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Trekking in Garhwal Himalayas>> Uttarakhand Trekking Tours >> Top 10 treks of Garhwal Himalayas >>
Trekking in India is one of the finest in the world. Not only do we
boast of the highest range of mountains offering even professional trekkers a
challenge but some of routes are easily accessible by even amateurs and first
time trekkers. Most of these ‘easy’ treks are located in the northern state of Uttarakhand often starting from the
town of Rishikesh, which other than being an idle base camp is also
known for rafting on Ganga and its tributaries. Rishikesh is 256km by
road from Delhi and can be approach by taxi/bus (8 hours) or train (4
and half hours). There is a flight from Delhi to Dehradun which takes
an hour only.
Uttarakhand (Uttaranchal) (Pilgrim Treks, Lodge Treks, Camping Treks)
Uttarakhand formerly known as
Uttaranchal is another place in the Indian Himalaya where it is fairly easy to
trek on your own. The Himalaya in Uttarakhand falls into two regions,
Garhwal and Kumaun. As the source of India's most sacred rivers including
the Ganga, Garhwal has been a pilgrimage destination for centuries. The
flow of pilgrims into the region meant that a significant amount of roads and
other infrastructure was built high into the mountains to service the pilgrims.
For the trekker this means that one can hike into a very high alpine environment
in Garhwal on relatively short treks.
Uttarkhand Trekking Practicalities
While in many areas of
Uttarkhand you are free to trek as you like, there are some annoying regulations
governing trekking in some regions of Uttarakhand. The number of people
per day allowed to trek above Gangotri to Gaumukh, the source of the Ganges, as
well as further up to Tapovan is restricted. This is a good thing to take
pressure off the region, unfortunately there is also a two tier pricing for the
permit where foreigners pay significantly more than Indians (I'm waiting for the
day when India realizes it doesn't have to stoop to the level of Nepal and
African countries such as Kenya and Tanzina which have no other source of income
except to extract as much money as they can from tourist of so called rich
countries, China got rid of official dual pricing years ago. So the
question is does India aspire to be more like Nepal and Kenya or China, South
Korea, and Japan. If you go by their tourism pricing structure they appear
to be lumping themselves in with Nepal and Kenya). The permit can be
obtained in Uttarkashi on the way to Gangotri. The office is on the road
to Gangotri 2 to 3 km outside of town. Ask locally for specific
directions. The Har Ki Dun valley, as well as the Valley of Flowers are
also both National Parks and require a dual priced entry fee to visit.
Trekking above Joshimath to the Kuari Pass requires a permit as well. This
would not be that big a deal if the Forest Department would issue permits to
trekkers unfortunately they require guides and only issue the permits through
travel agents, despite the fact that a blind man would have a hard time getting
lost on the way to the Kuari pass making a guide completely unnecessary.
As a result the independent trekker has two options hike around the check
point at the top of the ropeway above Auli or pay a travel agent to put them on
a permit for an inflated price. Trekking inside the Nanda Devi Sanctuary
is completely prohibited. Some treks near border areas require interline
permits.
Most Popular Treks in Uttarakhand Himalayas
Dodital lake Winter Trek
- 6 days Trek
A moderate trek which starting from the Bhagirathi valley, goes
right up to the lake of Dodital wrapped in perfect wilderness. This
trail which is fairly popular during the warmer months will not have
many souls except the village hunters walking it in the winters.
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Chopta Tungnath Trek - 3/4 Days Trek
A short easy trek in the Garhwal Himalayas, Uttaranchal offering
close up views of the Chaukhamba and the Kedarnath range |
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Rhododendron Trek
- 4 Days Trek
A short easy trek in the Chopta Tungnath area timed to see the
blooming rhododenrons. Offers beautiful camping by the lake of
Devariyatal and some great walks through dense forests.
