Ice Loss

Thajiwas, once a large glacier extending to Sonamarg, has receded 12-15 metres annually since the 1960s due to insufficient winter snowfall, higher summer temperatures

- Naseer Ganai in Sonamarg

THE two-hour climb up the Thajiwas Glacier is punishing, even for ponies familiar with the trail. Ferrying tourists on their backs, the frail ponies ascend on a stone-paved path, instinctively seeking soft patches of earth to secure a grip for their weary hooves. They wrestle with pain and the strain of their carriage, as they navigate the path, dodging tricky stones and boulders along the way.

After the arduous climb, horsemen, who also serve as guides, halt the ponies at the peak and announce: “This place is called Hazroon Saal Ka Baraf (Thousands of Years of Snow).”

Ironically, despite its name, no snow is visible along the riverbank deep below, where the Thajiwas glacier water flows into the fast-moving Sindh River. Neither is there snow on the high mountains of the Thajiwas glacier, which sits at an altitude of 9,186 feet and attracts thousands of visitors every day, looking forward to the thrill of a sledge ride downhill.

But tourists on ponies continue to ascend from the peak to the Thajiwas meadow through tough terrain. The horseman occasionally points to two snowless peaks, saying, “Those are the original Thajiwas Glacier peaks, now called Down Thajiwas.” The mounted posse of tourists continues onward.

Once the stony path ends, the Thajiwas stream appears in the meadow. Ignoring their riders, ponies head straight to the stream to drink, sometimes triggering panic among tourists riding them. To the right, shepherds tend their herds. Ahead, locals have set up makeshift coffee and Maggi shops and offer guided sledge rides. The Thajiwas Glacier has become a bustling tourist spot with visitors haggling over prices, taking selfies and negotiating with sledge drivers and guides, at the glacier’s foothills.

Glaciers appear to be the newest offering in Kashmir’s bouquet of tourism experiences.