Dumail, Marchoi and Shadimarg : All-season short trek in Kashmir
Hello all,
What comes to your mind when you think about your dream destination? For me, it is always the Himalayas! Take me to these mountains, and I will be forever grateful to you…It doesn’t matter whether we go by road or by trek; just a glimpse of those mammoth mountains gives me peace and energy. These mountains are in trouble in our two beloved states; somehow, we are responsible for it. Let us pray for all those snowy peaks, bouncing rivers, amazing people, and crazy forests. Let’s become more responsible trekkers and travellers. We had planned the Uttarakhand Valley of Flower trek during the long weekend holiday of 15th August, but destiny had other plans for us, and we landed in Srinagar for our trek.
Marchoi Valley is a short, rare trek in Kashmir which can be done throughout the year. This alluring valley has flat riverside trails, a broad valley, lush green meadows, colourful bright flowers, incredible autumn foliage and a snowy winter wonderland. It is unique and unforgettable in each season.
Day 1
Base Camp : Naranag Village:
The trek base camp is Naranag village in the Ganderbal district of Kashmir. The village is also a base camp for Kashmir Great Lake Trek and Gangbal Lake Trek. Naranag is a village which is around 2 hours drive from Srinagar. The village is of archaeological importance because it has old Shiva Temple ruins. Karkota Dynasty ruler Lalitaditya Muktapida built the temple in the 8th century A.D.
The village is a small hamlet on the bank of the Wangath River. Our homestay was a beautiful home on the river bank with warm and gentle people.
- Distance from Srinagar: 50 km
- Total drive time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Altitude of Naranag : (~ 2440 m/8000 ft)
Day 2
Naranag to Campsite Dumail:
The trail from Naranag is initially gentle along the river so you can reach Dumail comfortably in 2 hours. We cover wonderful stretches of pine and maple forests to reach Dumail campsite. It is known as Dumail because here, two perennial rivers meet names, Marchoi Nala and one coming from Gangbal Lake, forming Wangath River. There are a few Gujjar settlements here.
Dumail campsite is also famous for fishing among the locals. We also met a few people who came to Dumail for fishing and camping.
This trail is meant such that we can camp at Dumail for 3 nights and explore two sides from this camp. One is the Marchoi Valley, and the other is the meadows of Shadimarg area.
- Distance – 4 km
- Time taken – approx. 2 hrs
- Altitude – Naranag (6982 ft / 2128 mtr), Dumail (7638 ft / 2328 mtr)
As we had started early, we reached at around 10:30 to Dumail. We had a little break there at the riverside, and we started our third-day trek on the second day itself.
It is the trek to Marchoi Valley along the Marchoi Nallah with a few gradual ascent and descent stretches. The trail is so beautiful, with walnut and pine trees and the soothing sound of flowing rivers accompanying you along the entire trail. We had to pass many little streams along the way and kids were thrilled crossing them.
- Distance – 8 km (to and fro)
- Time taken – approx. 5-6 hrs
Day 3
Dumail to Shadimarg and back to Naranag
This day, we started early, at around 7:30, as we wanted to return to Naranag today rather than the actual camping plan at Dumail.
- Distance – Dumail – Shadimarg – Dumail 12 km
- Time taken – approx. 6-7 hrs
- Altitude – Dumail (7638 ft / 2328 meters) and Marchoi (10,500 ft / 3200 meters)
The trail to Shadimarg is of gradual and continuous ascent. It begins with a forest section with tall trees and a valley. The trail is very narrow and sneaky at places, so you must be careful. As you climb uphill, you will see the mighty Harmukh Mountain, known as ‘Kailash of Kashmir.’ The last 4 kilometres of the trail are steep as compared to the first part and will test your stamina. But it is also the best part, with more rugged trails, tall shrubs on either side, and flowers…. All shades of flowers….white, purple, blue, yellow, orange…whatever you ask, you will get equally beautiful and brilliantly coloured butterflies flying among the flowers…we were supposed to go to the Valley of Flowers trek in Uttarakhand in this vacation but due to torrential rain in that region we had selected this Marchoi Valley. Little did we know that we got our Valley of Flowers of Kashmir instead, which is more raw and more deserted. These are wildflowers with wild plants that have grown across the trail. At places, you have to clear the trail with your poles, and our mind goes back to Dzukou Valley. After crossing zig-zag trails with wildflowers on either side, you will come across an area with burned forest trees and paved trails. This means that you are close to Marchoi top. During winter, this entire trail is covered with snow.
