Connect with Himalaya

The 2024 edition of both my books is now out. Available online as well as in stores. Link in bio.

Trekking in Ladakh takes you to remote villages, hidden oasis of green in the barren landscape.

From our trek to Sham valley in July 2022.

Kullu valley shines bright under a starlit night.

The Bhagirathi flows silently through the wide Harsil valley, just 40 kms after gushing out of the glacier at Gaumukh as a wild stream.

In 2024, Himalaya ghoomo, magar pyaar se -

1. Sab log same jagah mat jao - There are so many places; equally beautiful, equally accessible and equally insta worthy. Spread out.

2. Instant noodles mat khao - no place or mechanism to dispose the plastic generated. Everything goes down the valley or in the rivers. Super tasty and easy to find local food options are there everywhere.

3. Thoda mall roads ke aage chalo – less than an hour away from the bustling markets lies the real Himalaya in the small villages, forests, meadows and rivers. Walking is the best way to enjoy it.

Here’s to a more meaningful, more fun, less crowded, less of the same trip to the mountains in 2024.

#2024

The 2024 Trip calendar.

There are treks, road trips, easy holidays and retreats with Rujuta. All details in the link in bio.

To be eligible to join any trip (apart from retreats), you will have to fill a form (scan the QR code). I will then help you pick a trip that will work best for you.

#2024

Pics from our trip, “Himalayan stories with Rujuta” in Landour recently. We went out for easy walks, had some great food, viewed the best sunsets/ winter line, listened to stories from .diwekar and had the most fun ever.

The shepherds of Himalaya

Pics from our trip to Harsil valley near Gangotri. Early spring is the time when roads are empty, apricots are in bloom, the Bhagirathi is crystal clear and the snow covered mountains are all around.

Into the unknown.

A local guide on a Himalayan trek is often an unassuming, simple person. But the work he does is anything but. Through forests, meadows, streams and glaciers, he calmly navigates a group of people for whom this is as good as an alien planet. He is a leader, a guru, by deed, not by words.

Pics from the 10th year of the Rishikesh yoga holiday with Rujuta Diwekar where we learned asana practice from Usha Devi and yoga philosophy from Siddharth Krishna Ji, while staying by the Ganga at a beautiful ashram.

Next up is the 11th edition of the Darjeeling wellness retreat with Rujuta from 9-15 April. Details here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CeZFxCpZZVGNzp4rd9MD5PRGagb1cNhK/view?usp=drivesdk

The 2023 Trip calendar.

There are treks, road trips, chill out holidays and wellness retreats.

To sign up for any trip (apart from wellness holidays), you will have to fill a form (scan the QR code) or check link in bio. I will then help you pick a trip that will work best you.

A road trip in the remote Himalaya means spending hours daily gazing at nature at its most raw, almost equalling the affect that trekking has on the mind, without the associated physical strain.

This pic is from our road trip to one of the remotest regions in Indian Himalaya, the Pangi valley in Lahaul in Sep 2017. Here we are almost reaching the top of Sach pass, a recently opened road at 4500M.

This is one of my favorite pics. It’s from the Kinnaur to Spiti trek (Pin- Bhabha pass) that we did in 2013, and used to do regularly before that (it’s too crowded now with trekking companies bringing groups of 30-40 people per batch).

The pic is from day 3 of the trek when we cross the pass at about 4800M. Huge snow fields combined with high altitude makes for a very slow climb up. As we struggle for every step, we hear loud singing and laughter, and as we look back the porters and miles have almost caught up with us. They laugh and sing and generally have tons of fun while climbing up and unknowingly instil a belief amongst the struggling trekkers that yes, the walk is tough but doable.

This happens on every trek, the only thing is that after a few times you remember to thank them and acknowledge their contribution in your achievement. Or atleast that’s what I hope we should do.

Morning Sun on Kangchendzonga.

In Nov 2017 we went to North-west Sikkim, home of the indigenous people, the Lepchas. This pic is from a homestay in dzongu village, just before we started our trek to the remote Tholung monastery, beyond which, the Lepchas say, lives the Migo, local name for Yeti.

A trek breakfast.

The previous day we started from Supi village in Saryu valley, deep in Kumaon himalaya, and climbed for few hours to reach this beautiful meadow of Jaikuni. At 3200 M it’s at an ideal height - just above the tree line with clear views of the snow covered peaks. But the main point here is, we walked uphill for few hours, spent the cold night in sleeping bags and only then were rewarded with the beautiful morning sun and views.

