PrN erleed ie caste ashen, iF: aeraTHE 13 BEST TREKS OF INDIA Use this guide to select your next trek. These are, without doubt, the best treks in India. Some are easy, some moderate and a few moderately difficult. We have deliberately left out our difficult treks from this list, except one, the Pin Bhaba pass ~ it really borders on the moderate difficult. ‘When we rank treks we don’t just look at how pretty a trek is. We want treks to be a complete package. They must he beautiful, adventurous, have scenery surprises, be steeped in history. At the end, you must go home with a feeling of complete exhilaration. These 13 treks make you do that. ‘These treks also cover an entire gamut of landscapes in our Himalayas ~ right from Kashmir to Sikkim. It would be prudent to explore our country this way — exploring a new region every time you decide to trek. Some of the treKs listed here are preferably done in winter. So look carefully at the best seasons tab before fixing your trek dates. This is not a complete list of treks we run. Indiahikes runs more than 25 treks around the year. If you are not aware of Indiahikes, we are primarily a trek documentation organisation. We document treks in great detail so that one must not need an organisation to go on treks. All you need to do is visit our website and look up the DIY treks (Do it Yourself). Apart from that there are extensive trek videos, tutorials, guides and tips for you to interact with. Good luck with your adventures. Happy trekking! INDIAHIKES India’s Largest Trekking Community www.indiahikes.com https://facebook.com/indiahikes https://www.instagram.com /indiahikes info@indiahikes.com +91 80395 11400 BeGH®eTrekkers climbing to upper waterfall @ puri pass Why the ranking: Right away, the Rupin Pass is our number one trek. The trek surprises you every hour with its changes in scenery. The Rupin pass-crossing is an adventure on its own. The adventure starts at the lower waterfall, where you crane your neck to see the snout of the waterfall, only to be told by your trek leader that the snout is the location of your next camp. From the Upper Waterfall camp to Rupin Pass is a thrilling trek over big snow fields and glaciers. On the last stretch, the climb through the Rupin Pass gully makes you feel like you are a part of a climbing expedition! If there is a trek that grips you by the scruff of your neck and doesn’t let go until it is over, it is the Rupin Pass trek. https://indiahikes.com/rupin-pass/ Photo: Vishwas Krishnamurthy TREK INFO Location: Starts in Uttarakhand, ends in Himachal. A greater part of the trek is in Himachal Pradesh Difficulty: Moderate - Difficult. Duration: 9 days Highest altitude: 15,380 ft Best Seasons: Summer : Mid May to End of June. The snow is pretty high in Mid May. If you are new to Himalayan treks, opt for Mid June ‘Autumn : Mid September to End of October. The views are crisp and clear. In autumn, the Rupin Pass has less snow so it is quicker to cross the pass.Mt Trishul & Mt Nanda Ghunti rise above Bedni Kund @ roorrunn Why the ranking: Roopkund is a perfectly landscaped trek. At the onset, trekkers get into oak and rhododendron forests very quickly. The forests are dense, dark and beautiful. Stepping out of the forest is like a snap in scenery change. The high altitude meadows of Ali and Bedni Bugyal come at you suddenly. They are considered to be the prettiest high altitude meadows of India. They are so perfectly landscaped that it takes effort to believe they are real! To add to that, the snow and alpine sections of Roopkund are a treat. The Bhagwabasa campsite is a spot to catch a spectacular sunset. Further on, the climb to the crater of Roopkund is a tantalizing one. Trekkers simply love the thrill. Many trekkers break into tears when they reach Roopkund. When you add the mystery around Roopkund the trek becomes a must-do. http:/roopkund.com Photo: Ashok Kumar TREK INFO Location: Uttarakhand Difficulty: Moderate Duration: 9 days Altitude: 15,750 ft Best Seasons: Summer: Mid May to End of June. The snow is pretty high in Mid May. If you are new to Himalayan treks, opt for Mid June. ‘Autumn: Mid September to End of October. The air is crisp and lear with lovely distant summit views in autumn,Horses gallop across the grasslands of Gadsar valley (@ kasunnn GREAT LAKES Why the ranking: The Kashmir Great Lakes trek is undoubtedly one of the prettiest treks in India. Nowhere in India will you come across alpine lakes that are so exquisitely beautiful, with deep