Jammu Kashmir Adventure Tourism

Multi-day hiking trips through mountainous ranges and snow deserts is truly a dream for a trekker. Trekking forms an integral part of the adventure sports flourishing in the hilly tracts of Jammu and Kashmir. The state is an ultimate paradise for trekkers. There are several routes passing through snowy hills, glaciers, and valleys for adventurous trekking. Hemis-Markha-Padum trek (13 days trek) and Chaddar (separating the Indus Valley from Zanskar) are amongst the best and most exciting trek routes in the world. Jammu, Ladakh, Gulmarg, Kishtwar are few places where trekking through the woods and the hills can be enjoyed.

J&K trek routes are categorised as Short Term Treks and Long Term Treks. All the mountainous routes that lie in low altitude regions come under Short term treks. Treks starting from Kishtwar, or Sonamarg – Thajiwas trek, or a few treks starting from Gulmarg are short and perfect for amateurs. Contrary to this, the Amarnath Yatra is one of the most famous long treks in the state. Its duration can be modified depending on how much one want to travel. Apart from this, Gulmarg - Ferozepur Nala, Sudarani - Jungal Gali - Jasar Kote - Sanasar route in the Jungal Gali area, and the Zanskar trek that passes through the Cha Cha La pass and the ancient Karsha Gompa are also some of the best long term treks.

Aero-Sports:

J&K Tourism has introduced Equipment can be hired from the Tourist Office in Jammu city. May-June and September-October are suitable months for paragliding at Sanasar. 19 kms from Patnitop with a good approachable road and transport links. You can reach Sanasar from Jammu via Kud and Patnitop by bus or taxi. Accommodation is available in J&K TDC huts for aero-sport enthusiasts. Shortly, other aero-sports like Parasailing and Hot-Air Ballooning will also become operational in the area.

Skiing:

At Patnitop, ski courses are conducted in the months of January and February. During the winter months, there are introductory courses for tourists. The gently graded ski slopes of Patnitop are ideal for beginners. Madha Top (5-6 kms. from Patnitop on the Sanasar Road) has excellent possibilities for all levels of skiing. After the newly planned ski-lift becomes operational, Madha Top will offer a range of skiing options for both professional skiers biggners.

Facilities Available:

For tourists taking the J&K TDC package tour, 40 sets of ski equipment are available at Patnitop and Sanasar. Also available are wooden sledges locally. For beginners and for people who want to brush up their skills, the J&K Tourism Department Ski Instructors are at your service. Accommodation for skiers is available in huts of J&K TDC at Patnitop, Kud and Sanasar. There are also several private hotels at Patnitop and Kud. Restaurants and 'Dhabas' (roadside eateries) serve tourists round-the-year.

Trekking:

A range of trekking options is available in the Jammu area. Ask for a free copy of our trekking brochure for a detailed description of the many short and long treks you can take. Summer is the season when all the routes are open but some trekking routes are open in winter. There are excellent camping sites in the wilderness where you can camp when you are trekking for 2-3 days. The Sudarani-Jungal Gali- Jasar Kote-Sanasar route in the jungal gali area lets you choose from any of the three exciting treks.

Facilities Available:

The Tourism Department has Trekking Equipment Hire Shops at Jammu, Kud and Rajouri. These stock local and imported trekking gear. Trekking parties and trekkers can hire the equipment at fixed rates.

Equipment available: are as under: Tents (Indian and Imported); 4-man tent (Indian); 2-man tent (Imported); Sleeping Bags (Imported); Carry mat (Indian & Imported); Jackets (Indian & Imported); Windcheaters (Indian); Rucksack (Indian & Imported); Trekking Boots (Indian & Imported). The equipment is issued against a cash security deposit equivalent to the cost or on a guarantee letter from any Officer of the rank of Deputy Director, Tourism/Deputy Secretary of State Government or Central Govt. If you are a foreign tourist, your passport will be held as security deposit against equipment taken on hire. Some Travel Agencies in the city can also organise trekking on different routes in Jammu.

Adventure and Sports In Jammu Kashmir

Kashmir is renowned for its scenic beauty, however the adventure sports of the paradise also draws huge crowd of tourists towards it. There is a wide variety of options that can be sought from. Jammu and Kashmir are perhaps the only place in India where a variety of sports can be taken up in a single holiday. Some of the places where one can indulge in adventure sports are Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Jammu, Sansar, Zanskar and Suru valley, Sonamarg and Srinagar.

The ideal trekking months stretch from April to November. No special permits are required, but registration with the nearest office is necessary. The state affords some spectacular contrasts in nature with its alpine pastures, barren wastelands and rugged mountains. Srinagar is a good take off point for trekking in the Kashmir valley. In the Ladakh region, Leh is a good starting point.

Mountaineering

There are several mountain ranges in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Among them are Pir Panjal, Himalayas, Zanskar, Ladakh and Karakoram. Climbing in these Himalayas can be very invigorating. An expedition can take a month, Srinagar to Srinagar. Rich in flora and fauna, the summits of most peaks are a spine-tingling experience with views of the neighboring countries of Pakistan and Tibet.

One can climb the peaks of Kolahoi(5,425 m) and Harmukh (5,148 m), quickly making an alpine ascent. Similarly peaks in the Kishtwar region are not too high but offer technically complicated climbing with many challenging faces and ridges. The popular peaks are Sickle Moon 6,575 m ,Riger 6,001m, Brammah-I 6,416m,Crooked Finger 5,630m, Arjuna 6,230m, Katori 6,138m and Flat Top 6,100m.

In the Zanskar region peaks are located at the head of the Shafat glacier and include the famous peaks of Nun 7,135m and Kun 7,077m. Around these areWhite Needle 6,500m, Pinacle 6,930m and Z-1 6,400m. The 'Z' series also cluster around the Drang Drung glacier which is visible from the Pensita. In the Ladakh region are Stok Kangri 6,153m, Parcha Kangri 6,065m and Kanglcha 6,400m.

Winter Sports

The first fall of snow blankets the highlands and transforms the winter wonderland into the country's premier arena for action-packed skiing. Gulmarg has world-class ski slopes varying between 8,700 and 10,500 feet, the highest in India. The Gulmarg ski and chair lifts provide basic utilitarian facilities with a simple link-up for beginners. The high altitude skiers have to make their own way up to invigorating heights. Gulmarg's ski-shop has professional equipment imported from Australia and France, which can also be hired for temporary use. Facilities for skiing at Pahalgam are being developed and work on an institute of mountaineering and winter sports is already underway. Heli-skiing is also being introduced.

Fishing

Kashmir has rightly been called an angler's paradise, with a network of rivers and streams as well as high altitude lakes all abounding in trout, both brown and rainbow. Trout fishing in Kashmir is far cheaper than it is in any other part of the world. And most importantly, the Department of Fisheries, which controls angling in the valley, works hard to ensure that there is no depletion of stock by indiscriminate fishing, which means that you can revel in angling in ideal conditions.

Kashmir's fabled natural beauty needs no introduction. Crisscrossing the state are the well-known Sind and Lidder rivers and their tributaries, with a silvery network of smaller rivers and streams.