Srinagar, March 29 : For the first time in past three decades amid a still uneasy ground situation in Kashmir, a group of 20 young girls created history by undertaking a 15-km long trekking journey. The group of enthusiasts whose age ranged from teenage to 40+, took the trek from Rampur Trumkhund to Lollab. After Ramadan, another all-female trekking adventure is likely to be conducted from Dachigam Sanctuary or the Limber Wildlife Sanctuary in north Kashmir, Mudasir Bashir Shah a professional mountaineering and trekking expert, who organized the trip with the sponsorship of the Baramulla Forest Department, said. Shazia Khursheed, a mother of two, was the oldest and 12-year-old Tahleel Naseer was the youngest in the group that was led by Ishrat Shah a graduate. The group participated with “full passion, zeal and zest in the adventure feat”, Mudasir Shah said. Mudasir Shah, who has 10-year experience, and until now running an all-male “Path Finders” private trekking group composed of some doctors and high profile officials, said,
“We started early in the morning from Sopore and moved through the tough terrains of Rampur Rajpora”. He said the girls trekked through three feet of snow accumulated in Trumkhund with great passion and showed great team spirit, helping each other on the way. Trumkhund is a popular place as it is the centre of three north Kashmir districts of Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara. Mudasir Shah, who did his basic trekking course from the Jawaharlal Institute of Mountaineering and underwent advanced training in West Bengal’s Darjeeling, claimed to have summated around 95 peaks, including the Mount Kolahoi at the height of 5,424 meters above sea level in the Kashmir Valley. He said for the past many year people have been seeking to organise an all-girls trek trip.
“Since I am living in a conservative society and there is a social stigma I was keeping away not to see myself in any kind of trouble”. However, my earnest intention has been to do something positive for the womenfolk. “Ultimately I got an opportunity to formulate a women’s group for which I was planning for the past two years but due to Covid pandemic it could not be started,” he said. “So many young kids were calling me to take them for a trekking trip and I took a final call and organized a trip with the sponsorship from Forest Department Baramulla,” he said, adding, “as the girls were all students and could not afford the basic expenses needed for the purchase of necessary items for the trekking and transportation, Irfan Rasool, the Conservator of Forest Department Baramulla, provided us with a logistic support.
“The Forest Department provided us with their team and vehicles. It was an altogether female-dominated team so I was just the guide,” Mudasir Shah said. He said the girls were so excited and their parents were very happy and supportive after the completion of the first of its kind all female trekking adventure in this part of Kashmir.
