Fri Sep 05 09:03:21 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**Kashmiri Bureaucrat Maps Hidden Wonders of the Himalayas in New Book**
**Srinagar, September 5, 2025** – For the first time in over two centuries, a local has meticulously mapped the remote and majestic mountain ranges of Kashmir. Mahmood A. Shah, a bureaucrat with a passion for trekking, has released “Valleys of Jammu & Kashmir,” a comprehensive coffee table book detailing his 25 years of exploration across the Great Himalayas and Lesser Himalayas.
Shah’s work updates the mapping efforts of William Moorcroft, a British veterinarian who surveyed the region in the early 1820s. His book provides a peak-by-peak, pass-by-pass, meadow-by-meadow, and lake-by-lake account of the region’s hidden gems. Featuring 114 stunning photographs, it showcases 54 high-altitude lakes rarely visited, even by locals, with 112 alpine lakes featured in total.
“When I was a school-going kid. I would always stare out from the school bus window at the peaks and ranges following us in a distance. I was always curious to know what was hidden up in these mighty peaks and the layers of mountain ranges. I wondered how the world looked from these towering peaks. It took me 25 years of trekking to realise the dream,” said Shah, who currently serves as Managing Director of Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL).
Crucially, the book provides GPS coordinates and estimated trekking times for each location, aiming to make these destinations more accessible to prospective trekkers. Shah intersperses the practical information with anecdotes and local flavor, enriching the reader’s experience. One notable trek detailed is the trans-Himalayan route from Kishtwar to Kargil, following the path taken by General Zorawar Singh in 1834.
Shah began his mountaineering journey in 1988 and has faced numerous challenges, including trekking during the height of militancy in the region, a time when such activity was rare. He also expresses concern over the environmental degradation he has witnessed in the mountains, noting the decline of flora and fauna due to overgrazing and deforestation.
“Footfall needs to be controlled if these meadows, passes and lakes have to survive in the long run,” he emphasizes.
Garry Weare, an Australian trekker and author, praised Shah’s work, noting that the images reflect the “raw, untamed beauty” of the region. “Pilgrims, armies, and traders have crossed the high passes Kashmir for centuries,” Weare added.
“Valleys of Jammu & Kashmir” is available on Amazon and in select bookstores for ₹3,500.
First Piper 