Adventure
of Uttaranchal
Uttaranchal Trekkings
The beauty of the Uttranchal
Hills is picture-perfect, a fusion of high mountain valley and lakes, of many
streams and among India's greatest rivers, Carmine rhododendron blooms and scarlet
flame-of-the-forest blossoms are luminous in jungles of dense green, while the
faith of an old people has kept alive a lifestyle that dates back by several centuries.
These are the playgrounds of the gods, where legends have the sanctity of history,
and where the people are warm and hospitable in a manner unknown to modern metropolises.
But
there is plenty of interest here for the amateur trekker too. For those interested
in the fusion of art and culture with religion, the popular temple pilgrimages
and hilltop temples will provide sufficient material for the rewarding journey.
Botanists can spend months studying the vast treasure-house of plants here. The
birds of the Garhwal & Kumaon Himalayas, and their profusion, will captivate
bird-watchers. And for photographers, professional or amateur, the canvas of mountain
scenery and village homes will provide a wealth of material. Nor is trekking in
the Uttranchal hills expensive, for one can stay at any of a number of rest houses,
travelers lodges or dharamshalas at a nominal cost.
Trekking routes remain
open from April to October, though the best period is considered to extend from
April to June, and from mid-September to November.
