[tao_warrior]

Introduction


I would like to thank Vargis Khan for his poetic blogs on Gurez Valley - a serene, beautiful valley ensconced between snowy mountains, beyond the magnificent Razdan Pass, (which is as high as Zojila Pass - 11,700 feet) and 6-7 hours from Srinagar. Vargis is prolific on his blogging about Kashmir.



I rented the Mahindra Thar 4WD petrol from Chandigarh - a self drive jeep that i was driving for the first time, and inspired my wife and my young daughter to join me. We left Chandigarh on 14 May and reached Gurez by 17 May 2023.

This was my first drive in Kashmir though my fourth visit to the state. As someone who was born in Simla and knows Himachal quite well, I must also state Kashmir is far more beautiful than Himachal or Uttarakhand.

Day 1
14 May
Chandigarh to Kud (Near Patnitop)
Distance 494 Kilometers

I left Chandigarh at 0500 hours and took the route that touched Ropar, Phagwara, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, and then turned right before the Chenani tunnel towards Kud.

The drive was good, and the Thar was stable at 90-100 km/hr - the new models have invested into modern comforts except that the climate control is missing. We clocked good speeds, and had breakfast at Madhopur (around 0900 hours) which is on the Ravi river.

While google suggested that we turn right at Samba on the Dhar road - please do not take this route. While google suggests that you save 30 minutes - it is useful to stay on the four lane road and not go on the Dhar road. Dhar road is prescribed for larger trucks and the road is messy, full of potholes and very slow traffic.

NH44 in early may has been erratic with its traffic updates - but we reached Kud by 1400 hours, and spent the evening walking around and getting used to altitude.



Day 2
15 May
Kud to Dachigam (Beyond Srinagar)

While Google timed this drive as 5 hours, we did not trust traffic on NH 44 and left Kud at 0530 hours. We chose to drive back to NH44 at Chenani and experience the Chenani tunnel. It is quite an experience to traverse a 9km long tunnel.

However our pleasures soon ended - as the way from Chenani tunnel to Banihal was torturous. The four laning is still in process. Landslides because of May snow and rain had rendered the highway blocked. Large convoys not heeding JK traffic control timings made the journey worse.

There were long waits on the highway for the traffic to move. There are sections near Rampur and Banihal that were simply dirt tracks. Long convoys of trucks made progress difficult. What was supposed to be a two hour drive turned out to be 5 hours long - from Chenani to Banihal - and we were seen to be more fortunate. Others seemed to have had longer journeys.

However given a couple of years -NH44 would be a marvel to behold with its two long tunnels and many new ones as well.

Brunch was at Banihal JK Tourism hotel - quite rundown but the staff helped us with basic toast and omelets. We chose to have lunch at Taj Vivanta in Srinagar - a beautifully located hotel on the Dal Lake, and proceeded to our homestay in Dachigam.

I must state that the four lane road from Qazigund (after the 8.93 Banihal tunnel) to Srinagar is beaitiful. However given the G20 summit, security was at its peak - we were stopped several times.


Day 3
16 May
Visting Srinagar

Srinagar has been invested significantly in terms of infrastructure - it looks far cleaner and more beautiful. There are better parking facilities today and Residency road leading up to Lal Chowk looks classy. Do stop at Chai Jaai for teas and snacks.

Day 4
17 May
Srinagar to Gurez

We left Dachigam at around 0700 hours. I had bought snow-chains for it was snowing heavily at Razdan pass as recent as 11 May 2023, and the administration was clear that at Tragbal check post (just before the Pass) - your vehicle needs anti-skid gear.

Google maps took us via Ganderbal where there is a y junction - the road to the right goes to Leh via Sonamarg-Zojila-Drass, and the road to the left took us to Bandipora.

The drive to Bandipora was beautiful - though this part of Kashmir is quite sylvan and primitive. We saw the beautiful Wular lake - which is one of the largest freshwater lakes. But there were no places to eat or relax. We stopped just before Bandipora and had some tea and Kashmiri bread.

The drive from Dachigam to Bandipora is flat and goes up the valley.

From Bandipora, we took the road to Tragbal and started climbing and the climb is steep. The Thar is quite powerful and went up smoothly - the road was fantastic. We reached Tragbal checkpost and showed our ID papers. Fortunately, they did not ask us to install snow chains.




From Tragbal - we climbed another 1500 feet and reached Razdan pass. Snow had been piled up on both sides of the road - and you are at the top of the pass for several kilometers. All of us were quite enchanted by snow on all sides as the Thar smoothly traversed the pass. The Razdan pass is not so treacherous as Zojila or even the Jalori pass.




After Razdan Pass - the road deteriorated considerably and the next 24-30 kilometers took time and careful driving.

We reached Dawar - the main town in the valley by 1400 hours and have been staying at Kaka Palace - a very hospitable hotel - one of the very few that also offers vegetarian cuisine.



North east of Dawar is the Habba Khatoon peak that shimmers. The valley is truly beautiful. I have been to French and Swiss Alps - but the Gurez valley beats these locales.

We plan to drive to Tileil - the last village before POK tomorrow - but that is another day.

Gurez becomes prettier by July.

[supreddy77]

Awesome views bro, keep it coming! Just wanted to check if 4x4 is needed for this drive?

[Garth]

Awesome!!! Goes straight to the bucket list

[JohnnyBoss]

Superb! Waiting for the rest of the story with loads of pictures.
Please also give details of your food and stay places.