India’s Largest & Safest Trekking Organisation

We have reopened our beautiful Western Campus in the Sahyadris | Sept 16th, 2021

We would like to invite you to join our Experiential Learning Programme for Families at our Western Campus. We have announced dates for this October.

You’ll love the campus in Karjat. It is surrounded by hills on all sides and lovely trekking trails. Around our campus there’s also lakes, streams, waterfalls and forests, around which we run our experiential learning programs.

We’re doing a two day programme, with trekking and camping for two nights, along with specialised experiential learning activities.

Senior Trek Leader Shares Important Updates for Trekkers to Rupin Pass and Buran Ghati | Sept 14th, 2021

Our Senior Trek Leader, Nitesh Kumar shares 5 important updates for all trekkers headed to Buran Ghati and Rupin Pass.

He has just reached Chirgaon, a small village on the way to the base camps of both these treks. He shares details about the landslides we've been seeing in the news, the weather, the Covid regulations and the journey to the base camp.

If you have any more questions, drop in a comment on the video.

Another Terrific Trek Opened in Lahaul - The Ghepan Lake Trek | Aug 21

You’ll have to act quickly on this one.  We are opening another new trek in remote Lahaul -- the Ghepan Lake trek. We're opening it as early as September 7th, two weeks from now.  

Some of our very experienced team members visited the lake recently and came back awestruck. 

"I've seen many lakes -- the Tarsar Marsar lakes and Kausar Nag in Kashmir, Pangong Lake, Chandratal, Maldarutal, Ruinsara Tal -- but I've never seen a lake so strikingly blue. And it's blue at any time of the day, morning, evening, night! It's a visual stunner," says Ravi Ranjan, a Slope Manager at Indiahikes, who just returned from Ghepan lake. 

We Have Explored A New Trek in Kyrgyzstan! | Aug 17

In the first week of August, our team explored a new trek in Kyrgyzstan — the Ala Kul Trek. 

“One thing Indian trekkers will love about this trek is the beautiful landscape of Kyrgyzstan. It had so much variety! I never imagined Kyrgyzstan to be like this. The trek has a challenging pass crossing over scree and boulders. We walked through endless meadows. We crossed rivers. It was full of adventure,” shares Arjun.

The exploration was a huge success. We were all set to open the Ala Kul trek this year, but the plan is delayed as it has become difficult to reach Kyrgyzstan given that flights are not allowed in the airspace over Afghanistan.

We will keep you in the loop of any dates announced!

First Miyar Valley team all set to trek! | Aug 17

Over the coming weekend, our first ever team to Miyar Valley is all set to start the trek. We can’t help but feel butterflies in our stomachs.

The Miyar Valley trek has been on our radar for a long time. We couldn't because Lahaul was inaccessible and used to be inaccessible. But the opening of the Atal Tunnel changed things. Lahaul became more accessible and many trekking options opened up.

"Set in the heart of Lahaul, this is a trek that is going to capture the imagination of trekkers like no other trek has," says Arjun Majumdar, Founder, and CEO, Indiahikes. We have just two teams going up on the trek this year. If trekkers come back loving it the way we have loved it, you have a bucketlist trek for next year! We’ll keep you posted about how it goes.

Warwan Valley Team Returns from Re-Exploration of the Trek | Aug 16

After four long years, we finally re-explored the Warwan Valley trek! Today, our exploration group returned from the trek. We had waited for this moment for a long time!

This time around, we wanted to re-explore the trail to check the situation on the route, given there is a gruelling pass-crossing and a walk along the length of a massive glacier. The trek has turned out to be a resounding success.

“Back from the Warwan Valley trek. Completely mind blown. If you haven’t seen this part of Kashmir then you have not seen Kashmir,” was the first thing Senior Trek Leader Dushyant Sharma said on returning from the trek.

Registrations Kick-Start for Nepal Treks | Aug 10

Nepal treks are back on the roster after two long years. We’re happy because trekking in Nepal is very different from trekking in the Indian Himalayas, and we've missed it for a long time.

The scale of the mountains in Nepal is larger-than-life, with the highest peaks of the world looming over you while you trek.

In autumn, we have groups scheduled for Everest Base Camp-Gokyo Ri, Annapurna Base Camp, and Khopra Ridge trek.

The first two treks don't need an introduction. But don't ignore Khopra Ridge. Our Trek Leaders vouch for it to be more rewarding than EBC and ABC!

RT-PCR Negative Certificate Mandatory to Return to Maharashtra, Karnataka | Aug 2

This is for trekkers returning to Maharashtra after their trek. As per the new COVID-19 guidelines, you need an RT-PCR Negative Certificate to board the flight if you are traveling to Maharashtra, Karnataka.

There are testing centres available in the base cities like Manali, Srinagar, Rishikesh. But it takes around 24 hours to get the test results.

