TheFreedomSoul

[akrout81]

The Shepherd's shelter As the summer enters and winter recedes from the valley,the shepherds set their journey into the meadows along with their herds.The remote and picturesque mountains become their home for the next four months till the onset of the incoming winter. The remote terrain and the extreme conditions of the mountains make it logistically so challenging for inhabitation so deep in the valley.But the shepherds have mastered the craft of living in such terrain for ages.They come by walking through the high altitude mountain passes along with their mules carrying all the logistics for the entire season.They divide the meadows in the valley into their grazing areas and camp near the water source within that perimeter.No two shepherds encroaches each others grazing areas. Rain,sun,wind and cold,they brave it all for the four months to let their herd of sheep and goats graze in the rich meadows of the valley.As we hiked on the day two of our hike on the Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trail,we came across a blue coloured shepherd's watch tent on the backdrop of a gushing waterfall. #Hiking #trekking #travelphotography #traveltheworld #landscape #travelgram #instagood #wanderlust #Adventure #Himalayas #mountains #indiapictures #thefreedomsoul #passionpassport #livetravelchannel #worlderlust #justgoshoot #theglobewanderer #blogger

[akrout81]

The Satsar Lake,Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trail Sometime you just have to let yourself lost in the flow in order to find the music within.And there is no better place on earth than the Himalayas to let oneself lost in the breathtaking beauty of the nature. #Hiking #trekking #travelphotography #traveltheworld #landscape #travelgram #instagood #wanderlust #Adventure #Himalayas #mountains #indiapictures #thefreedomsoul (at Kashmir Valley)

[akrout81]

The Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trail A herd of sheep grazing merrily in the unending meadows of the spectacular Himalayas.No landscape vista in the remote Kashmir valley is complete without the shepherds or their herds. #Hiking #trekking #travelphotography #traveltheworld #landscape #travelgram #instagood #wanderlust #Adventure #Himalayas #mountains #indiapictures #thefreedomsoul (at Kashmir Valley)

[akrout81]

The Kashmir Great Lakes Trail. The scent of August was still ruling the length and breadth of the mountains.August had brought copious rains into the valley and the Himalayas were gleaming in astounding beauty. The trails on the edge of the mountains seemed unending.The sinuous and serpentine trail ran into the steep face of the mountains.The two shepherds walking on the bank of a stream thousand feets below were looked like two tiny moving dots.I screamed to get their notice but my screams were lost before it reached them.I stood there watching the gigantic mountains and feeling the killing silence in the air.The landscapes were simply breathtaking and the high of being in that place was amazing. It was the mid-day and we were walking on the edge of the mountains under the bright sunshine.The line of control was mere a 30 km away.The peaks of the mighty NangaParbat was visible from the narrow valley.As we turned from the NangaParbat view point towards our campsite,we came across a herd of 600-700 sheeps rushing downwards from the slope. We stopped there and watched the sheeps ran in the herd approaching towards the trail.After sometime a Gujjar shepherd emerged in the back of the herd high in the slopes who was grazing his herd of sheeps and was heading downwards towards the stream to let the sheeps quench their thirst on the sunny noon.The mountains always make you fall in love with its spectacular beauty and it's unbound serenity.We stood their in absolute joy watching the herd till the sheeps swarm into the narrow stream of water. #thefreedomsoul #travel #ttot #traveltheworld #travelphotography #travelgram #landscape #instagood #indie #hiking #camping #mountains #himalayas #wanderlust #instagram (at Kashmir great lakes trek)

[akrout81]

