We have opened our next Women's Only trek to Chandrakhani Pass. It starts on August 28!
At Indiahikes, we cannot think of a more significant way to mark the occasion. With our vision that Everyone Must Trek, we have always dreamed of more women trekking. True to our vision, we have seen encouraging changes over the years.
Why join a ‘Women Only’ trek?
- To trek in a safe and supportive circle. Within the circle of fellow women-trekkers, you feel safer to have deeper, unfiltered conversations. There’s an inherent empathy, where you connect over common challenges and perceptions.
- To feel empowered and confident. Completing a high-altitude Himalayan trek with fellow women trekmates allows you to explore your abilities beyond societal biases. It instantly sharpens your personal growth and boosts confidence.
- To explore stronger networking and mentorship opportunities. On this trek you’ll meet women from diverse backgrounds. And over 4 days you’ll have an opportunity to network, learn about each other’s worlds, and even seek mentors who could change the course of your life.
- To break stereotypes and mental barriers. Simply by registering for a high-altitude Himalayan trek with only-women, you question traditional stereotypes. You challenge certain pre-conceived notions about women needing support in harsh conditions. This triggers a positive societal change.
The success of our first Women Only group to Kedarkantha prompted us to open this second group to Chandrakhani Pass trek.
Chandrakhani pass is not a new trek in Indian trekking circles. Along with the ancient stories of Naggar (where the trek starts) and the village with strange customs, Malana (where the trek ends), this route is one of the most trekked on in India.
Treks you could register for
Frequently Asked Questions
“In the past 13 years of Indiahikes, we have seen a dramatic change in the demography of our trekkers,” says Sandhya UC, co-founder and COO of Indiahikes. “During our first few years, there would hardly be one or two women in a group of 20 trekkers. In fact, back when I was leading treks, I would be the only woman in a group of male trekkers. Now I see at least 5-6 women in every group. Around 35% of our trekkers are women. It’s very encouraging to see the growing numbers,” she says. (Incidentally, Sandhya herself was recognised with a Women of Worth Award by Outlook Business in 2017.)
It's heartening to see that a large section of these women come as solo trekkers. In numbers, approximately 4000 women are trekking solo with us every year. They feel safe with our team members and our safety processes, which gives them the courage to come from faraway cities to trek in the Himalayas.
The cherry on top is that more and more women are taking up careers in the outdoors. “Out of our 40 Trek Leaders, 15 of them are women. Added to that, the number of women applicants we receive has quadrupled over the past 5 years. It’s wonderful to see women taking up such an extraordinary career, going beyond all norms of the society,” says Lakshmi Selvakumaran, who heads the Learning and Development Team at Indiahikes.
This all-women’s team is going to be led by a woman Trek Leader, something that will encourage solo women to come along.
The trek is to encourage women who still come in a smaller percentage to do treks on their own. Our hope is that women will feel comfortable coming and doing a trek knowing that they will be surrounded by like-minded women. The trek will be led by a women trek leader and they’ll get to experience the adventure and thrill of a Himalayan trek without worrying about their safety.
You can do a trek during your periods. The only time you cannot is if you have extremely bad cramps that are totally unmanageable. But if you have regular periods and if you are comfortable during your daily life with periods then you can definitely do a trek as well.
Any woman between the age of 8 to 62 years can do this trek.
The women on this trek will be joining us from various parts of India or they can be from anywhere in the world. The trek is open for women all over the world.
Yes you can join the trek as a solo woman.
Yes, you will be accompanied by a woman trek leader on this trek.
Special Women's Trek Experience in Pictures
What Trekkers Say
Radhika Koneru
Kedarkantha Trek, March 2023
Anjali Lyndem
Kedarkantha Trek, March 2023
Madhuri Kabra
Kedarkantha Trek, March 2023
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