wonderful trail inside the Guru Ghasidas national park. In this trail animal sightings were common.

Result: Trekkers who were used to Himalayan treks had their attention piqued. This was a new experience. More than 200 trekkers experienced the beauty of this region in the short window that we opened the treks.

The treks are yet to find as much success as our Himalayan treks. The Guru Ghasidas National Park trail that trekkers were beginning to love was closed by the forest department. It was made a tiger corridor.

Early signs show that treks outside the Himalayas can be as popular.

6. Khopra Ridge Trek, Nepal (documented 2018)

This was another experiment to see if trekkers could be moved away from crowded trails. Our Annapurna Base Camp trek in Nepal was drawing a good number of trekkers.

Could trekkers be weaned away from the popular trail in a foreign country like Nepal?

Our exploration team brought out the fabulous Khopra Ridge trek. You could see more than 23 famous summits of mountains of over 7 and 8 thousand meters on this trail. The fantastic cloud formations on the trek along with the trek to Khayar Lake at above 15,000 feet were terrific attractions.

The Khopra Ridge trek was significantly better than the Annapurna Base Camp trek.

Result: Trekkers were tentative at first. But a few brave trekkers decided to explore the trek. They were ecstatic. The word started getting spread around. In 2020 before the pandemic hit our country, our Khopra Ridge trek showed more bookings than the Annapurna Base Camp trek.

Our experiment to wean trekkers away from a crowded trail in a foreign country was successful.

We wanted trekkers to walk on other weekend treks outside Nag Tibba, which had developed cult status.

Our treks every week were getting booked out. Nag Tibba, our flagship trek, was getting crowded day by day. We wanted to see if our successful experiments to wean trekkers away from a crowded trek would be possible even on a weekend trek.

Deoban was a trek near Chakrata. Deoban, as its name suggests, had large tracts of Deodar forest, our indigenous coniferous trees.

Result: Deoban saw an immediate interest in trekkers. They were hesitant at first but willing to try out a new trek. Indian trekkers had matured. Gone were the days when only the name of a trek attracted trekkers. Deoban saw multiple groups doing the trek in the short span of 3 months that it was open in 2019.

To reconfirm our thoughts about weekend treks we wanted to try out a similar experiment in Himachal Pradesh. The popular Prashar Lake trek with its road access was getting increasingly crowded and no longer fun.

We explored the Sainj Valley near Mandi in the Great Himalayan National Park. It was called the Pundrik lake trek earlier, but the lake was not its main attraction. The trek went into lovely recesses of the valley through splendid clusters of forests and clearings.

Result: Though trekkers have so far loved the trek, it has not caught their full imagination yet. Our experiment in Himachal Pradesh needs to continue with the Sainj Valley once the pandemic is over. It is too early to draw any conclusion yet.

This was an experiment to remove hesitation around a new trek. Gidara Bugyal, we knew, was the crown jewel of meadow treks. But trekkers didn’t know that.

For years the trek has been inaccessible because of its remoteness. Only a few trekkers have stepped on it. Now, with its documentation, it was open to all.

Result: We have not opened it to the public yet. We ran a few unscheduled teams to test the response to the terrain. The initial response, as we expected, has trekkers already in love with it.

10. Atsunta Pass Trek in Georgia (documented 2019)

Were Indian trekkers ready for a trek in another country? A country few had heard the name of, or knew where it was on the map?

India had changed considerably since we started Indiahikes. Trekking had now become a mainstream sport. Was India ready for trekking outside the country? We wanted to test it with a trek that was not in the popular countries like the US, France, Italy, Austria or Switzerland. Could a not-so-popular country get trekkers to trek in its land?

Indiahikes explored the superb Atsunta Pass trek in the remote corners of Georgia, bordering Russia. In the Caucasus mountains, the grasslands were the grandest we had come across.

On our return from the exploration in July 2019, we announced the trek within the next month, before the trail closed for winter. It was the quickest we had announced a trek in Indiahikes’ history — that too in a foreign country where visa, flight tickets had to be booked.

