Amarnath
Yatra Trekking from
Sonamarg
SONAMARG
AMARNATH
Although the traditional yatra trek to the Amarnath cave
is from Pahalgam one can also go there from Sonamarg.
Day 1: Sonamarg-Baltal
This 15-km trek takes about five hours and it's an easy
walk since there is little altitude change between Sonamarag and Baltal. One should be able to get a lift
on a truck to the roadblock, from there on it is better
to walk. The roadblock is closed until noon or later,
waiting for traffic to come across the Zoji la from
Ladakh. From the roadblock one can walk along the river
valley track, which is very pleasant. The river valley
track is also 2 to 3-km shorter than the vehicle road. A
military camp is the first sign of Baltal, which can be
reached in a day from Srinagar.
Day 2: Baltal-Amarnath
The 15-km trek to Amarnath climbs over a thousand metres
from Baltal at 2,743 metres to the cave at 4,175 metres
and the walk takes about nine to 10 hours. The route
crosses one major snow bridge over a river and climbs
steadily up, crossing the Satsing pass, 3 ½-km before
Amarnath, at 4,115 metres dropping down and then
climbing up again to the cave at 4,175 metres. There are
some tea stalls along the way, even at the river, and
after the junction with the main trail there are even
more.
From Amarnath one can follow the
traditional yatra trail down to Pahalgam.
Option:
amarnath to Baltal & Sonamarg from the Amarnath cave
return along the pilgrim trail as far as the junction of
the Panchtarni and Amarvati rivers. Here the trails
divert, with the track to Baltal heading down the true
right of the valley. The trail is prone to rock
avalanches where it traverses large scree slopes and one
should be wary of descending without first checking its
condition. If there are no problems, the trek to Baltal
can be completed in about four hours.
GETTING AWAY
Road:
From
Baltal there is a regular bus service during the
pilgrimage period, getting back to Srinagar that night.
At other times, camp at Baltal and continue to Sonamarg
at a more leisurely pace the following morning. From
Sonamarg there are three buses a day to Srinagar and the
drive takes around five hours |