Choosing your first Himalayan trek is not easy. On the Indiahikes website, there are over 16 treks to do. If we were thinking of our first trek, we would be bamboozled for sure. By the end of this article, Arjun Majumdar will help you narrow down your choices to just two or three.
Don’t choose a trek because it is “easy” or “moderate” on the Indiahikes website. Most of the treks on our website are doable by a fit person, whatever be the grading. Having said that, all treks need physical preparation, even those labelled “easy.” You can’t think of doing a Himalayan trek without getting ready for it. If I was starting out on my fourth or fifth trek, I would still need to prepare.
So how do you choose your first trek? Consider these points.
When do you want to go?
First, choose the time of the year. There are six great seasons to trek in India. Of these, summer, monsoon, autumn and winter are the most popular, which is somewhat sad. Trekking in early winter can be very rewarding (October and November). The air is crisp, the views are razor sharp. The colours of earth, mountains and sky, bewitching.
A trail on the Dayara Bugyal trek, as shot in early winter (November 2015)
.
What do you want to see?
Next, look for variety that you want out of a trek. Some love to see big mountains, others like grasslands, some want a thrilling adventure. Snow, for example, is a big draw. So are alpine lakes. You must look to see if a trek can pack in as much variety as possible. Only few treks can do that, and frankly, they are the rockstars. That way, most of Indiahikes’ treks are loaded with variety. That makes things easy. Choosing boils down to the season you want to trek in.
How many days do you have?
Duration of a trek also matters. Most Himalayan treks are a week long, which usually works best for most trekkers. Longer treks require more preparation, so I am not getting into them.
Here is my list of first time treks that you can try.
I have left out many which you must not try as your first trek. Either they are hard or the variety is less. I have put them down in a calendar so that it is easy for you to pick them. They are usually week long.
Side note: All treks that I have listed here will have good dollops of snow from the last week of December until June. So don’t worry too much if Delhi is at 45º. You will still get snow.
January: Sandakphu or Brahmatal
February: Sandakphu or Brahmatal
March: If you are in first half, stick to Sandakphu or Brahmatal. From mid March, Deoriatal, Kedarkantha or Har-Ki-Dun are superb.
April: Deoriatal, Kedarkantha or Goechala. Prepare more for Goechala, it is harder than most treks.
May: First half, Har-Ki-Dun or Goechala. Second half. Roopkund and Goechala are splendid.
June: Roopkund, Buran Ghati, Hampta Pass are at their best.
July: Kashmir Great Lakes, Tarsar, Valley of Flowers, Hampta Pass. Kashmir must not be missed.
August: Kashmir Great Lakes, Tarsar, Valley of Flowers, Hampta Pass
September: First half, Kashmir Great Lakes, Tarsar Marsar. Second half: Roopkund.
October: Roopkund, Goechala. The colours are brilliant.
November: Kuari Pass, Sandakphu. Of the two, Kuari Pass is not to be missed.
December: First half: Kuari Pass, Sandakphu. Second half, Kedarkantha, Deoriatal.
If you have any more questions, just shoot a mail to info@indiahikes.in and we’ll get back to you!
The post How to choose your first Himalayan trek appeared first on Indiahikes.in.