by Omar Mukhtar Khan
Having heard about the beautiful Aarang Kel numerous times by friends, it was on my itinerary for a long time and so this October, we, a group of three friends found ourselves on the way to Kel from Muzaffarabad. It took us around eight hours to reach Kel after an exploratory lunch break at the Shardah and few other short stops along the Neelum river. The drive was beautiful but the road was not so beautiful, we had the blue waters of Neelum river continuously flowing with us and most of the valley was forested with tall green pines. Though the tourism facilities are still limited, one can clearly see why Kashmir is referred to as heaven on earth.
We stayed at Kel for the night which is one of the last big towns in upper Neelum valley. The road continues for another three hours and ends at Taobut near Pakistan’s disputed border with India and its close to Taobut that Kishan Ganga river enters Pakistan and changes name to Neelum river. Back to Kel, we had some amazing fresh water trout dinner before we went to sleep. We were ready to head for Aarang Kel early in the morning.
We drove for five minutes towards the Neelum river which was at a few hundred meters drop from where we parked our jeep. It was time to cross the river and lo and behold, it was a locally made but reasonably maintained cable car which would take us across the river to Aarang Kel side of the deep gorge. There was only one car or cabin to take people across and bring them back. As it was early October and off-season, there was no rush and we were on the cable car in no time. Frankly, the ride was both breath taking with cold winds blowing in our face as well as somewhat hair raising and we kept saying our prayers all the time. However, the beautiful scenery with Neelum river below and thick green jungle all around clearly was worth the adventure.
Sitting on the cable car, we could actually see a whole forested mountain wall in front of us and our guide told us that Aarang Kel meadows are on the top of this somewhat vertical mountain wall. We landed into a thick jungle on the other side of the cable car journey. It was time for the thirty or so minutes steep hike to the top. The hike was on a well-trodden but narrow path and we were soon panting for breath. We were sweating and it was cold with almost no sunlight reaching us through the think jungle. It was heartening to see many other tourists even at this time of the season and a good proportion were families from Karachi.
After puffing, panting and resting a few times, we finally saw the landscape opening up into a plateau and soon we entered the expansive
Aarang Kel meadows. We were lucky to find a gracious fellow on the route who was staying at the Army hut at one of the vantage points in the meadows. So we took some rest and after having tea and some nice pakoras, it was time to explore the vale. A part of the meadows is occupied with typical Kashmiri houses and some modern Swiss cottages while larger part is still farms, water streams and forests.
It was of course a treat to find two Russian era Mercedes Benz trucks and a tractor at the meadows. And now imagine that if the only way to the meadows is through the steep hiking trail, how come these big beasts were transported to the meadows. Locals informed that all these vehicles are collective property of the village and were brought from time to time by dis-assembling into small parts and re-assembling the parts into full vehicle on reaching the meadows. Nevertheless, it must be a huge feat when these vehicles would have arrived at the village to help with farming and logging activities. One of the trucks having served the community for decades now stands quietly in the middle of meadows watching the village turn over years into a bustling tourist spot.
After strolling through the village for some time, we crossed a nallah towards the jungle and meadows at the base of the mountains overlooking Aarang Kel. Besides pines, we could see walnut trees and potato and other farms. There were meadows all around and the pine jungles from meadows to the mountain top were varying in colors from golden yellow to light green to green. We walked for a couple of kilometers from the village into the jungle at the base of the mountains and it gave us a lovely vantage view of the colorful Aarang Kel village.
We sat in the jungle for some time listening to the stories of our guide who would conveniently bring in closeness of Indian border and the chances of our being captured by Indians whenever we would ask him to explore a bit further into the jungle. The view from the jungle at the base of the mountains was beautiful. We had golden yellow trees between us and the village which looked beautiful with bright and colorful rooftops. Behind the village we could see mountains souring up into the skies with peaks covered with snow and this all under a clear blue sky. Aarang Kel is indeed picture postcard village.
It was time to head back and after having another nice cup of tea at the Army hut, we took a parting look at this heaven on earth and left for the hiking trail. And despite what you think, people who have hiked in life know that while ascending takes a toll on your lungs, steep descent is not equally pleasing for your knees. We reached the cable car in twenty minutes and after some waiting time, we were again on board the cable car on our way back to Kel.
Besides the Army huts, there are a few second tier hotels in Aarang Kel however there is definitely a need to develop better boutique hotels in Aarang Kel along with regulations to stop turning Aarang Kel into another Murree of sorts. It is still beautiful and it appears that people of Aarang Kel as well as the Government are cautious of keeping the village clean however a more deliberate effort to make Aarang Kel the next sustainable tourist destination is needed.
Similarly, it would be good if Government can replace the current locally assembled cable car with a proper modern cable car system both to avoid rush in summers and also to ensure safety. Aarang Kel is definitely recommended for an overnight stay to imbibe the true spirit of this heaven on earth as I am sure the sun rise and evenings at the village would be scenic beyond any description.