aquamarine water, set amidst grassy knolls and flower-laden meadows. The vast open valleys of Kashmir are another calling. Trekkers reach these valleys by crossing three passes. Each valley has a landscape that is totally different from the one before it. Poplar, willow and maple are unique to Kashmir. On the trek they are abundant. The silver birch and pine forests on the trek are many centuries old. Mountain rivers and streams are always with you on the trek. This is the closest anyone can get to trekking in Europe. https://indiahikes.com/kashmir-great-lakes/ Photo: Suresh Kerketta TREK INFO Location: Kashmir Difficulty: Moderate - Difficult Duration: 8 days Highest altitude: 13,800 ft Best Seasons: July - Mid September: Unlike rest of India, snow doesn’t melt until June in Kashmir. Post mid September: This is when the next round of winter snow comes in. That’s why KGL has only a small window for trekking.Dayara campsite set amidst lush green meadows: @ svrancuan Why the ranking: Buran Ghati is a hidden gem. If you pack in the great parts of all our best treks in one superb trek you get Buran Ghati. Arguably, Buran Ghati also has the most thrilling pass crossing amongst all our treks. Trekkers need to rappel down a snow wall at 15,000 feet! If that thrill is not enough, there are five big snow slides to do. Even the most sober trekker rediscovers an inner child in him on the Buran Ghati trek! The trek has forests, grasslands, mountain views, even village settings. At the fag end of the trek descending through Barua village is a never ending passage through time -- an ancient village with ancient customs, wooden temples, fruit bearing trees, lanes through homes and the entire village hanging out of a ridge. https://indiahikes.com/buran-ghati/ Photo: Sandhya UC TREK INFO Location: Himachal Pradesh Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult Duration: 8 days Highest altitude: 15,000 ft Best Seasons: Summer: June is the best month to experience lush meadows of Dayara and snow at the higher reaches of the trek. The snow wall is at its best in June. ‘Autumn: Mid-September to end of October. Anything earlier is too rainy. After October, water sources dry up.Bhaba river flows past the campsite at Phutsirang @ pwannsa pass Why the ranking: The Pin Bhaba Pass is one of Indiahikes’ favourite treks. The landscape changes so dramatically from lush green Kinnaur to pink and purple valleys of Spiti that it leaves trekkers in awe. On the Bhaba side, the jungles and grasslands are stunning. Look out for the campsite at Khara in the middle of the grasslands. Further on, at Phutsirang you camp on the edges of a rare river delta. Crossing over to Spiti, the mountain deserts are a visual treat. Rarely on a trek do you see pink valleys. That's not the only colour. There are stretches where you see jet black rocks. On other stretches there are white, pink and purple rocks. The riot of colours in the barren mountains is a trekker’s delight. Topping all this off is the high altitude, adrenaline -pumping pass crossing at 16,000 ft. https://indiahikes.com/pin-bhaba-pass-trek/ Photo: Ashish Bhatt TREK INFO Location: Himachal Pradesh Difficulty: Difficult Duration: 8 days High Altitude: 16,105 ft Best Seasons: Monsoon: July, August, until mid September are the best months to do this trek, The snow on the ass is still too high until June for an earlier pass crossing.‘The aquamarine Tarsar lake is the setting of one of our campsites @ wasn marsar Why the rankin; It is always difficult to choose between Tarsar Marsar and the Kashmir Great Lakes trek. Tarsar Marsar, too, has superb lakes which include the hidden Marsar. On the Tarsar Marsar trek you get to camp beside the lakes too ~ in settings straight out of romantic movies This trek also has lovely meadow walks, perhaps the best in the country. Little rivulets run along the meadows. Trekkers hop, skip and jump over them. Flowers sprout in thousands across the meadows. Tarsar Marsar has great walks over grassy ledges too, with streams falling over them in a series of waterfalls. Neck to neck with the Kashmir Great Lakes trek, Tarsar Marsar gets the 6th spot. https:/ indiahikes.com/tarsar-marsar/ Photo: Ravindra Joisa TREK INFO Locati Kashmir Difficulty: Moderate Duration: 7 days Highest Altitude: 13,201 ft Best Seasons: Monsoon: july -- Mid September is the best season for the Tarsar Marsar trek. Kashmir gets much lesser rainfall compared to the rest of country during monsoon. That's why it is great to trek