Kashmir 2023
In July 2023 I spent the last two weeks exploring remote parts of Kashmir with Denzil Nunes and Felix Furtado. We made Srinagar our base and rode our rented Royal Enfield Himalayans to the Line of Control (LOC) in Gurez, Uri and Tangdhar. The Government of India has recently opened these areas, once inaccessible to civilians, to promote border tourism. Words, and even pictures, can’t adequately express how beautiful these places are. We also rode over the Sinthan Pass to explore Kishtwar, another gorgeous piece of heaven near the border with Himachal Pradesh. Throughout the ride, we made it a point to stay away from crowded touristy places like Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam.
Now that the guns have fallen silent on the LOC and violence in the Kashmir Valley is all but over, I think Kashmir will be the next destination for adventure motorcycling in India in the coming years. Especially for those who have already explored Ladakh.
In terms of natural beauty Kashmir and Ladakh are completely different worlds. Situated above the tree line, Ladakh is essentially a collection of barren mountain passes which get boring after a day of riding. On the other hand Kashmir, especially the places we explored, is a collection of mountain passes covered with gorgeous alpine forests literally begging you to stop and take a picture every couple of kilometers.
