TREKKING IN INDIA

The scale of the Himalayas makes them the ultimate trekking destination. Nowhere else on this planet, with perhaps the exception of the Polar Regions, is such exalted beauty matched with such overwhelming remoteness. The sweeping arc of this mountain chain provides goals for every visitor and in its unity it displays an amazing variety of landscapes and a dazzling selection of contrasting scenes, climates and cultures. Trekking routes sometimes trace the footsteps of millions of pilgrims, who for hundreds of years have journeyed these trails to pay homage at religious shrines located high in the Himalayas. Others follow more remote routes, cut off from civilisation, across some of the most exciting terrain in the world. The mighty Himalayas form a sweeping arc spread across five Indian states. They compress in their expanse a wide mountainous geographical variety and contrasting cultures. Nowhere in the world can trekking be so exciting and challenging than it is in India.

Wide, sweeping valleys and deep gorges give way to thick deciduous forests and alpine meadows. Undulating tea gardens and somber slopes bar narrow terraces, looking like gigantic staircases flung down the mountains; as gently contoured hills merge into imposing, snow-draped peaks surrounded by a fluff of clouds look down upon thundering rivers and deeply fissured glaciers. In the Himalayas, time, like the terrain, is infinite, grand and majestic. The mountains impose upon mind and heart, and the silence of the wilderness dignifies their remoteness.

While trekkers in India are awakening to the exciting possibilities, beaten paths and trails such as Leh-Manali, Lahaul-Spiti and ancient pilgrim routes in Garhwal attract a majority of travelers. Countless exciting trekking options still wait for those willing to explore. Just enumerating the most exciting trekking options in the Indian Himalayas would be a formidable proposition and those willing to go beyond the vicarious experience of travel accounts have only one thing to do to savour a trekking experience. Get your backpacks ready and get out on to the trails.

TREKKING IN TIBET

Tibet is a land of mystery, adventure and spirituality; a home of legends, long closed to the outside world. In general the best season for trekking is from May through October. The weather during these months is surprisingly mild with warm days and cool to chilly nights in the mountain: not very different from summer conditions in the Rockies or the Cascades. July and August can be very rainy, receiving over half of Tibet’s annual precipitation. India’s monsoon manages to push over the Himalaya into much of central Tibet, bringing rain most nights and occasional showers during the day. This time of year is also prime wildflowers season, when even the most barren hills don a fuzzy green coating of grass. Higher up in the alpine areas the valleys become lush and speckled with innumerable types of flowers and blooming shrubs.

By September autumn is knocking on the door. The days are cooler and the willow and poplar leaves acquire a yellowish cast. Indian summers are not uncommon and may last into late October or early November, Bringing sunny days and clear, crisp nights with temperature often dropping below freezing. But September and October can also bring surprise snowstorm to the mountains.