The nun and the kun

No, I am not trying to rhyme random words. That’s a Buddhist female monk, known as chomo in local language, on the bridge there and above her is the snow covered peak of kun, amongst the tallest in Zanskar region of Ladakh. I took this pic from a roadside dhaba in Suru valley, on our way to padum in zanskar, an isolated road even during peak season and the chomo was walking slowly, contemplating life and it’s mysteries I guess, on an even more isolated road leading to seemingly nowhere. A small glimpse into the sheer scale and vastness of the Himalaya.

P.S. if you fly into Srinagar on a clear day, from the right side windows of the aircraft you will be able to see kun (and it’s neighbour nun, not the chomo but an actual peak. I know it’s confusing:-))

Hi there! Have you been to the mountains off late? Or followed the news? Indian Himalaya is in a flux. It’s struggling to match the ambitions of increasing number of visitors with the increasing vulnerability of its existence. Landslides, avalanches, floods and so on. Partly it’s the indiscriminate road work, dam construction, and partly its triggered by climate change, but both the above are challenges for the policy makers and have too many facets for an individual to comprehend. But there is one big factor that me and you have control over and which can make an impact – where and how we travel. To put it simply - Don’t follow social media trends of places to go and things to do in the Himalaya. With this one change, you will automatically: a) spread out and not crowd a handful of places, e.g. give Spiti a break and explore Chamba, b) stay at smaller, less popular but authentic places like homestays and c) explore activities like trekking, cycling, skiing and not just driving. Basically you will do things you really want to do and not what you have been cajoled to do by the Instagram/ Fb algorithm. All of the above will also reduce tourism generated pollution, reduce ecological load on popular places and spread the money across a bigger population. So, remember – when everyone on your insta feed is posting pics of the same place it should be out of your to-go list.

Happy travels.

Beyond the clouds is the realm of the kangchendzonga

As the rest of Himalaya gets ready for the monsoon, the doors to Ladakh (and Spiti) open up. If you are travelling to this extremely ecological sensitive area, here are some guidelines that will help -

1. Respect the altitude. Ideally don’t fly directly into Leh. Drive from Kashmir and help your body acclimatise gradually.
2. Drink lots of water. Altitude and dry weather means your requirements of water is much higher than normal. Have tap water, it’s safe. Reduce plastic bottles.
3. Don’t rush to tick off spots. Ladakh demands and needs time. Build in time to rest/ do nothing.
4. Don’t have instant noodles. The plastic generated from packaged food has nowhere to go. Try momos and Thukpa.
5. Spread out. Ladakh has a lot to offer apart from the 2-3 popular destinations. Try homestays, easy treks, lesser traveled roads.

To summarize - don’t treat Ladakh like a regular hill station. Even though it has become really popular and crowded, it still is a very high, very challenging terrain. Be sensible, give yourself more time, do the basics right and soak the indescribable beauty of Ladakh.

When on a trek - Keep moving, mud or snow, uphill or downhill, rain or Sun, one step at a time.

The night the leopard came

On the 2nd night of our summer trek to the extremely remote Phachu kandi pass in Garhwal Himalaya, a leopard came for our mules. It was 4 am and he chased 4 mules away from the campsite. The mules were from that region so they knew the trail and ran all the way to the next meadow about 6 kms away. At 4:30 am, two of our horsemen started after them (as without mules it’s impossible to carry all the loads). They figured the mules will go to a familiar place and luckily found them and brought them back by 8:30am, walking for almost 12 kms. All this while, we were oblivious to the whole thing, feeling great about ourselves for overcoming the “challenge” of sleeping in a tent and sleeping bag.

In the Himalaya, treks are possible only because of the locals who accompany the groups as guides, porters, cooks and horsemen. Next time you are on a trek, appreciate them for what they do.

Next week we will be by the Ganga, staying in an ashram, learning yoga and eating simple, home cooked food.

9th edition of the Rishikesh Yoga holiday with .diwekar

We have two seats open. In case you wish to join, you can write to me at [email protected]

The spices of Arunachal.

Pic from our trip to Dirang in 2018.

The man and the mountain.

Shivling peak above Gangotri glacier.

The ski slopes of Gulmarg are amongst the best in the world and a great place to learn and practice skiing.

A remote road in the Himalaya-
From Chamba, a road, amongst the remotest in the Himalaya, takes you to Pangi valley and Lahaul across the Sach pass. The pic above is from a section of the road which is behind a waterfall.

The Trip calendar for 2022.

Retreats, treks and theme holidays.

Read details and sign up. Link - https://www.connectwithhimalaya.com/calendar.aspx

A small stream of fresh glacier water passing through a meadow is one of the best things about any Himalayan trek.

Pic from our trek to Obra valley.

A tree in bloom, the fields in abundance and our homestay on the right. Supi village in Saryu valley of Kumaon is a delight in spring.