Tours to Himalaya

Nanda Devi Pilgrimage

Situated in the eastern provinces of Garhwal and Kumaon, Nanda Devi  goddess of joy" in Hindu mythology , is the highest (at 7818m), and the most sacred of all the peaks in the Indian Himalaya. The valley of the Gauri Ganga divides the peaks of Nanda Devi and Panch Chuli , Which are the two most impressive mountain groups in the entire Indian Himalaya. This enchanting area and, in particular this deep valley, which formerly provided an important trade route between India and Tibet, has traditionally been off - limits to foreign travellers. However, with very strict "Inner line" Restricted Area regulations now somewhat relaxed, the pristine Gauri Ganga Valley is now accessible and we provide a fascinating itinerary in this mountain stronghold.

Day 01	Arrive in Delhi and transfer to the Hotel.
Day 02	A Full day sight seeing tour of Delhi
Day 03	We prepare for an early start for the bus journey to north across the fertile Indian plains toward the foothills for the Himalayas, reaching our overnight halt at Alrnora. Almora is a busy market town with an attractive bazaar and sits astride a commanding ridge. Overnight Hotel.
Day 04	Back onto the bus for the journey to Munsiari. We drive through forested hills and mile after mile of terraced rice fields. Enroute, there are brilliant views of Nanda Devi, Panch Chuli, Nanda Kot and the western Nepal Peaks of Saipal and Api. This is the last sizeable settlement that we will pass before our trek. We stay at the Rest house.
Day 05	An early wake up for the sunrise on the 5 peaks of Panch chuli , which overlook Munsairi. After a relaxed breakfast on the terrace, we have an hour to catch up on our diaries while the trek crew and leaders sort out the porter and pony loads. Two hours easy walking mostly down hill takes us to the starting point of the paved trail, which leads up the Gauri Ganga  valley . A short trek takes us to the village lilam. Carnp.
Day 06	The day starts with a steep climb as the normal road was washed away in 1 995 landslide, We cross over the la and drop down to Radgari for lunch. After lunch we continue ascending along the gorge for another couple of hours to Bogdair. Camp. (2700m) 7-8 hrs.
Day 07	We have a good steady climb for most of the morning. After the first hour we reach a beautiful opening of the gorge and a small trailside shrine of a local deity standing under an enormous cliff wall. After having lunch at Mapang we climb a bit more and will start noticing the continual widening of the valley and drier, less vegetated slopes around us. We pass a number of lovely waterfalls to reach our campsite at Rilkot . Camp.
Day 08	Upon leaving Rilkote, we climb steeply for about 30 minutes to a deserted dwelling perched out on the cliff walls. An undulating walk to Burfu bridge where we have lunch and take left towards the more barren and rainless zone of the Gauri Ganga valley to our campsite at Ganghar village Camp.
Day 09	The narrow trail climbs steadily through small stands of Rhododendron, juniper and birch forest. The valley opens up to the beautiful lush alpine meadows at the terminal rnoraine of the glacier leading from Nanda Devi's East. This makes a lovely campsite.
Day 10	Full day for resting or for exploration above our stunning campsite. Camp.
Day 11	Our horses and ponymen, who will probably have descended to Ghanghar whilst we have been camped at the base of Nanda Devi , will rejoin us as we make an early start on our journey, retracing our trail back to Ganghar and Burphu. We cross the Gauri Ganga river on a wooden bridge and camp at Burphu. Camp.
Day 12	A short trek to Milam village along the river Gauri Ganga, the milam village was once the home for more than 500 families now has about 20 families living only in the summer. Afternoon free to explore the village.
Day 13	Visit the milam glacier and go up to Segchakund where the trail narrow at times, leads us to the confluence of several impressive glaciers, where we find ourselves in a veritable amphitheatre, surrounded by 7000metre peaks - including the stunning Trisuli. After lunch we retrace our path back to Milam.
Day 14	Another beautiful day's walk as we descend the Gauri Ganga valley and retrace our path back to Rilkote.
Day 15	Trek back to Bogdair. Camp.
Day 16	Trek back from Bodgair to lilam . Camp.
Day 17	Trek back from Lilam to Munsiari. Rest house.
Day 18	We make an early start on our interesting bus journey back to Delhi with another overnight stop in Almora . Oln Hotel
Day 19	Leaving Almora , again with an early start , we leave the foothills behind and drive across the Indian plains to Delhi. Oln Hotel.
Day 20	Departure transfer to the IGI airport for your flight back home.

HIMACHAL

Himachal's stunning scenery is the setting for a rich cultural mix of Hindu and Buddhist religious and architectural traditions. Shimla, once the summer homes of the British raj, Dharmashala, now the seat of the Tibetan Government, Dalhousie and Manali has all been favourite travel destinations for decades. The mountainous province of Himachal Pradesh is known across India as the major supplier of temperate fruits to the nation.

PLACES TO EXPLORE & VISIT

Peak Adventures arranges treks, rafting tours. jeep safaris and cultural tours in this interesting and varied Himalayan region.

• Spiti- The Pin Valley treks. NEW !!! E-mail for full details.
  The relatively new road to Leh in Ladakh crosses the 3980 mtrs Rohtang Pass just north of Manali has made possible visits to a number of side valleys that lead off the main Chandra and Bhaga valleys. Sarahan's Bhima Kali temple, the picturesque Sangla-Baspa valley and Spiti's spectacular monasteries and landscapes are now approachable through the Hindustan-Tibet road.
• The state capital Shimla and the nearby towns and resorts of Solan, Chail, Narkanda and Kufri.
• The old capital of Mandi.
• The Saraj region and the Jalori Pass.
• The valley of the Gods- Kullu and Manali including the village of Naggar.
• The parvati Valley and the sacred village of Manikaran.
• The Chamba Valley and the towns of Dalhousie and Bharmour.
• KINNAUR

Dharmshala   ... Tibet in exile

Tracking and touring in the Dhaulaganar Mountains

Dharamsala ( meaning the resting place') and neighbouring MeLcod Ganj were important hill-stations during the British Raj- the half-timbered houses and Victorian churches reminders of long-gone rural England. Home to a vibrant Tibetan community since 1960, it is a relaxed town dotted with monasteries, fluttering prayer flags, cafes and souvenir shops and coloured by splashes of the deep red of monies robes- all set against a backdrop of snowy Himalayan peaks.

