Uttarakhand: The land of most beautiful Himalayan Peaks!!

Uttarakhand has always been favourite trekking destination to many adventure enthusiasts, and has every right to be so. The Land of Gods is home to many beautiful Himalayan Peaks that inspire the trekkers to go the distance. 

Here are few of the most beautiful Himalayan Peaks in Uttarakhand that will surely capture your imagination during the treks.

1. Mt. Swargarohini (6252 Mt.)

Mt. Swargarohini III, as seen from Har-Ki-Doon Valley.

There are many tough challenges in one's life and Mt. Swargarohini is the one for mountaineers. Swargarohini massif consists of four peaks and Swargarohini I has seen many unsuccessful attempts. 

According to the legends, it is the only way one can go to the heaven with human body itself. 

Treks that offer the view of mighty Swargarohini:

1. Har-Ki-Doon Valley Trek

2. Kedarkantha Summit Trek

3. Bali Pass and Ruinsara Lake Trek

4. Borasu Pass Trek

5. Baradsar Lake Trek

6. Nag Tibba Summit Trek

2. Bandarpoonch (6316 mt)

Bandarpoonch Massif consists of two peaks- Bandarpoonch West or White Peak (6102 mt) and Bandarpoonch East (6316 mt). Bandarpoonch literally means "tail of monkey". 

According to the legends, Hanuman (The monkey God) went to it's summit to extinguish his tail which caught fire during a battle against Ravana. 

Treks that offer the view of Bandarpoonch Massif:

1. Har-Ki-Doon Valley Trek

2. Kedarkantha Summit Trek

3. Bali Pass and Ruinsara Lake Trek

4. Nag Tibba Summit Trek

5. Borasu Pass Trek

3. Kalanag or Black Peak (6387 mt)

Kalanag or Black Peak is the highest mountain of the Saraswati range. Even being the highest peak of Saraswati Mountain Range, it is considered quite an easy climb as compared to it's nearby peaks (Swargarohini and Bandarpoonch). Kalanag literally means "Black Cobra" and the shape justifies it's name.

Treks that offer the view of Kalanag:

1. Har-Ki-Doon Valley Trek

2. Kedarkantha Summit Trek

3. Bali Pass and Ruinsara Lake Trek

4. Borasu Pass Trek

5. Baradsar Lake Trek

6. Nag Tibba Summit Trek

4. Trishul (7120 mt)

Many of you might not be aware of the fact that, Trishul is the first ever 7000 mt peak that has recorded a climb. The three peaks of Trishul massif resemble a Trident (Weapon of Lord Shiva). Trishul has attracted trekkers to the Roopkund Lake Trek for ages.

Trek(s) that offer the view of Trishul:

1. Roopkund Lake Trek

5. Nanda Devi (7816 mt)

The second highest mountain of India, Nanda Devi is highest entirely located in India. Before the actual survey of Himalayas, Nanda Devi was considered as the highest mountain on earth. Due to it's unique shape, Nanda Devi is also considered as one of the most beautiful peaks in the world.

Trek(s) that offer the view of Nanda Devi:

1. Nanda Devi Base Camp Trek.

6. Neelkanth (6596 mt)

This beautiful towering peak carries a strong mythological background. According to the Hindu mythology, initially there was no mountain on the spot where Neelkanth stands today. There was a clear route between Kedarnath and Badrinath. Due to sins of a worshiper, Lord Shiva became displeased with him and stood blocking it's way as a huge mountain, which is said to be modern Neelkanth.

Trek(s) that offer the view of Neelkanth:

1. Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Saheb Trek

More high altitude treks at: TrekUp India

Benefits of trekking in the himalayas.

Choosing a destination for spending the holidays might feel a bit confusing task. Some people look for spending holidays on a beach side and some people just love travelling different cities. Here are some benefits of trekking in the HIMALAYAS that prove why trekkers have a desire to travel back to the HIMALAYAS, leaving behind their comfort zone.


1. Fresh Air

Unlike crowded metropolitan cities, you won't find crowded motorable roads in the himalayas. Himalayas have lately been the best place to travel. Thanks to some highly polluted cities where breathing hasn't been an easy task. Trekking in the Himalayas allows you to taste that freshness in the air.


2. Health Benefits

With high altitude and steep climb, trekking in Himalayas has always been fun and equally beneficial for your health. With treks ranging from 3 days to a week or even more, it allows all your muscles to work during the hike and has always proven a great full body workout. Trekking in the  Himalayas surely helps you to get in shape.


3. New Friends That You Make

Meeting new people and making new friends is always special. Trekking in the Himalayas gives you a chance to meet new people from local villages and different places. People from different regions do Himalayan treks which allows them to meet new people and go back with great memories.


