Somewhere beyond Kashmir’s familiar meadows and tourist trails, where the roads disappear and the mountains begin to dictate the pace, Waar Ishfaq has spent years following a different kind of map.
It is a map of alpine lakes.
For the trekker from Warpora, Sopore, every lake has meant a new trail, a long climb, uncertain weather and another corner of Kashmir’s high mountains brought into view. Recently, that journey reached a striking milestone when Ishfaq completed his 100th alpine lake at Sonasar.
But the number, he says, tells only a small part of the story.
“Every lake represents a journey, a challenge, a memory and an experience,” Ishfaq says.
His relationship with the mountains began long before he started trekking.
In the early years, Ishfaq explored Kashmir on a motorcycle, riding through its high-altitude passes and remote mountain roads. He eventually completed the Srinagar-Manali circuit on two wheels, discovering landscapes that would later draw him back, this time on foot.
He formally began trekking in 2023.
At first, the destination was not necessarily a summit or a lake. He explored meadows and valleys, gradually becoming familiar with the terrain and the rhythm of mountain travel.
Then came his first alpine lake.
In 2024, Ishfaq reached Patalwan Lake, an experience that changed the direction of his adventures.
“I heard that there are many alpine lakes in Kashmir and my desire increased so much that I decided I would explore all these alpine lakes in the future,” he recalls.
What began as curiosity soon became a pursuit.
Lake after lake, Ishfaq ventured deeper into the mountains. Some expeditions demanded long hours of walking, others involved steep ascents, difficult trails and unpredictable weather. The remoteness that makes these lakes difficult to reach was also what made them irresistible.
His 50th alpine lake was Nikan Sar. Then came the 100th, Sonasar.
Between those two milestones lay dozens of expeditions and countless hours spent navigating Kashmir’s high-altitude terrain.
Ishfaq has also trekked with Alpine Hikers, gaining experience and sharing the mountains with fellow adventure enthusiasts. Along the way, he began documenting his journeys through photographs and videos on his Facebook page, “Waar Ishfaq”.
The mountains, however, are only one part of his life.
Ishfaq holds an MSc in Mathematics from the University of Kashmir and a Master of Library and Information Science from IGNOU. He works as a Veterinary Pharmacist in the Animal Husbandry Department.
Balancing a government job with an increasingly demanding passion for trekking has required planning, but the pull of the mountains has remained stronger.
As a child, Ishfaq says, he dreamed of exploring the remote places of Kashmir. He once played cricket, but eventually found himself increasingly drawn towards trekking and mountaineering.
“I started to love mountains,” he says.
His ambition now extends well beyond 100 lakes.
There are still alpine lakes he has not seen, remote high-altitude areas he wants to explore and lesser-known trails he hopes to document. His objective is to continue discovering Kashmir’s mountains while promoting responsible trekking and greater awareness about the fragile ecosystems at high altitude.
But Ishfaq’s journey has also given him a view of the people whose livelihoods are tied to Kashmir’s adventure and tourism economy.
He points to horsemen, guides, hoteliers and other workers who depend on visitors reaching the region’s tourist and trekking destinations. Restrictions on access to some destinations, he says, have affected these communities.
His appeal is that bans and restrictions on tourist destinations should be reviewed and removed wherever conditions allow, so that trekkers can return to the mountains and local communities can once again benefit from adventure tourism.
For Ishfaq, though, the next expedition is already calling.
One hundred alpine lakes have been explored.
The mountains, he believes, still have many more stories left to tell.
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