Distance: ~140 km

Drive Time: 6–7 hours

Altitude: Srinagar (~5,200 ft) → Dawar (~7,900 ft)

Elevation Gain: ~2,700 ft

You start early from Srinagar and enter the road that winds towards the Gurez region. The Kishanganga river follows you, sometimes close, sometimes far below. The landscape changes fast - lush valleys, military check posts, small settlements, and long stretches of quiet mountains. Dawar is simple, peaceful, and gives you the feeling you’ve crossed into a different world.

Today we meet at the base village to arrange our gears, divide ration and pack our bags for tomorrow.

Trek Distance: 8–10 km

Altitude: 7,900 ft → ~10,335 ft

Elevation Gain: ~2,400 ft

First walking day. The trail pulls you into deep forest patches, gentle ridgelines, and river crossings. It’s not steep, just steady enough to warm your legs. Meadows open up towards Dison, where we set up camp. Expect cold air, pine shadows, and that sweet silence you only get far away from civilization.

There’s enough space to spread out, cook, refill water, and sit quietly watching the colours change on the mountains.

Trek Distance: 7–8 km

Altitude: 10,335 ft → ~11,305 ft

Elevation Gain: ~970 ft

This day climbs gradually into higher terrain. The valley stretches wide, ridges pop up on both sides, and the forests begin thinning. By the time you reach Khaari, the views feel bigger, cleaner. Campsite is exposed, but stunning - the kind of place where you sit with a cup of soup and just stare at the horizon for too long.

The rest of the afternoon unfolds slowly:

• You spread out your gear, dry your socks, and refill your water.
• Someone starts chopping vegetables, and someone else lights the stove.
• A few of you take a walk to the nearby high-altitude lake, a short acclimatisation hike that gives a stunning view of the upper valley and tomorrow’s route.
• The colours change sharply as the sun dips; the valley becomes colder and quieter.

Trek Distance: ~8 km

Altitude: 11,305 ft → Highest point ~13,200+ ft → Camp at ~12,800 ft

Elevation Gain: ~1,900 ft up, ~400 ft down

This is the day. The climb takes you up a beautiful ridge that suddenly reveals the twin Patalwansar lakes - cold, deep, and alpine. The terrain switches to boulder sections, grassy shelves, and windy ridgelines. It’s a long, rewarding push. Camp near Patalwansar I with the lake reflecting the sky if the weather plays nice.

Some sit on the riverbank reading.

Some take a nap in the grass.

Some cook, experiment, or help prep lunch.

Someone will inevitably start gathering wood for a small fire to keep warm for the night.

This is the part of backpacking that no itinerary can capture: the unplanned conversations, the shared silences, the easy laughter, the feeling of being small yet grounded in a place that holds you completely.

Trek Distance: ~8 km

Altitude: ~12,800 ft → 10,335 ft

Elevation Loss: ~2,500 ft

A relaxed, descending day. Legs feel lighter, lungs feel grateful. You retrace the meadows and ridges you climbed earlier. Back to Dison - green, quiet, familiar. Evening is easy: stretching, tea, stories, laughter.

Trek Distance: ~8 km

Altitude: 10,335 ft → 7,900 ft (Dawar)

Elevation Loss: ~2,400 ft

Drive: 6–7 hrs

Last walk through the forest and open valley. Dawar feels like returning to a small, friendly neighbourhood after days in the alpine. After wrapping up, the team drives back to Srinagar. End the day with hot showers, real beds, and a quiet pride you don’t need to show off.

Gurez valley is a backpacking expedition, not a supported trek.

You carry your own pack, help with group tasks, and move as a small, self-contained team through one of the most remote valleys in India.

Here’s what we expect from you:

1. Come Prepared for Backpacking, Not Trekking

Backpacking means:

• Carrying 12–16 kg of your own gear
• Helping with cooking, camp chores, and water runs
• Setting up and packing down tents
• Navigating long days on uneven terrain
• Staying self-sufficient while moving together as a unit

If you’re coming from a traditional trek background (with porters, fixed camps, dining tents, and served meals), this requires a mindset shift.

Backpacking is slower, more intentional, more communal, and far more rewarding.

2. Be Comfortable With Remote Terrain

Warwan is not crowded, not commercial, and has long sections where you may not see anyone outside your team.

That calls for:

• Patience
• Calm judgment
• Respect for the environment
• Awareness of your energy, pace, and hydration

3. Teamwork Over Everything

Backpacking only works when the group works.

We expect you to:

• Carry your share of the group load if required
• Help with food prep and clean-up
• Support slower teammates
• Check in on others during long days
• Maintain the outdoor etiquette of a small expedition

Your attitude matters more than your pace.

4. Cultural Sensitivity

You’ll pass through Bakarwal and Gujjar settlements, communities with their own rhythm, traditions, and ways of living.

We expect:

• Respectful interaction
• Asking before taking photos
• No littering, and Leave No Trace.
• Understanding that you are a guest in someone’s home terrain

5. Mental Flexibility

The weather changes fast. River levels fluctuate.

Distances feel long. Camps can be cold. There may be no signal for days.

Come ready to adapt, not to expect comfort.