Alas it was time to play in snow! Quite literally. The 2 hour drive to Sonmarg was extremely smooth lined with green valleys and rivers on both the sides. On my way I could see alpine and fir trees all around which are found in abundance here. Sonmarg forms the base camp for the holy Amarnath yatra. Since the highway was not yet open for vehicles to pass due to glaciers on the road, we had to trek all the way up to the snow clad mountains. Although, there was an option of hitching a ride on the pony but we decided otherwise since the road was not formidable and we could get to admire the mighty Sindh river flowing amidst the mountains. The road ahead joins NH1 highway going to Leh and one can go right till the the top once it is accessible to tourists from May onwards.

Once we reached the top, we saw many people skiing and sledging in the vast stretch of thick glacier that enveloped us. I too tried sledging from a steep slope since the locals there make you sledge along a not-so- slopy surface which is not as much fun as doing it from the top is. Since the ice was now starting to melt, I kept slipping after every few meters which added to the much- needed entertainment for my family.

My experience of Sonmarg was just the tip of the iceberg. Even amidst the crowd I felt my being at peace with the nature. There is so much more of this place that is yet unexplored, the stunning blue lakes and  dense forests that make for a perfect gateway that I would definitely come back again to go right till the end of this golden meadow.

All the images © Shraddha Chauhan