For the people who strive for challenges and are enthusiastic about exploring the wild adventures of nature, trekking is just for you. Involving hiking and walking through scenic mountains and villages, trekking is an experience like no other that serves you the natural ecstatic pleasures that nothing else can. Moreover, trekking on a less popular route, where you can’t find “the crowd”, enhances one’s entire experience in an unimaginable way. Here are 6 less popular treks in India that you MUST NOT miss!
1) Tarsar Marsar Trek, Jammu & Kashmir
Picture Courtesy: India Hikes
The trek embraces a voyage to the mesmerizing twin lakes, Tarsar and Marsar, surrounded by the peaks of Kolahi Mountain. Imagine meadows flourishing with an abundance of flowers, alpine lakes with snow-fed blue waters and waterfalls that seem straight out of a dream.
Difficulty Level : Intermediate
Max. Altitude : 13,000 ft
Duration to Complete : 7 days
Starting Point : Srinagar
Best Season : July – September
2) Deo Tibba Trek, Himachal Pradesh
Picture Courtesy: 365Hops
The Deo Tibba trek to Base Camp takes you through wide-open grazing pastures of Gaddi shepherds and royal blue waters of the Chandertal Lake. The base camp of Tenta, offers breath-taking panoramas of Mt. Deo Tibba with its hanging glaciers rising right under your nose. This trek will surely leave a mark in the minds of all nature lovers and trekkers.
Difficulty Level : Intermediate to Difficult
Max. Altitude : 14,700 ft
Duration to Complete : 6 days
Starting Point : Manali
Best Season : May – June
3) Kedarkantha Trek, Uttarakhand
Picture courtesy: Awararahi
Bejeweled with the splendid beauty of falling snow and bordered with pine trees, the Kedarkantha Peak is one of the most pursued after trekking destinations in India.
Spanning ~20 km, the trek promises views so extravagant that it attracts millions of visitors throughout the year. What makes it more special is the availability of snow till April! So, do you wanna build a snowman?
Difficulty Level : Easy
Max. Altitude : 12,500 ft
Duration to Complete : 6 days
Starting Point : Sankri (to be reached via a 10-hour drive from Dehradun)
Best Season : December to April
4) Hampta Pass Trek, Himachal Pradesh
Picture Courtesy: Dayor Camps
One of the much less popular treks in India, Hampta Pass reeks of rich green paddocks and snow-capped peaks. Even though this is an easy trek, the variation in the trails is colossal with scenic landscapes, glacial valleys and the infamous Chandratal Lake.
Difficulty Level : Easy
Max. Altitude : 14,000 ft
Duration to Complete : 5 days
Starting Point : Manali
Best Season : May-June, August-October
5) Goecha La Trek, Sikkim
Picture Courtesy: Nepal Tours
Standing at an altitude of 16,200 feet, Goecha La Trek is the one that gets you closest to the massive beast; Kanchenjunga. There are a million reasons to fall in love with this trek; the awe-inspiring sunrises and sunsets, the stupefying view of 16 beautiful peaks from Dzongri top and the verdant Himalayan forests are just a few among many. Darjeeling is considered as the doorway to Sikkim and from here, one can opt for this fabulous trek. The region through which the Goechala trek is designed is designated as Kanchenjunga National Park.
Difficulty Level : Intermediate to Difficult
Max. Altitude : 16,200 ft
Duration to Complete : 11 days
Starting Point : Yuksom Town (8-hour drive from NJP)
Best Season : April – June
6) Gaumukh Tapovan Trek, Uttarakhand a.k.a “The Holy Trail”
Picture courtesy: Tour Travel Tourism
This is one of the most soul filling treks in the Garhwal Himalayas, passing through the massive Gaumukh Glacier; the origin of the mighty Ganga River. Gaumukh(12800 ft) is also considered to be the true source of the holy river, Ganga. It takes a grueling 18 km trek from Gangotri to get here and soak oneself in the wonderment of the mystic mountains. For those seeking an extra dose of surrealism, Tapovan is an area, 5 km from Gaumukh, consisting of beautiful meadows at the feet of Mt. Shivling.
Difficulty Level : Intermediate to Difficult
Max. Altitude : 14,100 ft
Duration to Complete : 10 – 11 days
Starting Point : Gangotri (12-hours from Rishikesh via bus)
Best Season : May-June, August-October
Nice blog eh. Now what?
Close the blog. Switch off your laptop. Take that dusty backpack lying in the corner. Pack some clothes. Get your wallet (or get a loan). Don’t forget your headphones. TREK ON!
Featured image courtesy: The Great Next
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