Summer adventurists cannot have enough of rafting over the speeding waters and ferocious rapids of the River Zanskar, and winter adventure fanatics cannot limit their pace on the freezing layer of the unnaturally calm waters of the Zanskar. The mystifying Zanskar River freezes into a sheet of ice in winters and remains the only route to access the Zanskar Valley. …
Continue reading3 beautiful monasteries of Spiti Valley
In Tibetan, gompa or gumbas mean a remote place which is a university associated with Tibetan Buddhism. I would suggest for you to visit these places and stay a night at each place to experience the culture. Key Monastery, Chicham and Kibber We reached Chicham village in about an hour or so from Kaza and walked down to the construction …
Continue readingEnigmatic quest to Ladakh & Spiti
That’s what made me & my rider- Rajendra, decide that we are getting Leh’d again and perhaps every year. And to fulfil our quest for additional dosage of adventure, it was decided to add Spiti Valley in the itinerary. Well that addition did enhance the severity of this trip, but we were blessed with the serenity of the Valley, happy …
Continue readingJ&K: The crown of India for a reason
Leh in J&K is a road trip that nearly everyone takes but for some reason we all have different set of memories and different set of experiences that makes this land more mystic than ever. Every now and then social media pages flash one album after another with a common tagline “Finally Leh’d” but underneath this ubiquitous line hides days …
Continue readingThe Journey of extremes: Leh and Ladakh
The journey of extreme altitudes, extreme roads, extreme vehicle and extreme people…..One of the life’s goal – crossing the highest motorable pass Khardung La riding bullet accomplished, crossed ‘Chang La’ – the third highest pass, drove for long 6-8 hours. Stamina and endurance tested successfully ;). You don’t need to book in advance by an agent go there find a good hotel, …
Continue reading100DaysInHimalayas with people and tribes of the mountains (First Draft)
This is what happens when the two artistic minds collaborate. And, the combination becomes more lethal and interesting when we know there is a tinge of vivid colors of Himalayas in it. The two great artists who have joined forces on a photography project called 100DaysInHimalayas are Dhritiman Mukherjee – famous wildlife photographer – and Bollywood music director Shantanu Moitra. …
Continue readingUnlocking the godly sights of Spiti from Kaza to Kibber to Key
Spiti Valley for some reason is not as well known as Leh of Ladakh district in J&K. Any time I told someone that I am heading to Spiti for a month, they gave me “where the hell is that?” look. That people are unaware of this amazing place nestled in the hills of Himachal Pradesh was both a relief and …
Continue reading7 tips to catch a good night’s sleep at minus 30 degrees
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” This is a beautiful quote from Charles Dickens which immediately floats across my mind as soon as I see mercury taking a gradual flight toward the upper end of the funnel. …
Continue readingHimalayan hangover: Unexplored Spiti
Spiti Valley: A part of me still hasn’t come back Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh is a desert mountain valley high up in the massive Himalayas. The name “Spiti” means “The Middle Land”, i.e. the land between Tibet and India. Unlike Ladakh & Kashmir, Spiti Valley is still unexplored by people and less crowded. The picturesque landscape is unmatched to …
Continue reading10 reasons that will convince you to visit Ladakh in winter instead of tourist season
“We could not cease from exploration, and end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” ~T.S. Eliot I truly realized the importance of T.S.Eliot’s lines when I happened to visit Ladakh this winter. Initially, a lot of people told me that my decision to visit Ladakh in winter …
Continue readingAnshu Jamsenpa: The first mother to have conquered Mt. Everest twice in 10 days
When the entire nation is busy discussing ‘intolerance, the new tolerance’ debate, Indian citizens are busy giving their 100 percent to bring new accolades to the nation. One such name is Anshu Jamsenpa that seems to have faded in sands of time amidst political unrest. But there is a bunch of news hungry people crazy to cover every tidbit taking …
Continue readingGo solo: 10 reasons why women must explore new places alone
Ladies – are you sick of people constantly warning you that how dangerous is it to travel alone? Well, there was a time when solo women travel was an oddity due to certain cultural limitations and people’s mindsets. Although, these notions still exist in certain places, but now the world is broadening up for more solo women travelers than ever …
Continue reading12 interesting facts you probably didn’t know about Chitkul
Our thoughts are filled with beautiful pictures of snow, small wood houses and water streams flowing by a reasonably inhabited remote village as soon as we think of Chitkul. The village has charm of its own; this is why it has gradually started gaining ground amongst domestic as well as overseas travelers. Internet is flooded with myriad travel stories and …
Continue readingShimla draped in first snowfall of the season
Sunday morning came with a scenic surprise for people of Shimla. The queen of hills received its first heavy snowfall of the season which turned out to be an eye candy for locals as well as the tourists. And the moment I saw my surroundings turned white, I called my buddies and made a plan for a snow walk to …
Continue readingShrikhand Mahadev trek: Himalayan trail to spiritual awakening
Shrikhand Mahadev, one of the toughest pilgrimages in India, is known for Lord Shiva in Hindu Mythology. It also makes a thrilling and adventurous trek in Himachal. It takes you amidst the lavish and beautiful setup of mighty Himalayas to the top of the Shrikhand Mahadev peak at a height of 16,900 feet above the sea level. This holy destination …
Continue readingAadi Himani Chamunda Temple Trek: This is how I remember Dharamsala
Dharamsala, another great tourist destination in Himachal Pradesh, is a few hours’ journey from Shimla on the curvy, well-asphalted road to Kangra district. I had never been to this place before and I’m glad I embarked on this adventure. Like they say, your feet start taking long strides as soon as you hear the call of the mountains. And this time …
Continue readingTriund trek: My rendezvous with Dhauladhars, guardians of Himachal
Happy New Year Travelers! Traveling on foot allows you more freedom to explore and discover a culture on its own terms, processing the experience and the landscape as you walk. Putting your patience and perseverance to the test, it’s also an opportunity to reset your own life to a different pace for a period of time. The oldest migratory route …
Continue readingBhaba Pass trek: My journey from green pastures to cold Himalayan desert
Bhaba Pass is situated in Himachal Pradesh and connects Kinnaur with Spiti valley. There is some difference of opinion about the maximum height of Bhaba Pass and that ranges from 4850 meter (15912 feet) to 4910 meter (16108 feet). In this trek one starts from the green pastures of Kinnaur and ends in the cold Himalayan desert of Spiti, the …
Continue readingA trip to Chitkul: My quest to be Himalayan for life
To be born and brought up in the Himalayas is a great privilege not everyone gets. And I am one of those lucky chaps who grew up rolling in the mud of the mighty mountains. Exploration is an instinct that grew stronger and stronger as I traded off countryside living for higher education. There is a saying: if the smell …
Continue readingKinner Kailash trek: Trail that introduced me to the god of Himalayas
It all started from a room of the Boys Hostel of Center of Excellence Sanjauli, Shimla in the month of October, 2005. Everyone from the hostel hurdled at the bus stop to wish ‘all the best’ to the group of eight trekkers. We took an HRTC bus till Rampur, from where we had to take another bus to Reckong Peo. …
Continue readingI spent two months deep in Himalayas, this is what I earned
All most two and half months in Himalayas, trip started with meratone driver from Manali to Leh. It took me continuous drive of 22 hours, and finally midnight it was when I arrived in small Himalayan town. I took few days off before getting into any adventure activities and later plan was ready to explore Zanskar via Suru Valley. Finally …
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