Dharamsala has been the centre of a vibrant Tibetan community since the early 1950's, and is the home of the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama. It is a relaxed community of many monasteries, fluttering prayer flags and cafes, coloured with splashes of the deep red of monks' robes, set against the backdrop of snowy Himalayan peaks. An old Raj hill-station, the town is divided into two parts, with a lower bazaar at an altitude of 4. 100 ft. and in upper portion, known as MeLeod Gani, some 1,640 ft. higher. Our journey begins with an overnight air-conditioned sleeper train from Delhi to Pathankot, followed by a drive to Dharamsala. Using the superb Chonor House hotel as a base, we have 3 days for guided tours of the thriving Tibetan institutions in the area, including the Namgyal Monastery and the Norbulinka Institute, which houses the School of Tibetan Studies. The DhaulaDhar Mountains, which tower over the town, provide a scenic and exhilarating location for our 7-day trekking circuit. We have scheduled relatively short trekking days amongst the steep-sided hills of this lovely mountainous area, which is visited by few westerners. Excellent value, 2 weeks of spiritual and physical enlightenment.

DURATION: 14 days (7 days moderate trekking Max. Alt. 10,496 ft.)

Manali stay., the Kullu valley is well known for its beauty, old temples and mix of hill peoples.

GARHWAL AND KUMAON 

Garhwal and Kumaon contain some of the finest peaks of the Himalayan yet this is an area surprisingly ignored by most western visitors who prefer the better known regions of Ladakh or Nepal. Garhwalls attraction lies in the fact that the dense forests covering the slopes are still in mostly Virgin condition and the trails many passing through quiet villages, offer outstanding views of the Himalayan peaks like Nanda Devi and Trisul. Although the playground of pioneering climbers likes Tilman , Shipton and Frank Smvtbe Garhwal and Kumaon have remained virtually unknown outside India. The NandaDevi Sanctuary has been closed to all visitors since 1984 for ecological reasons after two decades of degradation caused by large climbing expeditions. The Garhwal Himalayas has four of Hinduisms holiest shrines all located in high glacial valleys- the lowest being Badrinath at 3150 mtrs close to the famed Valley of Flowers. Garhwal receives the full force of India's summer monsoon and the best times to travel here are during spring and autumn Peak Adventures operates the following attractive itineraries in the Garhwal and Kumaon region, The Ancient Trade Route to Tibet- the Milam Glacier trek. Garhwal- Mountains and Valleys Nanda Devi and Trisul  ,Valley of Flowers and the Rupkund Lake Hir-ki-Donn  

Nanda Devi Pilgrimage

Exploring high country along the Indian-tibet border

Garhwal and Kumaon area in the eastern corner or India's northern Himalayas bordering Nepal to the east and Tibet to the north was the playground of famous mountaineers like Longstaff and later Shipton and Tilmain who marvelled at the beauty of this region surprisingly ignored by western trekkers, Much Of Kumaon including the high pristine valleys that lie just south of the Tibet border were opened to trekking .Only in 1994 when strict 'Restricted Area Permit requirements were lifted allowing access to the base of the Nanda Devi peaks from the east. The Milam Valley through which the Gori Ganga river cuts an impressive 25 kms long gorge was an important trade route between the fertile crop growing valleys of the Kumaon and Tibet busy with mule and yak caravans until 1962 when the Indo-Chinese war led to the border being sealed. Milam village at the head of the valley had over 500 households, most belonging to rich traders who also controlled the extensive wheat fields around Milam giving it the name of 'Johar' or golden grain. With trade having come to an end, most families moved to towns and cities in the plains with the houses and fields of Milam overtaken by weeds. Its past importance however led to a reasonable and partly paved trail beingConstructed through the gorge giving easy access to the upper Milam valley and the side valleys that lead to the foot of 7340 mtrs Nanda Devi East.Situated in the eastern provinces of Garhwal and Kumaon, Nanda Devi "the goddess of joy" in Hindu mythology, is the third highest (at 25,643ft.), and the most sacred, of all the peaks in the Indian Himalayas. Until very recently, the peaks and valleys of the adjacent Nanda Devi and Panch Chuli massifs were off limits to foreign travelers. However, with the opening up of the Gauri Ganga Valley, we have been able to put together a fascinating itinerary in this mountain stronghold. Driving to the roadhead north of Munsiari, we track up the Gaury Valley to the base camp of Nanda Devi East (24,383 ft.), at the head of the tributary Pachhu Valley. After a couple of days exploration of this lovely alpine valley, we will trek to Milam and ascend the Milam Glacier, beneath the Photogenic Trisuli (23,202 ft.). An alternative route back to the road-head will take us across the Ralam La (15,999 ft.), which affords breathtaking views of the Nanda Devi and Panch Chuli peaks, into the picturesque Ralam Valley. The varied landscape of this Little-visited enclave ranges frorn lush forest and fertile, terraced farmland, to huge glacial systems and towering peaks. Offering relatively easy trekking, this is an excellent trip for a first time visit to Asia.

DUTRATION: 19 days (13 days moderate trekking. Max. Alt. 15,999 ft.)