The morning was very pleasant at 19°C. At night we took a walk and could see houses twinkling all along the mountains of Bagh. Electricity kept playing hide and seek. The rate is Rs. 3 for residential and Rs. 5 for commercial units. If they are not satisfied even now, then nothing will satisfy them! I also noted it is so cheap that if one light is switched on, you find ten more. My day started peeping over the wall of a school, refreshed by the sight of young toddlers on swings early in the morning.
We took off for Las Dana and Toli Peer via Hajipeer Road. About 20 km ahead of Bagh, we turned onto a side road and ascended quickly on a newly constructed road. The atmosphere was charming, with fresh thick trees and deep valleys. After around 40 minutes, we came across some dwellings, which marked the start of Las Dana as locals pronounce it. It was a beautiful landscape, resembling Galiyat as they were a decade ago. Hardly a few cars crossed us. The place is relatively unknown but stunning, with tall trees and lush green meadows. We stopped briefly to enjoy the views before moving ahead. A good glamping resort is the need of the hour, but without disturbing the natural beauty.
As we traversed the mountains of Las Dana, the valley opened towards the southeast, facing forward Kahuta. The tree line became sparse as we gained height. It was a beautiful day, and clouds floated below our level. The temperature dropped to 17°C. On good roads, it took us around 40 minutes to reach the base of Toli Peer. Due to its height, valleys can be seen in a 360-degree view.
I chatted with a local hotelier who ran a tea and food stall. Nearby was a small car park. We parked and started climbing to the peak of Toli Peer. Some ladies were also riding horses up the slope. Sadly, the place had poor infrastructure and litter scattered around. It took us 17 minutes to hike to the top. For less fit people, it may take double the time. It was cold, but the climb kept us warm.
At the top, there are vast green pastures and the grave of a saint, said to be 400 years old. On asking, the only person present told us he was a disciple of Shah Hamdani of Iran, who came in the late 14th century and is credited with bringing Islam and art to Kashmir, including papier-mâché. Many mountain tops in the region host graves of his disciples, such as Nizapeer, Hajipeer, and even Maula Dargah in Srinagar. His trail can also be found in Gilgit-Baltistan. Shah Hamdani himself traveled across Central Asia and is buried in Tajikistan. I feel our tourism department has never considered such trail tourism. Green Tourism is working on a few projects like this. Tourism is not just about hotels, eating out, and going to cold places. If we want to be a tourism-recognized country, the mindset has to change.
At Toli Peer, a local hotel served us rice and lobia beans for lunch. The owner told me that snow here reaches 8–10 feet in winters, and a snow festival and mela are held but mostly attended by locals. Looking at the garbage, I thought of a simple solution: hire two jobless locals for Rs. 25,000 a month to clean and give them the power to fine Rs. 1,000 per violation. Half of the fine goes to local government and half to the worker. Give them violation slips to record money with complaint numbers, dress them in colorful jackets, and put up boards marking their authority. A community-based system with incentives could work well.
As we walked back, I noticed a paid car park and a school bus arriving with children in clean uniforms. Throughout the visit, I kept praising two things in AJK: schools and girls’ education, and the afforestation and preservation efforts.
We descended towards Khai Galla, a junction leading to Banjosa Lake. I have good memories of the place as I once walked from Rawalakot to Banjosa and back as a captain. Unfortunately, I was told there was a protest and the road was blocked, so we dropped the idea. The same news was heard for Khai Galla, but when we reached, we only saw a few policemen and no protest. The road was good again, passing through thick forests. Khai Galla has many guest houses, but mostly ordinary ones.
We bypassed Rawalakot and took the Azad Pattan road, a nice route where the height kept decreasing and the weather became warmer.
At Azad Pattan, we were joined by the Jhelum River flowing alongside us. After crossing Azad Pattan Bridge, one side of the river is Punjab and the other AJK. The mighty Jhelum looked calm, its span unimaginably wide. We stopped to admire the serenity.
It has long been my vision to run a ferry system from Mangla to Azad Pattan, which could pull huge numbers of tourists. I had met some locals excited about this idea. Why not? In China, there is a place called Guilin which resembles the Jhelum River, and they earn millions from tourism. Why can’t we? I will seek investment, and Green Tourism will push this project.
We passed by Kahuta, which we all love, so I will say no more. As we approached Sihala, the road turned rough for some kilometers, and the same old housing colonies and societies began to appear. I laughed at the thought: people in beautiful mountains want to come to this concrete jungle, while we want to settle in the mountains. This is life, and the bridge between the two is tourism.
It took us roughly three hours from Rawalakot to reach our office, where we wrapped up with a quick chat and coffee.
MD Green Tourism
Hassan