Result: Though we announced only one group, and just one month before the trek date, the group ran full in its very first batch! Though it is too early to tell, it looks like India is ready to trek internationally.

These 10 relative unknown treks have gained in popularity over time (or could gain). These are not our blockbuster treks like Kashmir Great Lakes or Kedarkantha. But these treks have played a big role in our experiment to change trekkers’ behaviour.

Trekkers in India are now more willing to experiment with different genres of treks; they are moving away from crowded trails; they don’t mind trekking on unheard trails. These are the results of our experiments.

These 10 treks that I wrote about today are galloping faster than our popular treks. Their rate of growth is higher at close to 50%.

In our work if we are able to bring about behavioral changes, then the work is extremely rewarding. In the 12 years of Indiahikes’ existence, one of the many reasons that make us proud is how we have been able to bring about perception changes in people.

Is there any other behavioral change that you would like to see in trekkers? Advice us with your suggestions in the comments section below.

Here's a backstory of the 10 treks that we explored that changed how trekking was looked at in our country. Read on to know how new treks impact trekking!

How Trekking Changes When New Treks Open Up

In 2012, opening up of the Kashmir Great Lakes by Indiahikes, took the trekking world by storm. Suddenly trekking in Kashmir became a possibility. The trekking fraternity went into a tizzy.

But at Indiahikes, we were already looking beyond the Kashmir Great Lakes. We knew that Kashmir had a lot more to offer than just one trek. We wanted trekkers to experience what it was — perhaps the greatest trekking destination in India.

Like I had mentioned in my earlier article, explorations start with fact finding. So we started researching from the bottom-up. We scanned Kashmir and looked at two zones closely.

First, the Doodhpathri region in the Budgam district. We knew it had few of the best meadows of Kashmir. Trekkers would not have experienced such wondrous grasslands in our country.

Then we looked at a collection of lakes near the Dachigam National Park — the Tarsar and Marsar. We were already hearing a lot about them. The trek to these lakes looked very attractive. Additionally, the multiple exits towards the Srinagar-Sonamarg highway made it a very practical proposition.

Doodhpathri, the valley of milk, was sounding extremely enticing, but it was too close to Shopian — at that time, a hotbed of militancy.

On the other hand, the Tarsar Marsar lakes were not trouble-free either. We constantly came across stories of how foreign trekkers had been kidnapped in that region. The stories were real. Everyone cautioned us to be careful.

Suddenly, Kashmir was not looking good for explorations.

Which is why, late in the season of 2012, we sent out a one-man team for a quiet exploration of the Tarsar Marsar lakes. It was led by Rahul, our senior most trek leader, along with two of our experienced local team members.

I remember, I was in Gagangir, our base camp for the Kashmir Great Lakes trek. It was an idyllic barn under the shade of apricot trees on the banks of the river Sindh. Rahul came tumbling in suddenly in the evening, quite unexpectedly. He was wet and weary. He was just back from the exploration of Tarsar Marsar.

He gave us a detailed account of how lovely the Tarsar was, how he had followed the route that western trekkers used to take, going to the far end of the Tarsar lake, crossing a ridge, hobbling over boulders, to get to Marsar near its mouth.

He said there was another lake above Marsar, which was Sundarsar, but the weather didn’t permit further exploration. Bad weather didn’t allow him good pictures either.

He bore further grim news. He said shepherds on the trail didn’t look friendly to him. A couple of them even asked him to head back. He didn’t feel safe.

That effectively put an end to our exploration plans of the Tarsar Marsar lakes. We considered looking at other areas, but we didn’t feel very encouraged. The threat of militancy hung in the air.

What stayed in my mind was a sentence that Rahul told me. He said, “Arjun, Tarsar is prettier than any of the lakes on our Kashmir Great Lakes trek.”

Two years went by. Kashmir Great Lakes was a stupendous success. We felt more confident about Kashmir and knew the lay of the land better. Our connections grew, our apprehensions about militancy reduced.