in Kashmir in these months.The summit is in sight for trekkers headed to the final ridge @ KEDARKANTHA TREK Why the ranking: Of all winter treks possible, Kedarkantha stands out as the best. If the winter snow wasn’t enough, Kedarkantha has some of the loveliest campsites in the Indian Himalayas. Nestled in clearings, all the campsites are exquisitely beautiful. With snow patches all around, they look as if out of a fairy tale. The ridge walk on the Kedarkantha trek under pine and oak trees is another delight for trekkers. Rarely do you get such settings in mountains where ridges slant towards eastern and western sun to create a spell-binding effect of light and shade. The summit climb to Kedarkantha is a superb thrill. The views from top are another big attraction. For all these reasons, Kedarkantha is one of our top trek to do in winter. https://indiahikes.com/kedarkantha/ TREK INFO Location: Uttarakhand Difficulty: Easy Moderate Altitude: 12,500 ft Duration: 6 days Best Seasons: Summer: May ~ June end ‘Autumn: Mid Septermber ~ November Winter: Mid December ~ End December; Mid March -- April Kedarkantha has a long trekking season. The colours change with passage of time. Every time you do the trek, itis anew experience. Even in late December and March/April itis a wonderful winter snow experience.Mt Dronagiri and Mt Nanda Devi stand tall behind Tali lake ® KUARI PASS Why this ranking: Kuari pass is a mountain lovers’ delight. You have an unending vista of the biggest mountains in India opening up right from day one. You even get to see the clearest view of the full face of Mt Nanda Devi, India’s highest mountain. Aside from this, you go through ancient forests filled with oaks and rhododendrons. Just as your eyes are getting used to the tree canopy above, the trail opens into meadows. This interplay of different kinds of landscapes makes the trek very exciting. You camp at outstanding locations on this trek. Whether it is the forests of Chitrakantha or the Khullara meadow in the shadow of Mt Dronagi each campsite leaves you in awe of your surroundings. https://indiahikes.com/kuari-pass) Photo: Dipabali Paul TREK INFO Location: Uttarakhand Difficulty: Easy-moderate Duration: 6 days Highest altitude: 12,516 ft Best Seasons: ‘Spring: Mid March until the end of April. The forests on the Kuari Pass trek come alive in spring. The bright red thododendrons which bloom in April are unmissable Autumn: Starting from September and all the way until December, the views on the trek are crisp and clear.Mt Shivling dominates the view at Tapovan @ GAUMUKH TAPOVAN Why this ranking: It's no surprise that, at one point, Gaumukh Tapovan was the most popular trek in India. Trekking to the snout of the Gaumukh glacier is a spiritual experience. Itis after all the source of River Ganga. Getting to Tapovan by traversing the crevasse-prone Gaumukh glacier is a thrill. This is also one of India’s largest glaciers ~ almost 30 km long and over a kilometer wide in most places. Rising from the flatlands of Tapovan is the entire length of Mt Shivling, one of the most beautiful solitary mountains of India. On the other side of the Gaumukh glacier are the Bhagirathi sisters. The sunsets and sunrises from Tapovan are a treat to photographers. https://indiahikes.com/gaumukh-tapovan/ Photo: Nitish Waila TREK INFO Location: Uttarakhand Difficult Moderate-difficult Duration: 8 days, High Altitude: 14,202 ft Best Seasons: Summer: By early May, snow melts clearing the trail. However expect some snow at Tapovan. In June the trek is at its best. Avoid monsoon. ‘Autumn: September and October are good months for the trek. The air is crisp with clear skies. The trail closes after Diwali.Every step on the Goechala trail brings you closer to Kanchenjunga @ GOECHALA Why the ranking: Goechala is one of the oldest and among the most popular treks in India. It has some of the best mountain views in India. While trekking in Sikkim is in itself an attraction, nowhere else in India can you get as close to Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak. When trekkers reach the pass, nothing comes in between them and the peak. They are standing right in the lap of Kangchenjunga. In fact, everything is on a big scale on the Goechala trek. The forests are big, the valleys are deep, the mountains are high, the meadows are wide, the rhododendrons are aplenty, the altitude very high. Goechala is always on every trekker’s bucket list, and rightfully so. Just for its grandness and big mountain