The man who walks where roads end

When the night sky still holds its last stars, I spread my maps across the table — tracing unnamed valleys, forgotten ridgelines, and faint blue specks that mark hidden alpine lakes. Those tiny shapes on a satellite map are my callings. By dawn, I’m gone — my rucksack packed, my car loaded, leaving behind a warm bed, the laughter of my kids, and another quiet Sunday traded for the silence of the high mountains.

Two years ago, my journey earned me a place in the India Book of Records as the first person to explore 200 high-altitude alpine lakes across Jammu and Kashmir. Today, I’ve pushed that limit even further — crossing the 250-lake milestone, an achievement no individual has ever recorded before.

But for me, it was never about records or numbers.

Every time I step into the mountains, it’s a battle — not against nature, but against myself. You can study forecasts and plan every detail, but the mountains have their own will. They test not only your endurance, but your spirit.

From Warwan to Kishtwar, Rajouri to Kargil, and across the frozen deserts of Drass and Zanskar, I’ve walked — and often raced — through landscapes most people only see in dreams. My approach isn’t ordinary trekking; it’s speed hiking — covering in a single day what others need several to finish. Sometimes it means driving hundreds of kilometers, climbing thousands of meters, documenting new lakes, and returning home the same night — exhausted, frozen, but fulfilled.

In Rajouri, my exploration carried symbolic weight due to speed hiking. That challenge drew me in. When unrest and travel restrictions shadowed the region, I turned north toward Kargil and Drass, where I began exploring through sky running — a fusion of endurance and altitude.

I have done half marathon sky running up to Point 13,620 peak in Kargil and again on the Lamochan Peak in Drass, and Humbutingla Pass with my friends Jalal & Danish where the thin air burns your lungs, and every heartbeat echoes like a drum in your chest. Those runs weren’t just tests of speed — they were battles of willpower, moments when pain and purpose became one. The frozen winds, the endless climbs, and the silence of white valleys taught me something no book ever could: freedom lies in struggle.

The mountains tested me once more this year. Just when I was close to completing my 250-lake target, early snowfall buried the trails and sealed the passes. Most would have waited for spring. I couldn’t. My will pushed me deep into Zanskar Valley, to the mighty Pensi La Pass (4,400 m). In one single day, I drove 720 kilometers to and fro, fighting exhaustion, black ice, and biting winds to document the final lakes that would complete a decade-long pursuit.

When the body fails, the will must take over. That’s what the mountains have taught me — that limits exist only until you stop believing.

Behind this achievement lies years of sacrifice — over 3000 kilometers walked, thousands of meters climbed, and countless nights spent in the shaping the trails. Every time I leave home, I leave a piece of me behind — but I return richer in spirit.

Many of my journeys were with a small group, but behind every expedition stands a network of quiet heroes — those who manage logistics, permissions, and trail updates. They may not trek beside me, but their support walks with me every step of the way.

Through these years, I’ve also seen the Himalayas change before my eyes. Many lakes I documented years ago are now shrinking, while others are expanding — powerful signs of climate change unfolding silently in the alpine zone. My documentation of these lakes will help future generations understand how global warming is reshaping the very geography we cherish.

I urge every adventurer — leave no trace but memories. No plastic, no polythene. Let the mountains breathe as they were meant to — pure, wild, eternal.

This journey to 250 lakes isn’t just about exploration; it’s about resilience, sacrifice, and faith. I owe everything to the Almighty, my family, my friends, and my mentor Mr. Mahmood Shah, who has always guided and encouraged me.

Today, as I stand at this milestone, I don’t see an end — I see a beginning. There are still valleys unexplored, lakes unnamed, and dreams unfulfilled.

Because for me, adventure isn’t about reaching a destination — it’s about defying every reason to turn back.

And as I look toward another horizon, I whisper to myself —

The mountains don’t call everyone. But when they call you… you never come back the same.