Trek Difficulty
Moderate-Difficult
Trek Duration
9 Days
Highest Altitude
14,469 ft
Suitable For
12-62 years
Warwan Valley Trek
Warwan Valley Trek is a high-altitude Trans-Himalayan trek. This is the most exotic and offbeat trek in India. Unlike other treks, this trek offers fascinating serenity and a bundle of nature’s delights. This trek traverses over grasslands, pastures, and vast meadows of wildflowers, deltas, and glaciers. It exposes you to the most offbeat, least frequented trail.
Crossing over from Kargil to Kashmir, this trek spans a vast landscape. It gives you varied and contrasting features of Kargil and Kashmir. From the barren yet colourful mountains of Panikhar to the sumptuous greenery of Warwan valley, this Warwan Valley Trek gives you a glimpse of two worlds of nature. One of the striking features of this trek is traversing on a long patch of glacier spreading on around 10kms. Warwan, where the trek ends, is isolated and still unbelievably untouched by modernity. It has the same traditional and ancient way of living life.
Book here the adventurous trek: Kashmir Great Lakes Trek
The place remains cut off from the rest of the world for winters and in summers there is a scant flow of tourists. Only those who are passionate about the offbeat and quiet place. This place is the least explored in India and thankfully least exploited. It has remained a go-to place for trekkers for centuries now and was part of an ancient route that connected Kargil to Kashmir. This trail is one of the ancient Trans-Himalayan routes.
The gradient of the Warwan Valley trek is difficult. It is recommended for seasoned trekkers or those having a solid fitness level.
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Trek Fee
Original price was: ₹25,000.00.₹17,900.00Current price is: ₹17,900.00.
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What are the Highlights of the Trek?
- Sumdo’s River Delta Basin: Sumdo is a breathtaking valley that is the confluence of two rivers. You will be fascinated by the vast river basin formed in the valley. The river turns into small rivulets cutting the basin in many forms and ways. You will be walking through these lush meadows alongside these little rivulets in Sumdo.
- Bracken Glacier Traverse: The glacier traverse in Warwan Valley Trek is the most difficult part. This is the longest and most tiring day. It takes around 12 hours of continuous trekking to reach the campsite. What makes it difficult is the glacier traverse. This bracken glacier comes within an hour of a walk after Lomvilad Pass. It is greyish and it is fascinating to look at it from a distance and then traverse it. This is what will remain in your memory in the years ahead.
- Grasslands: Kashmir Great Lakes trek has the most alpine lakes than any trek in India. There are around a dozen lakes in and around this trek that you can access and see. All of these lakes are glacier-fed and most of them have the famous fish trout present in abundance.
- Warwan Village: As you will start entering Kashmir, you will see a striking difference in the landscape. Here in Warwan, the landscape is lush and green. It is in this beautiful warwan valley there is a settlement. The houses are traditional, people are hospitable and kind and least exposed to modern life. The trail goes through the village with beautiful fencing. A fresh river stream cuts into the middle of the village. This village is the perfect shot for wallpaper or scenery back home.
Fixed Departure
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| 14 July 2024 | Open |
| 21 July 2024 | Full |
| 24 July 2024 | Open |
| 03 August 2024 | Open |
| 11 August 2024 | Full |
| 12 August 2024 | Open |
| 24 August 2024 | Open |
| 25 August 2024 | Full |
| 01 September 2024 | Open |
| 14 September 2024 | Open |
| 24 September 2024 | Open |
Warwan Valley Trek Package & Cost
The Warwan Valley Trek of Kashmir Package covers the total cost involved for the trek. The total cost includes all the camping equipment, transportation, meals, all qualified staff, medical facility on the trek, and other associated essentials. At Cliffhangers, you will get the most affordable package with the best of the services. Our high star rating is a testament to the blend of the best cost and services.
The Warwan Valley Trek Package starts from 17,900 per person. The cost is inclusive of all the trekking essentials including all meals during the trek.