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Pangarchulla Climb - 5 Days Trek
Pangarchulla, a small peak next to Kuari Pass becomes a beautiful
climbing objective in the spring after having accumulated all the
winter snow. Offers panoramic views of the Garhwal Himalayas.
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Dodital Lake Trek - 7 Days Trek
This trek goes beyond the lake of Dodital to the high Darwa Pass.
See the Banderpunch massif up close from the pass !
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Ruinsara Lake Trek - 7 Days Trek
Experience the unique culture of the Har-ki-Dun valley and trek up
to the base of the Banderpunch peak ahead of the lake.
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Dodital Hanumanchatti Trek - 10 Days Trek
A moderate trek which starts from the Bhagirathi valley, goes up to
the lake of Dodital (wrapped in perfect wilderness) to the alpine
meadows and crosses over at Darwa Pass (4150m) to the Yamuna
watershed.
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Shitidhar Climb
An easy trekking peak, close to the source of river Beas in Himachal.
Perfect introduction to the sport of mountaineering !
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Spiti Safari - 10 Days Tour
Jeep Safari with some short hikes goes to Spiti, the remotest part
of Himachal.
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Spiti Trek & Homestay - 14 Days Tour Packages
Provides a unique insight into the Spitian way of life, balanced
with a blend of Spiti's rich cultural heritage and natural splendors.
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Tsarap Chu Trek - 10 Days Trek
Exploratory Trek - Very little is known about this trail along the
river Tsarap (a tributary of Zanskar) which at places has to be
crossed on traditional rope bridges. The trek starts from Sarchu on
the Manali-Leh highway and finishes at padum, the heart of Zanskar.
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Kalindi Pass - 14 Days Trek
Starting at the Gangotri glacier and finishing at the Arwa glacier
the trail keeps traversing from one glacier to another. The Pass
being just under 6000m is apt only for experienced trekkers.
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Ripchar Valley Trek- 12 Days Trek
A very interesting trek beginning at Lamayuru and walking up the
less traveled Ripchar valley with its small villages, nomadic
settlements and pastures where we see a wide variety of flowers from
end of July to end of August and birds too. We cross some high
passes with excellent views of the Karakorams and the Zanskar
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Stok Kangri Climb - 7 Days Climb & Trek
Great way to be 20,000ft high ! This relatively easy trekking peak
in Ladakh has a short acclimatization trek built in.
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Sham Valley - 7 Days Trek
This trek is probably the easiest one around Leh but its enjoyable
as one comes across villages on the way that give insights into the
ladakhi village life.
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Dodital Lake Trek - 5 Days Trek
This trek goes beyond the lake of Dodital to the high Darwa Pass.
See the Banderpunch massif up close from the pass !
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Roopkund – The Mystery / Skeletal Lake - 8 Days Trek
This high altitude lake (4600m) lies in the lap of Trishul massif. A
shallow lake, Roopkund has attracted attention by having human
skeletal remains easily visible at its bottom. There are many
theories and opinions, from purely spiritual to purely scientific
ones, which explain the existence of these skeletons, which date
back to 14th century AD.
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Kuari Pass - 4 / 8 Days Trek
The pass is probably the best window to view the high Himalayan
peaks. The views are simply breathtaking, facing north the vision
sweeps from the gorges of Trishul
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Dodital Hanumanchatti Trek - 14 Days Trek
A moderate trek which starts from the Bhagirathi valley, goes up to
the lake of Dodital (wrapped in perfect wilderness) to the alpine
meadows and crosses over at Darwa Pass (4150m) to the Yamuna
watershed.
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Kuari Pass – Climbing the North Face - 5 Days Trek
The views are simply breathtaking, facing north the vision
sweeps from the gorges of Trishul in the east to the peaks of
Kedarnath in the west - the Kedarnath, Chaukhamba, Nilkantha, Kamet,
Gauri Parbat, Hathi Parbat, Nandadevi, Bethartoli, Dunagiri – (all
high 6000m to 7000 m peaks) lined one after the other in a
magnificent arc ……… |
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