A team of 26 from TATA Power Delhi Distribution Limited strengthened their team by trekking to Benog Tibba and George Everest peaks near Dehradun from November 25 to 27, 2023. This trek resulted in many takeaways and learnings for the group. 

“That was the best trek I have had with a beautiful and supportive team, leaders, and management. I learned a lot of things about nature, and I will try to imply that in my personal and official life as well. If I ever get a chance to do a trek again, it would be my pleasure. Thank you, Indiahikes and TATA Power,” said Jyoti Rai from the TATA Power DDL group. 

The impact of the activities was evident once the trek concluded. Conversations were free-flowing. Team members became aware of their strengths and weaknesses as a team. They also spoke highly of the sustainability practices followed by Indiahikes. And that they would implement that in their lives too.

It has been snowing since yesterday at Kuari Pass, leaving at least 6 inches of snow across the Khullara and Taali campsites. Trekkers opened their tents this morning to witness the landscape draped in snow, something every trekker dreams of. 

Given that it is the onset of winter, this snowfall was expected. The temperatures have been dropping almost -8 degrees every night. Additionally, winters in Kuari are known to be notoriously cold, much colder than other winter treks.

Currently, all our trekkers are safe and happy on the trek. Even though one team did not get a chance to go to the summit because of the sudden snowfall, all trekkers are in high spirits after witnessing a snowfall. The climate right now is still cloudy, and another wave of snowfall may be on the horizon. 

The long awaited Mountain Lovers Gold Calendar pre-orders, have finally started shipping!

The first batch of 300 calendars was shipped today (November 21st). 800 calendars have been booked already, which our team is speedily shipping this week!

What’s really exciting is that we not only have our iconic wall calendar, but a classy desk calendar too. :)

The desk calendar costs Rs. 320. And the wall calendar costs Rs. 520. This includes all taxes and shipping. There’s also a 15% discount if you order two or more calendars.

If you have not yet ordered yours, now is the best time to do it. We have just a few calendars left. Last year, our calendar sold out in a few days!

On November 18th, our first ever group of Minchukallu Betta trekkers successfully completed their trek. And they loved it!

We’ve been waiting for this moment ever since we explored the Minchukallu Betta trek in August of this year.

“The summit of Minchukallu Betta is a sight to behold. One gets a 360 degree view of hillocks around,” shares Suhas Saya, head of the DIY team at Indiahikes.

Even those trekkers who had successfully completed the legendary trails of Har ki Dun and Sandakphu Phalut loved the Minchukallu Betta Trek. “The walk to the base, the views from the summit, and the trek itself are all very rewarding,” said an experienced trekker.  

After the first group returned, the 2nd group quickly filled up. The next group of the Minchukallu Betta trek is on December 2nd. Stay tuned to our website for the latest updates on our winter camps, including the Minchukallu Betta Trek.

On November 18, 2023, Indiahikes, in collaboration with Decathlon, hosted a workshop for the trekkers in Bangalore. While we regularly conduct online meetings with our trekkers to prepare them, this was the first face-to-face meeting we were hosting. 

"While around 200 trekkers expressed interest in the workshop, we were wondering how many of them would actually turn up. We were surprised that a whopping 124 members not only came but actively participated in the workshop," expresses Nandana, head of experience coordination at Indiahikes.  

During the workshop, our expert facilitator, Ravi Ranjan, ran trekkers through important information on "how to prepare for a winter trek," covering key aspects of layering, fitness, packing, and traveling, including rare tips that only someone with 5 years of trek leadership expertise can share. 

Trekking is booming in our country, but guidebooks—filled with first-hand information about upcoming trekking regions—do not exist. This is why we have launched the Indiahikes Guidebook Project. And we are looking to build a dynamic team of prolific writers and designers to take it forward.  

These guidebooks cover some of the greatest treks in our country. They bring out details that have never been documented about treks, including the ancient villages they begin in, vibrant stories of the culture there, and unseen maps leading to the trek.

To bring such a guidebook together, you’ll need to have a genuine interest in the treks of our country, a keen eye to spot insightful details, and a fiery hunger to dig out information that’s not readily available.

As a part of this dynamic team, you’ll be travelling to the basecamps of treks in the remote Himalayas to interview and source credible information. You will also get to do the trek (wholly or partly).

This is an assignment-based role and a dream project for writers looking to carve a niche in travel writing.

A big challenge on winter treks is washing cutlery in ice-cold water. To bring in some respite, we do provide hot water for this on our treks. But water is a precious resource, especially when most of it freezes in the Himalayan Winters. 

This is where the One-Bucket Challenge comes in. As a part of this challenge, the entire group uses one steel bucket of warm water to wash their tiffins. 

Starting this week, trekkers at all campuses and campsites at Indiahikes will take part in this challenge. If you're thinking it's too tough, here's an eye-opener. 

