Satopanth Tal: Route to Heaven ~ Sumit Chatterjee
A member of Ushar Dishari Trekkers Association, one of the many active trekking groups of Bengal, shares his experiences of their trek to the holy lake - Satopanth Tal, mythologically believed to be on the swarga marg followed by the Pandavas of the Mahabharat.
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Panch Kedar Act 2: Rudranath ~ Romola Butalia
When I came to the bugyals, meadows of beauty and summer flowering, I had already crossed the bridges of childhood, and overcome the darkness of anxiety and fear of being alone in forests with only nature and wild animals. The peeping flowers, the freshness of green grass, the clarity of high altitudes, the remoteness of the interior Himalayas had seeped into my being.
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Rudranath - Face of Shiva ~ Biswarup Mukherjee
An orthopaedic surgeon, takes time off to follow the Panch Kedar trail.
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Kedarnath Yatra
~ Biswarup Mukherjee
I am deeply aware of the sense of serenity and wonder when I leave the temple after the evening arati, only to return to Kedarnath a few months later, and to undertake the Panch Kedar Yatra, 2 years later.
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Panch Kedar Madhyamaheshwar: Reaching Shiva's Navel ~ Pinaki Das
It was the Himalayas yet again. Something about the Garhwal region of the Himalayas draws me to its unspoiled and almost mystical environs time and again. Read More...
Panch Kedar Act1: Kalpnath or Kalpeshwar ~ Romola Butalia
Following the Panch Kedar trail to Kalpnath, Rudranath, Tungnath, Kedarnath & Madhyamaheswar the trekker rates it as one of the best treks she has done. Read More...
High Altitude Gaumukh-Badrinath ~ Omkar Krishna Mazumdar
At the very pinnacle of trekking, this is an incredible Kalindi Khal crossing by a trekking legend, across 6 of the toughest glaciers, amidst the peaks of the mighty Garhwal Himalayas.
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Badri to Satopanth: The Silent Ascetic
~ Chinmoy Chakrabarti
Trekking ten hours a day for two days over the most difficult and dangerous terrain, they reached the silence of Satopanth Tal to be greeted with tea in cocunut shells.
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Valley of Flowers ~ Romola Butalia
Travelling alone, crossing glaciers to reach the Valley before it was officially opened, it was worth every step of the way.
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Valley of the Gods ~ Nandan Das
My adventure started from Calcutta when I boarded the Doon Express bound for Haridwar. After traveling through the heart of India, I reached Haridwar... Read More...
Pindari: The Glacier Beyond ~ Romola Butalia
For the better part of three years I had watched the snowcapped peaks from afar: glistening as the first rays of sunlight touched them, remote and majestic with wisps of clouds playing hide-and-seek Read More...
Dual Trek to Pindari and Kafni Glaciers ~ Gowri Mandgi
Far from the monotony and strain of everyday life is a place we all dream of. I dream of the mountains. Read More...
Reminescing about the Khedatal Trek ~ Alifiya Calcuttawala
It was early October and dusk was settling in. The unexpected hailstorm an hour earlier had left us wet, cold and miserable. Read More...
Gaumukh - The Pilgrim’s Trail ~ Romola Butalia
I do not know whether it was the trekker's delight of high places, the oft-repeated retreat to the hills and forests to rejuvenate the spirit lost in the mire of daily living, or the source of the Ganges that we sought. Read More...
Pilgrimage to Gangotri - Gaumukh - Tapovan ~ Sumanta Roy Chowdhury
This was my third attempt to trek in the Gangotri region. The previous two attempts found me on different paths, reaching destinations in the Himalayas that are beautiful in their own right but possibly missing the spiritual content of a pilgrmage.Read More...
Trek to Har-ki-Dun ~ D. Baskar
It all began in Nov'97, when it was decided to start a trekking club in our company ABB Ltd. A trekking coordinator was identified and given the task of coordinating a trek in the Himalayas in 1998. Read More...
Family Trek to Dodital ~ Sumanta Roy Chowdhury
It was going to be a trip to Gangotri - Gaumukh - Tapovan. At least that is what we thought when we left Calcutta. Read More...