For this, keep a buffer day in your itinerary so you can get tested after coming back from the trek and have time for the results. In case you need help, please get in touch with your Experience Coordinators.

Hemkund Sahib is Now Open to Trekkers | Aug 2

We have good news! On July 30th, the trail to Hemkund Sahib opened up for trekkers. After a month of waiting, trekkers were enthralled to see the trail open up, allowing them to visit the wonderful lake at Hemkund Sahib. The trail was closed until Saturday, as it was considered similar to the Chardham yatra. 

Even though the gurudwara remains closed, the climb to the lake is extremely rewarding. Nitesh Kumar, our Senior Trek Leader mentioned that the route to Hemkund Sahib was empty and the lake looked beautiful. 

There are strict timings to visit Hemkund Sahib. The last departures from Ghangria have to be between 6 am and 8 am. No trekkers will be allowed to stay by the lake beyond 1 pm.

Route to Manali not Affected by Landslide Near Batal | July 28

On Monday, there was a landslide at Batal on NH-5 that connects Lahaul to Spiti. Trekkers take this route to drive from Chhatru to Chandratal at the end of the Hampta Pass trek. This landslide is different from the landslide that happened near Malling Nala, which is trending in the news. Malling Nala is around 180 km away from here.

The route to Manali from Delhi/Chandigarh is not affected by this landslide. The  Hampta Pass trek is running on schedule. But it may not be possible to drive to Chandratal for the next couple of days.

We are monitoring the situation closely and will put up an update as soon as Chandratal becomes accessible again.

We have opened a new trek in Lahaul — The Miyar Valley trek | July 23

This is a trek that has been on our radar for a long time. "Unfortunately, Lahaul has been so inaccessible that we had never gotten a chance to open it up for trekkers. It would take 2 days to simply reach the base camp across Rohtang Pass," says Arjun Majumdar, the founder and CEO of Indiahikes.

But with the opening of the Atal Tunnel, Lahaul has suddenly become more prominent on our trekking map, opening up many trekking options. The first of many we have explored is the Miyar Valley trek.

Kashmir, Himachal and Uttarakhand treks running on schedule | July 15

The last few days were full of news of cloudbursts and heavy rains. But today morning we received pleasant news from all our slopes. 

Kashmir Slope (Kashmir Great Lakes and Tarsar Marsar treks): Our team in Kashmir reported bright and sunny weather. Trekkers will probably get great views on the trek today. 

Himachal Pradesh (Hampta Pass, Beas Kund, and Bhrigu Lake treks): The intensity of rains has reduced. But it is drizzling consistently. Our groups are keeping an eye on the weather before they start the trek every day. 

Uttarakhand (Valley of Flowers): It is not raining heavily in Uttarakhand but the weather is misty. As Hemkund is closed, our trekkers are exploring the lush, blooming Gorson Bugyal of Kuari Pass trek as an alternative and are thoroughly enjoying the experience. 

Valley of Flowers itinerary temporarily changed as Hemkund Sahib closed | July 14

We have made a temporary change in the Valley of Flowers itinerary, given that Hemkund Sahib is closed. This is effective starting 9th July until 19th July. Given that the Chardham Yatra is closed to tourists, the Hemkund Sahib trail (which is a pilgrimage route) is also closed for trekkers. This is a protocol issued by the state government.

Trekkers are instead visiting the beautiful Gorson Bugyal on Day 5 of their Valley of Flowers trek itinerary. They're driving to Auli and trekking to Gorson Bugyal, which is a terrific meadow section on the Kuari Pass trail. "At this time of the year, when the monsoons are thriving, the meadows are going to be at their lushest best," says Sandhya UC, the co-founder of Indiahikes.

Mumbai Airport Relaxes RT-PCR Restrictions for Fully Vaccinated Travellers | July 14

To contain the spread of COVID-19, earlier it was mandatory to show RT-PCR Negative Certificate while arriving at Mumbai Airport.

But the restrictions were relaxed a bit yesterday. As per the new directive, you need not carry an RT-PCR negative Certificate if you are fully vaccinated, with two doses.

If you are not fully vaccinated, please keep a buffer day in your travel plan to get tested before you board your flight to Mumbai.

Kashmir Treks on Schedule. Not Affected by Rains | July 14

On July 11 there was news of cloudburst in Kashmir, specifically in the Ganderbal region. This region is around 60 km away from where we are trekking.

Today morning we recieved a reassuring update from our Kashmir Great Lakes and Tarsar Marsar team. "One team that was scheduled to cross the Gadsar Pass (the highest point on KGL trek) was able to do so. Even the team following it was able to continue on the trek. The groups on Tarsar Marsar are also on schedule," updated Dushyant Sharma, Senior Trek Leader, from Kashmir.

Adding to the update, Dushyant said that today's forecast indicates rain, it has been drizzling at the basecamps.