4. Challenges

We don't grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges. Be it an easy, moderate or a difficult trek, trekking always puts challenges in front of you. Someday you might find a steep long hike or someday you might encounter rapid change in weather. That perseverance to just keep climbing allows you to face your challenges strongly. Trekking in the Himalayas teaches you how to tackle every obstacle in life.


5. Culture

You need to taste a culture to understand it. You get to learn a lot from the Himalayan people. They always carry a smile on their faces inspite of some struggles in those remote areas. Himalayan trek gives you a chance to experience the culture (their language, clothing culture, deity) of local villagers.


6. Heaven For Photographers

Even a long steep hike towards a valley or a summit seems worthwhile when you see lush meadows, treacherous flow of river, rapid weather changes and gigantic Himalayan Peaks all around. A Himalayan Valley is heaven for photography lovers. Going back to home after a Himalayan trek never feels good, but the wonderful memories captured in your camera will stay with you forever.


Click here for best Himalayan Trekking Packages.

10 himalayan treks to do this summer!!

With rising pollution and temperature in the cities, it would be hard to think of not spending holidays in the Himalayas. Here is a list of some beautiful destinations in Indian Himalayas that prove why a Himalayan trek is a perfect getaway.


1. Har-Ki-Doon, Uttarakhand.

Surrounded with beautiful towering peaks, it is one of the most beautiful Himalayan treks in Uttarakhand. Also known as “valley of the gods”, har-ki-doon is wonderful trek for both, the beginners as well as experienced Himalayan trekkers. It is best done throughout the year except monsoon and is accessible through Govind National Park. One can notice a great variety of flora and fauna. The trek offers you to experience the local lifestyle while walking through pine forests, rivers, glaciers and ancient villages.

Book your Har-Ki-Doon trek here.


2. Rupin Pass, Himachal Pradesh.

Rupin pass is a high altitude pass across the Himalayan range in state of Himachal Pradesh. It lies on a traditional hiking route which starts from Dhaula in Uttarakhand and ends in Sangla, Himachal Pradesh. Maximum altitude reaches up to 4650 mtr which makes it a challenging Himalayan trek.

Book your Rupin Pass trek here.


3. Kedarkantha Summit, Uttarakhand.

Ever thought of climbing a giant Himalayan peak or becoming a professional mountaineer? Kedarkantha Summit Trek is a wonderful trek to start. "The best view comes after the hardest climb". Kedarkantha Summit trek justifies this quote as it gives you some of the most breathtaking views of sunrise over Himalayan range.

Book your Kedarkantha Summit trek here.


4. Bali Pass, Uttarakhand.

Covered with mystery, at an aititude of 4950 mt., this is one of the few untouched lands in the Himalayas. This is the only trek that gives you the view of swargarohini, bandarpoonch and kalanag peaks at touching distance which makes this trek an absolute delight for Himalayan lovers. And for all these stunning views, one has to put some intense efforts. This trek is suitable for experienced Himalayan trekkers. Ruinsara lake takes the beauty of this high pass trek to next level.

Book your Bali Pass trek here.


5. Borasu Pass, Uttarakhand.

At an high altitude of 5450mt above sea level, Borasu Pass is a trek that offers numerous challenges to a trekker. Located in unexplored regions of western Himalayas ahead of beautiful Har-Ki-Doon valley, Borasu Pass trek starts from Uttarakhand and ends in Himachal Pradesh at Chitkul, the last Indian village. With the trek offering many challenges, this trek is suitable for experienced Himalayan trekkers. Borasu Pass trek is a treat for adventure enthusiasts as this trek offers you some breathtaking views of pine forests, rivers, mountains, meadows and high Himalayan pass.

Book your Borasu Pass trek here.


6. Nag Tibba, Uttarakhand.

With it's summit rising over 3000 mt above the sea level, Nag Tibba is the highest peak in the lesser Himalayan region of Uttarakhand state (Garhwal region). This three day Himalayan trek gives you some mesmerising views of Garhwal Himalayas in Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch and Kalanag.

Book your Nag Tibba trek here.


7. Roopkund Lake, Uttarakhand.

It would be hard to match the combination of spectacular mountain views, alpine camps, secluded Hindu villages and pristine oak and rhododendron forests that are seen on this trek. There is also the sacred waters of Roopkund that has attracted a regular stream of pilgrims for many generations. 

The human bones at the bottom of the Roopkund have been a particular source of interest. Many theories have been advanced - some more fanciful than others. The most likely is that they are the remains of a party of pilgrims trapped by bad weather in hte fourteenth century. Whatever the truth, the location of the lake beneath the huge ramparts of Nanda Ghunti and Trishul would have captured the pilgrim's imagination for many centuries.  
Book your Roopkund Lake trek here.
8. Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Saheb, Uttarakhand.

