My Top Ten India's Best Trekking Trails

When I thought about what is the sport for adrenaline junkies to keep them following their passion, the answer was obvious. Blessed with Himalayan ranges and Western Ghats, India is a perfect trekking destination in the world. So, I researched about the best trekking trails and started out to explore the rugged terrains and live my dream around 3 years back.

It’s very easy to fall in love with the forests of Roopkund trekking trail. It was dream come true for me while trekking in Ladakh.  Almost 2.5 hours of trekking through the dense oak forests with a lengthy wide carpet of brown leaves kept me quite captivated. The bright sunlight peeping through the trees makes a curtain of light and dark to walk through. After a couple of hours trek alongside beautiful and awe- inspiring foliage, I reached near a stream of water falling from much above me and the water was surprisingly clean, so I refilled my water bottle and settled for a much deserved break. The forest around the stream is lush green and very inviting. The thought of camping in Bedni Bugyal kept me motivated to hike further and it was truly worth it. The camping site nestled amidst the spectacular view of Himalayas was a perfect setting. The next morning I woke up well rested and was eager to reach roopkund. As I approached roopkund, the view of forest and greenery was transformed into a vast stark white blanket spread over the gigantic mountains of Junargali Flank.

While in Ladakh, I was sure not to miss other charming trekking trails. So, with a map in my hand, I headed to Stok Kangri trekking trail and visited the artistically designed monasteries in Shey and Thikse, Spiktuk monastery being my favorite. Hiking alongside Markha Valley, I crossed several authentic Tibetan villages with their old world charm, people are warm and friendly and there is always a local tea shop to take a quick break. With a backdrop of fantastic snowcapped peaks of Karakoram and magnificent view of Zanskar Mountains, it is a very rewarding trip.

Goechala trekking in Sikkim amidst the Himalayas is a romantic experience. Early morning as I opened my eyes I was greeted by the view of thick mist flowing on hilltops and inviting me to explore the high altitudes. After treating myself with a sumptuous meal, I headed out with my backpack full of all the necessary items. My most memorable stretch was through meadows of Dzongri at 12,981 feet. The existence of magnificent peaks of Kanchenjunga throughout the trail was nature at its best. The view from Dzongri made me keep my eyes peeled as I saw a glimpse of snow peaks of Pandim.

I was spellbound on my next trekking expedition, the vast stretch of Chadar trek at an altitude of 12,628feet. It’s a frozen sheet and is extremely attractive; they are unbelievably gorgeous frozen waterfalls on the way. I was literally walking on a sheet of ice and I was very careful as there are places where ice is broken and I could see dark blue chilled water floating underneath. Ice path glistens under bright sunlight and I explored every inch of this bright isolated path on my own pace.

My next interesting trekking expedition took me to Ladakhi capital, Leh. From here, I started on Markha valley trekking trail, crossing rugged terrain on one side with barren hills and at the same time tiny villages’ scattered on the other side with barley, wheat and a lot more crops given the whole place a bright and fresh look. It is a considerably smaller stretch and I completed it in 3 days. I took photos of rare blue sheep and few other animals and birds while crossing through the Hemis National Park.

One of the most beautiful treks I have experienced has to be the Kudremukh trek in Western Ghats. The green blanket spread over the Ghats looks mesmerizing and mysterious at the same time. I wasn’t sure before I started what surprises are there waiting for me. I took a car ride from Bangalore to Kalasa and then headed to Kudramukha town to get a permit to enter the forests. After getting my permit, I reached Mullodi and was welcomed by thundering Somavathi waterfalls on my right. I stared open mouthed at the surprisingly beautiful falls before staring the trail. The sound of water falling was too loud and I kept walking away from it till it became silent and the forest started to thicken around me. After an hour of trekking, I reached the Lone tree point and took a short break to rest. There were flocks of deer grazing on the green carpet and watching them playing around in their natural abode was a high point for me. Kudramukha peak is visible at many points but not always as the trail is through around it. Once I reached the summit, the wind was blowing super-fast and I had to sit down to keep my balance.

My passion to explore mountain ranges in India didn’t stop at that. My next trip was to Hanuman Tibba trek in Himalayan ranges. This was a comparatively short trip and I completed it in 3 days. The less height of this peak at 20,000feet is covered by its unmatched beauty. The mountain is almost an exact pyramid shape with amazing view from all three sides. I was spellbound to see the gorgeous glaciers on one side of this huge structure. The other side touches the nearest road to Solang. Camping in groups with complete strangers was an additional experience that I had not planned and it was really fun.

Near the city of Pune is where I went for my next trekking expedition on the Rajgad Trekking trail. The stretch is not very difficult and I reached the summit from the base camp in around 3 hours. The chor darwaja is an awesome place surrounded with beautiful landscapes and the weather was a little cloudy. Walking in cold breeze alongside tree canopy trail was my most enjoyable moment of this trip. And once I reached the top, I was filled with peace with the first look at the Padmavati Lake. I decided to stay a night at the temple near the top; the greed of clean air and green pastures to look at in the morning was very tempting. And the wishes were fulfilled as the first rays of sun brightened the whole world, my eyes couldn’t have asked for a better view.

This time I went to ‘God’s own country’, Kerala to take a hiking trip on Chembra Trekking trail in Wayanad. Nestled in the beautiful Western Ghats is this trekking trail that took me to a lake that I have heard has never dried. All around me was misty clouds simulating my senses and the heart shaped lake made me feel for a split second that I might be imagining. Can there really be a place so out of the world and heavenly. It was cold but not freezing and I had made all the arrangement to spend a night under the stars camping. However, around 10pm, the air became chilled and the weather was very cold. The next day I descended down I treated myself with some yummy Kerala dishes cooked in coconut oil.

The never ending beautiful land of India took me to Uttaranchal for my next trekking trip. Adventurous is now my last name and I was quite attracted by the name itself, “Valley of Flowers”. This trek is fortunately hidden from the growing civilization and is paused in time from some other era altogether. There were alpine flowers of every possible color all around me and thick dew drops rested on them adding to the beauty of already mesmerizing flower beds. The enchanting valley nestled in the western Himalayan ranges of Garhwal hills is what paradise must be like.

Posted in: Chembra Trekking trail, India Travel Guide, Ladakh Adventure Tour, Ladakh Trekking, Roopkund trek Adventure, Sikkim Goecha La Trek, Valley of Flowers