2016 was a life changing year for me. I quit my job and changed the stream all together, started this blog, traveled to and explored around 10 new places and moreover I did my first trek in May 2016 and that has changed me completely.
Having started my trekking journey with Deoria Tal - Chandrashila in May followed by Kheerganga in August and now Triund and Jalori Pass - Serlosar Lake in December, I thought of compiling a list of 24 trekking destinations for the 12 months of 2017, in India which one should definitely think of doing as suggested by travelers and trekkers themselves.
January
Chadar
Trek
By Amrita & Agni ( Tale of 2 backpackers )
A trek in January definitely involves extreme cold
temperatures and hiking in the snow. But Chadar Trek is
unique in itself as here you are walking over ice. The Zanskar River
that flows with such aplomb during the summers calms down and freezes during
this time of the year. A blanket of ice or 'chadar' forms over the river, and
you have a trek route that can be an experience of your lifetime. Surviving
temperatures as low as -10 degrees in the morning and -35 degrees at night is
no mean feat.
Chadar has some of the harshest but beautiful campsites. You
will encounter frozen waterfalls at places that will simply leave you wonder
struck. The breathtaking views of golden mountains, frozen waterfalls, hanging
icicles and the babble of river few inches below your feet is sure to mesmerize
you.
Though the Chadar Trek seems difficult, but it is definitely
manageable. The trek itself is not very arduous, but the conditions are
definitely challenging. Chadar trek is one of the best winter treks and those
who have done Chadar has an extra aura around them. It is not every day, you
get a chance to walk over a frozen river!
Dhak
Bahiri Trek
By Abhinav Singh ( A Soul Window )
Dhak Bahiri Trek in Sahyadris is
easily one of the toughest treks not only in Maharashtra but in India. It
starts on an easy note but the end leg of the trek is life threatening. Imagine
dangling from a loose wooden log without any safety harness. One mistake and
you fall in thousands of feet of sheer drop. Even the approach to that log was
dangerous.
I negotiated the narrow rock patches trusting only my will power and the thin metal wire mounted on the rock. The inclination was around 70 – 80 degrees throughout. The path was so narrow that throughout the last leg, the half of my sole was on the rock, the other half in the air. Many people give up at this point.
This
trek is infamous for being abandoned in the last leg. I put my life at stake
and climbed up the moving wooden log gingerly. The feeling I got on reaching
the top was unparalleled. I have done some Himalayan treks too but the
satisfaction and self-worth I got here was unprecedented.
What made the trek even more memorable
was that on the previous night, I along with my co trekkers foraged the wood
from the village and cooked our own food.
What’s more? We slept in the open air and realized that the villages of Maharashtra can be pretty cold too in winters. I will always be proud of accomplishing this trek.
What’s more? We slept in the open air and realized that the villages of Maharashtra can be pretty cold too in winters. I will always be proud of accomplishing this trek.
February
Triund
By Shubham Mansingka ( Travel
Shoe Bum )
Hiking to Triund in February is the perfect way
to begin exploring the wonderful world of trekking in the Himalayas.
The altitude at Triund
top is approx. 3000m. AMS is usually known to affect people at higher
altitudes. The path is well marked and there is little chance of someone losing
their way. February is a great time to visit Triund, it is usually snowed out
in February. Triund can easily be done as a day trek. It is roughly 6-7
kms from Galu Temple and takes 3-4 hours to climb up and two hours to come
back. There is a lovely ridge on top to walk around and the views are
spellbinding.
Basic dhabas and facilities are available
all along the trail from Galu Temple to Triund Top. There are two lodges for
travellers to spend the night at Triund; and trekkers can also sleep in
dhabas for a small fee.
March
The
Three Passes Trek
By Johann Kuruvilla ( Escaping Life)
Nepal is no stranger to mountains and
some of the world’s highest mountains lie within its boundaries in the
Himalayas. There are a lot of treks to choose from here, but the one that is
the most challenging of them all is the Three Passes Trek.
The trekking season in Nepal
starts in March, when the winter slowly gives way to the colourful spring
season which ends on a high note just before the Indian monsoon. The 21 plus
day trek offers you unmatchable views of the Everest region as you hike up and
down the rugged terrain and through some of the remotest high altitude Sherpa
villages in the world also experiencing their culture on the way.
The trek takes you through, the Kongma La
(5545m/18192ft), the Cho La (5420m/17782ft) and the Renjo La (5340m/17528ft);
high passes that connect the valleys and villages of the Khumbu Himal and a
bonus trip to the Mt. Everest Base Camp (5364m/17598ft) on the south side. If you
feel that’s not enough, you can even add three high trekking peaks along with
the high passes, namely Chukkung Ri (5550m/18209ft), Kalapatthar
(5643m/18513ft) and Gokyo Ri (5357m/17575ft).
This trek is the ultimate Everest
experience!
April
Deoria Tal-Chopta-Tungnath-Chandrashila Trek
By Jitaditya Narzary ( The
Travelling Slacker )
Tungnath is the highest of the Panch
Kedars in terms of altitude. However, it is surprisingly easy to trek to,
especially on a good summer day. But make no mistake, it is a hugely rewarding
trek for all seasons. The summers are great as always but the snow trek in the
winter has its own charm. However, my favourite is the spring season around
April when the hills get covered with red and pink rhododendron blossoms.
