The great Indian Himalayan range is convincingly counted as one of the best nature’s gifts to the trek addicts. From thick woodlands to lavish valleys, tropical wildernesses to compelling slopes, sentimental climate, passes and beautiful lakes Indian Himalayas have it all.
There are plenty of trekking options available but some of them would make you think twice and will sometimes put you in a test. In this article, we’ll discover some of the treks for adrenaline junkies who are ready to try out some challenging treks in the Indian Himalayas.
1. Brahmatal Trek, Uttrakhand
Lying at an altitude of around 12,200 ft in the Uttarakhand Himalayas, the Brahmatal lake steeped in mythos provides a majestic view of the Himalayas with Mt Trishul and Nanda Ghunti. The trek is leveled as moderate to hard trek covering about 24km in 6 days.
The trail is of round type and continues under forest cover of oaks, rhododendrons, snow-covered meadows and a bright sky. The trek starts and ends at Lohajung(7,662ft) passing by Bekaltal, Brahmal, Tibudi via Brahmata Pass and then to Lohajung via Wan.
The best time for this trek is from mid-November to March. The staying options available during this trek are guest’s houses, homestays and camping.
Rishikesh railhead is the nearest to the base camp of this trek and one can also drive(250km from Rishikesh) directly to the base camp using roadways (Rishikesh is well connected to Delhi).
2. Markha Valley trek
Markha Valley is the largest Valley( 17100 ft) lying at the heavenly region of Leh, Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir region of the Himalayas.
This trek is a bit longer( 65 km) and can be completed in about 8 days. The trail of this trek is a crossover type and the trekkers pass through dry regions, the only national park of the Himalayan region ‘Hemis National Park’, Ganda La and Kongmaru pass and allows witnessing the amazing sights of Stok Kangri and Kang Yatse peaks and the breathtaking views of the K2 mountain ( world’s 2nd largest mountain )
The trek starts from Leh following the route Leh- Chilling, Skui-Sara -Markha-Hankar-Nimalimg-Chokdo via Kongmaru La and finally gets back to Leh. Stays available are guest’s houses, homestay and camping.
The nearest airport to the base camp is at Leh and accessible roadways are Manali-Leh or Srinagar Leh highway.
3. Sar Pass trek, Kasol
Sar Pass is located at an altitude of 4,220 m in the Parvati Valley of the Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh. This is levelled as a moderate to difficult trek.
Starting from the Kasol base camp the trail is covered with lush green forests, mesmerizing views of the mighty Himalayas covering a distance of about 48 km within 5 days (7 hours of trekking per day on an average). On this trek, you will pass through some Himalayan villages rich in culture and a frozen glacier named ‘Sar’.
One can reach the base camp at Kasol through a flight from Delhi to Kullu or by bus journey to Kasol. Bhunter is the nearest railhead from where you can find a local bus till Kasol.
4. Auden’s Col Trek
Auden’s Col is a high mountain pass situated at an altitude of 5490 m that connects Jogin 1 and Gangotri peak. This pass also links two glaciers which lie opposite to each other and the trek connects the two most important and holiest pilgrimage sites of India namely Gangotri and Kedarnath.
Auden’s Col Trek is considered to be the most challenging and unexplored trek in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand. The trek lasts for about 13-16 days and it begins from Gangotri(270 km from Dehradun) which is located on the banks of the Bhagirathi river. During the trek the trekkers across various locations like Nala camp, Auden’s Col base camp then from Auden’s Col base camp to khatling glacier camp to zero point. Continuing to Chowki , Masar Tal, Vasuki Tal, Kedarnath, Gaurikund and then back to Dehradun.
This trek is for experienced trekker and it should never be underestimated as it is very challenging and there are various dangerous ridges, boulder sections on the long and difficult trial that takes the trekker through inspiring views of the group of peaks like the Jogin group, Rudragaira group, Kedar dome and so on.
The preferred way to reach the campsite at Gangotri is to drive from Dehradun (270km)and the best time for this trek is the month of June.
