16 August 2026 · 4 min read
Which Himalayan trek can you do with your parents?
Of our nine routes, one clears a sensible bar for older walkers. Altitude, not distance, is what rules the others out, and the reasoning is worth seeing.
Trekking
13 guides covering permits, seasons, costs and route detail.
16 August 2026 · 3 min read
Trekking with friends vs solo: what actually changes
Cost per head, pace, and who decides when to turn around. Going solo in the Indian Himalaya rarely means alone, and that changes the comparison.
16 August 2026 · 3 min read
Kedarkantha with kids: 3,810 m is the problem, not the walk
The trail is graded easy and children handle it fine. The summit sits at 3,810 m, and mountain-medicine guidance puts the ceiling for under-tens near 3,000 m.
15 August 2026 · 4 min read
Valley of Flowers vs Hampta Pass: rain or rain shadow
Two monsoon treks at almost identical altitude. Valley of Flowers walks you into the rain on purpose; Hampta Pass crosses a wall to escape it.
15 August 2026 · 3 min read
Kedarkantha trek: 3,810 m, 20 km, six days
Kedarkantha summits at 3,810 m, or 12,500 ft. The trek covers about 20 km over six days from Sankri, with roughly 1,840 m of total ascent.
15 August 2026 · 3 min read
Hampta Pass trek: 4,287 m, 26 km, five days
Hampta Pass tops out at 4,287 m. The trek covers about 26 km over five days, with roughly 1,600 m of total ascent, and it crosses rather than returns.
6 August 2026 · 3 min read
Is the Chadar trek running in 2026? No, and here's what happened
The 2026 Chadar season was suspended in January when the Zanskar failed to freeze. What that means, why it keeps happening, and what to do in Ladakh instead.
4 August 2026 · 4 min read
Kedarkantha vs Hampta Pass: Hampta is the harder one
Hampta Pass tops out at 4,287 m over 26 km; Kedarkantha at 3,810 m over 20 km. They also run in opposite seasons, so your leave dates often decide it.
3 August 2026 · 3 min read
Valley of Flowers 2026: opening dates, fees and when the bloom peaks
The park opened 1 June 2026 and runs to October. Entry is Rs 200 for Indians and Rs 800 for foreign nationals. Peak bloom is mid-July to August.
2 August 2026 · 3 min read
How to vet a local guide before you pay anything
Nine questions that separate a real local guide from a subcontracted stranger, and the answers that should make you walk away.
25 July 2026 · 2 min read
Meghalaya: go in the monsoon or in winter?
The living root bridges are most alive in the rain and most walkable in winter. Which trade-off suits you, and what the 3,000 steps really involve.
22 July 2026 · 3 min read
Altitude sickness on Indian treks: the itinerary red flags
AMS is an itinerary problem before it is a medical one. How to read a trek plan and spot the ones that will make you ill.
18 July 2026 · 3 min read
The Kashmir Great Lakes trek: seven lakes, and when to walk them
Around 70 km of alpine meadow and lake between July and September. Moderate rather than hard, and probably the best scenery-to-difficulty ratio in India.