Suhail Rather
Bandipora, Dec 10 : Every Sunday for the past five years, while the Valley slept in or strolled along Dal Lake, Mir Danish Nabi has been walking into the clouds. With a worn backpack, a handheld GPS device, and a resolve as solid as the Himalayas he traverses, the 28-year-old from Bandipora has quietly accomplished what no government survey has personally locating, documenting, and mapping over 100 remote, high-altitude alpine lakes across Kashmir’s toughest terrain.
His journey, reminiscent of the legendary explorer Ibn Battuta’s thirst for the unknown, began as a personal quest and has evolved into a vital digital archive. Nabi’s meticulously geotagged photos and notes—shared in a viral video this week—reveal a hidden Kashmir: crystalline lakes without names, glacial tarns unseen by tourists, and meadows that exist only on his handmade maps.
“These lakes are not just water bodies; they are the region’s ecological pulse and its untouched heritage,” Nabi told Kashmir News Service (KNS). “Many don’t even have local names. I name them temporarily—based on a nearby peak, the colour of the water, or the flowers around them—until the community gives them one.”
Nabi’s work transcends exploration. He is now a vocal advocate for adventure tourism rooted in ecology and respect. “We don’t need more hotels on the highways. We need marked trails to these lakes, basic shelters, trained local guides, and a rescue grid,” he asserts. “This isn’t just about tourism; it’s about giving our youth a sustainable livelihood tied to the land they love.”
For the youth of Bandipora and beyond, Nabi has become a folk hero—a symbol of what passion, paired with purpose, can achieve. “He showed us that our mountains are not a barrier, but a library, a gym, and a workplace,” said Aamir Hussain, a college student from Srinagar who now leads weekend hiking groups.
As Nabi prepares for his next Sunday ascent, his mission is clear: to ensure that Kashmir’s hidden lakes become known to the world, not as exploited destinations, but as sacred spaces that foster awe, employment, and environmental stewardship.(KNS)