Warwan Valley Trek – A Detailed Itinerary
- Altitude: 8,795 to 10,700 ft
- Distance: 185 km drive
- Duration: 7-8 hour drive
The trek starts with a long drive from Srinagar Airport. The drive takes a full day and is around 185km.
The dive goes via a famous tourist place in Kashmir called Sonamarg. The drive to Sonamarg is extremely scenic with the Sindh River running parallel to the road and the breathtaking snow-capped mountains on both sides. The drive goes through villages and paddy fields and gives you the best highlight of Kashmir’s landscape. The Sindh River you will see towards your right, eternally dancing down. The river is the tributary of the Jhelum River.
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From Sonamarg, you will road winds up towards the Zojila Pass. It is an uphill drive and gives you breathtaking panoramas. Zojila Pass is a high-altitude pass that connects Kashmir to the Ladakh region. The altitude of the pass is 3,528m. And it takes a couple of hours to reach the top of this pass. From the pass, the drive descends into the Ladakh region.
It is a rewarding drive with long ranges of mountains on both sides and the valleys and meadows spreading in front of you. In a couple of hours, you will reach the first village of the Kargil region of Ladakh. The drive will then go via Drass. Drass is the second coldest inhabited place in the world. In winter, the place has freezing temperatures and in summer Drass turns into heaven for offbeat travelers.
Stop here for lunch and experience and see this quaint village. The people here are untouched by modernity and live traditional and cultural life. Post your lunch, the drive will go via the main Kargil market to the Panikhar campsite.
Panikhar is a small village that falls in Suru valley. Tucked away in complete serenity, you will feel the unspoiled nature here with long paddy fields at the foot of surrounding mountains. The population is scant and quite welcoming to travelers.
You will have to make all of your essential purchases at Srinagar or Kargil itself. Panikhar has only a few shops. The altitude of Panikhar is around 10,800ft
This is a rest and acclimatization day before you start for this long Trans-Himalayan Trek. Explore the beautiful Panikhar landscape and village. Since this trek is challenging and goes to high altitude, it is essential to spend a day here for acclimatization. It has a way that goes to Zanskar and towards the Nun Kun Expedition. You will see villagers busy in their farming life and will relish their hospitability.
Book: Bodpathri Lakes Trek
- Altitude: 10,700 ft to 12,350 ft
- Distance: 14 km
- Duration: 5-6 hours
The first day of trekking takes you first to the shimmering Panikhar Nallah. The trail walks parallel to this nallah and then crosses the bridge and goes to the other side of the nallah.
In a short walk, the village recedes and vanishes. The trail is wide goes through a narrow valley and has a gradual ascend. The landscape in the surroundings is barren. To the right side of the trail, the river cascades down beautifully.
As you walk along the trail, it unfolds varied attractions. There is a bridge crossing and a fantastic lush grassy meadow that has river streams cutting through it. You will come across on your way to the shepherd settlement. Immediately afterward, you reach the Sumdo campsite. This is the place of confluence of two rivers.
The trail now narrows down to a wide walking track. Continue walking on the trail. Another half-hour later, over a wide curve, you get the first glimpse of the two intersecting valleys up ahead. Below is Sumdo, your camp of the day. The campsite is scenic with rivers, meadows, and mountain chains in your surroundings.
- Altitude: 12,350 ft to 12,875 ft
- Distance: 3 km
- Duration: 1.5 hours
On this day there are many river streams you will have to cross. These multiple streams that are close to each other take around half an hour to cross. The water is cold and makes your feet numb. Panikhar Nallah is in your vicinity. This valley has another shepherd settlement.
Start the day by taking off your shoes. Multiple streams need to be crossed to get to the other end of the basin. The direction to take is the valley to the left, sticking to the right of the Nala that rushes down the valley. Immediately after the river crossings, you will see the basin of Denora and Sumdo. This is a gorgeous view. The landscape and this basin are quite wide and unending. The meadows are strewn with colorful flowers around you.
Shortly, you will see the meadow of Kalapari. You will camp in this meadow beside the river stream.
This is the shortest trek day and the gradient of the day is easy. All other days are challenging.
