This month's theme was all about "Winter in the Mountains"

Your challenge was to whisk us away to a wintry setting in the mountains. To tell us stories of what trekkers go through in winter. To show us oak forests laden with snow. To take us through a challenging summit climb in snow. To give us a glimpse of the view from the summit and to show us what camping in snow feels like.

That’s why, going through over 400 photos was a delight. Yet, choosing the best 9 was hard. 

So here, we announce the Winners of the Trek Photographer of the Month in October 2022.

Winner

Isha Agarwal - A typical winter day

A lot of trekkers come to Dayara Bugyal because it’s the only trek with the biggest snow expanse. This simple yet magnificent picture at Dayara Top tells you exactly why! Notice how little the trekkers look in that massive landscape.

This is an extremely well taken picture. It’s a well-composed shot showing the contrast between the landscape in the foreground and the Gangotri mountain ranges in the background. The sun here also brings all elements to life. This is a picture worthy of a postcard! This is why we have awarded this picture with this month's winner!

Congratulations Isha! You have won the First Prize, a Trek Voucher of Rs 5,000 along with a great backpack by Adventureworx!

First - Runner up

Megh Naik - Kuari Pass

Trekkers walking through the picturesque pine forests of Kuari Pass. Compared to others, the pine forests of Kuari Pass are the best simply because they are beautifully placed. The feeling of seeing pine forests in snowfall is a magical experience. 

We love this photo because the photographer captures this exact feeling. If you notice, the image perfectly shows us the contrast between white, black and other colours. The photographer has also smartly used his editing skills to highlight the mist below the trees.

Thank you Megh for such a well edited picture and congratulations! You have won the runner up prize, a Trek Voucher of Rs 3,000 along with the wonderful Paany Water purifier bottle.

Trekkers Choice Award

Pangarchulla Peak - Abhrajit Ray

This is one of the rare summit climb photos we came across in this contest. The Pangarchulla peak trek is known for its power-packed, adventurous and thrilling summit climb. 

We love the angle at which this picture has been shot. It tells that story as it is. Notice trekkers ascending and making that final push to the summit. Makes you feel that you're there!

We also love the contrast of the sunlight on one side and shade on the other.

Congratulations Abhrajit! You have won the Trekkers Choice Award, gathering a staggering 63% of the overall votes! You have won an Indiahikes Trek Voucher of Rs 2,000 along with a surprise gift from Indiahikes.

Nominations

Gulmarg, Kashmir – Piyush Paul

If we didn’t give it away in the title that this was in India, there’s no way you would’ve believed it. European styled houses and crispy pine forests, both completely snow laden – It transports you somewhere in scandinavia. But in reality, this is Kashmir!

This is exactly what makes this picture so special. It shows the diversity of our country.

What we like a lot is that the photographer has smartly positioned himself for this photograph to get the perfect composition of the sun falling on the houses and trees to bring all the elements to life. 

Ali Bedni Bugyal – Vishnu Vardhan

Trekking through the dense forests at Ali Bedni is an unbeatable feeling. And the surprise of finding yourself in Ali bugyal, which is acres and acres of white carpet after this forest section, is even more surreal. 

This image brings exactly that feeling out. It shows the tailor-made pathways toward Ali Bugyal with dense forests on both sides. We nominated this picture because we love the composition of this image with the blue sky and perfect leading lines.

Everest Base Camp – Sahil Potdar

This is a beautiful contrast image. 

Although the focus of this image is the snow laden trees - unique trees special only to Nepal, that's not the case with the eye. The contrasting red & blue colours grab all your attention.

We love this picture because the photographer has used all his editing skills to intentionally shift the focus from the trees to the colours. The more you see this image, the more you appreciate it. It’s breathtaking.

Pangarchulla Peak – Tisha Jain

If there was an image we had to sample as “good composition,” this would be it. It follows all good photography practices — the rule of thirds, leading lines, good story — it is an ideal frame. We must admit, the setting adds a lot of drama to the photograph too, virgin snow, trekkers ascending towards the summit. It’s a great photo.

Pin Bhaba Pass – Atinderpal Singh

Mudh is a beautiful village that you see in the heart of Spiti Valley on the Pin Bhaba Pass trek. When you see Mudh, you feel like you are walking into an ancient civilization. The harmony of the village is stunning. All houses face the same direction — east —, every house is similar in design and colour. No house is split over the boundaries of the village. Farmlands surround the village in an exact perimeter, and a clear stream always runs through the centre of the village, making it a lifeline. If this is not modernity, then what is?

This is an extremely rare picture of Mudh Village - especially because no one ventures here in winter. This picture shows the lovely composition of the Mudh Village in the foreground. The magnificent Spiti mountains in the background bring out the uniqueness of this village.

Vasuki Tal - Ekansh Shukla

This photo made it to the list of nominations for how it shows autumn transitioning into winter. In this photo of Vasuki Tal, you see the lake surrounded by autumn colours as a thin layer of snow surrounds it on all sides. It’s only a matter of time till the lake itself freezes. 

If you watch closely, you’ll see that the photo also has a subtle play of light. While the foreground is draped in shadow, there is a patch of sunlight that lights up the landscape far away. 

The photograph works because all these elements beautifully show the seasonal transition.

Thank you for participating! We’ll be back with more.