Lake Chhanu,the Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trail. The Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trail boasts some of the most spectacular high altitude lakes all along the trail.The major lakes have their names like Vishansar,Kishansar,Gadsar,Nundkul,Satsar and Gangbal.But there are many small lakes on the trails too and they don't have any names. It was a steep descent after the 13750 ft Gadsar Pass.Once the descent is over,the stunning meadows takes over.The unending meadows continues many a miles on the trail.Me,Vikas and Asif were the last on the queee hiking along with the local trek guide Mr Shakeel.We were hiking slowly enjoying the breathtaking views of the mountains along the trail. Along the trail we reached another point of descent.A small glacial lake was visible from there.The undulating turquoise water of the beautiful lake was a sight to behold.We asked Mr Shakeel about the name of the lake.He said the small lake has no name.We thought how can such a beautiful lake doesnt have any name.The beautiful lake deserved a name we were game for it. Everywhere the lakes,mountains and rivers are always given a local name.As we were on the middle of the trail,we did not knew the exact name of that place.We tossed up various names but we didn't agree on any of them.Our hiking horse "Chhanu" was grazing merrily on the meadows.The horse was walking with his master along with our team for emergency requirements i.e if any of the trekker was hit by AMS or was not able to walk ,he can be evacuated by the horse as the nearest motorable road was miles and miles back. So we zeroed on the name Lake Chhanu after the name of the horse as a mark of respect for the horse's services for us.It was 15th Aug 2016 and the lake got its name on our Independence day. #thefreedomsoul #travelgram #trekking #kashmirAlpineLakes #KashmirTourism #kashmir #ig_masterpiece #ig_travel #kashmirgreatlakes #Hiking #Camping #travel #travelgram #travel #ttot #KashmirTourism #Wanderer #explore #trekking @Indiahikes #adventure #highaltitude #alpinelakes #wilderness #himalayas #mountains #instagram #insta_good #instadaily #insta_international #indiagram #inatapic #outdoors #backpacking

[akrout81]

The Satsar Lakes,Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trail. The Satsar Lakes are a constellation of seven lakes on the Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes trails.These Lakes are nestled between the sky high mountains and the bouldered banks at an altitude of ~13000ft in the scenic Kashmir valley. These Alpine Lakes freeze in winter and became inaccessible in the winter.As the winter recedes giving way to the summer,the hikers start venturing deep into the valley on the great lakes trail to enjoy the breathtaking views of the Himalayas.Also the shepherds along with their herd storms into the valley to graze their sheeps in the meadows.The hikers and the shepherds camp on the bank of these Alpine Lakes. As we hiked through the constellation of beautiful lakes in the great lakes trail, we were dumbstruck by the remote beauty of the glacial lakes,the landscapes,the pristinity and the gorgeous view of the mountains.It was a short hike that day and we reached the campsite before noon.In the afternoon the clouds came with the light drizzle but we climbed uphill through the bouldered trail to the last two of the Satsar lakes uphill. #thefreedomsoul #travelgram #trekking #kashmirAlpineLakes #KashmirTourism #kashmir #ig_masterpiece #ig_travel (at Satsar Lake)

[akrout81]

The Sheep and her Shepherd,the stories from the Kashmir Great Lakes Trail. It was a sunny afternoon and the Kashmir valley was glittering in the sublime green of the endless meadows.I unzipped the flap of my tent and fastened the lace of my hiking shoe to get ready to hike to a shepherds hut nearby.As I stood up,the hut looked a far away from the campsite.I put my water bottle in the trouser pocket and hold on to the hiking pole to start my hike. I hiked quite a distance and crossed a stream enroute to reach the shepherds hut.It was a typical mountain hut of the Kashmiri shepherds made up of mud and wood.The hut overlooked the vast expanse of meadows and a gigantic face of the mountain in front of it.As I walked into the door of the hut,i found it was open and nobody was there.I stood there for sometime looking here and there to find somebody to ask about the shepherds.I saw a group shepherds on the backside of the hut and they were busy in shearing the sheeps. I walked up to them and greeted them saying Salaam Aalikum.An elderly shepherd was holding a young sheep by one hand and putting his leg diagonally over the body of the sheep.The shepherd was cutting the wool with his sharpened blade shears and the sheep had surrendered to the firm grip of the shepherd and was looking pensive and helpless.He continued shearing the layers of wool from the sheep as I talked to his shepherd colleagues.Meanwhile the young sheep tried to get rid of the grip of the shepherd making the blade of the shear pierced into the upper skin of the sheep.The sheep jumped out of the shepherd's grip with all her force and ran into the meadows. The sheep was still to be sheared in some portion of her body.The shepherd ran after the sheep and caught her at a distance and brought her back to his grip again. #Lake #Kashmir #kashmirAlpineLakes #kashmirgreatlakes #Hiking #Camping #travel #travelgram #travel #ttot #KashmirTourism #Wanderer #explore #trekking @Indiahikes #adventure #highaltitude #alpinelakes #wilderness #himalayas #mountains #instagram #insta_good #instadaily #insta_international #indiagram #inatapic #outdoors #backpacking #insta_global #nature #travelling (at Kashmir Valley)

[akrout81]

The Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trek. The Gadsar Pass is the highest pass on the Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trail.They say the view from the top of the Gadsar Pass is absolutely spectacular.As the morning clouds gave way for the sun,the intimidating slopes of the Gadsar pass were visible from the banks of the Kishansar Lake.As I looked towards the pass,some mules are seen climbing the slope looking like tiny dots moving on the cliffs. We slowly started climbing the slopes.The winding narrow trail in the slopes are edgy and frightening.A single wrong step in the trail could find us rolling hundreds of feet down into the lake.A look into the edge of the slopes sent cold shivers down the spine.Every step had to be firm and the mind had to be alert.We climbed slowly with one step at a time.As we gained the altitude,the breathing became fast.With each step closer to the summit,I was gasping for breathe.It was a backbreaking climb to the summit of the Gadsar pass by negotiating those daunting edges of the mountains with a swelling breathe. After reaching the summit of the 13750 ft Gadsar pass,it was time to unstrap the buckles and unshield the rucksack to enjoy the spellbinding beauty of the Himalayas.I gulped two sips of water from the bottle and sat on a boulder looking towards the twin lakes of Vishansar and Kishansar.The twin alpine lakes below were looking like two tiny ponds.There were only mountains and mountains all around till the eyes could see.The Kashmir valley was oozing with supreme beauty under the azure sky on the mid-day sun. The sun was becoming and I again had one sip of water to keep me hydrated to keep AMS at bay. The water bottle was half full and there were still many miles to hike till the campsite.It was time to resume the hike. #Lake #Kashmir #kashmirAlpineLakes #kashmirgreatlakes #Hiking #Camping #travel #travelgram #travel #ttot #KashmirTourism #Wanderer #explore #trekking @Indiahikes #adventure #highaltitude #alpinelakes #wilderness #himalayas #mountains #instagram #insta_good #instadaily #insta_international #indiagram #inatapic #outdoors #backpacking #insta_global #nature #travelling (at Kashmir great lakes trek)

[akrout81]

The Satsar Camping site, The Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trail. The Satsar camping site on the Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trail is one of the most beautiful camping site.The Satsar Lakes are a constellation of seven beautiful lakes on the trail.By mid day we had already reached the camping site.The camping site sits on the lush green meadows on the base of a mountain peak.The local guides on the trails tell a famous ghost story of this camping site. Locals say once a new horse man woke up at the middle of the night and went into the bank of the nearby lake.As he started to descend towards the lake,he could hear the sound of steps as if someone was approaching towards him.He didn't heed to the sound as he thought why would anyone walk into the lake in the middle of the night.He continued walking towards the lake till he reached the bank. Once the horse man sat on the bank to fill his water bottle,he saw a young lady in a red saree with her untied unkempt hair was walking on the bank of the lake.The horse man couldnt believe it.He thought why on earth a women would walk alone in the bank of a lake in middle of the night in such remote mountains.Then he told himself may be some woman hikers from the camp would have come for her business.He was frightened but with courage he walked back to the camping site without looking back.When he reached the camp and woke up the experienced horseman in the tent to tell him the stories back at the lake, the later told him that she was a ghost who kept following the hikers on the bank of the lake in the night. As the sun went down in the mountains,it started raining cat and dogs in the camping site.Scared listening the ghost story,We stay tented for the night after the dinner deciding not to venture out for the night. #lakes #Kashmir #kashmirAlpineLakes #kashmirgreatlakes #Hiking #Camping #travel #travelgram #travel #ttot #KashmirTourism #Wanderer #explore #trekking @Indiahikes #adventure #highaltitude #alpinelakes #wilderness #himalayas #mountains #instagram #insta_good #instadaily #insta_international #indiagram #inatapic #outdoors #backpacking #insta_global #nature #travelling (at Kashmir great lakes trek)

[akrout81]

The Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trail. A shepherd marshalling his herd of sheep to the high altitude meadows before the 13000 ft Nichnai Pass in the Kashmir Valley. #Lake #Kashmir #kashmirAlpineLakes #kashmirgreatlakes #Hiking #Camping #travel #travelgram #travel #ttot #KashmirTourism #Wanderer #explore #trekking @Indiahikes #adventure #highaltitude #alpinelakes #wilderness #himalayas #mountains #instagram #insta_good #instadaily #insta_international #indiagram #inatapic #outdoors #backpacking #insta_global #nature #travelling

[akrout81]

