pirpanjalrange

Posing on the wooden stairs leading to the first floor of the villa
by shankar s.

View from the restaurant grounds where we stopped for lunch
by shankar s.

It would be pleasant to stay in those cottages and walk down this road
by shankar s.

We spent more time than necessary at the photo point thanks to the extortionate local taxi fares
by shankar s.

After seeing all those snow covered mountains, this scene looked a bit odd
by shankar s.

He also shifted positions to another part of the patch of slippery frost
by shankar s.

The tea vendor pours out cups of Kahwa from his samovar
by shankar s.

A selfie by those beautiful lavender coloured Tulips
by shankar s.

The upcoming Zoji La tunnel will make this an all weather road to Ladakh
by shankar s.

Final shots on the rear steps of Hotel Embassy in Srinagar, Kashmir
by shankar s.

Viewpoint with magical scenery on the road to Gulmarg
by shankar s.

The tea vendor opens his samovar to put in the spices and condiments
by shankar s.

Magical scenery to die for, on the road from Srinagar to Gulmarg
by shankar s.

A closer look at my friend and I at the selfie spot in Gulmarg
by shankar s.

Staff in local attire approach our car for collecting the toll
by shankar s.

Enough selfies already, I tell my friend as I urge him to move on
by shankar s.

The treacherous winding road to Ladakh- the border Zero Point was sadly closed
by shankar s.

I was wondering if this could be termed as permafrost?
by shankar s.

An Indian family checks out their selfies at the photo point in Gulmarg
by shankar s.

My friend strikes a pose at a viewpoint on the Srinagar to Gulmarg road
by shankar s.

Back outside, here is a good look at the clock tower on Lal Chowk in Srinagar
by shankar s.

A brief video of the water cascade- this refused to load on Facebook
by shankar s.

Posing by one of the fountains in the Tulip Garden
by shankar s.

My friend insisted on taking a selfie of me at the same spot
by shankar s.

You can make out how uncomfortable I am on that slippery slope
by shankar s.

We decide against the extortionate taxi ride and my friend cools his heels a bit
by shankar s.

My friend tries to distract me by pointing to something in the distance
by shankar s.

As we were entring the hotel again, the assistant took another shot of us
by shankar s.

There is a shrine at the far end of this long park with lookout
by shankar s.

Selfie in a park with a long lookout point running along it's length
by shankar s.

My friend and I- meeting after over five years
by shankar s.

A brief breakfast stop while heading out to Gulmarg
by shankar s.

I was amazed as to how the Sind river has cut through this patch of frost and snow
by shankar s.

I pose with my guide at the picnic spot by the Sind river
by shankar s.

Waiting patiently till my travel companions work out where to go for lunch
by shankar s.

A selfie against a picnic spot beside the Sind river
by shankar s.

The Gulmarg chair lift is somewhere down there, but it was fully booked for the entire afternoon
by shankar s.

Don't you simply love that little bridge in the foreground?
by shankar s.

A view of the construction of the Zoji La tunnel that you see upon entering Sonmarg
by shankar s.

This unusually shaped tree reminded me vaguely of the Baobab trees I had seen in Kenya
by shankar s.

I was not aware that our guide was taking this picture of me
by shankar s.

I was not aware that our guide was taking pictures of me at this point
by shankar s.

Different types of foreground till we get to the snow capped mountain in the background
by shankar s.

This viewing point lets you get pretty close to the stream of snowmelt with a nice background to boot
by shankar s.

I try the candid pose as well but without much success
by shankar s.

I pose with Mushtaq, our driver who brought us here
by shankar s.

The extortionate local taxi takes you down this road all the way down to the other side of the valley
by shankar s.

A wall full of Grand Stores memories- my friend was hooked!
by shankar s.

Sonmarg is another hop off point- possibly the closest- for the Hindu Amarnath pilgrimage
by shankar s.

I pose with a cricket bat- holding one for the first time since my schooldays!
by shankar s.

I wonder if those beautiful cottages in the background are hotels
by shankar s.

I was wondering about the area in the foreground- is it always empty?
by shankar s.

The chair left behind that clump at the far end was unfortunately fully booked for the rest of the day
by shankar s.

A frozen mountain stream stopped just short of the Sind (Sindh) river
by shankar s.

I pose with our driver Mushtaq at the selfie spot
by shankar s.

We are driving on a road that is actually cut through all that frost and snow
by shankar s.

All the trucks you see in the distance are headed to neighbouring Ladakh
by shankar s.

Staff in local attire collect toll from visitors entering Sonmarg
by shankar s.

In the distance is the last village in Kashmir- beyond that is Ladakh
by shankar s.

A local tea vendor poses next to his samovar or water boiler
by shankar s.