Our increased connections presented a fresh new perspective of Kashmir — that trouble in Kashmir was more imagined than real, that it was ok to explore Kashmir, leaving out obvious troubled zones.

With renewed hope, we planned for another exploration of the Tarsar Marsar lakes with a fresh local team. This time, Sandhya and I wanted to see it for ourselves, and gauge the threat perception. We could not put trekkers in danger.

So in July of 2014, Sandhya and I, along with Manish Pasad, our chief of operations, formed a three member team. We were going to be led by Aziz Mia, a genial horseman from Aru. He had walked these mountains since he was a child. If anyone knew the lay of the land, it was Aziz Mia.

Our fears were put to rest on our very first day of the trek. The trail was splendid and evenly populated by shepherds. There was a constant chatter on the trail. The shepherds were friendly. No one really cared about our presence.

What took us aback was the trek in itself. We were on another splendid exploration of some of the finest lakes of Kashmir.

Though we camped on the banks of Tarsar, the shores of Sundarsar felt even better. It almost felt like we were in an isolated world of our own. The view of Marsar left us dumbfounded. We thought we had seen the best of lakes on our Kashmir Great Lakes trek. But here we were — seeing lakes that matched them equally, lake for lake.

More than that, this side of Kashmir seemed to have a lot more variety than Kashmir Great Lakes. Sceneries changed quickly. The grasslands were exquisite. Each of them were very different. I remember a moment when we were on the Jagmargi meadows. We couldn’t find a way through the grasslands. Flowers were everywhere. We feared stepping on them!

Getting down the other side, we found ourselves in another wondrous valley, each hung out on ledges.

When we dropped down to the highway at Sumbal, that last village of the trek just before we touch the highway, we knew we had another winner on our hands. Tarsar Marsar would match the Kashmir Great Lakes in every way.

How A New Route Was Forced Through The Tarsar Pass

We didn’t need a guide on the trek. We had someone like Aziz Mia — who knew every nook and corner of the region. He took us on pathways least frequented. He didn’t take us on the usual trail to Marsar (which Rahul took, the trail in green below).

Instead he proposed a route to Sundarsar first. From there we would descend to Marsar. He said this route was prettier, though longer — but a lot more accessible for horses (his route in yellow).

There is always a spirit of venturing into the unknown in us. When we camped at the banks of Tarsar, we looked at the jagged ridge overlooking the lake. What if we could force our way through the ridge? Could we find a path to the top and then another path that led us down to the other side?

That way we would save a lot of time circumventing the mountain. We proposed a route that is marked in orange in the picture below.

We looked quizzically at Aziz Mia. He shrugged his shoulders. Even Aziz Mia was out of his depths here. He said no one had set foot on those ridges.

In this Google Earth photo, Tarsar is snow covered. The route Rahul took for the first exploration is in green. It is a difficult route that requires climbing a ridge, and a big section over boulders, followed by a steep descent to the Marsar lake (extreme right).

The route proposed by Aziz Mia is in yellow, a longer but prettier route at the bottom of two valleys. The route takes us to Sundarsar first (extreme right, smaller lake), goes around it, climbs a col before getting to a ledge, high above Marsar (extreme top right)

The route in orange that we proposed was a quick steep climb to the top of the ridge, followed by a quick descent to join the trail that Aziz Mia proposed to Sundarsar and Marsar. This meant discovering a new trail through the narrow ridge line.

We looked long and hard at the ridges, we couldn’t find any trail, not even a shepherd’s path through the jagged ridge line. The prospect of finding a sheer cliff on the other side looked real. The ridge in front of us didn’t give us many openings. Could we force our way through these narrow gaps?

We decided quickly. We would climb up the openings and see for ourselves.

The next morning we set out to find routes through the gaps. We aimed for the first two gaps first, they were close to each other. It was not a difficult climb. In an hour we were at the top.

When we crested the ridge, we gave out a whoop! Right below us was the start of the Jagmargi valley. What relieved us was a clear path from the top of the ridge to the valley below. Though it was steep, we could thread our way down to the valley. We had found a route!

