New Weekend Trek Opened in Chirbatiya, Uttarakhand
Indiahikes, in collaboration with the Uttarakhand Forest Department, has opened a brand new weekend trek in Uttarakhand — the Chirbatiya Weekend Trek. Take a look!
Yes, treks have restarted! 🙂 We’re happy to tell you that from the beginning of October 2020, we have restarted Himalayan treks. Several teams have already gone on treks and returned safely, having had wonderfully meaningful experiences with us.
We have announced dates for Winter 2020 and also for future treks all the way until June 2021. To take a look at our upcoming treks, click here.
March and April are wonderful months to experience springtime in the Himalayas. This is when winter starts to recede; snow is still around. A carpet of fresh grass sprouts around these snow patches. The landscape is a riot of colours. It’s the best experience of both, snow and greenery.
These are best treks in March and April. These are fast-filling too, so plan your trek soon.
For more spring treks, read this article written by our founder.
It is not mandatory for you to do a COVID test before coming on your trek. The Uttarakhand state government has removed the requirement for a COVID test.
At Indiahikes, we strongly recommend doing an RT-PCR test before coming on your trek, because it reduces the probability of coming to these remote regions as carriers of the virus.
But we understand that in some cities, it is difficult to get the test done at will. So we have not made it a mandatory requirement. You will, however, need to bring a basic medical certificate, which has been mandatory for all our treks for the past 10 years.
At Indiahikes, we make no compromises when it comes to safety. Since its inception Indiahikes has pioneered as well as established safety protocols that are strictly implemented across all treks.
In COVID times this attention to safety has been significantly amplified. After much research, brainstorming, and consultation with experts we have come up with a 31 point safety check.
This includes safety processes before your trek, at the base camp, on your trek and even after you return. Read all the 31 steps here.
Yes, absolutely. Many solo trekkers join our teams and have wonderful experiences. They end up meeting like-minded people on the trek and don’t feel like they have come alone on the trek any more.
Our pre-trek experience team ensures that you know your entire team well much before you actually head out on the trek.
Additionally, we have several women trekkers who join us solo as well because of the safety they get with the Indiahikes team. You’re welcome to join us as a solo trekker too.
We provide simple, delicious, nutritious vegetarian meals on all days of the trek.
Indiahikes provides Indian vegetarian food. Your typical meal will consist of roti (Indian bread), sabzi (vegetable), dal (lentils) and rice. Add to it a sumptuous dessert. (Psst… Many of our trekkers tell us they want to trek again simply for the food we serve.)
We serve three meals a day – breakfast, lunch and dinner. Apart from that, you’ll get tea and snacks in the evening and a hot cup of soup before dinner. If you’re in for a long day of trekking, you’ll get a packed snack as well.
Our menu is designed after elaborate research on nutritional requirements for trekkers. We take the exercise put in, the altitude gained and the weather you’ll face into consideration before putting each meal together. You’ll notice that every meal is nutritionally well-balanced with the right amount of carbs, protein, vitamins, fibre and calories.
Add to that the expertise of our cooks. They’ve all undergone intensive training to be where they are. The meals they dish out will have you licking your fingers!
Many people are intimidated by the idea of a Himalayan trek. It’s true that there are very real risks and challenges.
However, almost everyone can participate in a Himalayan, if they are physically fit and mentally prepared for their trek. Around 75% of our trekkers are beginners and they trek comfortably.
What will really help you is that after you register your trek, the Indiahikes Pre-Trek Experience Team will guide you on how to prepare for the trek. They will give you a fitness routine to follow and guidance on what to bring for the trek. They will also put you in touch with the rest of your trekking team, so that you know your trek mates well in advance.
Given that we have been introducing Himalayan treks to beginners since 2008, you’re in safe hands.
Each trek has its own fitness requirements, which you can see in the “Get yourself fit” section on the relevant trek page. You will need to develop your fitness to meet these criteria before you start your trek.
We have several resources and videos on this website to help you get fit. Once you register for your trek, your trek coordinator will also be in touch regularly to provide additional support and check your progress.
With a regular fitness plan, the fitness requirements are achievable by most people and will ensure maximum enjoyment and safety during the trek.
You’re welcome to join us as a solo woman trekker. We take great pride in the fact that 35% of our trekkers are women, many of whom trek solo with us. This means, in any given trekking group, there are usually at least 4-5 women. So you can comfortably join us on a trek as a solo woman trekker.
To make sure you know your trek mates before you actually meet them, we have a Whatsapp group and a pre-trek briefing where you can meet them virtually. That way, you’ll not be trekking with complete strangers. On another note, if you have selected a particular trek group and want to know if there are women signed up in the group, you are welcome to give us a call to find out. You can reach out to us on +91-080-468-01269.
When you’re on the trek, our Trek Leaders are sensitized to handle all kinds of women’s issues. So whether you’re on your period, or anything is making you uncomfortable, you can speak to our Trek Leader about it.
In terms of your safety and privacy, you will be staying with another woman in a tent. We also have separate toilet tents for men and women. If you have any further doubts, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Each trek is unique and may include different things in the trek fee. You can find out exactly what’s included in the “What’s Included” section on the relevant trek page (on some trek pages this information is located in the “Cancellation Policy” section).
