Trekking

The Ultimate Beauty Of The Himalayas You Have Never seen Before

June 7, 2016

Thea Himalayas, A soul stirring beauty that can be endured with every heart beat. The air you breathe amidst this beauty is pure enough to reinforce liveliness in your soul. The nature bestows its grace here in every direction. snow capped mountains, dripping greenery, clouds passing by and beneath your feet, the serenity here is purely adorable.

beauty of the himalayas
mountains touching the sky

picturesque forested mountains, its a popular destination that is stretched across six different countries. it is a site to witness majestic landscapes of mountains, deep valleys and glaciers that is home to 9 of the 15 highest mountain peaks in the world.

for mountain lovers, the Himalayas represent nothing less than the crowning apex of nature’s grandeur which is why it is known as “samgarmatha” meaning goddess of universe.

snow covered mountains

The Himalayas covers a vast area but in general the best month to visit are late in October until early may except leh where June to September is considered the white season. The Dramatic forested gorges rise to skyline snow capped glaciated peaks with the upper portion ( above 5500 meter) draped with snow that never melts hence the glaciers here are a reservoir of crystal clear fresh water.

Himalayas

The Himalayas hence, is perfect destination for anyone who loves height and is in need to connect with the nature.

In a summer of 2013, I went on my most awaited hiking adventure. Hiking the Himalayas at 12k ft above sea level, Saurkundi pass.

It was a 10 day of trek organised by youth hostel association of India (Yhai)

Yhai is a non-profit organisation who manages trekking and mountaineering activities in India.

I planned to go through them as they give you a platform to meet other backpackers and fellow travellers who inspire and motivate you to travel more.

After an approx 24 hour of a journey when we reported at the base camp near Manali town, we are welcomed by representatives of yhai at the base camp.

Our Base Camp
12000 feet above sea level

The term Himalayas actually mean abode of snow and is said to be growing approximately 20 mm every year.

camping at saurkundi pass
mountains

The Himalayas include the highest mountains in the world with more than 50 mountain peaks rising to elevations of 23000 feet above sea level. Some of them are mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Nanga parvat, annapurna, Nanda Devi and many more.

saurkundi pass
The Himalayas

The Himalaya Contains the third-largest deposit of ice and snow in the world after Antarctica and Arctic.

Trekking at The Himalayas

And after 3 days of orientation programme and acclimatisation we started our trek on 10th of may. Our daily walk of 8 km in rocky and slippery mountains is somehow amazing and mind blowing experience.

rocky mountains with rain going on
amazing view while hiking

A wide range of mountains touching the sky and covered with green trees and snow. These snow capped mountains have attracted explorers since centuries, with breathtaking landscapes of remote villages, and rushing river give you that magic peace of nature.

snow capped mountains reflecting sunlight

In a group of 50 people, we started our journey to explore the Himalayas. People from different culture or state joins together in a single group. And you got a chance to witness the variety of languages and lifestyle by living together in a base camp.

When you are on a trip of hiking the forest, remember never leave the group, always stay with your leader or guide and follow them. because it’s quite easy to get lost in wide forest especially on mountains.

tents we spend our nights
tents we spend our nights

Every day 5 to 8 km of hiking and we are climbing approx. 1k to 1.5k ft of height. By the 6th day of the trek, we were at 12k ft above the sea level. The view on a snow capped mountain is amazing. An air gets thinner but the purity in the atmosphere works as a healing power. It gives you the feel of staying there forever.

The places, scenery is not a picnic place or a tourist sight. And that’s the sole reason of its virgin beauty… amazingly wonderful. The eye doesn’t want to blink even for a moment to miss the view.

The Himalayas also serve as a habitat to some exotic species of animal like snow leopards, wild goats musk deer to witness which one has to climb high altitudes of the mountains. Although i am able to capture only this one.

finding an innocence in wilderness...

So finally leaving from the 12 k ft now its time to going downward and celebrate the adventure. After 3 days of downward trekking, we are at base camp again and got certified trekker after successfully completing our trek.

We have an advance booking for Manali sightseeing for 2 days. Manali and Rishikesh are the nearest towns from where most of the Himalayan hiking adventure begins.

We visited Solang valley, Hidimba Devi temple and Rohtang pass on return.

hidimba temple at manali
hidimba temple at manali

People are very friendly here and quite peaceful. Here we have encountered a twin sister going to a school and got captured with all their cuteness.

You can found a large number of tourist in these places as its most common vacation place as well as the honeymoon destination in India.

What I have learnt after this adventure…?

The best thing and most amazing places are those that are not listed in must see places, or things to do kind of stuff… all that things are mostly tourist places, but for the real thrill and fun, go and explore the places rather than going and visiting the places.

Check out my other Himalayan adventure to valley of flowers and hemkunt sahib and see how valley of flowers is the paradise on earth and hemkunt sahib as a perfect spiritual destination.

Here are some advices based on my experiences before going on any hiking adventures.

here are my hiking bags that include one backpack and other carry bag
  1. Always carry light weight in your backpack and choose a comfortable backpack that doesn’t be a burden on your shoulders
  2. Follow your guide without any arguments, I have seen that young guys who are ignoring them and misbehaving for show off and finally regretting for their action.
  3. Never go alone at night or even in day time always have one companion or friend with you wherever you go.
  4. Keep some basic necessities like a torch, a match box or lighter, a swiss knife, a water bottle, specs to get resist from sunlight.
  5. Find a good pair of hiking shoes, don’t look for the cheaper option. Instead buy expensive, branded and comfortable one, as its a one-time investment. Going for cheaper shoes will ultimately make your bad hiking experience.
  6. Take rest when needed. Don’t walk as its a race. If your group is going ahead and you are a little away from them, don’t ever run. Let your body acclimatize for the trek and then slowly manage the speed.
  7. Always have a habit of regular exercise before going to any hiking adventure. Without prior preparation and acclimatization your hike can be a hectic and uncomfortable all the way.

 

These are all advises based on my experiences and the problems i have faced and how i encountered them. you all can share your problems and tips in the comment box based on your adventure.

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2 Comments

  • Reply 7 Useful Hiking Tips For Beginners To make your hiking adventure a fun March 24, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    […] My First Hiking Adventure. […]

  • Reply Neha Sonvanshi March 22, 2017 at 6:32 pm

    A useful blog with a practical advice!! it would be amazing to follow these advises and have an amazing breathtaking experience as yours in future!!! keep sharing you experiences as they are and will be useful for learners like us! amazing clicks as well!! Thanks 🙂

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