From the top, you will get a mesmerizing view of Mt Harmukh, Kotwal Peak, Gangabal Valley, Wangath Valley and Marchoi Valley, and you will be in the vast meadow, also known locally as Shadimarg. Take enough water with you; after a while, you won’t get any water source along the trail.
The best time to do Marchoi Trek
In winter: December to February – During these months, most of the trail is covered in snow, and it will be like a Christmasy wonderland with frozen streams, glaciers and icicles. There might be snow of 3 feet at the peak.
In Spring: March and April – The trails will still be snowy, with the starting of green patches and wildflowers causing a splash of colours.
Summer and Monsoon: May to September – You will see greenery all around with riots of colours in the form of wildflowers on the trail, especially on the summit trail. You can say this is the Valley of Flowers of Kashmir.
In Autumn: October and November – These are prime autumn months, with the trek covered with beautiful autumn foliage in shades of yellow to red with average temperatures and fantastic mountain views in the clear autumn sky.
Difficulty level :
It is an easy trek. But in winter, it might get a little tricky due to snow on the summit day. The trail is relatively safe.
Can it be done as a DIY trek?
It takes around 2-3 nights to cover the trek. Upto Dumail, the trail is a little busy, but after that, Marchoi Valley and Meadows are isolated and remote, so it is better to have a local guide with you.
Network connectivity:
In Naranag, you will get the BSNL and Jio network. We got a little BSNL network at some point in Dumail.
What was the best part of the trek:
Trail from Naranag to Dumail:
It is one of the most beautiful trails along the river, with mesmerizing hills on the side. While we were returning, it started to drizzle, which further enhanced the beauty of the trail, and it was a surreal experience.
Campsite:
The alluring campsite at the Dumail at the river bank attracts beginners and seasoned trekkers, but it is still in its pristine form, untouched by commercial activities. We just sat at the river bank, played in the water, played Snake and Manners, played UNO….we did nothing, and yet we did everything. These are the moments we crave for. Bouncing river in front of us, calm wind, tall gigantic mountains protecting us in the valley and a cup of Kashmiri Kahwa…what more can you ask for…
Trail to Shadimarg:
People say this is a winter wonderland, but we witnessed summer wildflowers were beyond our imagination and like a fairy tale.
Packing list for Marchoi Valley trek:
1. A base layer – A quick dry T-shirt
2. A warm jacket (Fleece jacket )
3. A windproof/waterproof as the outer layer.
4. A rucksack/day bag
5. A good pair of trekking shoes.
6. A poncho
7. First aid kit
8. Two photocopies of I.D. proof and a passport-size photo.
So this was one of the most enthralling treks. The fairytale landscape of this valley left us spellbound and rejuvenated us with its peace and tranquillity.
Thank you.
Don’t forget to share this post.
Thank you for the detailed description of the trek. You have made it much easier for trekkers to try these trails. God bless you for helping the Trekking community.
Thank you so much for kind words…
Simply amazing
Thank you…
Very nice write up
Thank you…
We all visit Kashmir atleast one time in our life, but this is beautiful unexplored place.
Yes. It is dream destination for all of us. We went if off season so Sonmarg and Gulmarg was not possible. And our main aim was trek. Thank you..
Beautiful
Thank you…
Great
too good
Thank you..
Really appreciate and good information for tracking ..greenaries valley waterfall are the natural beauty…good to enjoy…
Thank you so much uncle.
Good description !
how did u all up here . I mean u r from Baroda and all the way to kashmir and that also off best trek .
kudos to kids for managing it in 2 days
Thank you so much. We were searching for short treks in Kashmir, as due to bad weather in Uttarakhand and Himachal. They promote this as a winter trek, but it is all season trek.
Jordar che kajal ben !
simply simply jordar
Thank you so much.
Kindly guide on security and is it safe to choose kashmir over other treks
we are a group of 6-8 people recently into trekking post covid and inspired by the way u move with kids !
one of our trekker os from padra , Small town near baroda it seems and he was the one to suggest me today
Dhrumil gave him a link of this and bielieve me i have came across the perfect trekkers
off beat , go with kids and enjoy to max !
please reply here as i dont want to share my number here
Yes it is very safe. Just one thing you can not do it on yourself. You need to have a local with you. And they are extremely helpful.
We try to go out every Sunday morning. And try to do Himalayan treks as per kids’ holidays.
Thank you so much for your kind words…
I want to accompany with You all
Please take me away from so hectic life
Wah wah wah
Thank you…
Wow.. looks amazing.. I love how u find such beautiful places and how ur kids are just with the nature..
Thank you so much. Yes! trying to take them close to nature as much as possible.