Mountaineering and cycling

Cycling

With the arrival of spring and summer, fishing becomes a big business in Kashmir. The brown and rainbow trout to the streams of Kashmir were introduced by the British. The system of anglers reserving ' beats' on their favourite river was also introduces at the same time by them. If one is curious about fishing then the reservation for beats should be done before landing in Kashmir, through the Indian Government Tourist Office or directly to the Tourist Reception Centre in Srinagar .

Cycling in ladakh

Cycling in ladakh offers a thrilling experience for those who dream of cycling through the highest mountain range in the world. Cycling at all levels can be a welcome experience. In Ladakh, one can come across many of the attractive Buddhist Gompas on the way while cycling through beautiful local villages, all at the backdrop of the snow-coated Himalayan mountain ranges. After day long performances of cycling one can enjoy the Tibetan food-Momo, Noodles with Beans, Pancakes with Jam, Dal with Rice, and so on.

To cycle the twisted roads in Ladakh, one needs to be technically perfect biker as the roads are rough , though paved. A support car to carry ones luggage comes handy and helps to enjoy the great Himalayan range without any worry. The best time for cycling is from mid June to September end.

One can ride through the 64km road from Leh to Alchi. The route takes one on a Zig Zag course through the snaky turns of the Himalayan Roads. Leh-Hemis (45 km) is another famous cycling option. There are various travel agencies which arrange the cycling trips in Ladakh and offer their expertise. Their travel packages and schedules of itineraries may vary.

Mountaineering

The most liked extremely adventurous sports is mountaineering. There are several mountain ranges through out the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Among them Pir Panjal, Great Himalayas, Zanskar, Ladakh, Karakoram are well known for mountaineering. Climbing in these rigorous mountain ranges of Himalayas can be very exciting and typically an expedition can take a month. The state is rich in flora and fauna, the apex of most peaks are an thrilling experience and from the peak tops, one can easily look beyond the neighbouring countries like - Pakistan and Tibet.

Not too high peaks in the region are off Sonamarg like - Kolahoi(5,425 m) and Harmukh (5,148 m). One can quickly make an alpine ascent on these peaks.

The peaks in the Kishtwar region are also not too high but offer technically difficult climbing with many challenging faces and ridges.

Things Required for Cycling and Mountaineering

Cycling and Mountaineering is undoubtedly one of the most enthusiatic adventure sports high in the Himalayan region. You can either select the self-supported trip with all the required equipment and the supplies on the bike itself or else you can also carry just yourself on the bike and have a carrier van following you with all the required equipment.

Some of the equipment required to be carried along on the trip is a mountain bike fitted with gears and water bottle cages, water bottles, bicycle helmet, shorts, t-shirt, windcheater, back pack, and a basic level of fitness.