The smiles from the Kashmir Great Lakes Trail. The sun was piercing through the cloudy sky making the rainfed meadows glittering in masterly green.We were walking for more than six hours and still the campsites were nowhere in the sight.A well deserved break was due by then. A hut was visible from a distance and we decided to take a break there.The hut was at the base of a gorgeous waterfall and beside a gushing stream.The sound of the waterfall and the gushing stream got stronger and stringer as we walked nearer to the hut.As I crossed the stream I saw a young boy was playing with a calf in the meadows.Two young souls who could not understand each other were playing under the roof of the nature in the middle of a remote mountain.The boy was smiling unfallingly with his playful mode. As we walked past the meadows,i managed to capture his tender smile.The boy was the son of a shepherd. Their family was camping there for last three months.His father also runs a mountain cafe in the hut.The hikers on the Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes trails come to the cafe to enjoys tea/Kawa and snacks. I wanted to talk to the young lad but by that time I was feeling moderate headache due to high altitude.It was 12750 ft and I choose to have a glass of hot kawa and sat on a boulder to watch the young playful souls moving the mountains with their happiness. #Lake #Kashmir #kashmirAlpineLakes #kashmirgreatlakes #Hiking #Camping #travel #travelgram #travel #ttot #KashmirTourism #Wanderer #explore #trekking @Indiahikes #adventure #highaltitude #alpinelakes #wilderness #himalayas #mountains #instagram #insta_good #instadaily #insta_international #indiagram #inatapic #outdoors #backpacking #insta_global #nature #travelling (at Kashmir Great Lakes Trek)

[akrout81]

The Kishansar Lake (The Kashmiri Great Alpine Lakes Trail) It was the Independence day and we were camping just 22km from the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.It was a cloudy morning and the Sun was still covered under a thick blanket of clouds.We had no tricolour with us but we stood on the slopes of the Himalayas singing our national anthem in unison to celebrate our Independence day.The chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" filled the mountains and echoed through the windswept valley.After the celebration we hugged each other to greet the Independence day and started the hike. It was going to be a long hike for the day.We started from the campsite last.As we climbed the slopes the magnificent Vishansar Lake was visible from a distance.The undulating water of the lake were flirting with the morning breeze of the mountains.The glacial mountains on the bank were watching the lake making her morning raga. A herd of sheep were rushing to the meadows from a cliff.It was such a beautiful morning.The spectacular beauty of the Himalayan alpine lakes are to be seen to believe. We crossed the first lake slowly.By that time the mule had reached the first cliff and they crossed us within no time.It started drizzling and the moving clouds started sweeping the mountains.As we walked further and gained the altitude the Kishansar Lake showed us it's maiden glance. This time I deviated from the trail and walked towards the Kishansar Lake.I was spellbound by the supreme beauty of this alpine lake.With the mighty Gadsar pass staring at me,i leaned against a boulder and stood there for sometime to enjoy the surreal beauty of the lake.The clouds started flooding the Gadsar pass and fearing of getting caught in the whiteout in the middle I left Kishansar lake and started the climb towards the Gadsar pass. #Lake #Kashmir #kashmirAlpineLakes #kashmirgreatlakes #Hiking #Camping #travel #travelgram #travel #ttot #KashmirTourism #Wanderer #explore #trekking @Indiahikes #adventure #highaltitude #alpinelakes #wilderness #himalayas #mountains #instagram #insta_good #instadaily #insta_international #indiagram #inatapic #outdoors #backpacking #insta_global #nature #travelling (at Kashmir great lakes trek)

[akrout81]

View this post on Instagram

The Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trail. Nundkul lake is the last of all the lakes on the Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes trail.We reached the Nundkul Lake on the penultimate day of our trek.By that time we have trekked 45 kms and crossed three mountain passes over six days and have seen eight alpine lakes on the trail.Nundkul lake is the smaller of the twin Lakes of Gangbal and Nundkul.The beautiful vista of the twin lakes can be seen from the nearest Zach pass at 13500ft. The Nundkul lake is fed by the glacier of the Mt Harmukh and the Gangbal lake.The lake looks absolutely stunning with the glacial blue water and the lush green meadows on its bank. The video here captured the breathtaking view of the Nundkul Lake with the Mt Harmukh on the backdrop and the coloured tents in the campsites at the mouth of the lake. #Lake #Kashmir #kashmirAlpineLakes #kashmirgreatlakes #Hiking #Camping #travel #travelgram #travel #ttot #KashmirTourism #Wanderer #explore #trekking @Indiahikes #adventure #highaltitude #alpinelakes #wilderness #himalayas #mountains #instagram #insta_good #instadaily #insta_international #indiagram #inatapic #outdoors #backpacking #insta_global #nature #travelling (at Kashmir great lakes trek)

[akrout81]

