25-Year-Old Maps 16 Kashmir Valleys, Creates 40 Homestays

At 25, Shabnam Bashir walks through knee-deep grass in valleys that existed only in shepherds' memories, documenting trails that could change her entire community's future.

Born into Kashmir's nomadic Gujjar-Bakarwal community, Shabnam grew up watching trekkers pass through Bandipora's foothills while early marriage and limited mobility defined most girls' lives. But she felt drawn to the mountains, imagining herself exploring the peaks surrounding her village 80 kilometers from Srinagar.

Eight years ago, she started trekking alone with just a backpack, notebook, and camera. Her family and relatives strongly resisted, questioning her character and safety.

"People questioned my sanity," she recalls. Some elders warned that a girl wandering mountains would damage her family's reputation.

With no sponsorship, she relied on personal savings, often walking hours instead of hiring transport and carrying basic food during long treks. She faced moments of real fear: nights in unfamiliar settlements, sudden weather changes, and navigating wild terrain without backup.

"Sometimes I feared alone on the mountains, wondering if I should quit," she says. "But every time I saw a new valley, I remembered why I started."

Her childhood dream was simple: explore new destinations and serve her community by creating livelihood opportunities for people who struggled for every penny. So she kept walking.

Shabnam documented everything: water sources, seasonal weather patterns, grazing routes, camping zones, and ecological details. She interviewed shepherds and elders about each site's historical significance, then structured formal trekking routes and destination profiles.

She shared her documentation with the district tourism office, forest officials, and local village councils. In Chandaji and Nagmarg, she personally accompanied officials during site inspections, explaining access points and conservation needs.

"Tourism doesn't grow by itself," she says. "People need training, confidence, and connections."

Her work paid off. She's now explored around 16 hidden destinations, with several formally recognized on Kashmir's tourism map, attracting visitors from across India.

The Ripple Effect

Shabnam didn't stop at mapping trails. She helped establish 40 homestays across these forgotten valleys, creating seasonal income opportunities for over 60 villagers from her own marginalized community.

"Thousands of tourists visit these places today because she highlighted their beauty and tourism potential," says a local resident from Chandaji village. Rohit Verma, who visited after reading about Chandaji, describes these destinations as "untouched, less crowded, and peaceful" compared to Kashmir's popular tourist spots.

In 2023, she published "Unexplored Kashmir," a guidebook to Bandipora's valleys, meadows, alpine lakes, and pastoral routes. Tourism officials acknowledge her documentation helped shape trekking circuits, eco-tourism initiatives, and homestay clusters throughout the region.

Today, families who once questioned her character now see daughters following similar paths, and villages that lived in isolation now welcome visitors who bring sustainable income without damaging the fragile mountain ecosystems.

What started as one young woman's defiant dream became a blueprint for community-led tourism that lifts everyone up.