Trekking in Kashmir has always been a worry in trekkers’ minds. We receive a lot of calls from trekkers before they sign up for the Kashmir Great Lakes or the Tarsar Marsar trek, asking about the situation there. But as troubled a the state might seem, it is relatively safe to trek in the Kashmir valley, as long as you’re cautious and know where to go. In this video, Arjun Majumdar and Swathi Chatrapathy discuss the current situation in Kashmir and Arjun hands out quick tips to trekkers planning to trek in Kashmir.
Is it safe to trek in Kashmir?
Swathi Chatrapathy
Swathi Chatrapathy is the Chief Editor at Indiahikes. She heads the content team and runs a video series called Trek With Swathi. Before joining Indiahikes, she worked as a reporter and sub-editor at Deccan Chronicle. She holds a Masters in Digital Journalism and continues to contribute to publications such as Deccan Herald. Trekking, to her, is a sport that liberates that mind like nothing else can. Through her work at Indiahikes, she hopes to let more people experience this sense of liberation, by spreading information about trekking and by instilling the right spirit of trekking in them.Read Swathi's other articles. Watch Swathi's video series here.
Please state about the present scenario… the interview I guess is old enough..please update
Hi Upal, the situation in Kashmir is highly volatile. We have written about the present scenario in our updates last week. You can read more about it here.
Hi, I have a similar question to ask as above. What is the present state of Kashmir as I do intend to trek during the month of Aug
Hi Dipti,
All batches on went off smoothly in 2017 despite a few initial scares.
As of now, the situation looks fine, which is why we have opened batches.
Is it possible to do this hike in May
Hi David,
It will not be possible to do the Tarsar Marsar and Kashmir Great Lakes treks in May. The treks go through a few high altitude passes which will be covered in a lot of snow and be inaccessible at this time.
Hi
I am planning to go for the Kashmir Great Lakes or the Tarsar Marsar trek in early to mid July. Can I get an update on the safety situation in Kashmir Valley as of now?
Thanks!
Hi Tushar,
Things are safe in Kashmir as of now. Our Operations Head is right now in Kashmir to set up for Kashmir Great Lakes and Tarsar Marsar treks. We are running these as planned from July.
However, we will continue to watch closely how the coming days pan out.
Hello Sir/Madam,
We have plan to do trek for Kashmir the great lakes in the end of August 2018. Does it safe for us in Srinagar and in Kashmir?
Hi Keyur,
It is safe to visit Srinagar and Kashmir.
We have been running our batches on the Kashmir Great Lakes and Tarsar Marsar treks since the beginning of July and things have been fine.
Hi
Is there any reason why there are no treks in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th week of September? There is only one batch for both Tarsar Marsar and Kashmir Great Lakes.
Thanks
Sowmya
Hi Sowmya,
Because of the geography of Kashmir it gets very cold and may start getting snowfall at higher points starting in late September itself.
Thanks,
Aditya
Hi Aditya, I have noticed that currently there are a few Tarsar Marsar treks offered towards late September. Could you kindly confirm if weather issues are not expected during the same?
Hi Raghavi, we don’t expect weather issues. But it is going to be very cold in October. It’s best to be equipped with at least 4-5 warm layers.
Hi, Will dates be available for the KGL trek in late August or in September? Thanks!
Dates for Tarsar Marsar too, the same time. Please let me know.
What transport facility available from Srinagar to base camp ? Who will take us from Srinagar to base camp ?
Hi Rohan, if you’re trekking with Indiahikes, we will organise transport to the base camp. This will be a Tata Sumo or a Tempo Traveller along with other trekkers. You will have to share the fare and pay the drive directly.
HI,
WHICH IS THE PICK TIME TO GO ON KGL TREK ?
Hi Urvi, July, August and September are the best months to go to Kashmir. Before and after that there is too much snow on the trek. And in these three months, the trek is very beautiful, green and bursting with greenery! 🙂
With the elections around the corner, how safe will it be to trek during July end/August 1st week?
Hi Amartya
Trekking in Kashmir comes with anxiety. Though tourists are rarely affected, we are now used to seeing stone pelting mobs, sudden curfews.
Sometimes we move in the night or we shift camps. Although it’s not too likely, be mentally prepared for these things.
If there comes a time when we think it is unsafe for you, we will call off the trek.
Having said this, the last two years have been fairly smooth for both the treks in Kashmir.
We were able to run all the batches during this season of July, August and September.
Could you please state the current condition of Kashmir? Is it safe to go for trek after this incident happened (Pulwama attack)?
Hi Abhay, we will be running our treks in Kashmir only 5 months later, starting from July. So we won’t be taking any calls right now. We’ll wait and see. Also, the treks that we run are not close to Pulwama. We start our Kashmir Great Lakes trek from Sonamarg, which is a good 130 km away, and towards the north of Srinagar, whereas Pulwama is towards the South. Tarsar MArsar too is not close to this region. So we shouldn’t have problems on our treks.
Will there be any upcoming dates for KGL trek , in first week of October?
Hi Sumit, we won’t be running KGL in October because it starts snowing by then. September is the last month we go on the trek.