Adventure Trekking in the Indian Himalayas!

The Indian Himalayas offer adventure seekers tremendous opportunities for white-water rafting, trekking, rappling, mountaineering or just plain relaxing. I've been dabbling my hands in this adventure sports business for the past 4 years now. And there hasnt come a time when the sheer beauty of the mountains dont dazzle you.

Imagine sitting on the peak of a mountain, say 5,000 metres above sea level, and gazing at an un-ending view of snow-capped peaks 360 degrees around you. It is an experience like none other. I recall this one particular trek i'd made in 2002 to the Garhwal Himalayas. Starting from a village called Chopta that lies at about 3,000 metres, we trek up through the snow to a place called Tungnath (4,100 m), which is famous for a Shiva temple. This was in April, when the snows had just stopped. Imagine our surprise when we saw the village deserted. not only that, there were no locks on any of the 20 odd huts. Apparently the villagers leave the village around december and head for lower reaches waiting for the snows to cease and then come back to Tungnath in May/June.

We didnt stop there. There is a track that goes further up to Chandrashila Peak, which stands at 5,300 metres above sea level. That has been one of the most exceptional sights of my life. There was a peak just north of Chandrashila, known as Chaukhambha, or the four pillars (it is actually a 4 peaked mountain), which stands at around 7,700 metres. There was a small plateau between the peaks, where we could see a snow-storm in action. I just sat there for an hour, without batting a lid, barely being able to breathe, for the magnificence of it all.

Trekking is a fantastic experience irrespective of how young or old one is. If you're reasonably fit, you can take up a simple or moderate stretch. One thing I can promise you, once you've been on a trek in the Himalayas, it is an addiction that will go down to your bones.

Cheers,

Rahul.

P.S: Watch out for the next blogs where I will expostulate on my true passion, white-water rafting!