Twelve Things Only Adventure Addicts Will Understand

Adventure is your fuel, the 9-to-5 life is just a way to get by.

1. People save for their big fat Indian wedding, investing in oh-so-important property and gold jewellery, but not you. You save up for your dream trips.

Source: weheartit.com

 

2. You memorize all the long weekends of the year and have an adventure planned for each. 

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3. Your friends dream about a romantic vacation to Paris, and you’re like, “Himalayas! I want to go trekking in the Himalayas.”  

 Source: Giphy

Trekking in Himalayas will change your life, see this. For the best stay in the Himalayas, go here.

4.  And when a friend suggests that he/she would rather stay in bad all weekend watching movies, than going out for a cycling trip, you laugh uncontrollably and are like:

Source: Google Images

5. Constantly checking for plane ticket fares and package deals online, is not your hobby anymore. It’s a habit you can’t shake off. 

Source: weheartit.com

6. You want your life to be a series of adventures and whenever getting out for a trip or planning one isn't possible in the near future, you feel like you are at a standstill. 

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7. You are unsure about going to watch the latest 100 Crore movie, but you jump at the chance of trying White Water Rafting, Mountain Biking, Camping and Trekking. 

Source: Gio Adventures Picture from the Spiti Trek Aug 2014 

8. When people tell you that they understand what you mean because they watched the sun setting in the Himalayas on the Discovery Channel, you are like: 

Source: Giphy

  9. Like sutta (ciggi) friends, who bond over smoking zones, sharing a cigarette, you make friends with people who love to travel or have traveled to the same places as you.  

 

Source: Giphy 

  10. A campfire in the wilderness is more appealing than a party in a five star hotel. Like,really.

 

Source: Pinterest

If you love camping and campfires too, you just can’t miss this.

11. When you watched this movie, you told everyone that this is actually Kashmir and not Manali. What, you didn’t know? Well, now you do (details here) and now you will tell people. Every time. 

Source: Google Images

12. You want to go skiing very often, wanting to improve your ski skills, even when people tell you that it’s useless in India.

Source: Pinterest 

Best and safest skiing in India here. You can also take a skiing course. Book now!

Okay, we know we said 12, but here's a bonus point for you:

13. You know there’s no cure for wanderlust and you’re happy for it, because hey, that’s your fuel! 

 

Source: Google Images

The Valley of Flowers

Book your trek to the Valley of Flowers (Jun-Oct)
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In 1931,  after a successful expedition to mount Kamet, British mountaineer, Frank Smythe, along  with a bunch of fellow British mountaineers accidentally chanced upon the Bhyundar Valley in Garhwal. He called it "The Valley of Flowers." Later he authored a book on the valley by the same name and brought this picturesque Garden of Eden to the notice the world. Ever since, the moniker has stuck. The Valley of Flowers was established as a national park in 6 November 1982.

The park is administered by the Uttarakhand State Forestry Department, the national Ministry of Environment and Forests, India. There is no settlement in the national park and grazing in the area has been banned since 1983.

Climate
The park is open only in summer from June to October, as it is covered by heavy snow for the rest of the year.

Conditions are generally dry with low annual precipitation, but there is heavy monsoon rainfall from late June to early September. Prevailing mist and low cloud during the monsoon keeps the soil moist, hence the vegetation is lusher than is usual in the drier inner Himalayan valleys. From mid April to June temperatures are moderate to cool (19°C maximum).
There is often dense fog and rain especially during the late summer monsoon.

Vegetation
The valley has three main vegetation zones:
1. Sub-alpine between 3,200m and 3,500m which is the limit for trees
2. Lower alpine between 3,500m and 3,700m
3. Higher alpine above 3,700m.

The habitats include valley bottom, riverbed, small forests, meadows, eroded, scrubby and stable slopes, moraine, plateau, bogs, stone desert and caves. The lower surrounding hills in the buffer zone are thickly forested.

The Forest Research Institute in 1992 recorded 600 species of angiosperms (herbaceous plants, shrubs, grasses, and most trees) and 30 pteridophytes (ferns) in the valley and surroundings, discovering 58 new records for the valley of which 4 were new for Himalayan Uttar Pradesh.

Orchids, poppies, primulas, marigold, daisies and anemones flourish in the valley. One can also find many species of medicinal plants.

Fauna
A few nationally endangered wild animals inhabit the Valley of Flowers although the density of such animals is not very high in the region.

Thirteen species of mammals have been recorded to have been spotted in the valley some of which are Red giant flying squirrel (Petaurista Petaurista), Himalayan black bear (Ursus Thibetanus), Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Himalayan weasel (Mustela Sibirica), Himalayan yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula), Himalayan Goral (Naemorhedus), Himalayan musk deer (Moschus leucogaster), Indian Chevrotain (Moschiola Indica), Himalayan Tahr or Wild Goat (Hemitragus Jemlahicus).

