Kumrat Valley and Katora Lake a Travelogue

[lastsoul]

I was slow due to my hurting left knee and now painful ankles as well. So, slow pace and few seconds rest after few minutes walk.

[lastsoul]

Myself at the start of the forest.

Going down proved equally difficult.

[lastsoul]

Without any long rest, we continued our descent.

[lastsoul]

These guys met us on the start of trek. Accompanied us for a while and then went down almost running, this is how these local kids trek.

[lastsoul]

Taking rest to comfort my busted ankles.

[lastsoul]

Pine trees are extremely slow growing. I felt great with these weather beaten old trees. They are an asset for us.

[samianwar]

very very nice trekking and very beautiful place as well.i dont know how you can travel and do trekking alone. i appreciate your effort.imperessive thread

[lastsoul]

Sitting there, I could imagine this forest floor studded with countless small pink colored flowers which are the first to come after the snow melts here in late may or early june.

[lastsoul]

very very nice trekking and very beautiful place as well.i dont know how you can travel and do trekking alone. i appreciate your effort.imperessive thread

Thanks Sami, Your comments are a big reward for me.

[lastsoul]

This forest is inhabited both by humans as well as wildlife. There are summer houses at places high up on the slopes and we also saw monkeys across the stream on the opposite slope. They were big healthy monkeys, faraway from us, but they noticed us and disappeared in the woods quickly.

[lastsoul]

This tough trekking alone in this dreamland was such a beautiful experience. It's hard to describe, I can only share it with you through my pictures.

[lastsoul]

In the banda and passing through the forest, I saw many birds of sparrow family, especially relatively rarely sighted, Himalayan Rose Finch. According to the locals, some pheasants are also found here. They also told about some Mountain Goat (Markhor?) and a fox like animal which kills their goats and rarely seen black bear.

[Panther]

Simply wonderful

[Panther]

Looks like heaven on earth

[lastsoul]

The forest is thicker and valley is narrow in lower part of track. This was the area where we saw monkeys in the evening, across the stream on opposite slope.

[lastsoul]

These young guys met us in lower part of forest. They accompanied us for rest of our trek.

Old logs cutting can be seen in the forest. Continuous re-implantation is necessary if we want to keep this ecosystem healthy.

[lastsoul]

I took this picture of the kids and showed to them. One of them (with green cap) said some thing in kohastani. I asked Shaukat Ali, what did he say. "I am very beautiful" was the reply.

[lastsoul]

We reached Jandrai late, at about 8:00 pm. In the last half hour of track, I could hardly see the track, just trying to focus on steps of my guide and follow. Completely tired, so took dinner and had a good nights sleep.

Next day I was to visit Jandrai village, the museum of Raja Taj and forests of Kumrat valley.

[lastsoul]

This is a picture near the home of Raja sahib. His home is below this cluster of houses on a slope.

[lastsoul]

After breakfast Raja, his cousine and I went to Jandrai bazar to visit his museum/hotel. I got chance to take some pics of Jandrai village on the way.

Some pictures of Jandrai village.