ADVERTISEMENT
No Result
View All Result
English Edition
Contribute
Friday, May 27th 2022
Today's Paper
The Kashmir Monitor
  • LatestLive
  • News
  • Kashmir
  • India
  • World
  • Politics
  • Editorial
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Health
  • Tech-Film
  • Auto
  • Crypto
  • Travel
  • Shopping
The Kashmir Monitor
  • LatestLive
  • News
  • Kashmir
  • India
  • World
  • Politics
  • Editorial
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Health
  • Tech-Film
  • Auto
  • Crypto
  • Travel
  • Shopping
The Kashmir Monitor
Home Kashmir Jammu and kashmir

International Women’s Day: Meet Kashmir’s adventure junkies 

Hirra Azmat by Hirra Azmat
Mar. 08, 2022 Updated 3:59 pm. IST
A A
IMG 20220308 WA0010
0
SHARES
419
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


 

Srinagar: When 24-year-old Aneeqa Khalid began hiking around mountain peaks and great lakes, little did she know that it will ruffle many feathers. 

ADVERTISEMENT
IMG 20220308 WA0013
International Women's Day: Meet Kashmir's adventure junkies  10

“My trekking journey started post 2014 floods and it was rare for females those days to trek up to the alpine lakes or other offbeat places in the valley,” she recalled.

IMG 20220308 WA0016
International Women's Day: Meet Kashmir's adventure junkies  11

Leading treks or climbing mountains professionally is rarely preferred by women in Kashmir – not only because of societal and family pressures, but because it is physically and mentally exacting.

IMG 20220308 WA0014
International Women's Day: Meet Kashmir's adventure junkies  12

However, few women have taken it up for the love of exploration and leading others to find this joy while clambering up the odd cliff.

Aneeqa, who is a member and one of the team leaders of Alpine Adventures Women Wing group serves as a perfect example of this.

ADVERTISEMENT
DSC01412
International Women's Day: Meet Kashmir's adventure junkies  13

With her grit and determination, she has managed to complete 30-35 treks with Alpine Adventurers and Jammu and Kashmir Mountaineering and Hiking Club (JKMAC).

IMG 20220308 WA0007
International Women's Day: Meet Kashmir's adventure junkies  14

Her most significant trek has been the Mahadev peak, the highest mountain peak in Srinagar district with the elevation of 3,966 m (13,012 ft) during Ramadan in 2018. To traverse the mountain in a state of fasting was a test of human endurance and became a major booster of self-confidence in her.

Also, last year in autumn, she led a trekking group to Dachigam National Park where she spotted a herd of Hanguls along with a mother bear and cub. The experience in the wild brought her closer to nature than ever before.

IMG 20220308 WA0012
International Women's Day: Meet Kashmir's adventure junkies  15

Aneeqa who is currently pursuing her masters in Social Sciences and Mental Health from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai believes that trekking expeditions have awakened her hidden love for mountains and made her more connected to her homeland. “The outdoors activities for women should also be encouraged as a lot of oral history is associated with these places. This way, a woman can become an important rapporteur and repository of oral histories. Tomorrow, they can narrate this documentation to posterity,” she said.

IMG 20220308 WA0004
International Women's Day: Meet Kashmir's adventure junkies  16

Following in her footsteps, Zarqa Sofi, an avid trekker, believes that backpacking with a group of like-minded women travelers is an enriching experience.

Usually, the major block for females to travel on their own is safety. “However, the trekking opportunities provided by JKMAC and Alpine Adventures ensure that females explore and have a good time without thinking about their safety or other arrangements,” Sofi said, whose taxing job in the bank provoked her need to go outdoors on weekends.

IMG 20220308 WA0009
International Women's Day: Meet Kashmir's adventure junkies  17

Sofi added sharing a platform with women of all ages, types and beliefs helps you learn so much, not just about the place you are visiting and the people you are with, but also about your own self.

“It is an experience of a lifetime. I would recommend it to everyone,” she said.


Next Post
VIDEO: Mother-son murdered 8-year-old kid in Kupwara; buried him in woods: Police

VIDEO: Mother-son murdered 8-year-old kid in Kupwara; buried him in woods: Police

Discussion about this post


The Kashmir Monitor

Copyright © 1996 - 2022

Navigate Site

  • Donate
  • Status Page
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Notice
  • About us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home Page
  • Latest News
  • Lead Stories
  • News
  • Kashmir
  • India
  • World
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Business
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Editors’ Picks
  • Videos
  • Lifestyle
  • Tech-Film
  • Today’s Paper

Copyright © 1996 - 2022