- Altitude: 12,875 ft to 11,550 ft via 14,550 ft
- Distance: 17 km
- Duration: 11 hours
This is the longest and the toughest day of the trek. You will have to start early in the morning. After having a hearty breakfast, gear yourself for the tough trek day. The trail is definite. However, what makes the day difficult is the length of around 17km, and the glacier traverse. The glacier trekking here does not need any equipment other than trekking poles. This is quite a safe maneuver. The trail goes through moraines.
Shortly after you have left the campsite, you will go via moraines and get a view of Kalapari summit and glacier. From the top look back towards your campsite, it looks so much spanning and vast and gives a panoramic view of the valley down.
You will now see the famous and only lake on the trail. The lake is fed by the glacier and has chunks of snow floating in it. The trail is beside the lake and exposes you to the long glacier about 1km wide. This is the brackish glacier is called the Kaintal Glacier.
After the glacier walk, the trail leads to the valley. After this valley is another glacier, you will be walking on the moraines and then get below the Kalapari mountain. Shortly after his glacier, you will have to ascend towards the pass. The pass stands at an altitude of around 14,550m. You will see multiple lakes on your way most of them almost frozen.
Large snowfields lead out from the pass. They are gently sloping and easy to walk on. Get on to the snowfield in front, keeping a general direction towards the valley opening towards your right. It takes about half an hour to get there.
On your right, a large lake, almost frozen, is in your view. There is a steep boulder section that can be difficult to negotiate as you descend. This is until you get close to the opening of the valley. At the opening of the valley, you get your first view of what lies in store on the other side.
The descent from the pass has little patches of snow walking and it leads to the famous Bracken glacier here. This patch of a glacier is quite hard and icy. You need to be careful with your steps. The icy glacier recedes and then comes the rocky moraines. Immediately afterward, you will see the Kaintal valley below. This valley has a rocky trail and then turns into a vast grassland. The campsite is amid this grassland.
It takes over two hours to descend through the moraines to get to the edge of the glacier and a faint upper grassy area. It is another hour of descent through very rough moraines before you get to the basin of the river that emerges from the bottom of the glacier.
Although the trek is challenging, the campsite is rewarding. This is the patch of heaven here.
- Altitude: 11,550 ft to 10,950 ft
- Distance: 16.5 km
- Duration: 6 hours
This day is long with continuous ascents and descents dominating the trail. From Kaintal the trail goes alongside the river and passes through shepherd huts. The trail has many river streams till Humpet.
The grass fields and meadows are long with horses grazing charmingly. The trail within a short distance takes you to the top of the hump which gives you a spectacular view. There are many such humps till the next campsite.
The trail on its way has many river basins. After almost every grassland you will see a couple of river crossings. The water is shallow but cold. You need to remove your shoes to ford these streams.
There is one famous grassland called Sar grassland. Post this grassland, the bracken glacier is out of view. A couple of hours of the trek after the Sar grassland, you get the view of the Humpet.
Humpet gives you a contrasting view of both Kashmir and Ladakh. To the west are far-stretching lush mountains of Kashmir and to the East are barren mountains of Ladakh.
The campsite of Humpet is on a grassland. From the campsite, you get a fantastic view of the shepherd village called Thangkam.
- Altitude: 10,950 ft to 9,225 ft
- Distance: 16 km
- Duration: 7-8 hours
This day of the trek is a long downward trek towards Sukhnai Valley. On the way, one gets a view of the route that leads to Amarnath Yatra. Sukhnai is in Warwan Valley which holds 285 plant species of which 26 species are said to be threatened.
The trail starts with an ascent and then a long descent for about 4 hours. The descent takes you to the beautiful grasslands and gorgeous Sukhnai Village.
A trek of a couple of hours takes you to the junctions where a clean river merges with Kaintal Nala and becomes a wider river. Towards your one side is the mountain range and the trail that reaches to famous Sheeshnag Lake and the Amarnath Yatra.
From this junction is what starts the exotic Warwan valley. The valley is not wide and has many river crossings like in the previous days. The trail is decent from here. You will see a bridge here and near to it is the trail going to Sheshnag Lake.