views, Goechala gets the 10th spot from us. Difficulty: Moderate - Difficult Duration: 11 days Highest altitude: 15,100 ft Best Seasons Summer: April ~ Mid May. This is when the forest trails are at their liveliest best. Autumn: End of tSeptember ~ Mid November. Do the trek for the crisp, staggering views in autumn. The skies are never clearer than this.Balu ka Ghera, formed by the sand and dust brought down by the river @ swerarass Why the ranking: Not many believe that a trek right above Manali can be so exciting. Hampta Pass stands out for its beautiful flower-decked valley. Some say there are as many flowers here as the Valley of Flowers in monsoon! It is even more beautiful when snow patches lead down to the valley from high mountain cliffs. Further on, crossing the Hampta Pass offers an exciting change in scenery. On one side is the lushness of Kullu valley and on the other is the desert of Spiti. If trekkers are lucky, they get to visit Chandratal, a rare desert lake, shaped like a moon, in Spiti. It is a deep shade of aquamarine. https://indiahikes.com/hampta-pass/ Photo: Ramshesha N TREK INFO Location: Himachal Pradesh Difficulty: Moderate Duration: 6 days, High Altitude: 14,035 ft Best Seasons: Summer: June Post Summer: July - Mid September Hampta Pass is best attempted in summer and post summer. While itis possible to trek later in October and November, the region becomes dry and cold.The Sleeping Buddha at India-Nepal border (12) SANDAKPHU PHALUT Why the ranking: Sandakphu Phalut is often an underrated trek. That's a big mistake. It is the only trek in India that lets you see four of the highest summits of the world ~ Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu. You don’t just see them at a glimpse, they stay with you all along the trek once you hit the high ridges. Sandakphu Phalut is also great for its forest climbs and lovely open view campsites. The trek meanders through India and Nepal seamlessly ~ and that’s an attraction too! Being on the easternmost fringe of the country, the culture and customs are unique. The local food is delicious and must be tried. Not a difficult trek, Sandakphu Phalut is the 12th of our top thirteen treks in India. https://indiahikes.com/sandakphu/ Photo: Biman Dey Sarkar TREK INFO Location: West Bengal Difficulty: Moderate Duration: 7 days Best Seasons: Summer: Mid March -- May ‘Autumn Mid September ~ November Winter: December ~- End of February Sandakphu is another trek that must be attempted mostly in winter, even though itis possible to trek in summer. In winter months the terrific mountain views of Sandakphu are crisp and clear.A trekker takes a break next to the frozen Brahmatal lake @® seanwarar ‘Why the rating: Brahmatal is the best trek in peak winter, when most other trails close. The miles and miles of undulating snow turn this trek into a winter wonderland. Even the forests on the trail are laden with snow till April. You see two high altitude lakes on this trek, both frozen in winter. Bekaltal, with a thin sheet of ice, hidden inside a forest, and Brahmatal with alone tree by its side. The view from Brahmatal top is one of the grandest in the Indian Himalayas. Mt Trishul and Mt Nanda Ghunti rise from their depths to formidable heights. In March and April, when rhododendrons bloom, the entire forests of the Brahmatal trek come alive. Scarlet, pink, vermillion flowers weigh down the trees. https://indiahikes.com/brahmatal-trek/ Photo: Gajendra Kumar TREK INFO Location: Uttarakhand Difficulty: Moderate Duration: 6 days Highest Altitude: 12,250 ft Best Seasons: Winter: Brahmatal is a rare trek that is accessible from December until early April, The snow, clear views and absence of crowd make this a top trek to do. ‘While it is possible to do the trek rest of the year, the charm of the trek is in winter, from December until April.THE 13 BEST TREKS OF INDIA These are undoubtedly the 13 best treks in our Indian Himalayas. We have sieved through scores of great treks to bring you these 13 gems. At Indiahikes that's what we do. We explore, write and document treks in great detail so that anyone can do these treks on their own. Indiahikes is also India's largest trekking organisation. More than 15,000 people trek with us on our Himalayan treks every year. Ifyou need advice on any of these treks, talk to us. We ty India’s largest trekking community PAA ede) OIC EL cea cela Orolo mA =A eed Photo: Jagadeesh DM © Indiahikes 2017 Indiahikes is the largest trekking organisation in India.