Zanskar Range:

Zanskar Range (Pic : Satish Krishnamurthy/Flickr)

It is about 6000mts above sea level and separates Indus Valley from the valley of Kashmir; it prevents south-west cold winds from reaching Kashmir. Ladakh region terminates at Zojila pass (3529mts) from where begins the valley of Kashmir. Poat pass (5716mts) of this range is also a famous pass in this range. This Range separates Zanskar from Ladakh. It also separates Kinnaur District from Spiti in Himachal Pradesh.

Pir Panjal Range:

Pir Panjal Range (Pic : McZusatz/wikipedia.org)

The Pir Panjal Range is a group of mountains that lie in the Inner Himalayan region, from east southeast to west northwest across the Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir where the average elevation varies from 1,400 m (4,600 ft) to 4,100 m (13,500 ft). It is the largest range of the lower Himalayas which is located near the bank of the Sutlej River. The Gulmarg in Kashmir lies in this range.
It separates Kashmir valley from the outer Himalayas and is about 2621Kms in length and 50Kms in breadth. The famous Banihal pass (2832mts) lies in the shape of a tunnel on its peak; it remains covered with snow during winter. ‘Jawahar Tunnel’ has been constructed here which has a height of 2200mts above sea level. The tunnel is 2825mts long and it was opened for traffic on 22nd Dec 1956. On the other end of this range lie Baramula pass (1582mts) and Hajipir pass (2750mts). During 1965 Indo-Pak war, the Indian army had occupied this pass. Later on it was handed over to Pakistan.

Amarnath Mountain:

Amarnath Mountain (Pic : Vamsi Krishna/Flickr)

It is located 117kms from Srinagar. This is a famous holy Cave where thousands of pilgrims visited every year on Raksha bandan. It has a height of 5372mts above sea level. Sheeshnag Mountain also spreads in this valley. It is called Sheshnag as its peaks resemble the heads of seven big snakes. The melted waters form a major tributary of the Sind River at Baltal. The cave is believed to be the ancient and among most sacred places for pilgrimage in Hinduism.

Karakoram (8615 M) and Kyunlun Ranges:

Karakoram & Kyunlun Ranges (Pic : Guilhem Vellut/wikipedia.org)

Both mountain ranges lie to the north and north-east of the State and separate it from Russian Turkistan and Tibet. The Karakoram is a largest mountain range across the borders between Pakistan, India and China located in the regions of Gilgit – Baltistan, Ladakh and Xinjiang region. It is one of the Greater Ranges of Asia, a part of the greater Himalaya while north of the actual Himalaya Range.
The Karakoram is home to the highest concentration of peaks over 8000m in height to be found anywhere on earth including K2, the second highest peak of the world (8,611 m/28,251 ft). People of Ladakh pass through Karakoram pass (5352mts) and Nubra pass (5800mts) while going to Chinese Turkistan and Khattan. One can reach Tibet from Ladakh via Khardungla pass (5557mts) and Changla pass (5609mts).

Toshmaidan:

Toshmaindan (4270mts) and Kajinag (3700mts) mountains lie in the Inner Himalayas. They remain clad with snow throughout the year, but during summer when the snow melts, the water flows down into the Jhelum River. It forms the line of control between India and Pakistan in Handwara and has a height of 15524 feet. Mostly it remains snow clad most of the time. On the top of it stands the historical Kajinag spring and Satkohl Nag which have been providing water to the areas of Kehmil, Puhru, Mawar and Talar rivers and some of the water goes to Pakistan through Nowkote.

Afarwat:

Apharwat Peak (Pic : Amitrochates/wikipedia.org)

This Mountain spreads through the Gulmarg valley. It lies on its peak, from which Nullah Nagal comes out and flows down into the Wular Lake. It is the world’s highest gondola ski-lift which gives a breathtaking experience. The ropeway stretching connects Kongdoori valley with Afarwat. It’s the world’s highest cable car using gondolas and the only one in the world that takes skiers and tourists to a height of 4,390 m. Afarwat is famous for winter sports such as snowboarding. It also offers a great view of the Kashmir Valley and the Himalayan range. You can also visit Alpather Lake, which usually remains frozen till June. The Lake lies across the Apharwat peak.

Nun Kun Range:

Nun Kun Range (Pic : Narender9/wikipedia.org)

It is the highest peak in the part of the Himalayan range. It lies between Ladakh and Kashmir border. One has to pass through Bawalocha pass (4891mts) to reach Leh (Ladakh) from Kulu. In 1947, when Kargil was attacked by Pakistan, Indian forces, arms and ammunition were sent to Ladakh by the Indian Union through this pass. The Nun Kun mountain massif comprises a pair of Himalayan peaks: Nun, 7,135 m (23,409 ft) and its neighbor peak Kun, 7,077 m (23,218 ft).

The massif is located near the Suru Valley, about 250 km east of Srinagar. Kun is located north of Nun and is separated from it by a snowy plateau of about 4 km in length. Pinnacle Peak 6,930 m is the third highest summit of the group.

Nanga Parbat Range:

Nanga Parbat Range (Pic : Muh.Ashar/wikipedia.org)

This range spreads in Gilgit. Its height is 8107 meters above sea level and is utterly devoid of vegetation. It is the ninth highest mountain in the world and the western anchor of the Himalayas. An immense, dramatic peak rising far above its surrounding terrain, Nanga Parbat has not only proved difficult to climb, but also has a notable incidence of tragedy associated with its climbing.

Harmukh Mountain:

Harmukh Mountain (Pic : Aehsaan/wikipedia.org)

It is also known as Mount Haramukh. It is located at an elevation of 16,870 ft (5,142mts), in Ganderbal District of Jammu and Kashmir. Harmukh is part of the Himalayan Range, and is located between Nallah Sindh in the south and Neelum River in the north. It is mostly climbed from the northwestern side of Bandipore. It is considered one of the sacred mountains, by Hindus having Gangabal Lake at its foot. According to Hindu mythology, Harmukh is the abode of Lord Shiva.

Burzil Mountain:

Burzil Mountain (Pic : Muhammadyahyaqureshi/wikipedia.org)

It divides Kashmir and Ladakh on which Burzil pass is situated at a height of 4100mts above sea level. The Burzil Pass is an ancient pass and a route between Srinagar in Kashmir and Gilgit. The pass lies close to the Line of control between India and Pakistan, which has since closed the Burzil. The pass is covered in summer with grass vegetation. It is the oldest route connecting Gilgit with Srinagar and Skardu through Deasai plateau. The travelers used horses and ponies to cross the pass. On the 20th century a hut of post couriers was situated on the top of the Pass. They brought mail from India to China.

Shivalik Range:

Shivalik Range (Pic : Shanel/wikipedia.org)

The Shivalik hills are the southernmost and geologically youngest mountain chain of the Himalayas. This range is about 2,400 km long from the Indus and ends close to the Brahmaputra, with a gap of 90kms between the Teesta and Raidak rivers in Assam. The width of the Shivalik hills varies from 10 to 50 km (6.2 to 31 mi) their average elevation is 1,500 to 2,000 m (4,900 to 6,600 ft). The Siwaliks have many sub-ranges. They extend west from Arunachal Pradesh through Bhutan to Sikkim, and further westward through Nepal and Uttarakhand, continuing into Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. It is also known as Manak Parbat in ancient times.