In an unknown land, we had once again found a new route. This new route through the ridge would save us four hours of trekking time. This was godsent. We also had a route that gave us stunning views of the lake — views so good that they have now become part of our yearly calendar.

But Aziz Mia was hesitant to get his horses this high. He feared they would tumble and fall while descending from the ridge. He wanted to take the horses on his old route, even though it was longer. He felt safer.

(Side Story: Over the next few years Aziz Mia’s fears reduced. He successfully took his horses over the Tarsar Pass, establishing a route for the horses as well)

I realize that we sometimes don’t give credit to folks who have walked the region for ages. Aziz Mia, who was equally delighted at the new route that we forced open through the Tarsar Pass, now got into his elements.

He showed us a path through a narrow grassy gully that led us to the Sundarsar lake. It was not the usual route to the lake, but one that allowed our horses to come through. It was clever.

Then, going around the Sundarsar lake, traversing through a snowy slope, Aziz Mia led us through a narrow col beyond the lake to a narrow ledge, high above a cliff. We couldn’t figure out where we were.

Below was a huge bank of clouds. Aziz Mia beckoned us to wait. And then magic happened. Like the parting of the Red Sea, the bank of clouds moved away for some perceptible moments. Below, in all its glory, was the stunning Marsar lake. We were dumbfounded.

We contemplated the many routes that we could take to end the trek. Most of them were unknown. Very few had ventured this far into the mountains. Most would do the trek to Tarsar and head back to Aru, near Pahalgam.

We, on the other hand, wanted to get down to the Srinagar-Sonamarg highway. That would connect us to our base camp of the Kashmir Great Lakes trek. Rahul, our first explorer, had descended right down to our base camp at Gagangir through thick forests. He had mentioned that wasn’t an easy route.

Aziz Mia again suggested an opening in another valley that would get us to the highway about 20 km away from our base camp. But the route would be easier. It was a route that locals took to bring their sheep up for grazing around the lakes.

What followed in the next day and half was a wondrous walk through the stunningly beautiful Sonamasti valley, which was a valley below the cliffs where the Jagmargi valley ended. The valley in ledges with waterfalls and carpets of lush green meadows was what dreams were made of. Out of the valley, we descended almost five thousand feet to the highway below through an ever changing enchanting forest.

When we stepped out at Sumbal, the last village of the trek, we were exhilarated!

The Tarsar Marsar opened up another great trek in Kashmir. Trekkers were delighted. Other organisations quickly lined up their treks on the same trail that Indiahikes opened up. We were delighted! The route that we explored had become the standard route for the trek, including the famous ridge crossing through the Tarsar Pass.

Last year, I was delighted to see, for the first time, our registrations for Tarsar Marsar trek overtaking the total registrations for the Kashmir Great Lakes. The Tarsar Marsar trek had truly arrived. It was now as big a trek as the Kashmir Great Lakes.

The Future Of Tarsar Marsar Trek; Exploring The Trail On Horseback

We fell in love with the trails around Tarsar. The more we walked on them, we discovered exciting new offshoots. Above Shekwas meadows, the camp just before Tarsar, we discovered two small lakes hidden within the folds of the mountains.

Then in 2017, Sandhya, alone, with Aziz Mia faithfully guiding her, went exploring the regions around the west of Lidderwat. She had heard of beautiful lakes hidden deep inside the mountains. They went on horseback, like cowboys in western movies.

Deep in the recesses of the mountains, she found the alluring lakes, one after the other.

She wondered if she could connect these regions to the Tarsar trail. They were on either side of a tall ridge. What if she could force a way through a pass just like we had last time?

Unfortunately, exploring alone in unfamiliar terrain wasn’t safe. She headed back keeping these explorations to be done with a larger team. Even today, a trail through those ridge is yet to be explored.

Here's the exciting backstory of how the founders of Indiahikes explored the Tarsar Marsar trek - the only other trek in Kashmir after the Kashmir Great Lakes!

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