In all probability, you might have heard of the iconic band 'The Beatles' and even heard their music. But you might be surprised to know they visited Uttarakhand, dubbed as the 'Land of God', to find some creative inspiration!
Well, it is not tough to gauge why they conceived Uttarakhand as a source to get their creative juices flowing. The sprawling Himalayas, dense wood, whirlwind of flora and fauna, and lastly, the treks, everything for you to delve into your creative perfection away from the noise.
Hill stations like Nainital, Mussoorie, Auli and Dehradun have always been pulling in people across the globe. The trekking enthusiasts have more reasons to visit Uttarakhand as the trails of some of the famous treks lead to this place.
We will be talking about some of them today.
1) Nag Tibba - Appreciate Nature’s Mastery
Best time to visit: Winters - October to December / Summer - April to June
Duration of Trek: 7 hours for a 10 km trek from the base camp to the hilltop
Level of difficulty: Relatively easy
Each trek takes hours of effort to get a sight of nature's brilliance forming indelible moments. Nag Tibba provides sight of nature’s mastery, but with minimum sweat work. It is an ideal weekend trek that can aptly compensate for the Himalayan trek you have been planning for months.
The trail cuts its way through the grass cover, dense jungle and heritage sites. Thus, all the way, you have something pushing you forward when you are exhausted. At the top, you have the prize waiting, a 100-degree view of the snow-capped Himalayan range, Bandarpoonch and Kala Nag peak. The sight of
Kedarnath peak in the North would itself be the sole motivator of the trek.
2) Har Ki Doon - Encounter Rare Fauna and Floor
Best time to visit: Summer - April to June / Autumn - September to December.
Duration of Trek: Total 47 km can be covered in 6-7 days.
Level of difficulty: Moderately difficult
This trek is a part of a common folklore tale and stretches over 44 km. The highest point in the trek stands at 14,000 ft. The mesmerising views of the nearby mountain ranges in both summers and winters are a sight to behold.
The beauty of Har Ki Dun trek lies not just at the summit, the trail itself takes you through a journey in time with small settlements formed a hundred or even some thousand years ago. Amidst the woods, you might find some rare avian life along with other forms of wildlife.
This place is known for its frequent rains and most of it is concentrated in summers. The hide and seek between the sun and rain-filled clouds ready to burst make the trek even more satisfactory. But you must be properly equipped to tackle such situations.
3) Valley of Flowers – Trek amidst Nature’s Vibrant Colors
Best time to visit: July to August, the time when the flowers are in full bloom
Duration of Trek: About 6 days to complete the trek
Level of difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Close your eyes and imagine yourself standing amid more than 600 floral species, surrounded by tall mountains. Welcome, you are in a Valley of Flowers, as listed in UNESCO world heritage sites.
This place is a paradise for people who are enthralled by nature and love flowers. Not just the floral life form that is enticing here, a few kilometers into the wood and you might spot a musk deer, black bears of Asian origin, blue sheep and many other wildlife species.
As a tourer, you will find many reasons that prove why this place is listed in the UNESCO records.
4) Auli – Winter Trekking Destination
Best time to visit: November to March
Duration of Trek: 3 hours, covering 5-6 km
Level of difficulty: Moderately difficult
Auli is one of the most perfect winter destinations, away from rising mercury of the urban chaos. Trekking in Auli has the ideal mix of leisure and adventure. Such combination results from the lush green valley and snow-covered mountains that follow you throughout the trail.
Auli is one of the ideal places for a snow trekking adventure. It cultivates a sense of joy when you see snow all around you, much like a kid in a candy store. The sight of sunrise and sunset can turn anyone into a photographer.
As you complete the trek, a 360-degree view of Garhwal Himalayas and Nand Devi awaits you.
5) Kedarkantha Trek - Amidst Snow Covered Trails
Best time to visit: Winter - December-to-March.
Duration of Trek: 7 hours to complete the trek of 6 km
Level of difficulty: Easy-to-moderate
You might not be an expert trekker to take on hard terrain all the time, but if you want to be a part of such a pre trekking destination, the Kedarnatha trek is your place. The snow-covered trail shows you the path right to the summit. The surrounding view of the snow-covered Black peak, Bandarpoonch and Swargarohini mountain range will allure you to move forward.
The campsites are sporadic and consistent. Thus at any point in your journey, there is a campsite just a few kilometers away. These campsites would provide you the much-needed rest after long hours of trek and get your body ready for the upcoming trails.
Closing thoughts
In a nutshell, Uttarakhand has the trails to suit all forms of trekking enthusiasts. You just need to unpack apprehensions and dive into the adventure. You have parks, snow covered mountain ranges and rich flora and fauna reserves to keep you at your toes.
AUTHOR BIO: Amit is an avid traveler and passionate writer. His weekends are dedicated to travel and free time dedicated to writing for his blog www.realbharat.org. His passion for both these hobbies made him start realbharat.org. The blog is intended to bring out the real India and present it to the world!All the photographs in this article are courtesy of the author.
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