If you’ve ever found yourself at a crossroads in the hinterlands of India, you know that seeking guidance from locals lounging and sipping on their daily fix of chai at an adda is the best bet to find your way around. Lacking these friendly helpful figures in the USA, last week a group of travellers in Los Angeles resorted to the next best option — Google Maps — only to find themselves stuck in the middle of a desert on their way home after choosing a supposedly ‘faster’ route. As things get frosty in the upcoming months, experts from the city share their go-to alternatives if you’re planning to take the road less 
travelled by.

Watch your step
Chirag Dhabalia, trek organiser, @chirag.dhabalia