“The Nafran Valley is extremely lush. Perennially fed by the waters of the Kolahoi glacier, the valley is a luxuriant green. In July, the grasslands are a soft green carpet, slowly blooming into a flower bed in August. In September, the meadows slowly start taking on a beautiful yellow tinge, still replete with flowers.

“The meadows are massive, even bigger in size than Lidderwat of Tarsar Marsar and Satsar of the Kashmir Great Lakes,” says Vivek Saini, Slope Manager at Indiahikes who led the second exploration.

“What is unique is that you enter this vast valley within two hours of trekking, and you stay in the grasslands almost until the end of the trek,” shares Vivek. “On most other treks, you trek for at least two days to enter such grasslands,” he adds.

It’s a known fact that one of the biggest attractions of trekking in Kashmir is the alpine lakes. Nafran Valley has not one, but two such lakes — Harbhagwan Lake and Harnag Lake.

Both of them are a crystalline blue, with astounding reflections in the morning hours, slowly taking on the hue of the sky at midday, and reflecting millions of stars at night.

“The blue waters of the Harbhagwan Lake and Harnag Lakes are wonderful surprises for trekkers in an otherwise green valley,” shares Dhaval Jajal, who was the lead explorer of the trek. The biggest bonus is that you camp on the banks of one of these lakes — the Harnag lake.

“While trekking from Harnag to Harbhagwan, trekkers are in for a surprise. Just as they’re walking, on the left side, they start to see huge chunks of the Kolahoi glacier. Within a few minutes, the entire east-facing glacier reveals itself,” shares Dhaval.

“The view of the glacier hanging precariously on the Kolahoi Peak is magnificent. You don’t get to go so close to glaciers on any treks, except perhaps the Gaumukh glacier. So the experience of observing a glacier at such close quarters is very special,” he adds.

“It’s a manicured meadow, which stretches to the horizon. A few sheep graze about in the distance, some flowers sprinkled here and there. You get to camp right in the middle of these meadows. It’s an experience that you’ll remember for life,” he says.

On the other hand, you also camp on the banks of the Harnag lake. “This is a huge lake — as big as Vishansar or Kishansar (of the KGL trek). Camping beside such a pristine lake is an absolute privilege,” he adds.

While these two might be top campsites, the other camps — one in the heart of Nafran Valley and another at Arram Pathri — are no less. Both of them are lovely grasslands. “Arram Pathri has a gentle river flowing through and we camp on the banks of the river, whereas the main campsite at Nafran Valley is set amidst grand alpine meadows. You will have your Sound of Music moment in these meadows,” smiles Dhaval.

Another phenomenon that takes you by surprise is the Kolahoi glacier standing tall in front of you. Make this your rest point and appreciate the spectacle.

A huge chunk of ice slants slightly on the rocks to form this glacier. The cracking sounds of the ever-moving ice are common if you observe quietly and you may even witness the breaking of the ice off of the glacier.

Getting to see a glacier along the valley is a refreshing change in scenery.