Overview: Trekking

Being a soft-adventure sport, almost anyone in reasonable physical condition can go trekking. To get initiated into trekking begin with day hikes, returning to your starting point in the evening. Move on to a multi-day trek which is relatively easy, in order to get to know your ability and aptitude. You can venture into the mountains with an experienced trekker, join an adventure club, or go with a reputed adventure travel company. It is not a good idea to venture out into the mountains alone – unless you happen to be a distant relative of the mythical Himalayan yeti (or an aspiring Reinhold Messner, the first person in the world to have climbed all fourteen 8000m peaks, including the first oxygen-less ascent and later the first solo ascent of Everest).

A basic knowledge of camp craft, map reading and first aid is essential before you go trekking. It’s a good idea to do an adventure course from one of the mountaineering/ adventure institutes in India. A basic course in mountaineering and a first-aid course are recommended if you decide to take it up more seriously and trek to remote/high-altitude areas. Get as much information about the trekking area as possible – the people, their culture, the geography, terrain, medical/rescue facilities and weather conditions – before you go.

Know more about popular sites for Trekking in India.

Trekking History:

Trekking is another word for walking. However, the word trekking has become better known for the kind of walking, which takes you along trails winding up, down, over and around mountains.

Trekking is not mountaineering although some of the popular trails are used by mountaineering expeditions to get to their base camps. Most of the trails you walk on are still used predominantly by Nepali people for everyday travel and trade. It is not uncommon to be passed along the way by a Nepali porter carrying lengths of corrugated roofing iron slung.

Trekking is a way of seeing a mountain, its History, People and nature. You will walk through the streets of cities and villages and past the open front doors of houses; you will see the people at their daily tasks, the clouds forming below you and the magnificent mountains towering over you. By trekking you will be involved in a way you could never be in a car, bus, train or airplane; you can enjoy the friendliness of the people, feel the magnetism of the mountains, be at one with the country and at peace with yourself. Could you ask or want for anything more?

A trekking trip can be any length you choose. There are a number of short treks around the Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys which only take a day to complete. There are two or three day treks or treks from a week to a month. For those with the time you can combine a number of treks and spend months just walking around. Outshine Adventure Treks & Expedition can help you to put together a trek to suit your needs at an affordable price leaving you free of any bureaucratic or logistic hassles.

The Himalaya, the "abode of snows", extends from Assam in eastern India west to Afghanistan. It is a chain of the highest and youngest mountains on earth and it encompasses a region of deep religious and cultural traditions and an amazing diversity of people. A trek in Nepal is a special and rewarding mountain holiday. Just as New York is not representative of the USA, so Kathmandu is not representative of Nepal. If you have the time and energy to trek, dont miss the opportunity to leave Kathmandu and see the spectacular beauty and the unique culture of Nepal. Fortunately for the visitor, there are still only a few roads extending deeply into the hills, so the only way to truly visit the remote regions of the kingdom is in the slowest and most intimate manner - walking. It requires more time and effort, but the rewards are also greater.

Instead of zipping down a freeway, racing to the next "point of interest," each step provides new and intriguing viewpoints. You will perceive your day as an entity rather than a few highlights strung together by a ribbon of concrete. For the romanticist, each step follows the footsteps of Hillary, Tenzing, Herzog and other Himalayan explorers. If you have neither the patience nor the physical stamina to visit the hills of Nepal on foot, a helicopter flight provides an expensive and unsatisfactory substitute.

Trekking in Nepal will take you through a country that has captured the imagination of mountaineers and explorers for more than 100 years. You will meet people in remote mountain villages whose lifestyle has not changed in generations. Most people trust foreigners. Nepal is one of only a handful of countries that has never been ruled by a foreign power.

Many of the values associated with a hiking trip at home do not have the same importance during a trek in Nepal. Isolation is traditionally a crucial element of any wilderness experience but in Nepal it is impossible to get completely away from people, except for short times or at extremely high elevations. Environmental concerns must include the effects of conservation measures on rural people and the economic effects of tourism on indigenous populations. Even traditional national park management must be adapted because there are significant population centres within Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) and Langtang national parks.