“At Kuari, we started One Bucket Challange two weeks ago. It's not been difficult. In fact, trekkers are using only 50-75% of the water,” shares Slope Manager Akshay Pawaskar from Karchi in Uttarakhand. 

The minimum temperature on treks is dipping below 0°C and treks have started witnessing their initial snowfalls.

This week, the Har Ki Dun and Kedarkantha experienced a handsome dusting of snow.

“We witnessed a snowfall at Har Ki Dun and at Boslo campsites. As a result, the entire valley got covered in snow!” shares Trek Leader Gagandeep, who was leading the Nov 7 group of Har Ki Dun.

The presence of snow usually raises the difficulty level of treks. But that isn’t the case so early in the season.

“It’s easy to trek in fresh snow. You get a good grip. And the snow is not too much; it melts quickly when the sun is out. So we did not face any tricky sections due to snow this time,” Gagandeep adds.

The vibe turned delightfully festive at our campuses in the mountains on Diwali. Our team, along with trekkers at the Sari, Karchi, Lohajung, Raithal, Sepi, and Kotgaon decorated the campus with earthen diyas to celebrate this festival of lights in the mountains.

Being away from home during such a significant festival is not easy. But celebrating it with trek mates instantly uplifted the energy and level of camaraderie within the teams. This happy, uplifting energy was evident in the videos and photos that poured in from these campuses and campsites.

On this special occasion, we at Indiahikes wish you a happy, prosperous Diwali and a very happy New Year!

Our latest video celebrates the journey of Debadrita Ghosh, who joined Indiahikes as an Assistant Experience Co-ordinator in 2021. It was a part-time role, where she had the freedom to pursue many other hobbies.

But over time, something strange happened. Debadrita let go of everything else to grow herself within Indiahikes. She became an integral part of the Experience Coordinators team.

In this video, she shares her story.

If Debadrita's thoughts caught your attention, and you would like to work with Indiahikes, then view Careers at Indiahikes for more information.

We're actively hiring now and will be waiting to hear from you :)

Nov 8, Bengaluru: Last weekend, a team of 22 from S&P Global, a data resource management company, strengthened their team by trekking to Makalidurga near Bengaluru. This team bonding was crucial, as the team was newly formed owing to a recent merger in the company.

“It was a very successful event and some of them are looking forward to next one. We hope to have more participants next time,” Srikanth from S&P Global shared soon after the trek.

This trek was organised as a part of S&P Global’s Wellness Program. And it was heartening to see how the team members forged stronger bonds on the trek and got to know each other better.

The latter half of December is a great time to be on the Sandakphu-Phalut trek. At this time, you get to witness some incredibly sharp views of the highest mountains in the world.

Trekkers know this. So most of our December groups are already full. But new requests from trekkers are consistently pouring in. 

Honestly, we do not want trekkers to miss out on trekking in this incredible season. Apart from the stunning mountain views, it’s a golden time to witness some stellar sunsets and sunrises in the eastern Himalayas.

 A heads-up: December groups of Sandakphu-Phalut get booked way in advance. We’re anticipating even the new groups to fill up within a week. So register soon!

After the heartening success of summer camps in the Himalayas, we are announcing a Winter Camp for children closer home. This will be conducted during the winter holidays at the Indiahikes Southern Campus, close to Bengaluru in Karnataka.

The Indiahikes Winter Camp is a 3-day programme where children go on trekking adventures and camp outdoors. 

During the Winter Camp, children will trek to the ancient Channarayana Durga Fort and camp near its base, at the Indiahikes Southern Campus. They’ll learn crucial camping and trekking skills like, pitching their own tents, navigating their way. They’ll also connect deeply with nature by learning about the biodiversity in the Tumkur and Madhugiri district, by birding and also stargazing on clear December nights.

For over eight years, we have taken thousands of children trekking in and around Bangalore. We notice extraordinary changes in the children within just 4-5 hours of trekking. They discover a new connection to nature, find an unknown confidence in themselves, and unlock a different level of camaraderie with their peers.

So if your child is between the ages of 10 and 16, the Winter Camp is a priceless adventure tailored for the Winter Holidays.

Our Indiahikes Trek Leaders are engaged in an intense 4-day learning session with seasoned naturalists from National Conservation Foundation (NCF) at our Sari Campus in Uttarakhand.

The thought behind it is simple—to enable our trek leaders to appreciate the depth of biodiversity on treks.

“It will make the Indiahikes Experience richer. These skills that Trek Leaders are building will help them unravel the mysteries of nature surrounding us on the trek. And sharing these stories with our trekkers will in turn help trekkers appreciate the depth of biodiversity present on the treks,” says Lakshmi Selvakumaran, Head of Learning and Development at Indiahikes.

To take it forward, Harsh J and Payal Mehta, who have led many nature field trips in India, Mexico, Brazil, in Himalayan regions of Bhutan and Nepal, are spearheading these learning sessions on behalf of NCF.