On this day you will have to cross some overhangings, so you need to be careful with your steps. Be confident and careful while traversing these overhangings.
Immediately afterward, you will get a fantastic view of Sukhnai. The view is of long grasslands. It takes a further 2 hours of trek to reach the village of Sukhnai. The trail goes through farms with short fences. This gives it a countryside look of Europe. This part of the trail is superbly beautiful.
- Altitude: 9,225 ft to 8,300 ft
- Distance: 17.5 km
- Duration: 6-7 hours
This is the last trekking day of this trans-Himalayan trek. This day of the trek beholds the beautiful grasslands and Marwah River and the pretty village of Rekenwas. The trail is strewn with ascends and descends. After a couple of hours of walking, you will see the beautiful Rekenwas village.
The striking feature of the day is the succession of pristine villages and the Marwah River. One such village is Basmina. It is a slightly bigger village than others. It has few shops and a hustle-bustle. The people live here with traditions and are untouched by modernity.
The people here are welcoming and curiously will ask where you traveled. The village has a river on one side. From this village, the endpoint of the trek i.e. Chaudraiman is around 5km. By evening you will reach the campsite.
- Distance: 153 km drive
- Duration:8-9 hour drive.
This is the last day of the trekking trip. Drive from Chaudraiman to Srinagar. The drive is long and takes you first to the famous Margan Top and then descends to the Anantnag district. Passing via villages and orchards, the road merges with the NH1 highway and takes you to Srinagar.
What are the Inclusions & Exclusions
Inclusions
- All veg meals during the trek. Breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, dinner.
- Camp accommodation on all nights in high-quality tents on a twin-sharing basis. Sleeping bags, sleeping mattresses, dining tents, and cutlery are included.
- Helpers to pitch the tents, wash the dishes, serve the food, and assist while on the camp.
- Mountaineering qualified and experienced trek leaders, guides, and experienced cooks.
- All the necessary mountain medicine includes first aid, oxygen cylinder, etc.
- Passes and Permits.
Exclusions
- Lunch on the first day.
- Personal expenses.
- Anything not specifically mentioned in the inclusion list.
- Offloading
- Transportation
If you wish to avail of our transportation service, then the extra cost will be 4500 per person. The transportation cost is to and fro. The pickup and drop place will be Srinagar.
Offloading charges: Warwan Trek has mandatory offloading. The cost per bag is Rs 4000/ per bag. The maximum weight allowed is 10kg. Please note that only a proper trekking backpack will be allowed to offload. No trolly or suitcase will be allowed to offload. We strictly follow the rule of adequately place the load on our ponies.
Meal plan: In every meal plan, we try to provide different varieties, trying not to repeat the dishes, particularly at dinner and lunch. Here is the list of dishes and items from which we serve the clients.
- Breakfast: eggs, paratha, chana, poha, dalia, upma, cornflakes, bread toast, butter, jam, roti, coffee, tea, kehwa, etc.
- Lunch and dinner: we make a variety of dishes and try to serve the varied dishes. On all trek days, there will be different dishes served. We try not to repeat our dishes unless the clients say otherwise.
- We serve veg dishes like veg biryani, veg pulaw, muttar paneer, palak paneer, aloo gobi, rajma chawal, rajma kadhai, mix veg, chana masala, kadhi chawal, dal makhni, bhindi masala, dal fry, veg korma, Kashmiri nadru, Kashmiri haakh, aloo matar, bhaingan ka bharta, dam aloo, andaburji, etc. We have both roti and rice available for dinner and lunch. We serve them with different pickles and salad.
- For evening snacks we have tea, pakoda, soup, noodles, maggie, veg rolls, biscuits, etc.
- For dessert we serve gulab jamun, phirni, halwa, custard, sewaya, fruit chaat, fruit cake, almond cake, etc.
Why Should You Do Warwan Valley Trek?
- The Grand Trek: The best reason you should do the Warwan Valley trek is the grandness that this trek has. This is the Trans-Himalayan trek with long walks through grand grasslands and under the shadow of the towering peaks of Kisthwar. You will get the landscape of both Ladakh and Kashmir. From barren, rugged mountains to green landscapes, you travel two words in this trek.