Frank Smyth first brought the Bhyunder Valley to the attention of mountain enthusiasts and botanists in 1931 after a successful climb on Kamet. The team crossed the Bhyunder Pass in the lashing rain and most, intent on forging a new route through the mountains back to Joshimath. As they desended into the shelter of the valley, the clouds lifted and revealed alpine meadows carpeted with wild flowers. They were greeted with the sight of primula, saxifrage, red potentillas, geraniums, asters, Gentian's, anemones, delphiniums, blue corydalis and wild roses. Indeed, the many hundreds of flowering species lead Smythe to refer to the Bhyunder Valley as the Valley of the Flowers.

Book your Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Saheb trek here.

9. Baradsar Lake, Uttarakhand.

Located at an altitude of about 4400 above sea level between the rupin and supin valleys , the baradsar lake is close to the border of uttarakhand and himanchal prades. This is one of the unexplored himalyan terks in india and is becoming famous among the trekkers. The initial path is through a green vally and takes you to rocky surface which make it a bit difficult.

Book your Baradsar Lake trek here.

10. Dayara Bugyal, Uttarakhand.

Among all the other high altitude meadows in India, Dayara Bugyal is considered to be one of the best. The route of Dayara Bugyal Trek takes you through beautiful oak forests, clear water bodies and sprawling grasslands while giving views of grazing sheep. Wild flowers bloom around streams and gives you heavenly feeling.

Book your Dayara Bugyal trek here.

More High Altitude Himalayan Treks with best packages here. 

In search of Lord Shiva- Kedarkantha Summit Trek.

                                                                         

Lord shiva wanted peace, for which he started his journey towards Kedarkantha summit from vishvanath temple (UTTARKASHI). He came to Kedarkantha summit, started meditation and coutinued the same for some weeks. One day while meditating  early morning on Kedarkantha summit, he heard a sound of a cow that came from a small village called Sirga (one can see Sirga village from Kedarkantha summit). Lord shiva realized that the place is not peaceful. He ran away immediately to Kedarnath through Swargarohini and Bandarpoonch range in search of peace. A temple was made on Kedarkantha summit after this.

                                                                                                                           Source: TrekUp India

At an altitude of 1920mt above the sea level, Sankri is a beautiful village in Uttarkashi distt. of Uttarakhand. Sankri lies around 210km away from Dehradun. This challenging 9km climb towards Kedarkantha Summit starts from Sankri village.

Village Sankri, 1920mt.

First day of our trek started with a pleasantly sunny day at Sankri. Preetam (one of my cousins) and I packed our rucksacs with every possible thing that could have made our trek a bit easier. An extra water bottle is mandatory here as this trek won't provide you with many water streams to fill your bottles.

All set to start the adventure!!

Our trek started with a gradual climb through dense pine forests. A trail that was dominated by dry brown leaves, soon turned into a path full of snow. As we climbed up, we reached our first campsite "Juda-ka-Talab" at an altitude of 2590mt. Juda-ka-Talab is a perfect place to set a camp, with a beautiful lake on our left, dense pine forest on our right and provides a scenic view of entire Himalayan range dominated by Swargarohini (6252m) massif.

Keep pushing hard!!

A trekker's eye!!

Swargarohini Massif from Juda-ka-Talab campsite.

The Juda-ka-Talab gets frozen in winters and the nights get extremely cold at this altitude with snow all around. The tiredness after an exhausting afternoon was completely lost at night as we all sang the local music with sheer enthusiasms during bonfire.

Bone-Chilling Winters!!

The second day of our trek was supposed to be an easy one, with a  2km walk up towards Lohasu (our second campsite). One should keep in mind about the slippery icy trail towards Lohasu. A pair of trekking shoes with handy grip is a must during this season.

Trekkers having a great time at frozen juda lake!!

Perfect shot!!

Traffic Jam ahead!!

As we started climbing up from Juda-ka-Talab, we met some other trekkers (around 50) and decided to move at a slow pace with the group. Following the footsteps on the snow, the trail took us to Lohasu base camp at an altitude of 3245mt above sea level.

Kedarkantha base camp- Lohasu.

Kedarkantha Peak in front, Stunning views all around and wide space for camping - Lohasu base camp has it all. A trekkers delight!!

The whole evening was spent planning about the summit day as we were supposed to start our summit push early morning at 3am. We couldn't even sleep in excitement!! I pulled the chain of our tent and looked up towards the clear sky with shooting stars. Praying for the weather to stay clear was the only thing we could have done at that point of time.

Finally at 2:30 in the morning, we came out of our tents. All the other trekkers were preparing for the climb as well. We all started our climb at 3am. Preetam and I decided to lead the group. The excitement of walking on pristine snow under the moonlight was at it's peak.

A few metres short of the summit, we reached a platform with a jaw dropping view all around us. The entire Himalayan range consisting of Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch and Kalanag (Black Peak) were visible.

And the sun was about to mark it's stamp!!

