Established in 2010
  • Call : 7823857531

Adventure PulseAdventure Pulse

  • About Us
    Meet the team!

    Meet the Team!
    Get to know how the magic happens

    Summit day

    Our Everest Story
    Find out how our founders scaled to the top!

    Silent Meadows Family Trek

    Why Trek With Us?
    Get treks tailor-made for you

    Climbing to a Different High

    Media Coverage
    Adventure Pulse in the news

    • Meet the Team
    • Our Everest Story
    • Why Trek With Us?
  • Treks
    • Africa
        • Kilimanjaro Trek
    • Bhutan
        • Druk Path Trek
    • India
        • Baleni Pass Trek
        • Chadar Frozen River Trek
        • Goecha La Trek
        • Kashmir Great Lakes Trek
        • Kashmir Winter Trek
        • Markha Valley Trek
        • Miyar Valley Trek
        • Nubra Valley Trek
        • Pindari Glacier Trek
        • Silent Meadows Trek
    • Nepal
    • Russia
        • Mount Elbrus
    • Treks Around Pune
        • Andharban Forest Trek
        • Irshalgad Fort Trek
        • Katraj to Bopdev Ghat Trek
        • Katraj to Sinhagad Night Trek
        • Vichitragad (Rohida Fort) Trek
    • Family Treks
        • Baleni Pass Parent Child Trek
        • Mardi Himal Trek
        • Poon Hill Trek, Nepal
        • Silent Meadows Family Trek
        • Tarsar Marsar Trek
  • Climbs
    • 8000m
    • 7000m
    • 6000m
    • 5000m
    • Winter Climbing Workshop

    View all Climbs above 8000m

    View all Climbs above 7000m

    • Dzo Jongo Peak
    • Mount Aconcagua
    • Mera Peak
    • Lobuche Peak
    • Island Peak
    • Ama Dablam
    • Kang Yatse 2
    • Mentok Kangri

    View all Climbs above 6000m

    • Yala Peak Climb
    • Mount Elbrus
    • Kilimanjaro Trek

    View all Climbs above 5000m

    • Winter Climbing Workshop – Ladakh
    Winter Climbing Workshop

    View all Winter Climbing Workshops

      • Ama Dablam
      • Dzo Jongo Peak
      • Island Peak
      • Kang Yatse 2
      • Kilimanjaro Trek
      • Lobuche Peak
      • Mentok Kangri
      • Mera Peak
      • Mount Aconcagua
      • Mount Elbrus
  • Corporate
    school

    School Programs
    Lessons Beyond Textbooks

    Growth Innovation and Leadership Summit India 2018

    Corporate Programs
    Outdoor Skills Meet Corporate Excellence

    • School Programs
    • Corporate Programs
  • Calendar
    A group of people smiling and posing together

    Custom Treks
    Customize according to your needs

    Langtang Valley Trek

    Choose Your Trek
    Customize according to your needs

    Everest Base Camp Trek

    Trek Calendar
    See our upcoming adventures for 2025 and beyond!

    • Custom Treks
    • Choose Your Trek
    • Trek Calendar
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Register
Inquire Now

The Kashmir Winter Trek to Marchoi Valley: Trekking in a Pandemic.

by Traveller's Blog / Monday, 05 July 2021 / Published in Kashmir, Trekkers' Diaries
kashmir winter trek Marchoi_Adventure-pulse_climb to Shadimarg

After months of staying home alone during the lockdown, I was itching to get outdoors to break the monotony of my daily routine. Although I love trekking, I hadn’t been on a proper expedition-style trek in almost 2 years. This, combined with being stuck at home, had me actively searching for treks and expeditions. With international travel on hold, my only options were treks in India. That’s when I found out about the Kashmir Winter Trek to Marchoi valley. It was a short 5-day expedition on an offbeat trail, in a beautiful river valley in Kashmir. Also, having heard countless stories about its beauty, Kashmir is one place that I’ve always dreamed of going to. It was the perfect opportunity to visit what is often referred to as ‘Jannat’. 

Travelling during covid

With the risk of covid, I was understandably quite nervous about the trip. I was adamant about taking all the recommended precautions throughout my journey. What reassured me was that all the staff in the airports and on the flight were extremely professional and everyone was pretty strict about the regulations. I was assured that my trip would be safe. Additionally, Adventure-Pulse had taken me through their SOP for COVID-safe treks. On arrival in Srinagar, we also had to have a mandatory covid test, so I was able to enjoy the rest of the trip without worry. Following this, we were off to our first destination, Naranag, the village which would be our starting point. 