Trekking does not mean mountain climbing. While the ascent of a Himalayan peak may be an attraction for some, you need not have such a goal to enjoy a trek. As far as most people are concerned, trekking always refers to walking on trails. While trekking you will see the great diversity of Nepal. Villages embrace many ethnic groups and cultures. The terrain changes from tropical jungle to high glaciated peaks in only 150 km. From the start, the towering peaks of the Himalaya provide one of the highlights of a trek. As your plane approaches Kathmandu these peaks appear to be small clouds on the horizon. The mountains become more definable and seem to reach impossible heights as you get closer and finally land at Kathmandus Tribhuvan Airport. During a trek, the Himalaya disappears behind Nepals continual hills, but dominates the northern skyline at each pass. Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang, Gauri Shankar and Everest will become familiar names. Finally, after weeks of walking, you will arrive at the foot of the mountains themselves - astonishing heights from which gigantic avalanches tumble earthwards in apparent slow motion, dwarfed by their surroundings. Your conception of the Himalaya alters as you turn from peaks famed only for their height to gaze on far more picturesque summits that you may never have heard of - Kantega, Ama Dablam, Machhapuchhare and Kumbhakarna.

Trekking In India:

Trekking in India started when the land was inhabited in prehistoric times. There are perhaps as many trekking routes in India as there are Indians. It was in the 1970’s and 1980’s that trekking started gaining in popularity as a recreational/adventure sport. A number of religious sites and shrines across the country, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, and in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand – such as Badrinath, Amarnath, Gangotri, Hemkund, Joshimath, Kedarnath, Vaishno Devi and Yamunotri – entail trekking for a couple of days in the mountains. Trekking in India has grown in leaps and bounds and the current trekking scenario is very promising, with thousands of Indians and foreigners hitting trekking trails each year.

What India can boast of is some of the most stunning trekking routes in the world – many of the mountain passes in the Ladakh and Zanskar Himalayas are above 5000m. But there are plenty of gentler and smaller trails, at different altitudes, both in the mountains and in the forests. If you’re looking for less arduous hikes, you’ll find plenty in in the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri Hills of south India (Munnar and Wayanad in Kerala, Coorg in Karnataka, and around Ooty in Tamil Nadu).

Know more about popular locations for Trekking in India.

Best Season for Trekking in India:

• May/June and September/October for Garhwal, Kumaon (Uttarakhand), Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh.
• June/July and August/September for Ladakh and Zanskar (Jammu and Kashmir) One can trek in the foothills of the Himalayas from October through till March

Trekking Destinations in India:

• Ladakh, Zanskar (One of the most Beautiful Union Territories of india), which is equally famous for adventure tourism.
• Himachal Pradesh
• Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon)
• Sikkim and Darjeeling
• Northeast states (Arunachal Pradesh)
• Western Ghats
• South India (Nilgiris, Coorg)

Tips:

• Hydration
• Clothing / staying warm (‘Cover your head if your feet are cold gentlemen’ is an old English saying)
• Packing a rucksack
• Pacing yourself on a trek
• Timing – ‘Start early and arrive early’ is the cardinal rule of trekking
• Porters and guides – A guide, or guide-cum-cook, is important on routes that are remote, tougher and relatively less trodden. Porters, with the option of ponies, will come in extremely handy on longer trips, especially if you’re carrying lots of provisions.
• Mules and horses on the trail

Medical concerns:

If you have a previous medical condition, do remember to carry the necessary prescribed medication.


Equipments:

It is possible to rent/buy trekking equipment all over India from clubs and adventure- gear manufacturers. Do thoroughly check all gear before venturing out into the mountains.

• Small rucksack / knapsack
• Sleeping bag
• Lockable duffel bag
• Karrimat / Therm-a-Rest
• Tent
• Personal toiletries
• Water bottle (at least 2 litres)
• First-aid kit
• Camera with spare batteries and film (carry more film than you think you will need to capture the memories while you are on tour)
• Headlamp/torch with spare cells
• Maps
• Diary/pen/reading material
• Sewing kit
• Swiss Army knife
• Whistle
• Sunscreen – with high SPF (at least 30, to better protect you from harmful UV rays)
• Lip salve/ChapStick
• Sunglasses with retainers/spare prescription glasses
• Lighter
• Emergency rations/goodies
• Parachute cord
• Ski-stick/ice-axe
• Rope (for high-altitude treks)
• Plastic bags and Ziplocs for packing gear

Ecological concerns:

Trekking causes trampling and it causes to widen the trail, create multiple trails and also increase soil erosion. It is advised to stay on the single trail when on trek and not to take short cuts on a new route.