We were just few steps away from the summit and could feel the altitude. Dehydration was playing it's part as well. One thing you don't want to miss on this trek is the early morning sunrise view from the summit. Keeping that thing in mind, we started to move as quickly as possible.

Just a few more steps!!

Finally at 7am, we were on the summit of Kedarkantha peak. The darkness of the sky got replaced by magnificent orange and red shades all over. The sun kissed the mountains and greeted us with a breathtaking view. Even after a hard steep climb, the effort for that view felt like nothing. That was a sight to behold!!

Friends that travel together, last forever!!

Being trekker!!

Lord Shiva's trident looked untroubled even in the worst of conditions!!

Swargarohini, kalanag (black peak) and bandarpoonch peaks viewed from the summit.

Himalayan range of Himachal Pradesh!!

One thing I've learnt from this trek: "THE BEST VIEW COMES AFTER THE HARDEST CLIMB"!!

The trekkers!!

As we looked back at the summit!!

Many more trekking stories to come.
Book your Kedarkantha Snow Trek here.
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6 treks in Uttarakhand that makes it one of the best trekking destinations.

Often referred to as Devbhoomi (Land of the Gods) due to high number of temples and pilgrimage sites throughout the state, Uttarakhand is known for it's natural beauties of the Himalayas. Here is a list of some treks in Uttarakhand that proves why Uttarakhand is not just preferred for pilgrimage but also one of the best Himalayan trekking destinations.



1. Har-Ki-Doon (3566mt)

Mt. Swargarohini stands tall!!

According to the legends, it is believed that "Har-Ki-Doon" means "Valley of Gods". " Har" is one of the names of lord Shiva and "Doon" is a valley spread in the Himalayas. The valley justifies it's name as it is surrounded with several towering Himalayan peaks dominated by mighty Mt. Swargarohini (stairway to heaven), 6252mt. Beginners looking to start their trekking journey must start with this one. One can notice a great variety of flora and fauna. Har-Ki-Doon is also rated as one of the best treks for bird watching. With maximum altitude reaching up to 3566mt above the sea level, the trek offers you to experience the local lifestyle while walking through pine forests, rivers, glaciers and ancient villages.

Book your Har-Ki-Doon trek here.



2. Kedarkantha summit (3810mt)

The best view comes after the hardest climb!!

Ever thought of climbing a giant Himalayan peak or becoming a professional mountaineer? Kedarkantha summit trek is a wonderful trek to start. "The best view comes after the hardest climb". This trek justifies this quote as Kedarkantha summit gives you some stunning views of sunrise over the entire Himalayan range.

Book your Kedarkantha summit trek here.



3. Bali Pass and Ruinsara Lake (4950mt)

Swargarohini massif at touching distance.

Covered with mystery, with a maximum altitude of 4950mt above sea level, this is one of the few untouched lands in the Himalayas. This is the only trek that gives you the view of Swargarohini (6252mt), Bandarpoonch (6318mt) and Kalanag (6387mt) peaks at touching distance which makes this trek an absolute delight for Himalayan lovers. And for all these stunning views, one has to put in some intense efforts and this trek is suitable for experienced Himalayan trekkers. Ruinsara Lake takes the beauty of this high pass trek to next level.

Book your Bali Pass and Ruinsara Lake trek here.



4. Rupin Pass (4650mt)

A wonderland called Rupin Pass!!

You might get surprised with Rupin Pass in this list as it is situated in Himachal Pradesh. Yes it is true but the trek starts from Dhaula in Uttarakhand. This trail in Uttarakhand might be short but is nothing less than an eventful journey. The trek is rated as one of the best in India. Maximum altitude reaches upto 4650mt which makes it a challenging Himalayan trek.

Book your Rupin Pass trek here.



5. Nag Tibba (3022mt)

Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch and Kalanag range as viewed from Nag Tibba summit.

With it's summit rising above 3000mt, Nag Tibba is the highest peak in the lesser Himalayan region of Uttarakhand state (Garhwal division). This three day weekend trek gives you mesmerising views of Garhwal Himalayas in Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch and Kalanag.

Book your Nag Tibba trek here.



6. Roopkund Lake (4550mt)

The mystery revolves around this lake!!

It would be hard to match the combination of spectacular mountain views, alpine camps, secluded Hindu villages and pristine oak and rhododendron forests that are seen on this trek. There is also the sacred waters of Roopkund that has attracted a regular stream of pilgrims for many generations.

The human bones at the bottom of the Roopkund have been a particular source of interest. Many theories have been advanced- some more fanciful than others. The most likely is that they are the remains of a party of pilgrims trapped by bad weather in the 14th century. Whatever the truth, the location of the lake beneath the huge ramparts of Nanda Ghunti and Trishul would have captured the pilgrim's imagination for many centuries.

Book your Roopkund trek here.


For best trekking packages visit TrekUp.