A Cat's Nine Lives on Himalayan Roads and Other Incidents

Escaping the clutches of Armed Gujjars

This is a chapter about a narrow escape from the clutches of fierce and bearded armed gujjar mountain nomads of Kashmir

A Cat's Nine Lives on Himalayan Roads and Other Incidents

This chapter exemplifies the dangers of himalayan journeys. The year is 1983 and the region, the great himalayan watershed separating or connecting the lush Vale of Kashmir from the high altitude desert of Ladakh. Having gone back since then in the 2000's road conditions have improved dramatically. But as anyone experienced in mountain travel will realise, it just takes a turn in the weather to turn idyllic conditions into nightmarish ones. The extreme elevations perhaps the highest in the world that these roads traversed through made everything more forbidding.The gujjar nomads, the able drivers, the landscapes and the weather and finally the oddities of some of our travellers, made this another memorable journey and one I would like to share with you!

A MOUNTAIN STORM ON THE HIGH ALPINE LAKES OF KASHMIR

Taken from my travel book, No Boda Boda, this is a short description of a mountain storm, encountered during my trek in 1983, while accompanying some elderly American clients. The humour as well as nature's wrath have etched this in my mind, since that time. Kashmir, and Ladakh are amongst the most scenic mountain scapes in the world. But travel in the mountains anywhere can suddenly be a challenge. I hope you enjoy this short narrative and look forward to your feedback. I do hold zoom calls to share images as well.