A state of elevation

Beauty is an inevitable subject when speaking of the feather in India’s cap - Jammu & Kashmir. This has as much to do with its surreal landscape as with the warmth of its people but it’s important to acknowledge that there’s more to J&K than just that. The northernmost region of India is, beyond its magical vistas, also an environment of tremendous extremes. It isn’t particularly easy at the top, you could say.

We experienced this aspect at its peak - pardon the unintended pun, if you will - over our ceremonial convoy drive from Srinagar to Kargil and back. What appeared to be a simple two-day excursion at the onset rather dramatically turned into a test of resilience, what with the weather doing a swift u-turn (for the worse, that is), a consequence of which was a seemingly unending traffic jam. While the experience left us even more strongly in awe of the resolve and commitment of our Armed Forces, it also simultaneously acquainted us with the new Hyundai Tucson which, in the face of adversity, rose above the odds and proved itself as a dependable, comforting and remarkably capable SUV.

Waking up in the serenity of Srinagar had made the unpredictability of the last couple of days seem like a dream sequence. Hereafter, it was only going to get easier. Although it’s hard to explain or be specific, Kashmir elevates you in a way no other place can. It’s in this state of elevation that we decided to make a quick dash to Gulmarg and back before Srinagar really warmed up for the day. Of course, the snowscape of Gulmarg had always been a temptation, but it was, perhaps the promise of driving the Tucson in its element that also made the decision a lot simpler.

A little over an hour away from Srinagar is Gulmarg, which translates to a meadow of flowers, home to spectacular vistas, stunning landscapes like you’ll rarely find elsewhere, and snow - lots of it. Being mid-November at the time of our journey, it wasn’t yet as snowy, or even as cold, as Gulmarg can typically get. This also meant it would be relatively devoid of tourists, which turned out not to be the case in reality. Thankfully, we were able to hustle past the hub of tourism activities and found ourselves amidst a fluffy blanket of snow, in the farther reaches of Gulmarg. Truth be told, there was little for us to do there except soak in the surreal atmosphere, which we did. The spectacular, panoramic views left us captivated and we certainly stayed on in Gulmarg for a lot longer than we had planned to.

By the time we got back to Srinagar, daylight was already fading, so we made the most of the pleasant weather by walking around the many tiny lanes (which almost always lead to a rewarding view), stretched out in a park, watching life go by at an easy pace and, of course, worked up a serious appetite for dinner - a spread of traditional Kashmiri wazwan cuisine at the popular Mughal Darbar restaurant in the Downtown area, over which our little band of four helped itself to more than a decent amount of food. Tomorrow, our search for answers would take us elsewhere. Leaving Srinagar the next morning wasn’t a particularly happy thought, but the promise of a nice day’s drive in, what is, a really nice car made it easier to digest. Very truthfully, the Tucson is just a fantastic car to drive. There’s absolutely ample power and torque from that diesel engine, and it feels so planted, so sublime, cruising down a four-lane highway. A great car can truly elevate your spirits, and along this drive, the Tucson did exactly that. Its impeccable road manners, dynamism and, simply, its tremendous sense of luxury made the drive a thoroughly enjoyable one.

The Tucson is among a rare breed of modern cars that integrates technology so thoughtfully.. It has you completely covered. From connectivity, to really nice interior touches and even Level 2 ADAS, which shows how meticulous Hyundai is about safety. But - it also emphasises making you and your co-passengers feel great about being on the road. Now that’s what you call intelligent technology, isn’t it?

Towards the tail-end of a beautiful, if uneventful, drive, as we had transitioned from the Kashmir valley into Jammu, we found ourselves entering the Chenani-Nashri tunnel, named after Dr Syama Prasad Mookerji, which happens to be the longest road tunnel in India. It slices away roughly 2 hours of travel time, or 30km, between Srinagar and Jammu and features a fully integrated tunnel control system - the first of its kind in India. Constructed primarily because this region is, obviously, quite prone to snowfall in the winter and also avalanches - which would often obstruct traffic movement for, sometimes, even days on end! To, therefore, be transported through this ‘green channel’ of sorts felt incredible. This tunnel, undoubtedly, is as much an engineering marvel as it is a symbol of true, humane progress.

After about 10 minutes, we did see the light at the end of this tunnel, through which we emerged in Patnitop, a pretty hill station set 6600 feet above sea level, also our final halt on this journey. At Patnitop, we were welcomed by Skyview by Empyrean, a stunning property that takes pride in its rustic luxury and sustainable tourism. While Skyview has quite the reputation for its many adventure activities, today was going to be all about unwinding over a delicious meal and watching the night sky take over the mountainside.

The stillness of Jammu, and particularly that of waking up on a mountain slope with its sharp, cold air, brings about a state-of-mind-altering effect. It’s quieter, and slower and makes you do things you’d typically steer clear of - such as going on a long stroll, for instance. We indulged in a great breakfast at the Banana Leaf restaurant, enjoyed the weather and accomplished nothing in particular while still feeling a sense of wholesomeness. While we assumed an unhurried pace for the day’s proceedings, the good folks at Skyview had tucked away a ‘little surprise’ for us - one of Asia’s highest ropeways or Gondolas!

Built to European standards, this 2.8km ropeway connects Patnitop to Sanget in about 10 minutes and has been engineered to function in all kinds of weather. It’s also the only gondola in India with over 213 feet of ground clearance and a really long span of 849 metres - that’s nearly a kilometre! - between two towers. After a quick set of instructions - and a bout of nervousness - we were soaring over the treetops. With a truly panoramic view of the mountainside, the Gondola ride brought a literal elevation to our journey through Kashmir and left us feeling absolutely ecstatic. This really is something you must experience in these parts, as much for being an engineering feat as for the surreal perspective it brings about, literally and figuratively.

Our final evening before we’d head back to Mumbai in the Tucson - a drive that deserves its own story, for being the most blissful 2000km road trip in a while - was of the quiet, introspective sort. Over the last few days, we’d been among people and also places completely uninhabited. We went right through a mountain only to find ourselves gliding above it a little while later, and all of these beautiful experiences had one thing in common - a sense of deep permanence.

Often, in the civilised world, we make references to the future or the past, but Jammu & Kashmir somehow feels like it’s above and beyond the consequences of what mankind can do to it. Sure, it won’t stop our race from trying, but then who said it was ever easy at the top?