- Bracken Glacier: The walk on the bracken glacier. In summer treks, you don’t get this beautiful experience of walking on a glacier that is too safe without any technical manoeuvres. Finishing of this glacier traverse gives you the feel of summiting the challenge of trekking.
- Grasslands: The long, lush grasslands of Warwan Valley. The joy of walking for days in endless grasslands with river streams and surrounding mountains is straight from the travel fantasy. You will be immersing yourself in this experience.
- Offbeat Trek: This is the most offbeat trek. You won’t see any crowd on this trek. Warwan Valley is the least populated. On the way you will hardly see any people going around. Just here or there some shepherds make their flock graze the lush grass.
Best Time for Warwan Valley Trek
Trek In June
The temperature in Warwan Valley hovers around 10°C to 25°C making the weather quite stable. It drops down in higher elevations especially at nights. There are very few chances of rainfall as compared to July and august. The whole valley turns vibrant as alpine flowers start to burst, feeling the atmosphere with refreshness and serenity.
Sightseeing and photography is an excellent choice. The plains, meadows and valleys look like flower-carpets. The trails are open and no snow can be seen, making trekking an ideal activity to do in June. While on your routes, visit the nearby villages and interact with locals to get to know more from the horse’s mouth.
Try to plan the trek in later days of the month as most of the travel agencies have not opened to organise it in the start of june. Pack cotton as well as warm clothes like thermals and jackets etc.
Trek In July
July is the peak month of the Warwan Valley trek as a bunch of crowds can be seen on the routes. The weather gets better with temperature ranging between 15°C-25°C. The days are warm and sunny but you will feel a bit cold at nights as mercury level drops. It is the monsoon season in northern India but it does not rain heavily in Kashmir as the mighty mountain ranges do not let the monsoon clouds enter the valley.
Occasional rainfall is expected in Warwan Valley in July. Due to this, refreshness can be felt in the air. You should be updated about current weather and road conditions as they get slippery during rains.
The trekking trails however are easy to navigate and even if you face any trouble, Cliffhangers India team and their trek leaders are there to tell you a better way. Pack a raincoat along with other clothes and essentials in a spacious and waterproof backpack.
Trek In August
The summer season officially ends in August and you can see greenery all over due to monsoon rains. You experience occasional rains still in the start of the month. Temperature specifically depends on the regions but it is generally between 10°C to 25°C. It goes down at nights making them comparatively colder.
It is also an excellent time for Warwan Valley Trek as the trails are clear and you can move further easily.
The scenic views of valleys, meadows, mountains and streams are crystal clear. Lakes, streams and basins have melted completely by now.
Keep checking the recent updates about weather and road conditions and carry permits and other documents. Right packing is quite crucial as don’t forget to carry some raincoats to prevent yourself from getting wet.
Trek In September
The month of September sees the valley transitioning from summer to Autumn. Temperature fluctuates between 15°C to 20°C and goes down to 5°C sometimes. It is neither too hot nor too cold. The weather gets quite unpredictable during this month of the year.
You see the wildflowers blooming to the core and leaves changing their colours from green to golden. You see stunning sights of nature on Warwan Valley trek. The panoramas are just extremely picturesque with the whole surrounding covered in different shades of hues.
It is an excellent time for photography enthusiasts particularly during sunrise and sunsets.
Go on strolls in the grasslands barefoot and feel connected to mother nature.
Difficulty Level of Warwan Valley Trek
Once you are interested in doing this trek, you must know the gradient of the trek. The Warwan Valley Trek is difficult. This is in no way recommended for beginners.
The trek has almost all days where you will be walking for an entire day. The longest day is when you will be doing a glacier traverse and crossing over Lomvilad Gully. This day takes around 12 hours of continuous walking. It tests your endurance and resilience in trekking.
You must be physically fit and must have done some high-altitude treks before. The trek has many challenges apart from high altitude and length like traversing the glacier.
