Holy Amarnath Cave Trek

It was last week of July 2011. Started trek from Pahalgham and finished in Baltal. I decided to walk entire root of yatra and Lord Shiv give me the strength to do the same.

Itinerary

Day 1: Srinagar to Pahalgam base camp
Day 2: Pahalgham - Chandanwari – Sheshnag
Day 3: Sheshnag Base Camp to Holy Cave Base
Day 4: Holly Cave to Baltal Base Camp
Day 5&6: Baltal and Sonamarg Trek



Day1: Pahalgam base camp

Srinagar to Pahalgam is 2 to 3 hrs journey. One can get shared jeeps from TRC (Tourist Reception Center, Srinagar). From Pahalgam base camp you will not permitted to yatra after 4 pm. So if reach in evening like me, then better to say in one of the camps and rest for the next day.

Not to mention, the security at the base camp is very strict but I saw yatris do cooperate with army jawans very well. You will get free food at Bhandaras. They are amazing; many verities of dishes are available.

Toilets and bathrooms inside camps are surprisingly clean, thanks to Kashmiri people but they do chare for it (it’s really funny, free food but charges for loo). Hot water supply is also easily available.

Ponies are available at Pahalgam for nearby spots.

I have obtained the permits, but nobody ask me the same while yatra.

Day2 : Pahalgham - Chandanwari – Sheshnag

In the morning around 7am, when yatra starts you will find number of jeeps and mini busses waiting outside the camp. They will drop you to Chandanwari. Actual yatra will start from Chandanwari.

Pony and Pithus are available right from Chandanwari.

Here onwards the root is amazingly beautiful. One side you will have snow covered mountain and deep valley on other side.

I found Pissu top very hard to trek as it’s a straight climb for couple of kilometers. After that it’s mostly descending.

It was 4 pm when I reach the Sheshnag Lake, what a beauty! Glacier is melting down in one side of lake. Though I got caught in rain in between, I can’t stop my self from quick dig into the lake. Not to mention it was freezing.

Base camp of Sheshnag is equally clean and well managed.




Day3: Sheshnag Base Camp to Holy Cave Base

From here I stared yatra early morning, though we have stopped by army personal due to bad weather. It was little bit of showering in the way for couple of hours but there onwards we had a sunny day though temperature is very low.

Cave is like 10 to 12 km from here but the walk was not too hard.

And it was 3 o’clock in noon when I had my first view of Holy Cave. You can spot Cave from few kilometers away. I was amazed like everybody and excited too. From here right to the cave, all pilgrims are singing Bhajans and dancing in the name of Shiv.

Pleanty of tents and shops are available at the cave base camp. They provide good accommodation and hot water for bath. I took a bath in the ice-cold water of Amarnath Stream.



Inside The Holly Amarnath Cave:

Shivling was 3.5 ft tall at the time I visited the cave. Though it was crowded, you won’t need to rush for the Shivling darshan. The fact that the mouth of the cave is wide open and cave is big enough to accommodate 100s of people, unlike the Vaishno Devi Cave.

It feels really grate when you witnessing the Holy Shivling. The coldness and atmosphere inside the cave is magical. I spend good couple of hours in the cave; there is no rush at all.

As I decided to have a night stay at the cave base camp itself, I was able to attain the evening Arti at 7 o’clock.



Day4: Holly Cave to Baltal Base Camp

This rout is rocky, narrow and extremely dangerous. We had a little bit of rain showers on the way, which make it even worse. It was so slippery, I was even horses felling down through to it.

Day 5&6: Baltal and Sonamarg Trek

From Baltal, Sonamarg very closer and you will find plenty of jeeps and busses in the rout. They will drop you at Sonamarg in 3 hrs only.

Sonmarg itself is a beautiful place. I did the Thajiwas glacier trek; glacier is very near by for the road. Ponies can drop you up to the glacier.