Lots of trekkers ask us to help them choose trekking gear. 

They ask us “Can you just tell me the brand name and model number? It’ll make it so much easier for me.” 

At many levels, we empathise with them. 

When we look at the number of options in the market today, we're mind-boggled too. 

Within Indiahikes, we have used a few good brands. Yet, we believe even with our exposure we do not have enough knowledge of what is available in our country today . 

So today, we're hoping you can help me with your expertise.  

As a trekker, we're sure you have used trekking gear extensively — trekking shoes, jackets, backpacks, rainwear, trek pants, trekking poles. 

Somehow, trekkers such as you know exactly how a gear performs. You would have experienced bad weather or rough terrain while using them, or perhaps some unusual situations. What you may not realise is that these are the very practical instances that trekkers need to know — how a trek gear functions on a regular trek.

For example, a trekker really wants to know how the NH150 shoes function on a regular Brahmatal trek, especially in winter. 

Which is why this buying guide for trekkers will be particularly useful. It will help them make decisions based on real reviews. 

With collective knowledge from you and a few others, we can come up with a really good buying guide that helps trekkers choose gear wisely. 

All you need to do is share details about the gear you have used and loved.

We have made a simple Google form where you can add this information. 

We’ve looked everywhere, but such comprehensive information on gear doesn’t exist in our country right now. This will be the first, and we hope you can help put it together. 

It will be used by thousands of trekkers for years to come. 

Looking forward to seeing your favourite gear.

Can you help us with your expertise on trekking gear you have used and loved?

What Trekking Gear Have You Used And Loved? - A Survey On Trekking Gear

trekking gear survey buying trek gear equipment

What Trekking Gear Have You Used And Loved? - Can You Share Your Expertise?

The excitement in my voice rose as I came to know that I was to go on another trek after a gap of three years, the previous one being Dayara Bugyal.

The experience of being in the mountains once again has added another feather of memories in my hat. I, Stuthi Aithal, 11 years old, would like to share my experience of going to the Kuari Pass Trek in March 2022.

On the 20th of March we reached Tapovan, our basecamp, from Rishikesh. The previous day, I had an exciting flight all the way from Lucknow to Dehradun. The next day we had a rather long but mesmerising trip from Rishikesh to Tapovan. After a short introduction with the guides- Laxman Uncle, Anil Bhaiyya and Trek Leader Parthy Sir, we retired to our rooms.

The next day we started our trek, which was very tedious and reminded me of my most tiring days. It was a difficult day as we had to acclimatize properly and the trail was dusty and dry leaves and twigs crackled under our feet as we treaded on them and in places the lush green grass felt soft and mushy.

The first day's climb was a challenging one for me, perhaps the most tiring day of the trek.

With steep ascent and frequent encounter with beautiful trees along with the wonderful stories about Uttarakhand and nature from Anil Bhaiyya we finally reached the best campsite that I had ever been to – Akhrotghetta.

At Akhrotghetta, our tent was located just beside the famous walnut tree with the wonderful view of the mountain peaks - Hathi-Ghoda, Rishikund and Dronagiri. 

That afternoon, I went walnut hunting and found many in their shells but many of them were charred. While telling my experience and discovery to my mother I entered our tent and put my walnuts into a bag. 

The following day, we woke up early and were able to witness the beautiful sunrise over the Himalayas sipping the refreshing black tea. I bid goodbye to Akhrotghetta and the tiny stream which gurgled joyfully and lulled me to sleep at night. 

That's me with my mom and dad on the first day of the trek. 

On the second day of our trek which was fairly easy, we spotted patches of snow! On the way to our second campsite Khullara we paid our respects to Lord Ganpati at a tiny temple. We finally reached a rather overcrowded Khullara and had a filling lunch. There it was very windy and colder than Akhrotghetta, so we were always packed in warm jackets and sweaters. In the night, the temperature went down to -5 or -6 degrees. 

When I came to know that I was to climb the summit the next day, I was very excited and had a deep sleep dreaming all about playing and sliding in the snow. We woke up around 4:30 am in the morning so that we could start our trek for the summit day early. The temperature was -0.1 degrees when we had started to walk on snow. 

Throughout the day’s trek we had to tread through the snow. I trekked along with a lot of enthusiasm although at times, I nearly lost hope of reaching the summit. The scariest part was around a corner where many boulders with melting snow on them and a cliff on the other side, but thankfully with the help of Anil Bhaiyya I could cross the section with ease. 

When I finally reached the summit, I triumphantly pranced around with a piece of chocolate promised by Harshil Bhaiyya (one of the trekkers). Everyone praised me for being able to conquer the summit of Kuari Pass at the age of 11.

Reaching the summit was a wonderful achievement for me.

After enjoying the view of 32 peaks, clicking many photos and hearing the story from Anil Bhaiyya on why the trek was named Lord Curzon’s Trail and Kuari Pass we started to descend down . At a particular point, I started to slide down and it was rather fun but, in the end, I always used to slide down like a ball on a slide.

When we were nearing the campsite an almost 90-degree descent section came where Anil Bhai went to help my mother. There I decided to rest and sat on the nearby tree trunk, but uh-oh! As soon as I sat on it, I tumbled headfirst and momentarily was totally upside-down. I was so stunned that I remained in the same position for a few seconds. 

Regaining my balance, I stood up carefully and sat on the cold rock-like snow beside me and waited for a while. The coolness of the snow was pretty soothing to my aching thighs. After a short while my father came and we both started to descend down further. Then again, I slipped on ice and cried in pain. Finally, when we could see Khullara, I felt a new surge of energy and relief in my body and rather energetically started to descend down. 

