Beat the summer heat and pinch of recession by heading to the Himalayas for a month-long budget holiday. The GUIDE tells you how you can spend a month high up, under dus hazaar
Beat the summer heat and pinch of recession by heading to the Himalayas for a month-long budget holiday. The GUIDE tells you how you can spend a month high up, under dus hazaar
"What we get from this is adventure and just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life," said mountaineer George Mallory, while talking of climbing the Everest. The Himalayas have been revered for their beauty, often considered the abode of Gods themselves. The play of snowclad peaks, crystal streams, verdant meadows and deliciously dense forests, is rare to find.
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For those of you who enjoy the luxury of time, and have a month but not enough moolah to spare, The Youth Hostels Association of India (YHAI) might be talking point. They conduct trekking expeditions to various spots in the Himalayan region between April and May. Each costs as little as Rs 3,000, even offering you the option of combining three trips over a month for less than Rs 10,000.
What is a typical trek like?
The Saurkundi Pass trek takes you through the pass (12,900 feet above sea level) that lies between two hills, and a pond nearby that's believed to cleanse you of all disease. The trip starts off at the youth hostel base camp at Babeli (4,000 feet high) on the outskirts of Kulu (7 km).
The first three days are spent getting acclimatised and oriented with surroundings at Babeli. Camp leaders assess your fitness, while you try your hand at rock climbing, rappelling and trekking in the forests. The trek kicks off on day 4, with a bunch of experienced locals leading the way for a group of about 30.
Day 4 sees you at Segli camp (7,100 feet) where the trekking is leisurely, and the landscape perfect to click pictures to fill albums. Explore the apple orchards surrounded by forests that are home to woodpeckers, warblers and drangos.
You trek to Hora Thatch (9,000 feet) on day 5, before you move to Maylee Thatch (10,500 feet) where you will encounter sheep lazily grazing on undulating meadows. Doura Thatch will give you the chance to trek on snow for the first time. Day 9 gets you to Lekhni, through a downhill climb.u00a0 From Lekhni, you head to Alu Ground near Manali and back to Babeli by bus.
After several rounds of dumb charades, singing and sharing stories under a starlit sky,u00a0 "you come as strangers, but leave as friends".
Tips to see you through
Though YHAI provides rucksacks, blankets and sleeping bags, Mahajan suggests you carry your own sack, preferably one with metal plates that keep your back in shape. "If you are concerned about hygiene, weave the ends of old cotton sarees to create a sort of wrap and use it as a layer between your body and sleeping bag," she advises.
Mundane rigours like those of having to bathe go for a toss once you leave base camp. Carry your own medicine pouch (look out for altitude related ailments like headaches, swollen limbs and exhaustion due to lack of oxygen), a good pair of trekking shoes, sunglasses and a sunblock lotion with SPF 50. Drink water to prevent dehydration. Mahajan says it's a good idea to go for walks or cycling three weeks prior to the trek.
| How to get there |
| Take the Rajdhani Express to Delhi, and book a Volvo if you are in a group, or opt for the private buses to Kulu, that take 12 hours. You can also head to Chandigarh and take an 8-hour bus drive to Manali. Get off at the YHAI base camp in Babeli, close to Kulu. |
| 3 cool trips |
| * You need to register at YHAI to become a member. One-year membership for Rs 100, life membership for Rs 1,550. * Saurkundi pass trek costs Rs 2,765 (inclusive of stay, food and equipment). From April 25 to May 25. * Sar Pass Trail near Kulu in Himachal Pradesh for Rs 2,765 (inclusive of stay, food and equipment). From April 28 to May 31. * Har-Ki-Doon in Garhwal Himalayas for Rs 3,465 (inclusive of stay, food and equipment). From May 1 to May 31. Log on to https://www. yhaindia.org for registering and membership Call: 24126004 |
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