Field notes from twenty-five years in the mountains.
Organized the way we actually think about the Himalaya — by region, then by place. All seven regions we operate in, one route at a time.
Himachal Pradesh
Our home turf. Shimla is where the office has always been — these five places are where most of our trips actually go.
Shimla
The former summer capital of British India — seven hills, pine forest, and where our office has always been.
Manali
Beas valley base camp for Rohtang, Solang, and the road north.
Spiti
Trans-Himalayan cold desert, monasteries older than most nations.
Kinnaur
Sutlej valley apple country, on the old Hindustan-Tibet road.
Kullu
Valley of Gods — rafting, orchards, and the Dussehra crowds.
Ladakh
A high-altitude desert on the Tibetan Plateau — monasteries, passes above 5,000m, and a lake that changes colour through the day.
Leh
The old capital and the base every Ladakh route starts from.
Nubra Valley
Sand dunes, double-humped camels, over the Khardung La.
Pangong Lake
A lake that changes colour through the day, half in Tibet.
Zanskar
Class III–V rafting in summer, the frozen-river Chadar trek in winter.
Kargil
The Srinagar–Leh halfway point, and the gateway to Zanskar.
Jammu & Kashmir
Houseboats on Dal Lake, ski slopes at Gulmarg, and the pilgrim road to Vaishno Devi.
Srinagar
Dal Lake houseboats and Mughal gardens — the valley's heart.
Gulmarg
Skiing, and one of the world's highest cable cars.
Pahalgam
Riverside meadows, and base for the Amarnath Yatra.
Sonmarg
Meadow of Gold, and the gateway to Ladakh via Zoji La.
Jammu
City of Temples, and gateway to Vaishno Devi.
Uttarakhand
Lake-side hill stations, the Ganges at Rishikesh, and skiing under Nanda Devi.
Rishikesh
On the Ganges — yoga, rafting, and the Char Dham starting point.
Nainital
Boating on Naini Lake, and a proper hill-station Mall Road.
Mussoorie
The "Queen of the Hills" — waterfalls and a two-cable-car town.
Dehradun
The valley gateway to most of Uttarakhand's hill stations.
Auli
Skiing under Nanda Devi, and one of Asia's longest cable cars.
Sikkim
Kangchenjunga on the skyline, and a border pass that once carried the Silk Route.
Gangtok
The capital — MG Marg, Rumtek Monastery, and Tsomgo Lake day trips.
Pelling
The best straight-on views of Kangchenjunga.
Lachung
The base village for Yumthang and Zero Point.
Yumthang Valley
Sikkim's Valley of Flowers, and hot springs.
Nathula
The old Silk Route pass, on the India–China border.
Delhi
The gateway most Himalaya-bound trips pass through first.
Connaught Place
Colonial-era circular plaza, shopping and dining hub.
Chandni Chowk
Shah Jahan's historic market street, and Jama Masjid.
India Gate
A 42m memorial, and the city's best evening lawns.
Qutub Minar
A 73m minaret begun in 1193, and the rust-resistant Iron Pillar.
Humayun's Tomb
Mughal gardens and the tomb that inspired the Taj Mahal.
Chandigarh
India's first planned city, and the last stop before Himachal on most routes north.
Rock Garden
Nek Chand's sculpture garden, built from industrial waste.
Sector 17
The city's central pedestrian shopping plaza.
Sukhna Lake
A 1958 lake, boating, and the city's morning-walk promenade.
Rose Garden
One of Asia's largest rose gardens.
Capitol Complex
Le Corbusier's government complex, and the Open Hand Monument.