Homestay in Naranag

We were picked up in taxis and it was a short 4-hour drive to the village of Naranag. Since it was my first time here, my eyes were glued to the window throughout the ride, taking in the Kashmiri landscape in all its winter glory. We also stopped by a scenic cafe to have a hot cup of Kahwa, a traditional Kashmiri chai. 

On reaching Naranag, we were welcomed with warm smiles and the customary Kahwa. We would be spending our first night at a cosy homestay in the village. It was also a great opportunity to get to know the people living there and their way of living, an experience I would choose a homestay over a hotel any day.

kashmir winter trek Marchoi_Adventure-pulse_Trek team at base camp

Trekking to Dumail Base Camp 

The next day was the first day of our expedition, and we would be taking a short hike to Dumail. Dumail is located at the bottom of a river valley, surrounded by numerous magnificent mountains. This is where our base camp was set up. As we were trekking, we could see the snow-covered tops of the mountains in the distance. One of these, as the guide pointed out, we would be climbing in a few days. Once we reached Dumail, I saw our campsite set up against the most picturesque backdrop of the valley. There were tall pine trees surrounding us and a crystal clear stream ebbing and gushing right next to us, providing the most picturesque backdrop to our camp.

marchoi_kashmir winter trek _Adventure-pulse_base camp at Dumail

This was going to be our home for the next few days. Every day we would start from here, trekking to our destination, and coming back for the night. Here we were also introduced to our guides and cooks, who helped us get acquainted with the campsite. That evening, we went for a short walk nearby, as a sort of short acclimatization hike. This was also the time we first encountered a ton of snow. So naturally, a load of pictures and an intense snow fight ensued. Being out in the open after so long felt so good! 

That night we sat in front of a campfire, a comfort much welcomed, as the chilly wind was starting to pick up. After a delicious hot dinner, we reluctantly left the campfire and went to our tents for our first night in the mountains. 

The views of Marchoi Valley

The next morning, we woke up to the smell of hot coffee and a scumptious breakfast to prepare for the long trek ahead; we were ready to go. This was the day we would be trekking up to the Marchoi Valley. A little while after we started walking from base camp, we got a first glance at what our day was going to be like. There were swathes of snow covering the mountains and the valley from top to bottom, as far as the eye could see. The wind had sculpted the snow to look like waves, so it seemed like an endless ocean of snow, right in front of our eyes. Since I had never seen so much snow, I spent some time clicking pictures and just admiring the vastness of it all. The trail to Marchoi valley followed the edges of the mountains which made for a thrilling trekking experience.

As the day went on and we climbed higher, the snow started getting softer and softer, until at one point we were walking in knee-deep snow. Each step was leaving a 3-foot hole in the snow. As it was getting increasingly harder to keep climbing, we decided to stop under the shelter of a tree by the edge of a mountain, the only area that wasn’t covered with snow. There we sat and ate our packed lunch, and then huddled up around a makeshift campfire. Once we were all warm, we decided to turn back and head to base camp. Walking back, we were finally able to appreciate the beauty of the Kashmiri valley, with the glistening snow in the afternoon sun.

kashmir winter trek Marchoi_Adventure-pulse_snow in Marchoi Valley

After an exhausting day of trekking, a hot plate of Maggi was a welcome sight. Dinner was followed by some time sitting by the campfire, singing songs and sharing stories of our trekking adventures, which was starting to become something of a daily ritual. Being so far away from civilization, the clear night sky made for the perfect observatory to admire the stars, which were so bright we could even make out the different constellations, something I’ve only seen pictures of.

Climb up to Shadimarg top

The next day we would be climbing to Shadimarg top, a snow-covered mountain top. After packing lunch for the trek, we set off climbing the nearby mountain. It was quite a steep climb initially, climbing through the dense pine forest. We had been camping at the base of this mountain.  We had previously seen it in the distance while trekking to our base camp on day 1 and couldn’t even fathom climbing so high up into the mountains. It was tough in the beginning, but with the help and motivation of our guides, we kept pushing through it. Occasionally, a view of the valley would peek out at us through gaps in the trees, which gave some respite from the steep and difficult climb.

All of our hard work and determination was well worth it in the end, as we climbed out of the tree cover and into the snow. We were treated to the most spectacular view of the mountain tops of the valley. I could see the whole valley, and even our homestay in the distance, where we slept on our first night. Forgetting all the exhaustion and hunger, everyone took a moment to just appreciate what was in front of our eyes.

