We received phone calls and pictures from all our base camps over the weekend with reports of rain and snow.
With more snowfall expected this coming week, trekkers definitely have to gear up for a cold winter! Expect temperatures ranging from 7 degrees celsius during the day and -7 degrees in the night!
Here are some photos of our various treks from the past week:
The beautiful snow covered slopes of Raithal as seen yesterday, the basecamp of the Dayara Bugyal trek. Photo by Leo SaldhanaThe frozen trail of Deoban Weekend Trek. It was a delight to walk through the dense, snow covered forests. Photo by KrunalIt snowed quite a bit in the Deoban trail as can be seen here. Photo by KrunalThe snow didn’t spare Lohajung either. Lohajung is the base camp of the Brahmatal trek. Photo by Indiahikes staff.The little mountain town of Lohajung say under a thick layer of snow. Photo by Indiahikes staff.We don’t have the latest photos from Kedarkantha since the trekkers have not reached mobile network zone yet. But here’s a photo from January 1. There’s a lot more snow now. Photo by Shery Tatamiya
Here’s a short video clip from our Lohajung basecamp:
Save for a few, most treks running as scheduled
Because of the heavy snowfall, some trek teams faced issues in completing the trek.
The last two batches of Kedarkantha had a late start to the the trek. They started a day late from Kotgaon because the trail had become inaccessible due to snow.
Another Kedarkantha team could not go all the way up to the summit because of accumulation of heavy snow in the higher altitudes. They returned to the base camp earlier than expected.
We shifted one team from Dayara Bugyal to Kedarkantha because the whole of Dayara Bugyal trek was shut down for a day due to heavy snowfall.
Despite this hiccups, all trekkers are safe and the treks are up and running.
The snow has been a bit of an inconvenience in the past week but has also brought big smiles to the faces of trekkers who are happy making snowman figures!
Trekkers expressed their joy at receiving snowfall by building this happy snowman on the Deoban trek! Photo by KrunalTrekkers try to get a taste of fresh snow on the Dayara Bugyal trek. Picture by Trek Leader Leo Saldanha
Things to ensure if you’re going on a trek in the next few days
Take ample warm layers — 5 minimum warm layers
Work on your fitness. If you have to cover two days’ distance in a day, you’ll need that fitness.
Lavanya shares a strong bond with the mountains and coming from Uttarakhand, she has seen their face change over time. Though a law graduate, she works at Indiahikes as a Content Manager. Through this platform, she hopes to help people become more aware about sustainable trekking.
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Quietly, under our feet, trekking is changing in our country. More and more trekking enthusiasts are taking to the mountains. But they are trekking differently. They are trekking on their own without the support of any organisation.
They are trekking the Do-It-Yourself way.
DIY trekking is not new in our country. In fact, much before Indiahikes started, DIY was the only way I trekked.
We would gather trekking information from obscure sources, rent gear from here and there, arrive at the start point of the trek, and then, if luck was on our side, complete the trek.
Everything was a big ‘if’. Information was sketchy. Rental gear was mostly substandard. The people who guided us were dubious. Yet, we had some of our best adventures this way.
DIY was the true trekking experience
There was a lot of joy in going through the ups and downs of our DIY treks. We would come together as a team months before the expedition. We would divide the preparations among us. One of us would take care of transport, another equipment, another would do the local liasoning, yet another would take care of the route planning.
On the trek, our roles would be divided too. Together, we would go through the roughs and the smooths of the trek.
The best moments were when we would have to make difficult decisions.
Will camping on the windy ledge help us with the pass crossing or make us more exposed?
Do we take 4 liters of kerosene or 5?
One liter less can put us in jeopardy or more can lead to extra weight and the risk of spillage.
How many ice axes do we need?
Do we cross the stream now at waist deep or wait until morning when the water would be around the knees?
Making these decisions was one of the most enjoyable moments of our treks. Our goalposts would change every few hours. Rain, snow, a broken bridge, bad health, a broken section of the trail, poring over maps — there were innumerable adventures to deal with.
We would overcome them, and together as a team, complete the trek.
These moments cemented our bonds, it made us more confident adventurers. Over time we learnt the value of teamwork, commitment, communication, and humility. Venturing on our own taught us nuances of trekking that no guided treks could give.
I realised that it affected my life back home. Our adventures changed me as a person. I was becoming more confident and resilient at work. I was becoming a better team player.
Today, many years later, I realise how different trekking has become. Our taking care of everything leaves nothing for people to discover on their own. There are no big decisions to take.
While at Indiahikes, we have consciously tried to recreate the learning from DIY treks, it can never be the same as a true DIY trek.
The birth of Indiahikes has changed trekking.
On the plus side thousands of enthusiasts have taken to trekking — a sport that has allowed trekkers to find a new hobby, a way to reconnect with their inner roots — both mental and physical.
On the other hand, DIY trekking has taken a backseat in India. The joys of learning on your own have been replaced by hand held learning. Everything is tutored, including how to appreciate a trek.
What is the future of DIY?
There is a strong push towards DIY. I notice that even among our trekkers. They want to trek on their own, experience the true joys of trekking. Though the number of DIY trekkers are miniscule, I strongly believe DIY trekking must be brought back. What you get out of DIY trekking cannot be replaced by organised treks. A new culture of DIY trekking has to take shape. A DIY trekking that is in tune with the times.
Light weight equipment, GPS, and modern food technology can change how people do DIY treks.
The new Indiahikes DIY treks
We want you to experience DIY treks the way we did in our early days. We want you to make decisions on your trek. We want you to take back the wonderful learnings that you get when you share adventure (and misadventures) together. These will be your most precious memories of your life.
Which is why at Indiahikes we have launched new DIY treks.
We want you to do your own DIY treks. To do this we wanted to remove the obstacles that came in the way of DIY treks. We wanted to make it easier for you to trek on your own, without taking anything away from a true DIY experience.
