At the age of 36 my love of high mountains, it's people and a long held dream of an Himalayan adventure, brought me to the Kashmir Valley. A valley between Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. It was called as "Heaven on Earth" by Jahangir " (1569-1627), "conqueror of the world", the amicable Mughal Emperor of India. Then not much had changed since Jahangir about the pastoral nomadic life of the nomadic people with their remarkable vitality and grace. I consider myself fortunate to have visited when it was safe and peaceful there. Unfortunately now with the presence of al-Qaida in Kashmir this way of life is now threatened by extinction.