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Kishtawar, the upland valley in the north-east corner of
Jammu region, lies ensconced among the picturesque folds
of the Pir Panjal and the Great Himalayan Ranges.
Kishtawar town (altitude of 1640 m) is situated at a
distance of 216 kms from Jammu. The area is drained by
the Chenab river system which flows from the
neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, enters the area through
Paddar, home of the famous sapphire mines. Paddar,
Dacchan and Marwah are major valleys of Kishtawar. It is
along these valleys that the trans-Himalayan trekking
trails leading to the Suru and Zanskar valleys of Ladakh
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breathtaking
mountain sceneries. Kishtawar town occupies a central plateau
set amidst sylvan surroundings of forested hills. It is famous
for the fine saffron grown here. Several waterfalls provide
enchanting contrasts to the lush green landscape. The nearest
of these is only 3 kms away from the town and drops down from
a height of over 700 m in a series of seven cascades. Other
local attractions include the highly revered shrines of two
Muslim Sufi saints to which thousands of devotees and pilgrims
throng from far and wide.
Climbing in Kishtawar
The main purpose for visiting Kishtawar would be for climbing
or trekking across the Great Himalayan Range. Kishtawar is a
major mountaineering base of Jammu and Kashmir state and is
surrounded by an incredible number of peaks. There are peaks
like Tupendo up the Kaban Valley, which closely resemble the
Chamonix Aigulles with varying degrees of climbing options.
The walk up to the base camps of most of the peaks generally
takes 2-5 days. Peaks like Cerro Kishtwar have been attempted
by serious mountaineers like Mick Flower and Andy Perkins in
recent times, while as other steep faces like the Hagshu North
Face have had John Barry and his team attempting four times
without success. The area was first explored for climbing by
two Austrians, Fritz Kolb and Krenek in 1946 who were held up
in India at the outbreak of the World War. Eight years later,
as they waited for their passages home, they went off to
Kishtawar and climbed Bramah-II (6, 425 m) and christened it
as ‘Dreikant’.
After a period of closure, Kishtawar was reopened for climbing
in the early 1970 and in 1973 Chris Bonnington and Nick Escort
made the first ascent of Brammah-I via the south-east ridge.
The first ascent of Sickle Moon (6574 m) was achieved in 1975
by an Indian expedition of the High Altitude Warfare School
(HAWS). In 1986, two lady members of a French expedition were
on the summit as well. The Japanese were active in the late
1970 in the Barnaj group which lies in the eastern part of the
valley. During the late 70’s and early 80’s, one of the major
Indo-British expeditions led by Chris Bonnington and Balwant
Sandhu climbed Sickle Moon and made the area quite popular as
a climbing destination. Other popular peaks in the area are
Brammah, Brammah’s wife (5478 m) and Eiger (5513 m), all of
which have been attempted by renowned mountaineers during 70
and 80.
Accommodation in Kishtawar
Accommodation with basic facilities is available in PWD rest
houses or Dak bungalows and small private hotels. But the best
option is camping in the picturesque surroundings.
How to reach Kishtawar
Kishtawar is situated at a distance of 216 kms from Jammu, but
only 107 kms from the national highway resort of Batote. The
area is connected with Jammu as well as Srinagar by regular
public transport services.
Important Note:
In view of the prevailing security situation in Doda District,
intending visitors to Kishtawar should contact the Director
Tourism, Jammu or Srinagar for the latest ground situation and
about the possibility of visiting the region. |