Even though I’ve now seen and climbed a number of mountains, this view was simply breathtaking, unique in its own way. Eventually, I did find my hunger back, and we found an empty shepherd’s hut to have our packed lunch. I was honestly quite surprised to see a shepherd’s hut at such a height. These huts are used by the locals during the summer months, when there’s no snow and the mountains are covered with lush green grass. Nevertheless, for us it was the perfect shelter in winter, protecting us from the chilly wind and snow. Having finished our lunch and still mesmerized by the view, we then headed back.

Descending back down the mountain was a little tricky because of the melted snow and mud. However, our guides were a great help and kept assisting us throughout. Once we were back at base camp, we were sitting around the campfire for the third and final time. Reminiscing about our short, yet adventurous expedition. I was a bit sad that this beautiful trip was coming to an end but still glad that I could have this experience, especially given the current circumstances.

The final day on the Kashmir Winter Trek to Marchoi Valley

The next day we helped pack up the camp, learning how to fold and pack tents. Camping responsibly is an essential part of any expedition. This means not leaving a single trace of a camp or humans being there. Leaving behind the pristine nature, we trekked back up to Naranag, where taxis picked us up and took us back to Srinagar. 

marchoi_kashmir winter trek _Adventure-pulse_marchoi valley

The last day on the Kashmir Winter trek to Marchoi Valley was spent exploring Srinagar and trying out the local cuisine.

 As our plane was taking off, I was left feeling like this trip had been way too short, and with a longing to explore more of this beautiful region. I’m looking forward to my next trek in Kashmir and can’t wait to come back again.

Words and pictures by Kanishk Pande. This article is a part of our “Trekkers’ Dairies” series where fellow trekkers share their experiences trekking around the world. Got an interesting trekking story? We’d be happy to publish it. Contact [email protected] for more information.

About Traveller's Blog

Traveller's Blog is a platform where people share their travel stories, their trekking & hiking experiences and much more. If you want to share your travel story, write to us at [email protected]

What you can read next

Reasons why Tarsar Marsar Lakes Trek in Kashmir, is a must-do adventure!
Adventure Pulse Blog Vichitragad Fort
Vichitragad Fort – A Hidden Gem!
Adventure Pulse Blog Kilimanjaro Trek
Kilimanjaro – Reflections on the Mountain

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories

  • Ladakh
  • One Day Treks
  • Kashmir
  • Newsletters
  • Nepal
  • Sikkim
  • Uttarakhand
  • Gear Buying Guides
  • Trekkers' Diaries
  • Health & Fitness
  • Himachal Pradesh
  • Climbing Expeditions
  • Bhutan
  • Africa
  • Family Treks
  • High Altitude Treks
  • India
  • Treks in Sahyadris
  • Argentina
  • Outdoor Tips
  • Russia

Recent Posts

  • Everest Base Camp Vs Annapurna Base Camp: How to Choose ? Pt – 2

    In Part 1 of the Everest Base Camp versus Annap...
  • Everest Base Camp Trek Kala Patthar

    Everest Base Camp Vs Annapurna Base Camp: How to choose? Pt-1

    Nepal offers some of the world’s most breathtak...
  • montanha cercado por montanhas e rochas

    Update on Treks in Kashmir – May & June 2025 in the light of the recent Terror attack

    Over the past few days, our hearts have grown h...
  • Sunrise on Rajgad Fort

    Rajgad Fort – 30 Photos of the Maratha Empire’s First Capital!

    Introduction & Background: As a resident of...
  • Katraj to Bopdev Trek Pune

    Katraj to Bopdev Trek– A Moonlit Adventure in Pune’s Backyard!

    The spectacle of Holi – our festival of colors ...

Latest news straight to your inbox.

    DISCOVER

    • Home
    • About
    • Blog
    • Treks
    • Register
    • Climbs
    • Corporate

    CONTACT US

    Address

    Adventure Pulse, Palace Orchard,
    NIBM - Corinthian, 20,
    NIBM Ext Rd, Mohammed Wadi,
    Pune, Maharashtra 411060

    Email

    [email protected]

    Phone

    91-7823857531 /

    91-7709002311 / 12

    Whatsapp

    91-7823857531 /

    91-7709002311 / 12

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Register Now
    © Copyright 2025 Adventure Pulse. All Rights Reserved.
    Designed & Developed by Aetherwise Solutions
    TOP