In terms of safety, we take the best care and precautions for the trekkers. However, you must have good stamina and endurance to finish this trek.
Campsites on Warwan Valley Trek
Denora
This is one of the first campsites of Warwan Valley Trek. Denora also known as Sumdo is a beautiful camping spot where you can pitch your tents after completing the trek of Day1.
The place sees the confluence of two rivers and then forms a big basin. Sumdo Nala meets the Warwab River and relaxing in the night by the shores of this basin gives a surreal feeling.
You can take slow walks by the small streams and lakes that you see in the lush meadows of Denora.
Humpet
One another picturesque campsite is set in the grasslands near the village Humpet. It is located at an altitude of around 12,000ft. Locals here are seen with their cattles and their main occupation is farming and dairy.
You can interact with them to get a sneak peek into their traditions and livelihood. They are very warm and offer great hospitality.
There is a river here from where Thangkam village can be seen. Calling it a day and resting in the Humpet should be your choice.
Sukhnai
Sukhai is a stunning village of Warwan Valley where there are plenty of grasslands to camp. You see the horse grazing there and children playing cricket.
Choose a spot that has a stream flowing near. Don’t camp too close to it. There are villages here where you can spend some time clicking photographs, walking on the green grass, chatting with the locals, buying some snacks here and there and more.
This is one of the last campsites of Warwan Valley trek so enjoy it to the fullest.
Kalapari
The meadows of Kalapari are a great spot for camps on the third day of the trek. The place is surrounded by black mountains hence the name Kalapari or Kalapadi. The scenic views here are breathtaking, and the time spent here is quite memorable.
You can do some walking in the meadows for acclimatising. From the location of your camp, you see the sights of Kalapari top and it is indescribable.
Next day, that fourth day, is gonna be the longest and hardest so take proper rest and rejuvenate.
Essential Information For Your Trek
How To Reach Base Camp?
By Air: Srinagar airport is the quickest and easiest way. You can book tickets from your hometown or nearby city to Srinagar and in a few hours, you will be there. Try advance booking specially in the peak season. From the airport, reach the city by booking a cab or taxi. From Srinagar city, it is a road drive of around 265 kms to Panikhar via Sonmarg and Kargil. It will take approximately 10 hours. One buffer day is essential to keep.
By Train: Jammu Tawi station is the nearest one. From Jammu, reach Srinagar covering a distance of about 210 kilometres. After that, the same plan as mentioned below to reach Panikhar. Reserve 2 buffer days if you have opted for a train journey.
By Road: The trek starts from the Panikhar Valley of Zanskar. This is an offbeat and far-off place. You must know how to reach this place as most of the people including the cabs you will book won’t know about the location of this place. Another challenge in reaching Panikhar is that there is no network at all. It takes a full day of driving via Sonamarg and Kargil to reach Panikhar. Similarly, reaching Srinagar from Warwan on the last day is quite long. Warwan is offbeat and far off. One has to go over Margan Top to reach Warwan. There is no network in the campsite of Warwan.
To make the travel smooth and safe, Cliffhangers has the transportation facility for this trek. The pickup and drop location is Srinagar. Our drivers are well versed with the route and camping locations. You can book any cab service via our Kashmir Taxi Service option.
Things to carry on Warwan Valley Trek
- Backpack: You must carry at least one backpack of 60 litres.
- Shoes: You need to have trekking shoes. The shoes must be sturdy and high-ankle.
- Three T-shirts: Carry one full sleeve dry-fit T-shirt, and at least two other T-shirts.
Three insulation layers: Carry at least 3 insulation layers – 2 light fleece and one full-sleeve sweater. - One Outer layer: You need at least one padded jacket/down jacket
- Two trek pants: You need to carry two pairs of pants and that will be sufficient for your entire trek.
- Trekking poles: Two trekking poles are always better than a single trekking pole.
- Raingear: A poncho is a good choice over jacket-type rain gear, as the poncho covers your entire body till the knees down and you can keep your daypack bag inside it too.