The young Shepherd in the mountain(Stories from the Kashmir Great Lakes Trail) The brief spell of drizzle was over and the meadows in the mountains were glittering in lush green.The last rain drops were still hanging from the tip of the leaves of the wild grasses.The sun was offering the adieu kiss of the day to the mountains.It was a nine kilometre hike that day.I and Asif walked into the campsite last.By that time everybody was inside their tents. As we walked into our tent,we saw a child wearing a traditional Kashmiri phiran and holding a wooden stick was standing near our tent.The glare in his eyes,the innocence in his face and the shyness of his character caught my attention.The unkempt hair,the sunburnt cheeks and the oversized phiran,everything was so beautiful with him.I asked the child what was his name and he replied nothing.He only nodded pointing towards the face of the mountain where two people were guiding a herd of sheeps. Then I asked him to come to our tent and he didn't even moved an inch from his position.But when we offered him chocolates ,he smiled and started walking towards our tent.We sat inside our tent.He unwrapped the chocolate and started eating it.By that time his father came.His father is a nomadic shepherd and they were camping in the mountains to graze their herd.They will be in the mountains for one more month till the onset of winter. His father told us his son did understand the local Kashmiri language only.Then we asked his name in Kashmiri,and he replied in his adorable baby voice his name is Yusuf.As the evening brought the curtain of darkness on the dusk,the father son duo left our campsite towards their hut and the young shepherd smiled at us before leaving our tent. #Lake #Kashmir #kashmirAlpineLakes #kashmirgreatlakes #Hiking #Camping #travel #travelgram #travel #ttot #KashmirTourism #Wanderer #explore #trekking @Indiahikes #adventure #highaltitude #alpinelakes #wilderness #himalayas #mountains #instagram #insta_good #instadaily #insta_international #indiagram #inatapic #outdoors #backpacking #insta_global #nature #travelling

[akrout81]

The mules in the trails Any high altitude trek is next to impossible without the mules.The remote high altitude mountains poses a logistical challenge for carrying all the camping logistics.Any high altitude trek/expedition involves a considerable portion of logistics. The mules and their masters come to the aid in the mountains.The mules carry the necessary logistics starting from ration,stoves to tents and sleeping bags.They climb the slopes carrying so much weight wish such ease. This also gives a fillip to the local economy.Hikers hire the help of locales and the locales get benefitted directly from the adventure tourism in their region. Here the mules were manned by their masters towards the Nichnai camping site as we were taking rest at the table top mountain after a long hike. #Lake #Kashmir #kashmirAlpineLakes #kashmirgreatlakes #Hiking #Camping #travel #travelgram #travel #ttot #KashmirTourism #Wanderer #explore #trekking @Indiahikes #adventure #highaltitude #alpinelakes #wilderness #himalayas #mountains #instagram #insta_good #instadaily #insta_international #indiagram #inatapic #outdoors #backpacking #insta_global #nature #travelling (at Kashmir great lakes trek)

[akrout81]

The Nichnai Pass,Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trails. Mountains passes are always demanding on the trails.The steep climbs at such high altitudes make the hikers tired.But once one reaches the top of the mountain pass,the ethreal beauty of the spectacular view of the mountain ranges all around make good of the tiresome. The first pass on the Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes is the Nichnai Pass at an altitude of ~13000ft.Here we are approaching the gradual slopes to the Nichnai Pass on a sunny noon. #Lake #Kashmir #kashmirAlpineLakes #kashmirgreatlakes #Hiking #Camping #travel #travelgram #travel #ttot #KashmirTourism #Wanderer #explore #trekking @Indiahikes #adventure #highaltitude #alpinelakes #wilderness #himalayas #mountains #instagram #insta_good #instadaily #insta_international #indiagram #inatapic #outdoors #backpacking #insta_global #nature #travelling

[akrout81]

The Kashmir Great Alpine Lakes Trail. I find the echoes Of my voice in your lap I find my reflection In your serenity I find my freedom In your wilderness I find my shelter Within your arms I find my way In your randomness I find my voice In your symphony With your pristinity All around I walked into the nothingness. #Lake #Kashmir #kashmirAlpineLakes #kashmirgreatlakes #Hiking #Camping #travel #travelgram #travel #ttot #KashmirTourism #Wanderer #explore #trekking @Indiahikes #adventure #highaltitude #alpinelakes #wilderness #himalayas #mountains #instagram #instadaily #insta_international #indiagram #outdoors #backpacking #insta_global #nature #travelling #instagood #wanderlust (at Kashmir great lakes trek)