The other USP of the region is the easy sighting of colourful Himalayan Monals, the state bird of Uttarakhand. From Tungnath, one can also trek upwards to the Chandrashila peak or go for another short trek to Deoria Tal. This trek starts from the Sari Village which is just a few kilometers away from Chopta.
Kedarkantha
The Kedarkantha trek
in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand enthrall both the novice and the
experienced trekkers alike. The trek begins from a quaint village named
Sankri in the Supin valley. The drive to Sankri from Dehradun is one of
the most beautiful journeys in the Himalayas with valleys, dense forests, and
rivers giving you company all along. On reaching Sankri, you will be greeted by
the pleasant fragrance of apple blooms in the orchards all around. The trekking
trail starting from Sankri takes you along apple orchards, dense pinewoods,
rhododendron forests, green meadows, lakes, and ridges before you summit the
snow clad Kedarkantha peak.
The camp sites on the Kedarkantha
trek are set in some of the most picturesque locations.
While the Juda ka Talab campsite
is set on the banks of the twin lakes, the Kedarkantha basecamp is located in a
beautiful clearing offering breathtaking views of the valley and the snow
covered peaks. Once you summit the Kedarkantha at 12,500 ft, you will see some
of the most popular mountain peaks like Swargarohini, Bandar Poonch, Kalanag,
and Yamunotri ranges. The best part of this trek is, you get to
experience all this awesomeness in just 4 days.
May
Kalpeshwar
and Rudranath Trek
By Mahesh Semwal ( Semwal On Wheels )
The Trek starts from Helang which is
around 10 Kms before Joshimath. The first day trek covers 20 kms
out of which 12-13 kms is steep. The final destination if the day is Dumak
which is approached via Kalpeshwar. On the way one crosses villages of
Lyari Panchdhara and Dhyan Badri.
After visiting the Dhyan
Badri temple one continues the journey to reach the beautiful village of
Devgram which is 1.5 kms from Dhyan Badri .Devgram serves as the base camp for
Kalpeshwar and Bansi Naryan trek.
To reach Kalpeshwar one has to
cross the river Kalpganga. Kalpeshwar is at a height of 2080 m above
sea level and considered to be the fifth temple in panch kedar circuit of
lord Shiva. Kalpeshwar is also the only temple of Panch Kedar which is open
throughout the year.
In Kalpeshwar Lord Shiva is
worshiped in the form of Hair.
After crossing the dense forest, bugyals
& villages one reaches Dumak which is located at a height of 2400 m.
Next day the Final destination is Pannar
Bugyal, which is also one of the beautiful Bugyals of Uttarakhand. It
is situated at a height of 3500 mtrs and located 15 kms from village
Dumak.
On the last day day one gets to vist the
temple of Rudarnath, on the way one also
crosses Pitardhar which is at a height of 3800 m above sea level and
is also the highest point of this trek.
Rudarnath is considered to be the
fourth and toughest among all Panch kedar, situated at a height of 3500 m
above sea level. The Mukh or the face of the bull is
worshiped here.
June
PinBhaba Pass
Trekking in the quiet Bhaba Valley of
Kinnaur has been a routine for the local Shepherds and small groups of
experienced Backpackers. The enchanting valley has remained off radars of
Commercial Guided Trek Operators, until now.
The
lush Forest cover of Silver Birch, Pine and Oak Trees all around. We saw one
of the healthiest Himalayan Forest in Western Himalayas.
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Pin Bhaba Pass is one of the shortest
trans-Himalayan treks that Kinnaur has to offer. Its significance is understood
by those who have done Pin Parvati Pass, its neighboring bigger sister trek.
Entering
the enchanting Bhaba Valley of Kinnaur. The Bhaba River glades through the
valley, nourishing its fragile ecosystem. It eventually merges with Satluj
River as its drains out of the Valley.
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To put it in perspective, Pin Bhaba Pass
is a ‘Mini Pin Parvati Pass’ Trek in the making. It captures all the exciting
aspect of Pin Parvati Trek in a shorter time span. It is power packed with a
stark contrast of an evergreen Bhaba Valley of Kinnaur and the mysterious Cold
Desert of Pin Valley. It has picturesque camping grounds that are only
inhabited by passing shepherd folks. Route finding, river crossing, traversing
a near 5,000-meter snow pass is routine. The views from the pass are identical
to what one gets from Pin Parvati Pass. In just 5 days of trekking, you get the
money worth of an 11-day expedition trek that is Pin Parvati.
Zanskar
I didn't quite believe it when the locals
kept asking if I was a foreigner; they said no-one walked alone on this path -
Let alone an Indian. The entry register in Kargyak Village (where you have to
write your details) contained names of a handful of people who had crossed the
5090m high snow-bound Shingo La in 2015 - all of them from other countries. I
was a mini celebrity by the time I had reached Padum (with torn shoes and what
not!)
It had been a lifelong dream to slow
travel to Zanskar, perhaps the last vestige of Tibetan Buddhism in
its true form that resulted in this epic journey, solo - without a guide
or a porter.
And I became the only Indian to trek
from Lahaul to Zanskar (A 7-8 day trek). This was around the (end of
July-beginning of August) last year.
