I had never known North Pullu to be like this : The entire landscape was shrouded in a pall of white and a deathly silence prevailed. Maybe the army wouldn’t have let me ago if only they had seen me. The gentleman giving me the ride stopped for a breather, after all even the snowfall Gods…
Tag: Himalayas
A lost treasure – The biggest home in Kumaon
I had been roaming pretty much everywhere in the higher reaches of Uttarakhand. It was sheer delight coming across pretty windows and doors embellished with intricate carvings in remote towns. Houses in the mountains have traditionally been constructed from mud and stone because of easy availability of the same. I kept asking people about traditional houses wherever…
Solo travelling to the last frontier of Sach Pass
July has the distinction of being one of my favourite months. Even when I worked in the family business, the arrival of rains in July signalled that I could head out for long solo sojourns. In the last week of June, I randomly booked tickets from Jaipur to Pathankot in Pooja Express. I was hoping to…
Encounters at the end of the world in Himachal Pradesh
It was an impossible task to reach even Bharmour. The three hour bus journey from Chamba had proved to be a topsy turvy ride, especially when the broad track gave way to a serpentine mountainous road. Some of it had been swept away in the rain. This was the land of the Gaddis and Bharmour was…
Tarsar Marsar Trek in Kashmir, in Pictures – Part II
While Tarsar Marsar Trek in Kashmir, in Pictures – Part I focused on the grasslands and valleys in remote Kashmir; Part II will focus mainly on the pristine lakes and high altitude landscapes carpeted with wildflowers. Photographs in this post are from reaching Tarsar Lake and continue to Marsar Lake till the end of the trek. The…
Tarsar Marsar Trek in Kashmir, in pictures – Part I
While spending time in Srinagar I am always jittery. My idea of a holiday doesn’t mean being worried all day with the military presence. Therefore escaping to the countryside in relatively unexplored Kashmir is my perfect idea of connecting with nature without spotting any tourists and knowing the local way of life. And thats perfectly where…
First impressions of Sikkim
Sikkim is the second smallest state of our country and arguably the most visited on the Eastern side of India. From one of the highest mountain peaks in the world, the towering Kanchendzonga (Kanchenjunga), to virgin tropical forests and sanctuaries, from alpine meadows to rushing streams, rivers and waterfalls – Sikkim had me hooked at first…
Musings from the one home village of Yurutse at 4200m
Yurutse: A ‘one home’ Ladakhi village in Markha Valley A local has been kind enough to walk with me to Rumbak, I have been warned against venturing out alone. It is January cold and a woman has recently been mauled by dogs on the same trail. The cloudy skies give way and it is snowing…
7 roadtrips for adventure junkies in India
Upon reading Kerouac’s On the Road for the second time; I have a sudden need to be on a road trip. Somewhere wild and free, without a care in the world. We only live once, right? Life is either a great daring adventure or nothing. A road trip might be the only time in…
Life in a secret hideaway in Himachal
On a cold winter morning, I woke up to the cries of ‘chai, chai’ with incessant knocking on my door. I was in the most blissful state of mind, having slept whilst looking at the stars and a faint outline of the milky way that was visible in the absence of light pollution. It was the…
Going on a vacation with your traveler boyfriend – Sounds awesome?
By the sound of it, it all seems so exciting. I list the good experiences with the not so good ones; we cant have pros without the cons! A traveler boyfriend will make sure you experience what real ‘TRAVEL’ is. This is exactly why : 1. You get to travel to all offbeat places in the…
Trekking from Purne to Phugtal Monastery, in Pictures
Read : Stunning experiences from the most remote monastery in the world Read : Leh-Ladakh : Amalgamation of Cultures Read : Wanderings in Lahaul – Tayul Monastery Read : Wanderings in Lahaul : Kardang Monastery Read : Lamas at Phuktal Monastery Chortens, monks, a monastery guesthouse and the greatest…