Trekking Routes in Garhwal - Part 1
The beauty of the Garhwal hills is picture-perfect, a fusion of high mountain valleys and lakes, of many streams, and some of India's greatest rivers. Carmine rhododendron blooms and scarlet flame-of-the-forest blossoms are luminous in jungles of dense green... Read More...
Trekking Routes in Garhwal - Part 2
Pauri is a divisional headquarters town of great beauty, and has a tourist bungalow to stay in. The views from this quiet Himalayan town are captivating... Read More...
Trekking Routes in Kumaon - Part 1
The gentle Himalayas of the Kumaon region must be among the most picturesque in the country. The modest beauty of regions such as Almora, Ranikhet and Kausani is reassuring, rejuvenating. ... Read More...
Trekking Routes in Kumaon - Part 2
Unrivalled for its location , Kausani is 40 km from Almora. It has an unforgettable view of a 350 km stretch of the high Himalayas... Read More...
Tibet
Legends of Kailash ~ Rajiv Butalia
Legends and myths surround it from time immemorial. Hindus believe this to be the abode of Shiva and Parvati. Hindu mythology recognises it as the only abode of the gods that can be visited by man in his mortal body.
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Trek to Kailash Mansarovar ~ Rajiv Butalia meticulously plans the Kailash-Mansarovar trek. Inspired by isolated, mysterious Tibet, he gains different perspectives from trekkers who have been there and prepares himself for the rarefied air of higher altitudes. Read More...
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra ~ Sumanta Roy Chowdhury
Our group of 30 people left Delhi in the early hours of 29th July 1996, spending the first night in Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam's (KMVN) tourist bungalow at Almora. 30th July was a clear morning when we set off from Almora to Dharchula in a bus and an accompanying red Maruti van. Read More...
Sikkim
Freedom From Fear ~ Sanjoy Sengupta
The other side of fear is freedom. It was not until the first reflections of sunshine off the white peaks of Khangchendzonga had set my soul soaring that I realised this, my senses numbed in stillness. Read More...
When Climbers Trek ~ Ashish Kaul
This isn't a mountain region of mere subjective beauty. Nor one, which claims its greatness, based on just an overwhelming opinion of a large majority. For Sikkim is a treasure that few know about. Read More...
The Classic Dzongri Trek ~ Ashish Kaul
Something or the other must dominate in this region. The elements have to battle one another. And yet co-exist. Struggle for supremacy from a particular perspective, and harmonise in existence from another. Read More...
West Bengal
Sandakphu Phalut Singalila Ridge Trek ~ Sayantan Kundu
85 kms in four days to cross the Singalila Range from Sandakphu through Phalut. Spectacular views, a tiredness that defies defining and a sense of wonder and achievement. Read More...
Singalila Ridge Trek ~ Ashish Kaul
Though it would be prudent on my part to confess that about some points you will be none the wiser, till you actually experience the full blown debate and then verify it for yourself. . Read More...
Maharashtra
Lohagarh Fort ~ Brig (retd.) Xerxes P Adrianwalla
Enjoying the many splendid forts of Maharashtra, the monsoons add their own sense of adventure, mystery and romance. Read More...
Koraigarh Fort ~ Brig (retd.) Xerxes P Adrianwalla
The writer spends a day in the monsoons driving from Lonavala past the many waterfalls that line the drive to walk up to Koraigarh fort. He recommends it as a perfect family outing. Read More...
Weekend Getaway from Mumbai - Lonavala to Dhak ~ Vijay Jakhmola
Mumbaikars take fun seriously. The weekend trek turned out to be an ideal weekend. Read More...
Sahayadri in the Monsoons ~ Somit Doshi
Soaking wet under the rains, I was washing away all my pain, As God played with water again... Read More...
Karnataka
Trekking or Tracking ~ Hemanta Chandra Bhatt writes about his "tracking" experience, along the 19 km railway tracks from Donigal to Yedakumeri. He was accompanied by his friends, Anup Kumar, Nataraj R and Siddhu Halli.
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