Baramulla’s rugged mountains and hidden waters have long inspired poets and wanderers, but few have charted them with the dedication of Zubair Firdous. At just 28, this young trekker from Azad Gunj has walked a path that even seasoned mountaineers would call extraordinary—crossing the thresholds of more than 150 alpine lakes across Jammu and Kashmir.
An MBA graduate from the University of Kashmir and the founder of Alpine Hikers, Zubair blends the sharp mind of an entrepreneur with the endurance of a mountain guide. His journey is as much about personal grit as it is about lifting the profile of adventure tourism in Kashmir.
Zubair’s story began in 2014, when alpine treks were still a rarity in the Valley. Then a Class 12 student, he first tested his boots on meadow trails—Gabiwar, Kongdori, and Danwas. A year later came his turning point: the trek to Tarsar Lake. “That first alpine lake changed everything for me,” he recalls. By 2017, he had completed the Tarsar–Marsar expedition, opening the floodgates to a series of lake journeys that would soon define his life.
Between 2015 and 2020, Zubair charted nearly 30 alpine lakes, including Alpather in Gulmarg and the legendary Kashmir Great Lakes trek. That trail alone gifted him sights of Gangbal, Nundkol, Satsar, Gadsar, Kishansar, Vishansar, and other water bodies whose names resonate like poetry in the trekking world.
Milestones became his markers: the 50th lake was Chuharnag 4 at Margan Top, the 100th was Lokut Sar on the Tosamaidan Great Lakes trek, and in 2025, his 150th was Diya Sar in Hirpora. Today, the tally stands near 160 alpine lakes.
But Zubair is no mere “lake counter.” He has stitched together the geography of Kashmir’s wilderness, exploring nearly every lake in Pahalgam—Langnai, Tuliyan, Sheeshnag, Koon Nag, Katarnag, Chunsar, and beyond. He also scaled Barafsar, the highest alpine lake in the Valley, perched above 4,600 metres.
Beyond lakes, he has climbed some of the Valley’s most challenging peaks: Sunset Peak in the Pir Panjal, Viji Peak in Baramulla, ridges around Margan Top, and the icy route to Kolahoi base camp.
Unlike many adventurers, Zubair’s expeditions have been entirely self-funded. Neither local authorities nor government agencies have stepped in with sponsorships. Yet his spirit remains undimmed. With what he calls the “will and grace of Allah,” Zubair aims to finish documenting the alpine lakes of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh before setting his sights on Tibet and other ranges abroad.
For now, he continues to lace up his boots, charting paths where maps fade into memory, leaving behind not just footprints, but a growing legacy for Kashmir’s adventure community.
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