- Rain cover for your backpack: Buy a good rain cover for your backpack to keep it dry and safe. It also helps to keep your backpack from wear and tear.
- Daypack: A small bag of around 20 to 30 ltrs to carry your essentials like water bottle, rainwear, headlamp, snacks, etc.
- Sunglasses: Carry one to protect your eyes from glare and UV radiation.
- Synthetic hand gloves: You can wear them during the evenings and mornings.
Fitness Tips & Importance for Warwan Valley Trek
If you are not fit, you won’t be able to complete the trek. You might get injured. Or extremely sick and have to exit the journey mid. It is important to know that trekking and fitness go hand-in-hand. The whole experience might get ruined.
To get fit before the trek, start jogging prior to 2-3 months of the trek. This light exercise targets muscles that will be used in trekking. It will improve your cardiovascular health which is important in regions where oxygen is low. Some strength trekking at least 4 times a week will make you overall healthy. Along with physical activity, eat a clean, well-balanced diet. Throughout the trek, drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
It can’t be stressed enough but acclimatisation is the non-negotiable part. You can’t be exposed to high-altitude sickness and the symptoms that come along. Take care of yourself to have a fantastic trek!
Photography Spots on Warwan Valley Trek
Local Villages: The villages of Warwan valley show you the actual Kashmiri life. You can click them with hills forming the fence. Locals are shy here but only after taking their permission, you can even click their portraits. They are friendly and always have a smile on their face.
Streams and Rivers: The Warwan River and Nala are two main water bodies seen in this trek which ultimately forms a basin in Padora but there are numerous small streams and waterfalls where you can click pictures along with the flora surrounding them.
Meadows and Grasslands: The Kalapari meadows and Kaintal meadows are just postcard perfect. The scenery here seems like some scenes from a movie on a big screen. Take aesthetic and insta-worthy photos here to have memories of a lifetime.
Facts About Warwan Valley Trek
Lost World: Due to its location in one of the remotest regions of Kashmir, Warwan Valley is known to be a ‘lost world’. The place is disconnected from the rest of the world. You will explore sites here that you might never have seen before nor will see after this trek.
The local people of villages have imbibed their traditions and culture with closed arms and refuse to accept any modernity in their lives. They still travel by horses on the not-so regular roads of Warwan Valley. Their traditions give you insight into mountain life which is very different from our city life. The experience makes the journey informative.
Circular Villages: The villages of Warwan Valley are circular in shape. It is an interesting feature of their structure. In the settlements here, you will see temples, encircled by houses and then there are fields around the houses. These fields are the livelihood of people of Warwan Valley.
Margi Tragedy: One of the villages of Warwan Valley, Margi Village was burnt to ashes in October 2016. It was an unfortunate incident that destroyed the whole village. Inhabitants of Margi are still waiting for that little ray of hope as they are living in darkness ever since the tragedy.
Is Warwan Valley Trek safe?
Warwan Valley Trek is totally safe if done right and with cautions. The foremost advice would be to listen to your trek leader. He knows everything involving risks and difficulties and the ways to cross them successfully.
It is highly appreciated if you have done high-altitude treks before. This should not be your first trek as it is difficult to be honest. Acclimatisation is very crucial before starting the trek and in-between too. Maintain good cardio-vascular health and endurance to remain sick-free throughout the trek.
Have a safe and stable trek!
What Trekker's Like & Dislike About The Trek
Likes
Serene Lakes: Warwan Valley Trek is incomplete without the two alpine lakes. Trekkers love to witness them and take a stroll along the edges. The melting waters of glaciers form the source for them. They are extremely picturesque with snow-clad in the backdrop.
Several Grasslands: there are numerous grasslands between Humpet and Kaintal. These grasslands have horses grazing the grasses. The nature walk here maybe barefoot feels surreal. River basins accompany grasslands of Sar.
The Bracken Glacier: The day you see and cross Balcken Glacier would be the most challenging because it is so rewarding. After crossing Lomvilad pass, a one hour trek will give the first glimpse of the glacier and it is mind-boggling. A fifteen minutes descent takes you to the top of Bracken Glacier and you start to walk on its hard ice for about 2 kilometres. This glacier is the prime highlight of Warwan Valley Trek and the sights on this day of the trek will blow your mind. It is as adventurous as it can get.
