The history of Kashmir, a heaven on earth, is inextricably linked to the decades old dispute between Pakistan and India over its control. But beneath that politics lies a Kashmir that is beautiful, with its simple lifestyle and loving people. The mountain peaks usually clad in clouds and the valleys wrapped in green instill a freshness in your soul. It was in 2016 when I first planned a bike ride to Kashmir’s Banjosa lake and Toli Pir top, but unfortunately the plan was cancelled because of the political sit ins at the time after I got news of road blockage across Lahore and the Capital. Later, the plans kept on getting cancelled either because of the poor roads network or the unprecedented rains until this July when I finally accomplished mission Kashmir.
I feel that the kaleidoscope of my life would be incomplete without a bike ride, at least once a year. Summer vacations offer me a chance to experience the ever-changing endless possibilities that life offers. I started my journey from Lahore. As usual, I left Lahore in the early hours of morning to avoid heat and the G.T. road traffic, although I was soon stopped by rain right after crossing Shahdra where my journey was paused for more than an hour. Half soaked in rain I resumed the journey when the sun had already come up, hiding somewhere behind the clouds that still roared. But the clouds saved me from heat for good part of the journey and it wasn’t till I reached near Rawat that I was reminded about the sweating weather I was riding in. Islamabad was my destination for the first day.
The next day me school time friend Asif Malik had to join me for the onward journey. Around 4 p.m. we left Islamabad and taking the Bara Kahu flyover reached Murree Express Highway. As we stopped at the Kohala bridge Asif informed me that we were to stay the night in a nearby village called Munasa with Adil Abbasi, a common friend who hails from Kashmir, and that Adil was also to join us for the next day’s ride on his Suzuki GS150 along with his cousin Maaz. We had our dinner at a local roadside restaurant. This is where Asif brought it to my knowledge, for the first time, that a small offroad patch awaited us to reach Adil’s place. “How tough is it going to be”, I asked Asif. “Not much”, was the reply.
I have always been curious to take the roads that flank up and down the main road as we travel on the mountain roads; curious just to see where these roads end up. Today I was on one such track. The main Kohala-Dhirkotroad flanks a path that slides down the mountain at a steep angle, in the dark of the night I found myself on a narrow path with loose rocks spread all over like giant pearls. I knew I couldn’t find my way through them but had to ride over them, the right foot on the break pedal all the time. This was my first ever endeavor on a pure offroad track on a bike that weighed well more than 200kg with all the luggage. Lucky for me, I made it without any mistake, although I told Asif that this offroad track was too much for an unskilled rider like me who has always been on the pavements. The climb next day would be easier, I thought, so I wasn’t much worried.
People that belong to Punjab’s plain tracts cannot think like mountain men who always keep the weather aspect in mind. The next morning, we were awakened by heavy rain and the adventure resumed with a wet muddy track and scattered gravel welcoming me to another nerve testing ride. I got stuck at two points where I needed a push for the bike as the mud bathed rear tyre was completely out of traction. Then there was this patch where a natural spring flowed down the hill where I dropped my bike for the first time sincethree years of owning it. But from this point onwards I rode like a professional, now that the fear was gone. I believe that an offroad track is the mountain’s anvil, it shapes a true rider out of you. I just hope I’ve been shaped a little, until next time.
Our destination was Ganga Choti, a beautiful mountain top in the Bagh District of Kashmir known for its beautiful meadows. The road was amazing throughout, the weather pleasant, a perfect fun packed recipe for a biker. We had a brief stop at Bagh, where we went off the road to take come pictures of the valley. From Bagh to Ganga Choti the landscape gets stunning, and the amazing twisty road adds to the beauty of the journey. We climbed a mountain top at Ganga Choti amidst clouds and cold breeze. The cup of tea here was quite therapeutic after an exhausting uphill climb. Time swallows itself when you are riding through mountains or trekking up and down the hills. We came back to the parking area some two hours later and left for Munasa.
The next day we left for Lasdana taking the Bagh-Lasdana road where some beautiful landscapes welcomed us. Getting lost in the right direction, this was exactly my thought after we took a wrong road twice on that day, Kashmir is truly beautiful. After visiting Lasdana we took an under-construction road that would connect Lasdana to Toli Pir. Although the road is still under construction but it can be travelled by bike and car alike since the stone compaction is complete. After riding about 30 minutes on this road we reached Toli Pir, another site with lush green meadows. From here we next moved toward Banjosa lake, which was rather too much crowded yet beautiful.
The cursor repeatedly blinks at me as I find myself at a loss of words to express the beautyof Kashmir’s landscape. Kashmiri people are amazingly polite and welcoming. Our friend Adil Abbasi, I found out, is as amazing a host as he is a bike rider as I didn’t find him making a single mistake. His residence is located in a small but beautiful village near Dhirkot, called Munasa. After my two-nights’ stay among the locals I learnt why mountain people seem to have disease-defying super powers, it is because of their lifestyle. Life in the mountains is full of hardships. When you live amidst nature, you are far from the luxuries of the artificial life. Primitive roads make the journey difficult to reach to the main cities, coupled with the transport issues and challenges that the weather brings with it.
For a dweller of Lahore whose vision seems to have been blurred by the constant smogs there is life of freshness in the great beyond of Kashmir, awaiting you to come and explore new horizons and the mystic whispers telling you to come again. We’ll do that!
This exclusive article has been published in Automark Magazine’s August-2024 printed edition. Written by Talal Hussain Malik