How to make Himalayan Ice Lolly

Lo and behold the Himalayan Ice Lolly!

Quirks of a frequent Himalayan traveller (one of our clients) trying to initiate the joys of the mountains and trekking to his son and nephew.

Check out this link.

Loved the idea.

HIdden Jewels of the Himalayas - Part 1 "Road trip to Malari & Niti in the Dhauliganga Valley"

Almost everyone whose fond of mountain travel would have heard of Auli and Badrinath in Uttarakhand but Just a couple of hours away, hidden in the remote valleys of Dhauliganga river which meets Alaknanda river at Vishnuprayag are the forgotten border villages of Malari, Bampa, Ghamsali and Niti, surely not to be found on the tourist map of India 

There are various factors which make this area so interesting. Remoteness and the fact that there aren’t too many who have visited this area is one. Adding an intriguing flavor is that China is close by and also trying to get closer by the day. Locals who were witness to the old trade practices between the villages of Tibet and this region contribute with their stories of days gone by. The landscape is unique and ever changing along the 90 kms drive from Joshimath till Niti (3500 mts), the last village on Indian side of the border. One gets to see the typical big mountains and narrow river gorges of Garhwal but what make the terrain special is the cold desert look of Spiti & Ladakh interspersed with the Garhwal scenery. Also the size and fury of the Dhauliganga river comes as a pleasant surprise

There are numerous spots in this valley you would want to just pitch your tents and stay put, one such spectacular location is Reolbaggad.  On the banks of Dhauliganga, this oasis has dense Deodar forest in the background and expansive views of the surrounding mountains and the wide open valley. Even the mighty river goes at an easy pace while crossing this area lending in to the serenity. Trip this side would be half the fun without interacting with the local people who are ever welcoming and in no short supply of time, so find your opportunity and ‘get in’

To get a feel of the area one can do a day trip from and back to Joshimath (which is about 8 hours from Rishikesh). It’s about a 3 hours drive one way but to really enjoy and soak in the energy of the region I would recommend a minimum of one night stay at a spot of your choice. Some villages might be able to accommodate a few in their houses but to be on the safer side I will recommend that one carry tents for the night. There aren’t too many eating places on the route so one should carry some back up food though the few that exist can give any restaurant a run for their money. These couple of very small eating places serve heavenly mutton curry and rice for breakfast, lunch, dinner and mid meals and on some prodding the local brew.

    

There are many more pleasures to be discovered in this region so if you have the explorer spirit in you this is where you should be headed. You can drive, ride, cycle or trek to your heart’s content while in this area….. 

Travelling to Garhwal Himalayas has never been easier

Over the past Year, the Uttarakhand government along with the help from the centre has been quietly revolutionizing the travel options, speed and efficiency to the perptually transport starved, Garhwal region of the Himalayas. Here is what has happened over the past couple of years.

BY ROAD:

What was for a long time a pipe dream, an express highway to Haridwar/Rishikesh/Dehradun, is finally taking shape. The 220 Kms to Haridwar used to take a mind numbing 6-10 hours depending upon your luck, the alignment of the stars, Sugarcane season, Yatra Season, Kavad season, Kumbh season, Summer season and so on. It now takes a respectable 4-6 hours depending upon the time of the day, and is bound to improve when the express way, which is completed till Muzzaffar nagar reaches Dehradun. This will reduce travel times, increase tourist comfort, travel options and break many mental blocks and barriers.

VOLVO SERVICE IS BACK!

The Volvo service ( The generic for deluxe bus travel between citties) was started a few years ago with much fanfare has stopped thanks the heavy toll the buses used to take on the bad roads filled with Sugarcane laden bullock carts and tractors who didn't give a damn about the other vehicles on the road.
Thanks to the improved Highway from Delhi to Dehradun ( work completed till Roorkee) this service is back, much to the relief and comfort of uttarakhandis going back home or tourists heading out to the mountains or places of pilgirmage.
Go to www.upsrtc.com for book bus tickets online. It is a great option for plans made in a hurry and a good alternative to Trains.

BY TRAIN

With the introduction of the super fast New Delhi Dehradun A/C Express a new chapter in comfortable travel to the Uttarakhand has opened. Earlier the only option was the Mussoorie express which must have broken all records for the railways in terms of how to reach from point A to Point B by the longest route possible in the slowest time.

Apart from this, there are several new trains from all parts of the country now, direct to Haridwar & Dehradun making it by far the most well connected rail head into the Himalayas in the country.

