Himalaya » Trekking in Himalaya

Although the first expeditions to climb the high peaks of the Himalaya were in India, these days the country is far less popular with trekkers than Nepal. This is in no way an indication of what the country has to offer as a trekking destination: India’s 1100 kilometre share of the Himalayan chain offers vast opportunities for the trekker.

Because fewer people trek in the In­dian Himalaya, the infrastructure for the activity is less well-developed — India has few counterparts to Nepal’s "teahouse trek" — so it’s best to arrange your trip through a local or international out fitter, and to use local guides. Both the number — and professionalism — of Indian compa­nies has increased in recent years, and trekking centres now stretch across the Indian Himalaya from Leh to Gangtok.

In general, the best times to go are: June to early October on the dry, high side of the Himalaya; October-November and April-June on the monsoonal, south side (to avoid the summer monsoon and the long winter snows).