Best Himalayan Treks to do in Winter
Are you a winter trekker? It is crazy to trek in the winter, right? But there are some people who are born to face adventures. Adventure marks their life with excitement. So if you are one among them, the Winter Trek in the Himalayas is the best option for you to take on.
Important thing you need while you are opting for a winter trek is good health. Yes, only with physical fitness you can attempt a Himalayan trek. In most of the places the guides will have Health checkups and you will be allowed only if you pass those tests. So be prepared for that. Then you need a good sweater that keeps you warm and comfortable along with microspikes. They help you to have a greater grip over the slippery slopes caused due to snowfall. So here are some of the interesting places that you must visit during the winters.
Brahmatal Trek
Brahmatal is located in Uttarakhand. If you were to stay in Delhi, then you must reach Rishikesh or Haridwar to reach Lohajung, which is the base camp of Brahmatal. Lohajung is about 9000 feet above sea level.It can take a very long time from Rishikesh to Lohajung. From here another base camp that you must travel to is Bekalthal. It will further lead you to Tilanti Camp. After Bekalthal, you can see the slow entry of snow and ice covering all over the land. You must take every step with utmost attention as the ground would be slippery, and the track gets narrowed due to heavy snowfall. However, you can unveil a heavenly facet of mother mature in Brahmatal.
Chadar Trek
The journey for Chadar Trek starts at Leh in Ladakh. It is recommended to acclimatize for 3 days in Leh before you proceed to attempt Chadar trek. There are certain basic health checkups that every trekker must pass in order to start your journey. On the way towards the valley you can view the confluence of the rivers Indus and Zanskar. The 2-3 hours drive along the Zanskar will lead you to the trail road. Walking on a frozen river is a bit tricky. After slipping, falling and trying to gather your balance you will encounter your 1st camping site, the Shingra Koma, which is 10,400 feet above sea level. After a glimpse of the vast snow carpet you will arrive at Tibb, the next camp site. After moving further, you will witness the frozen waterfall of Nerak, which is the most iconic site. And the next destination will lead you to Chadar. With the thin sheet of snow covered over the river it can only lead you to the pinnacle.
Goecha La Trek
It is one of the most difficult Treks in India located in Sikkim. Here, you don’t just see one summit i.e, Kanchanjunga but also 14 other summits. It starts at Yuksom, a fairly large settlement in West Sikkim. It is a place covered with forest all around. The 1st view point is at Phakola. This takes you through the moist jungle. In the midst you can find mini waterfalls which take you to Sachen. The view here is a mix of vast grasslands encompassed by the dense forests. Here you can have a base camp and restart your journey the next day. The next destination is to Bhakim, which is 3000 meters above sea level. From Bhakim to Tshoka, it takes about 3-4 hours. From here after crossing a few other base camps, it can finally lead you to your destination.
Kedarkantha Trek
Kedarkantha is one of the adventurous treks especially when you do it in winters. You can start your journey from Dehradun to Sankri, which is the base of Kedarkantha. You can start your trek the next day, meanwhile you can acclimatize there because it is very important for you to adapt to the high altitude. You can view very tall trees in the midst of mighty mountains. From here you can reach Juda Ka Talab. As you move on the altitude and the steep both increase slowly. As you reach the nearest point of Kedarkantha the scenes become more beautiful and mesmerizing. Finally, the sunrise view from the summit is a fascinating experience that you must have.
Nag Tibba Winter Trek
It is a peak which is part of the lower Himalayan region of Uttarakhand. It is at an altitude of 3022 meters above sea level. You can start your journey from Pantwari. It is considered as one of the easiest Treks in India, hence beginners can try it without any fear. But the snow takes all the credit for the difficulty level. If you are a winter trekker then you can expect heavy snow. So from Pantwari you must cross goat village to reach the base camp of Nag Tibba, where you can stay there for that night. The trail is clearly laid to Nag Tibba. After reaching the summit you can have a panoramic view of Bandarpoonch mountains as well along with the early sunrise morning.
Kuari Pass Trek
It is located in Uttarakhand at an altitude of 12500 feet above sea level. You can initiate your journey from Rishikesh, which takes you 10-12 hours to reach Joshimath. Joshimath in Uttarakhand acts like a base camp of Kuari pass trek. The first base camp here is Juling. From here you can view the peaks of Nanda Devi, Dronagiri. The trek from here is a mix of forest and vast plain lands having the trees of Rhododendrons. The next base camp is towards Kullara. The snow starts to get visible from here. You can take the help of micro spikes in order to get hold of the ground. After some trek you can view the peaks like Nanda Kot, Dhaulagiri. The steepness increases from here on. The snow here is knee-deep. As soon as you cross the difficult snow then you can reach the summit, where you can have a 360 degree view of the mountain ranges covered with snow caps.