Denora: Denora sees the merger of two rivers in a delta basin where Nala river dances and falls and again and again like a child. It accompanies you from Panikhar with its bubbling water and suddenly it goes still. The giggling river now transforms into a large delta basin. The whole scenic view sees various meadows around this basin and each one is greener than the other. There’s absolutely no comparison.
The Villages: Each village of Warwan Valley shows different sides of beauty. The panoramas here are just too good to be true. You will see Willow trees by the houses and beds of flowers by the hills that nestle the houses.
Dislikes
Who can dislike something as stunning as Warwan Valley? There is absolutely no flaw here. You can just visit the place again and again and you will only see and experience good things about it. The valley and its villages and its meadows and its streams and its mountains just mesmerise you!
Things to Know Before You Go
Acclimatisation: The highest altitude that you trek in Warwan Valley Trek is 14,469ft. This might be the highest that you ever have been. Acclimatising well before the trek should be the first thing on your list. Keep 1-2 buffer days for it.
Difficulty Level: Warwan Valley Trek is difficult. There is no denying of this fact. The distance to be covered is around 20 kilometres every day for 7 days. There’s long road trips too which are equally tiring. Be physically and mentally prepared for it.
Permits: Warwan Valley is a military sensitive area. You must carry all the permits and documentation required before starting the trek. Talk to your travel organiser in this regard if it’s in the inclusions.
Respect The Locals: The villages of Warwan Valley are very secure about their traditions and culture. Don’t disrespect them in any way. It is not nice to click pictures if they want to.
Packing Tips: Pack light as you have to trek long miles everyday through different terrains. However, don’t forget the essentials mentioned in the page above.
FAQ's
Warwan Valley trek is a challenging trek. Its gradient is difficult and needs quite a good fitness level to finish. It is ideal for experienced trekkers, and not recommended for beginners. The trek has many challenges it is a lengthy trek, it has many ascends and descends, a long glacier walk, and one high altitude pass.
The starting point of the Warwan Valley trek is Panikhar. This is situated in the Kargil province of Ladakh region and the trek ends in Warwan valley of Kishtwar district. Panikhar is an offbeat location that falls towards the Zanskar region of Kargil.
Warwan trek is a high-altitude trek. The highest altitude of the trek is 14550ft at Lomvilad Pass. It has many ascends and descends. However, the campsite is lower than this altitude. The highest altitude of this pass is crossed and one descends to the valley at a lower altitude.
The Warwan trek is located in the Kistwar district. It gets connected to Kashmir on one side and the other it gets connected to Kargil’s panikhar.
It is completely worth doing the Warwan Valley trek. It has the best of both Kashmir and Ladakh landscapes. It has long grasslands, glacier traverse, alpine lakes, and high altitude pass. The walk goes through the beautiful valley and highland villages of Warwan.
The total duration of the Warwan Valley trek is 9 days which includes two days of drive to and from Srinagar. One day is used as acclimatization. The total trekking days of the Warwan trek are 6 days of long walks every day.
The distance between Srinagar and Warwan Valley is around 150km. The route goes via HN1 National Highway and then goes through Anantnag District and winds up via Margan Top to Warwan Valley. The drive takes around 6 hours.
- Want to book less strenuous treks? Check out Tarsar Marsar Trek.
Kishtwar is most famous for Sapphire and the pure quality of Saffron. It is also famous for old traditional trek routes and was part of an ancient route connecting Kashmir to Kargil and Leh.
Warwan Valley is situated in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. This picturesque valley is located 150 kilometers from Srinagar and approximately 68 kilometers from the main town of Kishtwar. Warwan Valley is a Himalayan valley known for its vast grasslands and quaint, small villages. Due to heavy snowfall, the valleys are cut off from the rest of the world during the winter months. On one side, this valley connects to the Panikhar region of Ladakh. The altitude of Warwan Valley is around 2100 m.
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