Nutrition

The Mother of all treks; you can follow the frozen Zanskar river from Chilling to Lingshed and even beyond. This trek has a short window of about 2 months in the winter when the river freezes. It’s the most unique trek in India with relatively easy walking on the flat river but the challenge is of handling the cold when temperatures can drop to -25 to – 30 degree in the nights. A must-do for any trekking enthusiast.
Grade – Challenging

At – 4000m / 13123ft – This is located in Pithoragarh district and is a wonderful trek for those who can’t make the journey to Mount Kailash in Tibet. Revered by Hindus, the Adi Kailash and Om Parbat Trek provide a great alternate.
Grade – Moderate plus

This is one of the most popular treks in India that starts from the holy Gangotri shrine following the Ganges River all the way to its source at Gaumukh and further beyond to Tapovan. A high altitude meadow with close-up views of the Shivling, Thalaysagar and other mighty peaks. Can be continued to beautiful high altitude lakes like Kedar Tal and Vasuki Tal with a glacial walk.

Grade – Moderate plus

Perhaps the most popular trek in India, the Valley of Flowers, in the Gharwal mountains is best visited in the monsoon months of July- August when the valley floor is covered with thousands of flowers of different colours. There is a stone pathway throughout the entire trek making it easy to navigate in the monsoon. A very popular trek among people of all abilities.
Grade – Easy

Locals thought this was where the fairy’s lived! Then botanist Frank Smith found his way up to the valley and named it the Valley of Flowers. Smith did not have to rack his brains to come up with that name, as rare flowers bloom in such profusion, you might wonder why they are called ‘rare’ in the first place. These include the Himalayan poppy and Bhramakamal, among the 300 species found there. The best time to visit would be July and unlike Smith, you don’t have to slog one bit. The valley is easily accessible—jeep to Rishikesh, on to Joshimath and beyond to Ghangria, from where it is only 14 km away. The valley retains its charm, but it pays to know that the ecosystem there is extremely fragile, so don’t litter.

It is always good to be in Kodaikanal, probably one of the most untouched of all the hill stations in India. At about 7000ft, there are lovely treks, some mild and some of them tougher. The ones that I love to go back to, on every trip, is the trek down to Dolphin’s Nose. The scenic beauty and the spectacular visuals of the mountains around you and the plains below are visible. It is a couple of hours to climb down from Vattakanal and out on to the rock that makes Dolphins Nose and a pretty steep climb back up to the to again. Breakfast at Altaf’s Cafe is a must after you make it back-up!! Cloudland Trek and Perumal Malai are the other two treks that are day treks and you are rewarded with spectacular scenery all around.

Walking through a rainforest that has been evolving for five million years, this incredible ecosystem can leave you simply awestruck. Silent Valley in the Palakkad district of Kerala is as primal as primal could ever get. The views and sightings of unbelievable wildlife are totally amazing—tigers, elephants, gaur and a host of other animals make this part of the mountains their home and make this trek really worthwhile. The camps at Sairandhri, Poochipara, Walakkad, Sispara and Anginda are located on hilltops to show the forest to its best advantage.