BY FLIGHT

Dehradun & Pantnagar have borught in a completely new dimension to travel and access for people, especially from other cities ( than Delhi) to the Mountains. Dehradun with its new airport and 4 flights a day from Delhi and now a direct flight from Mumbai as well has now made it so easy for people to get to this parts that people are making extended weekend plans for either tourism, spiritual or religious visits and so on by completely skipping Delhi which saves them enormous amount of time and money. Recently a few friends of mine joined me for a "bike hike raft" trip in the HImalayas from Singapore and HOngkong. Each left their home early one morning and were sipping chai and hogging on Pakoras with me late afternoon in one of our mountain lodges by just taking a hoping flight to Dehradun. This is truly disruptive.

I now only hope the decade old air strips at Gauchar ( nearly Rudraprayag) and Naini Saini ( near Pithoragarh) are opened up soon to make this truly remarkable landacape accesible to all to enjoy.

Ony request, please take your pet bottles and chips packets back with you!!

Why I love the mountains? (Popular tourist destinations not included)

Do you really need to read the blog to know why i love the mnountains ?!

Other than the most obvious things like pleasant weather and attractive landscapes there are a few more things that I have started to observe and relish while in the mountains. Some of them might not be reason enough to make you pack and hit the road but definitely add a pleasant flavor to the trip 
 
 

Wooden Village homes near Mori in Uttarakhand

1.       The mountain way of life. If one were to observe closely, there are several typical things that one comes across in the mountains that are worth cherishing. For me top of the chart are village children walking to school together, mostly in colorful uniform, creating an orchestra of children gibberish and enjoying life in all its glory. Similarly a bunch of village ladies cutting grass on slopes where people like us will need ropes and loads of equipment to go to and if it’s your lucky day you might even catch one of them humming a tune. Village shops are also a good spot to generally get into a meaningless discussion and experience the pleasure of conversation. So if one is on a look out one will surely catch many such interesting facets of mountain life  
 
 

Enjoying the Calm amidst Deodhars, Streams and peaks around

2.  Sense of calmness. With very few distractions and options for one to consider, brain has to do very little processing. People around one are also experiencing the same and this creates an overall relaxing environment. Life becomes comparatively simpler and the contrast is thoroughly enjoyable. No wonder reading a book and listening to music is also more enjoyable in the mountains
  
    
   
    

A spring in their step and a song on their lips!!

Day Dreamin is not limted to mountain folk alone!!

3. Hyperactive senses. Though my brain processing speed goes down my senses start working overtime. I smell more and something as repetitive and taken for granted as breathing becomes enjoyable with superior quality of air. I start noticing & seeing many more things than I normally do. Spotting a tiny little bird hidden inside a non descript bush in a jungle evokes the same kind of emotions as probably Sachin Tendulkar feeling on hitting his 100’th ton.  I am also able to distinguish between different sounds and take in lots of them together. Sound literally travels a distance in the mountains. What you think is coming from next door might be coming from the next village. Commonly heard sounds are cows making the sound that they do, chirping of birds, children shouting, odd vehicle passing by and people talking loudly on mobiles trying to make up for poor networks with high decibel level. Last but not the least food which anyways and any place tastes good, tastes a notch better in the hills. Locally grown wild vegetables with names which can only pronounced by locals create wonders when served on the plate 
   
 

Lost in thoughts while being lost in the Mountains

   
4.      Walking and day dreaming pleasures. Mountains giveone the freedom to walk endlessly and simultaneously talk to oneself and also day dream. Whenever I walk happiness generally surrounds me (maybe due to secretion of ‘happiness’ hormones as one exerts). With no fear of traffic, comfortable weather and calm mind one is encouraged to talk more to one self and build as many castles in the air as one wants to… the feeling is completely unmatched!
    
 
 
 
      

 

Wild Flowers carpet the meadows in the summmer in the Himalayas

   5.  Everything wild. Nothing is manicured or customized. Grass, flowers, bushes and trees grow wherever they want and take whatever shape they want. Even the people inhabiting the land are quite wild in their own way. It’s good to see things the way the creator wanted them to be. Seeing apples and other fruits without polish and stickers hanging from branches is very pleasing.   
 
   
 6.       Feeling of openness. It’s very rare these days to find one alone with no one and no activity in sight outside of a building. I am not the thinker variety and hate being alone. Having said that I will admit that I do like these ‘magic moments’ in the mountains when I hog the landscape just by me. This feeling of watching the ‘show’ with no one or just a few for company is quite interesting    
 
 
 
 
TO ENJOY MOUNTAINS AT LEISURE AND IN TOTALITY. AVOID PACKAGES WHICH IN 5 DAYS/ 4 NIGHTS TAKE ONE TO 6 DESTINATIONS