Pahalgam

Unspoilt by the ravages of progress, 96 kms. east of Srinagar, nestled on the banks of the river Lidder lies the quaint village of Pahalgham. The serious angler's delight, even amateurs manage a fair catch of rainbow trout from the rushing streams with bustling schools of fish. The large brown bear is a natural inhabitant of the thick pine an fir forests that cover the mountainside. Pahalgham has a golf course at 2420 mts. above sea level and is well equipped as a base for trekkers. Camping equipment, ponies and porters are readily available. Kolahoi glacier is the popular destination via Aru, a charming meadow. Pilgrims bound for Amarnath stop at Pahalgham, their first point of worship.

Pahalgam River Rafting

The sport of white water river rafting calls for a triumph over the swift swirling river as it gushes past spectacular mountains. It is practised mainly in the upper reaches where the water is wild and white as it frothes and foams, crashing against narrow gorges, rocky outcrops and falls at deep gradients. As with trekking, mountaineering and other sports, river rafting too has been classified and graded in terms of degrees of difficulty. The suitable period for river running depends on the adequacy of water volume. Thus April to September are most appropriate. The equipment required is ordinary outdoor gear, goggles, antiseptic cream and a liking for getting wet Pahalgam is a town and a notified area committee in Anantnag district in India's northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a popular tourist destination, and every year, many tourists visit Pahalgam. Kolohoi Glacier, situated up the Lidder Valley, just below Mount Kolohoi, is currently a hanging glacier. It is basically hollowed out from global warming, the Asian brown cloud, and local environmental factors associated with mountain hydrology. According to the mountaineers from Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering (JIM) in 2008, the glacier has receded by half since 1985. The glacier is not safe to study because it is hollow and in places has 200-foot-deep (61 m) crevasses. The sounds of cracking can be heard from either side of the ice field, which indicates an imminent collapse. The preferred method of approach for viewing is to take the right side. This approach offers less boulder fields on the approach, and the occasional goat/horse/cattle herder can be approached for cheese and Kashmiri tea on the way. Reaching Kolohoi, trekking up the Lidder Valley, you will encounter some of the most difficult terrain in the western Himalayas, but the views are breathtaking.