Amarnathji Yatra 2012.

The toughest Yatra of them all – the Amarnath Yatra – the Hindu Annual Pilgrimage of Lord ‘Shiva Linga’ is here, beckoning all the strong-willed on a spiritual journey all the way up to13,000 feet altitude to the 130-foot high Amarnath Cave where the ice Shiva Linga naturally forms every year. The Amarnath Cave is set amidst snowy Kashmiri mountains where the air loses its oxygen count at -5⁰ Celsius.

Amarnath Yatra is open for 37 days this year between 25 June and 2 August. Registrations – online and over the counter are open. On-spot registrations are also possible.

Visiting the Amarnath Cave is practically an adventure sport in itself as it entails strenuous trekking-trails through challenging rocky, verdant and snowy mountainous terrain and camping in the mountain wilderness. Involving 50 kilometres of near-vertical mountain-climb and spanning 4 days (one way) is this mother-of-all-Yatras for Hindus all over the world.

The base camps for this Yatra are Chandanwari and Baltal. Both these places are approached via Jammu. The routes being:

1.    Jammu > Pahalgam (315 kms from Jammu to Pahalgam) > Chandanwari > Pissu Top > Sheshnag > Panchtarni > Amarnath Cave – 50 kms from Chandanwari to the Holy Cave.

2.    Jammu > Udhampur > Patnitop > Kud > Ramban > Banihal > Qazigund > Anantnag > Srinagar > Baltal (414 kms from Jammu to Baltal) > Amarnath Cave – 14 kms from Baltal to the Holy Cave.

Pilgrims can also complete this Yatra in a shorter span by availing of the Helicopter rides which start at Pahalgam and at Baltal and back. Ponies are another alternative for people who can’t walk or fly in Helicopters.

6, 34,000 people from all over India and the world visited Amarnath Yatra in 2011 – the highest ever!

Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department along with the Bhole Bhandari Charitable Trust are gearing up for more visitors in 2012. Registration Counters have been increased from 149 to 274 counter and additional tent-accommodation facilities are underway – being freely offered by Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department, Bhole Bhandari Charitable Trust and many other non-Government Charitable Organizations. Helicopter fare from Pahalgam and Baltal to Amarnath Cave has been slashed by 40% in order to make it more convenient for aged pilgrims who are daring this Yatra these days. Security has been revved up along the route to make it naturally safe for the pilgrims.

The one thing that is reiterated as mandatory by the Shrine Board is a fitness test and a medical certificate issued by Registered Medical Practitioner for the pilgrim, without which, the pilgrim is not allowed on the Yatra as 107 pilgrims lost their lives due to Cardiac arrest on Amarnath Yatra in 2011 and the Shrine Board is concerned for the safety of the pilgrims. So, take this seriously people.

Besides the Darshan of the Shiva Linga in Amarnath Cave, the amazing aspect of this Yatra is the route to the Holy Amarnath Cave which is awesome and overwhelming and gives a sample of the glorious Kashmir terrain. And reciting what my colleague recently taught me - Bol Har Har Mahadev!

Pix courtesy Wikipedia & Amarnathjiyatra.

All pine for the Alpine….

My love-affair with mountain ranges and all things alpine started recently and seems to be growing more passionate and diverse by the day. First, I used to browse the blog-sites and view lots of personal videos of true-travelers’ lowdown on high altitudes. Then I remember driving up in the rain to a book store and buying books on mountains of India and the seven summits of the world….just to be able to read about mountains in bed endlessly which is difficult with a laptop. Then came a phase when I started painting, art-journaling and paper-collaging with a central theme of the mountains. By this time….mountain ranges started getting so etched in my mind that I became a virtual curious-tourist so I took a nose-dive into mountaineering and started researching technology that aided humans in discovering and exploring the mountains and their terrain. That’s when I discovered that there is a formal course that teaches the knack of climbing mountains plus all the mountain’s moods which basically decides whether or not one would return from them in one single piece….or…..not at all!

The fact that you’re reading this topic speaks of your ‘inclination’ towards the snowy-slopes. Don’t know which milestone you’re at but maybe you need to lap-up some knowledge and know-how before you sign-up or fizzle-out. Did you know that the Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering in Darjeeling offers month-long and on-field training in Mountaineering and costs less than Rs. 5000??? This should put to rest your delusions that mountaineering is for James Bonds and Yash Chopras. Anybody who has a fetish for adventure of treading lesser traveled angular roads running in his veins, has the grit to take on a risky challenge of climbing unpredictable powder slopes, longs for the adrenalin rush that comes with uncertainty of the mood of the mountains and someone who wants to stand closest to the sky….qualifies!

If you’re that someone or you want to know if you’re that someone….there is one good way to find out. Do what I’m going to do. Enroll for mountaineering training.

My inspiration? Jordan Romero, 13 – world’s youngest climber to summit Mount Everest at 29,035 feet altitude.

Source of my confidence? The 4000+ successful climbers who made it to the top of Mount Everest.

My preparation? Relentless training, gaining 360-degree awareness and focus.

They say the best way to focus on a goal is to visualize your goal frequently by forming mental images of your goal in your brain and by recalling them often in a day.

My method? Come to the Tiger Hill Watch-tower. 4 AM. And see for yourself…..