A guidebook to trekking in the Uttarakhand region of the Indian Himalaya. These 8 guided routes are graded according to difficulty and include forest trails, gorge walks, mountain passes, high-altitude summits and glaciers.

Suitable for hikers with a reasonable level of fitness and experience, each trek involves between 1000m and 4000m of elevation gain, with the highest route reaching more than 4300m in altitude. Treks take from 3–9 days to complete, with total lengths of 10–53 miles (15–85km).

• Includes 1:75,000 mapping of each stage, with trek overview maps and elevation profiles also provided
• Handy route summary tables give a snapshot of the treks
• Advice on planning and preparation, including trek operators, guides and homestay accommodation
• Information on safety considerations
• GPX files available to download

Map key

Route summary tables

Preface

Introduction

Why trek in the Uttarakhand Himalaya?

Planning your trek

The routes at a glance

Types of trekking

Trekking seasons: when to go

Getting there and around

Permits

Food

Accommodation

On the trail

What to take

Satellite phones, PLBs and similar devices

Maps

Health and safety

Languages

Money

Phone and internet

About the Uttarakhand Himalaya

History

Culture and society

Landscapes

Plants and wildlife

Conservation efforts

National parks, sanctuaries and World Heritage areas

Using this guide

Govind Pashu Vihar National Park

Trek 1: Kedarkantha – a trekking peak

Stage 1           Sankri to Juda ka Talab

Stage 2           Juda ka Taleb to Kedarkantha Base Camp

Stage 3           Kedarkantha Base Camp to Hargaon Campsite via Kedarkantha Summit

Stage 4           Hargaon Camp to Sankri

Trek 2: Ruinsara Tal and Har Ki Dun

Stage 1           Taluka to Osla

Stage 2           Osla to Ruinsara Tal

Stage 3           Ruinsara Tal to Devsu Thatch

Stage 4           Devsu Thatch to Har ki Dun

Stage 5           Har ki Dun to Osla

Stage 6           Osla to Taluka

Garhwal meadow treks

Trek 3: Dodital and Darwa Top

Stage 1           Agoda to Dodital

Stage 2           Dodital to Darwa Pass (return)

Stage 3           Dodital to Agoda

Trek 4: Dayara Bugyal

Stage 1           Raithal to Gui

Stage 2           Gui to Chilapada

Stage 3           Chilapada to Bharnala Tal via Dayara Top

Stage 4           Bharnala Tal to Barsu

Gangotri National Park

Trek 5: Tapovan and the source of the Ganges

Stage 1           Gangotri to Chirbasa

Stage 2           Chirbasa to Bhojbasa

Stage 3           Bhojbasa to Tapovan via Gaumukh

Stage 4           Tapovan to Bhojbasa

Stage 5           Bhojbasa to Gangotri

Nanda Devi National Park

Trek 6: Nanda Devi Sanctuary and towards Dunagiri

Stage 1           Shepherd Hut to Lata Village

Stage 2           Lata Village to Bhelta

Stage 3           Bhelta to Lata Karak

Stage 4           Lata Karak to Rishi Ganga Gorge and Nanda Devi Sanctuary viewpoint (return)

Stage 5           Lata Karak to Tolma – in the lap of Dunagiri

Stage 6           Tolma River Gorge along the old Dunagiri expedition route

Stage 7           Tolma to Suraithota and Shepherd Hut

Kumaon

Trek 7: Pindari Glacier and Zero Point

Stage 1           Loharkhet to Dhakuri

Stage 2           Dhakuri to Khati

Stage 3           Khati to Phurkia via Dwali and Spider Wall

Stage 4           Phurkia to Pindari Glacier Zero Point (return)

Stage 5           Phurkia to Khati via Dwali

Stage 6           Khati to Dhakuri

Stage 7           Dhakuri to Loharkhet

Trek 8: Milam Village and Milam Glacier

Stage 1           Lilam to Bogudiyar

Stage 2           Bogudiyar to Rilkot

Stage 3           Rilkot to Burphu

Stage 4           Burphu to Milam

Stage 5           Milam to Milam Glacier Zero Point (return)

Stage 6           Milam to Burphu

Stage 7           Burphu to Rilkot

Stage 8           Rilkot to Bogudiyar

Stage 9           Bogudiyar to Lilam

Appendix A     Additional treks, national parks and conservation areas 

Appendix B     Useful contacts

Appendix C     English–Garwhali–Kumaoni–Hindi glossary

Appendix D     Further reading

Appendix E     Gear list

Seasons

Spring (March/April) for the last of the snow, green meadows and rhododendrons/wildflowers blooming; summer (May/June) opens up settled weather and the higher altitudes; the post-monsoon season (mid-September/mid-October) has clear views of mountains and higher altitudes are again possible; and autumn (mid-October to the end of November) brings clear air. Trekking in the monsoon (July/August) is difficult, and possibilities are limited in winter (December–February) due to snow on the trails and temperatures of -5 to -10 C, or below.

Centres

In the Garwhal Himalaya: Dehra Dun, Joshimath and Sankri; in Kumaon: Munsyari and Loharkhet.

Difficulty

With diverse trails including trade and pilgrimage routes, wide paths, ridges, mountain passes and glaciers, each trek is graded from easy to challenging.

Must See

Highlights include Nanda Devi and the dramatic Rishi Ganga gorge, as well as Gaumukh — the sacred source of the Ganges — and the striking peak of Shivling. Walkers can explore the Pindari and Milam glaciers, enjoy summit views from Kedarkantha, Darwa Top and Dayara Bugyal, and take in a landscape of alpine meadows, rhododendron forests, glacial lakes and rushing rivers.

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