5 Popular Trekking Destination in North India

One of the most popular adventure sports in India is Trekking. With severalmountain ranges, India offers the best locations for trekking and enthusiasts engage inwalking, mountaineering, camping and hiking among other activities. With mountainpasses, rivers and green forests in plenty trekking and mountaineering as well ascamping are some of the adventure sporting activity that have gained popularity bothfor Indians and foreigners travelling to India. Garhwal, Leh Ladakh and the Himalayasand Maharashtra are a few of the famous trekking destinations in the Northern partsof India and in this article we will explore a few of these trekking destinations in theNorth. These places are also ideal for nature lovers and for bird watchers.

These treks and trips are also known to offer a spiritual guidance to many tourists.The trekkers gain an insight into the immense beauty that our mountain ranges haveto offer and the enthralling flora and fauna of that territory.

1. Garhwal Himalayas:

Located in the Shivalik hills of the Himalayas, the Garhwal Mountain range is themost attractive and provides trekkers with a range of trekking destinations from easyto strenuous. With several alluring and enticing trekking regions, this place hasgained popularity as the ideal destination for adventure sports in India. This placeprovides a significant and beautiful trekking destination for exploration at thefoothills of the Himalayas. Trekking, hiking and camping expeditions are possible inthis area and also gives visitors a chance to get a taste of simple living.

Having a landscape suitablefor adventure trekking andbeing home to many holyplaces like Gangothri,Badhrinath and Kedarnath,these mountain ranges areideal for multiple activitieslike rafting, biking andpilgrimage. Garhwal rangesare located in the gateway toChardham which has more

religious significance. They also have picturesque beauty with river sources, pinnaclesand green plains, making the trekking moments more memorable. But some of thetreks pose greater risks and demand a careful trekking endeavour. Nanda Devinational park is another place of interest.

Terrain in this region: Rugged and mountainous with mountain ranges in alldirections with narrow and deep valleys with deep gorges and ravines. The only partwhich has level ground is a narrow band of forest which is waterless and is locatedbetween the southern gradients and slopes and luxuriant plains of Rohilkhand.

The ideal season for trekking in this area: Mid-April to June 30th and Mid-Septemberto end of October are the best periods for trekking. Both these seasons offer their ownattraction and April and May are the seasons when the flowers are in full bloom.

2. The Changthang lake trek

Chang-Thang derives its name due toits landscape being a high attitudeplateau. Covering many highland passesand passing through grasslands of theever cheerful Changpa nomads, you canreach this place. This region has manylakes including the huge salt water lake“Tsokar” surrounding the main villageTukche. It is home to many rare wildlifespecies like the snow leopard, Tibetansheep and gazelle, and The Tibetan wild ass. There are variety of birds like themarmots, black-necked crane, picas, bar-headed geese, mergansers, redshanks, and thegraceful Lammergeier. The cold desert sanctuary houses valuable therapeutic plants.The famous pashmina wool is a product of the sheep herds of Changpa nomads.

There is also the permanent settlement of the Karzok village which has an ancientmonastery on the shorelines of the Tso Moriri Lake. Explorers and trekkers may alsojoin the famous trekking route of “Markha Valley” coming across the monasteries ofShey, Hemis and Thiksey on the way to Shang.

Best Season for trekking in this area: June to OctoberHighlights of the trek in this region: Trekking In Chang, Multicolour rocky terrain,Panoramic view from the passes, Rich in Buddhist culture of Ladakh and monasteriesNomad’s villages and Tsokar Lake.

Difficulty level: Moderate to SustainableAltitude: 5200 m

3. Singalika Kanchenjunga Trek

OverviewSince the year 2000, when the Sikkim government had opened up the place for

trekking, this area which is the spine of the Singelia ridge situated along the Sikkim-Nepal border has a huge vista of peaks extending for 700 kilometres. By encompassingthe five highest mountain peaks Mt Everest (8850m), Lhotse (8516m) and Mt.Kanchenjunga (8585m), and Makalu (8481m), this gift of nature offers amazing hikingexperiences. The Singalila ridge is located in West Bengal and is popular for themagnificent views from the highest peaks in the world. The Singalila national parkhas been known for bird watching and sight of rare animals like red panda. It has oneof the widest collections of orchids in the world.

The trekking journey through the uphill is long and gradual enabling easyacclimatization to the high altitude. This hiking adventure leads to the Goecha passsituated at 5000 mts at the foot of Kanchenjunga. The scintillating view at Sandakphugives opportunities to have glimpses of the highest summits of the Himalayas.

Area: Sikkim Himalayas

Best Season to visit the place: Mid-March to May, September to October

Difficulty of trek: Moderate to Difficult / Challenging

Altitude: 4500 / 14760 ft.

Maximum height: 5000m / 16400 ft.

4. Zanskar Frozen River Trek

OverviewTrekking in Ladakh is a challenging experience with the steep landscape and snow-laden roads in the winter. Trekking is possible only by treading on the icy river bedduring the months of winter. It is also known as the Chadar trek which connects theZanskar valley and Chilling leading to Leh. Snuggled deep in the snow-cladmountains, this river captivates thousands of trekkers from all corners of the sphere.

Trekking along this frozen river has its associated risks as the place is isolated from theneighbouring places due to the difficulty of transport. With every possibility ofslipping and being swept along the speedy river, it offers the most challengingtrekking experience. The long distance and limited availability of food and shelter addto the complexity of this hiking. It is a matchless experience in itself and quiteexceptional. The panoramic view, caves, sledges, and the atmosphere make this themost adventurous trek one can indulge in.Difficulty Level: ChallengingTotal trek distance: 105 km.Temperature Range: 15 to 20 degrees (during the day) and 25 to 35 degrees (duringthe night)

5.The Indus Valley trek into Lamayuru

OverviewThe Indus Valley trek in the Ladakh region is noted for its adventure, thrill and themany attractions that are part of the peak season which falls between Mid-June andOctober. The other adventure sports that are the major attractions here are riverrafting and mountain biking.

Indus Valley is frequently known as the soul of Ladakh because of the breathtakingviews of rivers, mountains and valleys and important historic places. This trekprovides opportunities to see the borders of all the neighbouring countries. The trekincludes villages and deserts of the Leh and Skardu districts and a further stretch of 40kilo meters towards Leh. With an average altitude of 3,600 metres, the Indus Valley isseen as one of the easiest treks to hike.

Being gifted with the main channels of the Indus River, it is the main part of theLadakh region, geologically. It also has the excitement of trekking through the lesstrodden mountain ranges. While trekking along the Indus River one gets to see thecharming villages of Sham region.

Apart from being historically important, it is the also main place of pilgrimage for thefollowers of Buddhism due to the presence of monasteries.

Area: Ladakh HimalayaBest season: Mid June – OctoberGrade: ModerateAltitude: 3700 mts.Base: Leh

About usGetupandgo.in is an adventure travel company that operates out of Mumbai andChennai, focused on helping create life changing travel experiences for peoplefrom all walks of life.

Contact usGetupandgo.in,

Brindavan Apartments,19 Khader Nawaz Khan Road,

Chennai 600006, IndiaWebsite: www.getupandgo.in