SONAMARG

Sonamarg (Urdu pronunciation: [soːnaːmərɡ]) or Sonmarg (Urdu pronunciation: [soːnmərg]), known as Sonamarag[3] (Kashmiri pronunciation: [sɔnɨmarɨɡ]; lit. 'meadow of gold')[4] in Kashmiri, is a hill station located in the Ganderbal District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located about 62 kilometers from Ganderbal Town and 80 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of the capital city, Srinagar.

View of Sonamarg Valley

History

Sonamarg had historical significance as a gateway on the ancient Silk Road, connecting Kashmir with Tibet.[5][6] Today, the hill station is a popular tourist destination amongst fishers and hikers, and following the Kargil War with neighbouring Pakistan in 1999, serves as a strategically important point for the Indian Army.[citation needed]

Geography

The hill station is situated in the Kashmir Valley, at an altitude of 2,730 metres (8,960 ft)[7] Combined with the alpine meadows that bloom in the summer as well as rivers and lakes stocked with fish, Sonamarg is a notable tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir.[8]

Climate

Given its high altitude and mountainous terrain, Sonamarg experiences the regionally-rare humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb) with significant rainfall. The average temperature in Sonamarg is 6.5 °C (43.7 °F), and nearly 932 mm (36.7 in) of precipitation falls annually (not counting the heavy snowfall that falls occasionally in winter).

Sonamarg provides glaciers like kalahoi Peak & trekking routes leading to Vishansar Lake, Krishansar Lake, Gangabal Lake and Gadsar Lake in the Himalayas, which are stocked with snowtrout and brown trout.[11] The Sind River meanders here and abounds with trout and mahseer. Ponies can be hired for a trip up to Thajiwas glacier, in the summer. The Yatra to the nearby Amarnath Temple begins in Sonamarg.

Baltal, 15 km east of Sonamarg, is a valley that lies at the foot of the Zoji La pass. Trekkers can also reach the city of Leh—known as "the rooftop of the world"—by crossing over the Zoji La.

The Jammu and Kashmir tourism department organizes river rafting tournaments at Sonamarg throughout the year, which has recently seen the participation of teams from abroad.[12]

Thajiwas Glacier 

Thajiwas Glacier trek or walk is one of the prime attractions of a trip to Sonamarg. The 3 kilometers long trek passes through lush green pastures, and a beautiful forest, and ends at a viewpoint from where you get a clear view of the glacier. There are a few tea stalls at the viewpoint where you can get something to eat before starting on your way back.

If you were up for it, you can actually continue beyond that point and get a little closer to the glacier. However, the trek does get a little more difficult and trickier after that.

Thajiwas Glacier Altitude

The glacier is said to be at a height of 9,186 feet which is actually incorrect, considering that Sonamarg itself is actually at 8,960 ft. It is the viewpoint that is at roughly around 9200 feet but the actual glacier sits at a much higher altitude than that.

How to Reach Thajiwas Glacier from Sonmarg

There are two ways that you can reach Thajiwas Glacier from Sonamarg, either walk all the way or hire a pony. There is in fact a road that was built to take you half the way but the locals and the pony owners do not allow cars to go that way, in their own interests. Your car will have to be left out at your hotel in Sonamarg.

Let us take a look at both options one by one.

Thajiwas Glacier Walk

Can you trek to the glacier all on your own? The answer is that yes you can. You do not need a guide to take you there. It is a well-marked path that is easy to navigate and even paved for the last 1 kilometer or so.

All that you need is a good set of lungs and stamina to walk a total of 6 kilometers for a return trip.

The trek is not difficult at all. The only difficult part is the first 300-400 meters from Sonamarg which is a steep climb. After that, it is pretty much a straight walk except for a few places where you have to go up and down a little bit.

Take a look at the pictures below. The road is the one that passes through Sonamarg and you need to start walking in its other direction. The mosque that I have circled in the picture can work as a marker

From Sonamarg, start walking in the direction of that mosque. Once you get there, just follow the path, ponies, and other tourists and you will get to the snow point easily.

The starting point of the trek is just where Sonamarg starts and you cross several hotels on the way. To your right will be an Army camp and the trek is before that. Do not go all the way to Sonamarg market. Just ask anyone and they can point you in the right direction if you were not sure of the starting point

Thajiwas Glacier Pony Ride

Ponies are available all over Sonamarg for a ride to Thajiwas. There are two ways around it. You can either ask your hotel owner to arrange a pony for you or just start walking towards the trek and soon one of the pony owners will approach you on his own.

You will have people asking to take you to the ‘glacier’ even if you had no intention of going that way. It is to the extent that it becomes annoying after a little whil