Himachal Pradesh Trekkers held up due to Heavy Rains | July 13

All trekkers in Himachal Pradesh are safe but faced delays due to heavy rains. 

To give you a perspective, floods happened in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. This is around 170 km away from our trekking zone in Kullu region. While treks from Manali are experiencing rainfall, the situation is under control. 

Trek-Wise Updates:

Hampta Pass trek group could not cross the pass. They returned from Balu ka Ghera campsite. 

"Trekkers from Jonkar Thatch have started trekking towards Bhrigu Lake. Beas Kund trek is on schedule. Trekkers will be back to Manali today," updates Syama Krishna, from Learning and Development Team.  

The first group reports brilliant weather on the Hampta Pass | July 1

Our first group of Hampta Pass is back from the trek. And they've come back with great photos and stories from the trek.

Sneha Yadav, our Social Media Manager reports, "We got brilliant weather during the trek. There were just light showers at Jwara after we reached the campsite. But the weather at Balu ka Ghara, Shea Goru, and even during the pass crossing was clear. We got to see brilliant mountain views."

If you wish to explore this trek, now is the time to plan. Happy trekking!

In pic: Latest photo from Hampta Pass trek. Shared by Trek Leader Aditya Bodke.

First Group Crosses Hampta Pass | June 28

On June 25th, our first team started trekking to Hampta Pass from Manali. Just now, we received a heartening message from the slope team that the first team has crossed the Hampta pass!

They have crossed over from the Kullu side to the Spiti side.

The team is now on their way to Shea Goru. It is the coldest and the most stunning campsite on the trek. You can cross the Hampta Pass only during monsoon when the snow has melted. In other seasons, trekking to the pass and crossing it is not safe due to snow in the region.

If you are planning to do the Hampta Pass trek, now is the right time to do so :)

Treks Opened for Autumn and Winter | June 28

We have opened dates for all our treks for the rest of the year. In the first half of the year, we missed out on a lot of these terrific treks, especially our high adventure summer treks.

• Post-monsoon treks (High adventure treks like Rupin Pass, Gaumukh Tapovan, Kedartal and Buran Ghati)
• Autumn treks (Treks with terrific views like Phulara Ridge and Har Ki Dun)
• Winter treks (Dayara Bugyal, Kedarkantha, Brahmatal and more)

Our winter registrations have already started coming in. So ensure you plan and sign up at least 2 months in advance. Happy trekking!

No E-Pass needed for Himachal Pradesh from July 1 | June 24

The Himachal Pradesh E-Pass Registration page is not accessible anymore. It is because from July 1 you will no longer need the E-Pass to cross the HP border.

This makes it easier to travel to the state for treks like Hampta Pass, Beas Kund, and Bhrigu Lake.

But please keep in mind that as an Indiahikes trekker, you need an RT-PCR Negative Certificate if you haven't received two shots of vaccine. You may skip getting the certificate if you've been infected with COVID-19 within the last three months.    

Important advisory: Plan your treks at least 3 months in advance | June 18

Our monsoon trek groups are filling up sooner than we expected. In fact, 60% of our groups are full. We're being flooded with calls every day to take in more trekkers. Unfortunately, with tight logistics and full groups, we cannot do that.

So this is an advisory to plan your treks soon. Start planning for treks at least 3 months in advance. Now is a good time to plan treks for August and September.

Just Launched! Do-It-Yourself Treks with Indiahikes | June 17

We are launching a new style of trekking at Indiahikes — Do-It-Yourself treks.

“We have always wanted to see trekkers trek on their own, without the help of an organisation. In fact, our entire effort in documenting treks was driven with that focus,” says Arjun Majumdar, the founder and CEO of Indiahikes.

“Having said that, DIY is not new in our country. But it hasn't become easier over time. This is where Indiahikes is going to make a difference. We are bringing in a system that will assist people in doing treks on their own.”

Family Groups Opened During Sept-Oct 2021 | June 15

We're elated to open treks exclusively for families. Two things propelled us towards this decision -- the enormous number of requests from families and a strong belief that families and children must head outdoors this year, after being locked in for so long.

We have opened groups in September and October for the Dayara Bugyal and Deoriatal-Chandrashila treks. These are post-monsoon months, when you see terrific colours and striking views of the mountains of Uttarakhand.

These treks are open to all families with children aged between 8-18 years. Unaccompanied children aged 12-17 years, can also join family groups.

Indiahikes Treks Resume from June 25th | June 9

With a decrease in the number of Covid cases, and a strong vaccination drive in our country, we are reopening our treks from the last week of June. 

We have decided to resume our treks from June 25th.  These include early groups of Bhrigu Lake and Hampta Pass treks. 

From July, we have opened groups on monsoon treks like Valley of Flowers, Beas Kund, Kashmir Great Lakes, Tarsar Marsar, and Pin Bhaba Pass.