Trekking in India: A hobby with something for everybody!

 Trekking as it exists has been rooted in India for ages, though for a very long time it was one of those hobbies that you either knew a lot about or nothing at all.

While that sentiment still stands to some extent, the recent quarantine situation has opened up the idea of venturing out into nature and taking prolonged sabbaticals with complete internet and phone detoxes a bit more. More so than usual anyway.

While still a relatively newer concept to a lot of people, trekking in India has cultivated a large audience over the years. And it is no surprise that this staunch fan-following consists of a mixed bag of nationalities and cultures, with trekkers from all over the country, nay, the world, making long trips all around the year for a chance to trek through India’s alluring Trans-Himalayan ranges.

As tourism in India grows, so does the trekking industry, attracting more attention and intrigue by the day.

Already popular routes like Har ki Dun get even more popular and the lesser-known, more difficult undertakings like the Bali Pass Trek get a slice of some of the love.

It is truly fascinating to see how a hobby that belonged to such a small percentage of the Indian population has now almost doubled in size in the last couple of years alone.

Backpacking tourists and locals alike flock in and around popular North Indian states, relishing in the wide variety of trek routes offered with each varying in duration and difficulty, almost as if perfectly engineered for trekkers of every kind.

There are more common ones like Har ki Dun, Brahmatal, and Hampta Pass that lie somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of difficulty, swinging between easy and moderate depending on the previous experience of the traveller.

These are relatively doable for any individual who’s in good shape, and takes only a little elbow grease to persevere to the very top for the view of a lifetime.

They’ll last about 6–7 days at most, with maximum altitudes peaking just a little over 13, 000 FT on an average.

A major example of the more ‘easy-to-moderate’ trek routes is the Dayara Bugyal trek.

It’s shorter, more forgiving towards beginners and novice trekkers, and dare I say is also rather family-friendly (the recommended minimum age for this route is 10 years!).

The Dayara Bugyal trek is one of the more underrated trek routes in India, which is surprising seeing how its easy trek gradient and lenient ascents and descents truly make it just right for anybody who’s just starting in trekking or is planning to soon.

The sights dotted throughout this route are stunning because Dayara Bugyal is enveloped between fragrant Deodar and Rhododendron trees with a rich sprinkling of other rare flora and fauna.

Sights like these aren’t foreign to any other trek routes in India but what makes the Dayara Bugyal trek stand out is its road less taken, literally. It’s not that sought after which means if you’re looking for a route that may be less saturated with large crowds compared to say, Har ki Dun or Brahmatal, this might just be for you!

Regardless, Dayara Bugyal is only one of a thousand other trek routes sprinkled generously all across India, each with its beauty and charm.

There’s the Kashmir Great Lakes with its large collection of clear waters and clearer skies, the Bali Pass with its vibrant alpine flowers and goosebump-inducing grand peaks, and the Hampta Pass trek with its ever-changing sceneries where each new turn unfolds an entirely new view than before.

However, not all of these are for everybody. The Bali Pass trek in particular gains its notoriety from how difficult it is to conquer.

The prescribed minimum age for this trek is 15 years but it truly isn’t for beginner trekkers because it’s no menial stroll through alpine meadows.

With steep ascents and intimidating heights reaching as far as 16,241 FT, the Bali Pass takes an average of 8 days to cross and trekkers cover a walking span of about 56 KM which may not sound so bad on paper when you compare it to some other behemoths of the trekking world but the fact that it’s strictly off-limits for people with respiratory complications and altitude sickness puts the daunting reality of this trek route in perspective.

But! What’s life without a little challenge and maybe a couple of frozen fingers along the way?

All in all, trekking in India as it stands today continues to grow as more and more people opt to spend their weekends on excursions through local forests or trek routes and while it regularly expands and accommodates, it’s important to keep the fundamentals of safety and survival in mind.

So go forth and finish planning that trek itinerary that’s been catching dust somewhere in your notes app and allow yourself to step into the challenging yet fulfilling world of trekking and the rich Himalayan ranges!

Happy travels!