Generally speaking, your trek free includes all costs while on the trek, including:
Your fee usually does not include expenses incurred in getting to and from the base camp or your personal equipment, such as your backpack, shoes or clothing.
View all our upcoming treks and register to secure your preferred dates
“Kedarkantha was my first trek and it was the most amazing experience. I couldn’t imagine that a trek could be that good! It was my first experience trekking, in snow, travelling alone, without connectivity, just with friends I made on the trek, it was amazing! The Indiahikes team even made a cake for a friend, whose birthday it was! Now all my trek friends and I can talk about are treks!” – Ishani Ghotikar, Nutritionist, Hyderabad
“We all try to seek adventure ( and memories) often unprepared, whenever we book a trek. It’s this your (IH’s) attitude to keep our safety foremost, somewhere assures me deep down, that whenever I leave for a trek or tell my loved ones that I am off for trekking, I am ‘covered’. I have heard stories of evacuations, forced returns, staying put for long and incomplete treks, keeping the safety above all needs an attitude which I see is embedded enough in the trek leaders, slope managers, and all through your website. I refer everyone saying, go take a trek with IH, they safe, and will care for you. Keep this as your motto. This trust makes IH different from others.” – Anirudh Gargi, Software Developer, Bangalore
“Every experience first time has a sense of apprehensiveness about what to expect and how to go about it. That was the same case as I ventured on my first Himalayan trek and needless to say Indiahikes were the complete package in reassuring you about having an amazing experience. They were absolutely professional about everything right from the start, constant communication through emails, tips about packing and gear, advice on fitness and all these actually mattered on the trek as it made the trek a memorable experience. The trek guide along with the trek staff were among the warmest people I have met, and their tireless efforts to make everyone comfortable deserves the loudest cheers. Indiahikes fully validates their claim that they are the largest trekking community and the most recommended by trekkers, because they actually care about the balance of giving the best trekking experience and sustaining and preserving the natural environment.” – Srikanth Chandrasekhar, Network Engineer, Mumbai
“The trek went really well, Indiahikes made sure that we had an amazing 6 days in the mountains. All the arrangements were spot on. While our trek lead Krupa made sure that the health of the trekkers were in good condition by continuously monitoring oxygen level, pulse rate, the other two leaders sai pavan and leo lifted up the trek experience. Kudos to Indiahikes for making this an unforgettable experience in our life, thank you very much!” – Sanjay Saliyan, IT Technical Lead, Bangalore
“Hats off to the Indiahikes team! I had a wonderful experience in the complete trek and surprisingly have no complain at all. The Indiahikes team was on its toes at all times and they didn’t let us feel like anything was missing. The food served was served hot and delicious. With this amazing experience I would love to trek again with this esteemed organisation and would highly recommend it to my friends and family too.” – Nihar Shah, Student & Entrepreneur, Mumbai
“This was my first ever trekking experience, and overall, I’ve come back from the trek extremely happy and truly humbled. I enjoyed every moment of the trekking experience – the arduous ascents and tough descents, and do believe that the reason I enjoyed it, is the attention that Indiahikes pays to detail, to educate trekkers about what we’ve signed up for. This helps us physically and mentally to prepare ourselves for what’s to come. I definitely intend on returning back to the Himalayas for more treks with Indiahikes ” – Varsha Vijayababu, Software Engineer, Bangalore
“This is my first experience of trekking and I enjoyed it thoroughly.. Undoubtedly the best days of my life. Emails from Indiahikes regarding practice, choosing gears and other basic stuff were really helpful in preparation for the trek and to improve my strength and stamina. I am way too happy to have chosen Indiahikes as my trek partner. It was much more than expected. Thank you. I am definitely coming for many more treks in future!!” – Dr Komal Shah, Intervention Pulmonologist, Ahmedabad
Read a selection of our latest articles below or select a category from drop-down.
Indiahikes, in collaboration with the Uttarakhand Forest Department, has opened a brand new weekend trek in Uttarakhand — the Chirbatiya Weekend Trek. Take a look!
Here are the 6 best alternatives to the most popular Himalayan treks of India. These are hidden gems in the trekking world, hidden in Uttarakhand, Himachal and Kashmir. Take a look!
We are happy to announce that we have opened a beautiful Western Campus of Indiahikes in the Sahyadris of the Karjat region, Maharashtra. Take a look!
We have opened the Ali Bedni Bugyal trek and the Gidara Bugyal trek. These are treks that don’t need an introduction in the trekking community. They have often been touted as the best high altitude meadow treks of our country. Nevertheless, before I get into details of these treks, I need to give you a […]
Here are the best treks in March and April to experience spring time in the Himalayas. Start planning now!
Read about 3 of the most thrilling, challenging, and high on adventure Himalayan summer treks. Click to see which ones they are. Batches open now!
Just as we have restarted trekking at Indiahikes, we have restarted recruitments as well. Take a look!
Trek Leader Akshay Upreti shares how it feels to leave the ‘safe and stable’ corporate job and work in the world of outdoors at Indiahikes
Small groups can now start trekking with us! We have opened up 8 Himalayan treks with a 31-point safety check. Read about it here.