Let's Go Travel: Treks of Uttarakhand "Treks From Almora"

Treks of Uttarakhand "Treks From Almora"

TREKKING

The hilly terrain of Uttarakhand provides plenty of opportunities for mountaineering, trekking and rock climbing. The easternmost hill district Pithoragarh, bordering Nepal and Tibet, often dubbed as ‘Miniature Kashmir’, is abundant in natural beauty, making it

the perfect base for many an exciting trek. Several interesting treks interlace the Gori Valley with some of the well-traversed trekking routes running along the Munsiyari – Martoli – Milam – Ralam Glacier. These treks are not just walks of adventure, but are also an interesting way to interact and understand the social and cultural life of the people in the Chaudans, Byans and Darma Valleys. The Bageshwar – Sunderdhunga – Pindari – Kafni Glacier trek is another highly preferred trekking route in the area.The Garhwal region also offers several thrilling treks, some of them being the Panch Kedar trek, Kedarnath – Vasuki Tal trek, Gangotri – Kedarnath trek and the Gangotri – Gaumukh – Nandanvan – Tapovan trek. The Panch Kedar trek passes through the five Kedars represented by Kedarnath, Madmaheshwar, Tungnath, Kalpeshwar and Rudranath. The fascinating routes are profusely intermingled with the widest range of flora and fauna. The Valley of Flowers and Hemkund trek start from Govindghat and lead to Badrinath. Other treks like the Kalindikhal trek, the Khatling – Sahasratal – Masartal trek, Har Ki Dun trek, Rishikesh – Pauri – Binsar trek and Roopkund trek are equally invigorating for both the eager amateur and the veteran mountaineer.

THE NEHRU INSTITUTE OF MOUNTAINEERING (NIM)

For the past 40 years, with the aim to produce trained mountaineers and mountaineering enthusiasts, NIM has trained thousands of Indians and hundreds of foreigners. The

proposal to set up such an institute was first declared by the Ministry of Defence in 1964. NIM was established on November 14, 1965 at Uttarkashi to honour the desire of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, who was passionate about mountains. Bachhendri Pal, the first Indian woman to climb Mt. Everest, was trained at this Institute. The core of the training covers a high degree of technical exposure and expertise, along with safety applications to instill the correct mountaineering ethos. Although it is one of India’s youngest institutes, it has managed to get ahead of most others and has become a trusted anchor when it comes to mountaineering training. The excellent training standards, good administration, along with dedicated staff, make it one of the finest mountaineering institutes in the world.

Treks From Almora Almora, another popular hill station of Uttarakhand is known as the cultural capital of Kumaon. This town is situated on a 5 km mountain range situated at an altitude of 1,650 m and from a distance its shape resembles a horse shoe. Almora was not discovered and developed by the British, instead it was the seat of power of the Chand Dynasty who ruled the land of Kumaon for almost a millennium. The town has maintained its old customs and traditions that are visible in the way houses and roads have been built. The old forts, the historical monuments and the royal courts still exist in decent shape. The Kaushiki (Koshi) and Shalmali (Suyal) Rivers encircle the town, overlooked by the snows of the Himalayas. A must buy are the local Kumaoni sweets called Bal Mithai and Singauri.

S. No.	Name of Trek Route	Distance in Kms.	Duration of Trek	Gradient of Trek
1	Almora-Binsar- Jageshwar Trek
Almora - 13 km motorable - Kalmathiya - 10 km trek - Davra Gaun - 10 km trek - Dalar Gaun - 6 km trek - Binsar - 8 km Dhaulchina - 10 km trek - Jageshwar		44 Kms.	4 day	Normal
2	Almora-Shitalakhet-Ranikhet Trek
Almora - 17 km trek -Shitalakhet - 17 km trek - Chaukutiya		34 Kms.	3 day	Normal
3	Dwarahat-Doonagiri-Kausani Trek
Dwaragat - 10 km trek - Doonagiri - 10 km motorable and 10 km trek - Bhattkot - 10 km trek - Virdh Pinnak - 9 km trek - Kausani		39 Kms.	4 day	Normal
4	Almora-Banadi Devi- Kunwari Devi Trek
Almora - 9 km trek - Banadi Devi - 3 km trek - Jalna - 4 km trek - Kunwari Devi - 4 km trek Back - Jalna - 30 km motorable - Almora		20 Kms.	2 day	Normal