After reaching Khullara I sensed a feeling of accomplishment of reaching the height of 12,516 feet successfully. That afternoon it snowed slightly but my joy knew no bounds to be able to see the snowfall and the snow.

The cherry on top was that it snowed that afternoon at Khullara. My joy knew no bounds! 

Later that evening in the dining tent we watched the ‘14 Peaks’ movie halfway through. After a sound sleep that night, we woke up nice and fresh the next morning. With a hearty breakfast we started to descend down towards Karchi village. Laxman Uncle took me shortcut by shortcut and thus I reached the village first. Raksh Bhaiyya (one of the trekkers) clicked many photos of mine. After a short drive to Joshimath we had our lunch and went to our dorms. The following morning, we started our journey back home.

On the way back home, I was reflecting back on my experience of the trek I realised that I had learnt a lot of things, like- being independent, being physically and mentally fit for any challenge in life, being determined & having a never-give-up spirit, being more social, adjusting with others and many more.

The sight from the Kuari Pass summit will always remain in my heart. This trek has proved to me that the mountains will keep calling me time and again and I will keep doing more treks in the future.

At just 11, Stuthi has not just completed the Dayara Bugyal trek, but has also gone on to complete the more demanding kuari Pass trek. She pens down her experience here.

11-Year-Old Stuthi's Call To The Mountains

stuthi, transformation story, 11-year-old

11-Year-Old Stuthi's Trek To Kuari Pass - A Second Call To The Mountains

‎Unbecoming Modern - a blog about Roopkund

It has been my dream for a while now, to completely break away from the digital jungle that has creepers like Facebook, Whatsapp, amongst many others. These creepers held at your fingertips, drain your mind and give you a false feeling of being connected. The more densely you ‘connect’ in this jungle, the further you disconnect from yourself. So this autumn Suyash, a dear friend, and I decided to go on a trekking trip to the Himalayas.

Roopkund: An unusual trek in the Higher Himalayas

Please note that this is a special trek designed for stargazing enthusiasts. The trek fee is slightly more than the regular fee. Know more about the trek here. 

This is a trek specially designed for trekkers above 58 years. The trek fee is Rs 3000 more than the regular fee (Please note this is only for Himalayan treks) Know more about the trek here. 

Please note that this is a special trek. The trek fee is Rs 3000 more than the regular fee. Know more about the trek here. 

Please note that the family treks are meant for families with a child/children under 14 years of age. If you do not fit this criteria, you can register for any of our regular groups. Read more about family treks here.

You are joining our waitlist. Your chances of getting a confirmation are high, but not certain. We will notify you as soon as a trekker cancels their trek.

When we brought out new trails in Indian trekking, safety came with us. Back in 2012, we were the first to introduce microspikes, and two years later, pulse oximeters became standard thanks to us. Nobody does safe treks like Indiahikes. In the mountains, emergencies don't care who you're with – everyone knows that when trouble hits, you look for the yellow tents of Indiahikes.

We are India’s safest trekking organisation

We are pioneers in trekking. Since 2007, we have brought out treks that have become India's most famous treks: Roopkund, Rupin Pass, Buran Ghati, Kedarkantha, Kashmir Great Lakes, Tarsar Marsar, Brahmatal, Phulara Ridge—the list goes on. In 2023 alone, we brought out five new treks in Indian trekking. We know treks better than anyone. This comes directly from the reason why Indiahikes was born: to bring out trek information and enable trekkers to trek on their own.

We are pioneers of treks in India

More than 25,000 people trek with us every year. We are the largest trekking organisation in India. 24% of our trekkers come back to trek with us every year. Over 4,000 students from the top educational institutions trek with us every year. Aside from this, families with children choose to trek with Indiahikes knowing that our treks are the safest. We have taken over 8000 children trekking so far, and the number continues to grow. 

We are India’s largest trekking organisation

We focus on designing transformative experiences. Our trek leaders conduct thought-provoking exercises that help you reflect and contemplate. This impact stays with you for a long time. Trekkers return feeling energised, more confident, or developing abilities to deal with difficulties. Many have changed careers, rethought their core values, become more humble, shown gratitude to others, or started a new fitness journey. 

Our treks are transformative

Since 2012, we have pioneered sustainable practices that have become standard in trekking. Using eco-bags, our trekkers have cleared over 120 tonnes of litter from the mountains. We do not carry packaged foods; instead, we serve freshly made food. We do not light campfires; we carry coal to light angethis to keep you warm. Our bio-toilets not only keep our toilets odour-free but also enrich the soil. When you trek with us, you leave mountains better.

We are India's most sustainable trekking organisation

5 Reasons Why Indiahikes

If you are unable to complete a trek, or if you love a trek, you can repeat it with us anytime. You don’t have to pay us for it. See our thoughts behind this here.

You’re guarded with our trek again philosophy

Our thrice-a-day oxi-metre checks keep altitude sickness at bay, never allowing you to reach a point where you need evacuation.

Daily 3-time health checks keep you safe at any altitude

With around 30% of our trekkers being women, all women, including those travelling solo are comfortable to join any of our groups.

Join any group, they are all women-friendly groups 

Our kitchen teams understand your needs as a vegan (or a Jain). We will take special care of your food, even in the remote Himalayas. 

We have specially designed bio toilets to ensure you have no sight or smell in toilets, at the same time making sure the toilets cause no harm to the fragile ecosystem we trek in.

Be comfortable and sustainable with bio toilets

We’ll admit it. Our love for food surpasses our love for minimalism. Expect freshly cooked, multi-cuisine food at all camps, designed to meet your nutritional requirements and keep your taste buds happy!

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