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 Somewhere in the valley, says legend, is a well whose water has the magic property of turning any substance into gold. This is Sonamarg – Meadow of Gold – a quiet valley, carved by the river Sindh, circled by still lakes and jagged, awesome glaciers.
At an altitude of 3000 metres, 80 km north-east of Srinagar, the road that turns to Sonamarg is the beginning of the enchanted journey into a natural wonderland. The road that initially winds under the shadow of the mountains, crosses the Sindh at Wayil, 27 km from Srinagar, where the valley widens, pushing the mountains back. Onward, past Kangam and Gund the road runs, through peaceful pastoral land, the snowclad Harmukh range etched against the deep blue of the Himalayan sky. A steep rise, and it enters the meadow of Sonamarg.
Surounded by mountains upto 5300 m high, the valley is divided by a spur of the Thajiwas range. Flower carpeted Sonamarg lies on one side, drained by the Sindh which has its source in the glaciers of the Amarnath range. Meandering through the valley, the river is a fine fishing preserve, abounding as it does in trout and mahseer.
From Sonamarg, trekking routes lead to the Himalayan lakes of Vishansar (4084 msl), Krishnasar (3810 msl) and Gangabal (3658 msl). Other lakes in the region are Gadsar, stocked with snowtrout and Satsar, glacier-fed and surrounded by banks of alpine flowers.
A close by excursion is to Baltal, 15 km north of Sonamarg. This little valley lies at the foot of the Zojila, only a day's journey away from the sacred cave of Amarnath. Trekkers can also reach the starkly splendid roof-top of the world – Leh, by crossing over the Zijila Pass
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