Sonamarg

Sonamarg, the meadow of gold, lies at about 2,800 metres in the Sind valley, ringed by peaks with glaciers coming down toward the valley floor. Thajiwas glacier, a few kilometres from the road, is the standard excursion, reached by pony or on foot up a side valley to a snout that still holds snow through summer. The valley is the last settlement before Zoji La, the pass at about 3,500 metres that carries the road to Kargil and Leh and is closed by snow for much of the year, so Sonamarg functions as a staging point as well as a resort. The Sind river holds trout.

History

The name means "meadow of gold" in Kashmiri, and Sonamarg was historically a gateway on the ancient Silk Road, connecting Kashmir with Tibet (Wikipedia, Sonamarg).

The landscape

• Thajiwas glacier - a short trip by pony or on foot to the ice.
• The meadow valley - grass and flowers along the Sind river.
• The Zoji La road - the climb toward Ladakh beginning above the town.
• The trout river - licensed fishing on the Sind.

When to go

May to October; the road and the town are effectively closed by snow in winter, and Zoji La opens around April or May depending on clearance. July and August are greenest and busiest.

Before you go

Pony rates to the glacier are union-fixed and high, and pressure to hire is heavy. The glacier has retreated and the walk is longer than older accounts suggest. Zoji La is prone to closure and long convoy delays.

Nearby

Srinagar lies southwest; Kargil is northeast beyond the pass.