A story so interesting, come fall in love with the mighty Himalayas!

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He calls himself a happy face when he is on his bike. Well, yes, we are talking about a young business analyst Taneja Ankisetty. He hails from Hyderabad and is a sharp-minded young lad whose passion is travelling and biking. He is a techie to the core but by heart, he is a traveller. His passion to travel the world takes him to vivid places where he finds himself the happiest, and if this is happening on a bike ride, then it is cherry on the cake!
For him, the best of the journeys are the ones that are just not planned. He always tries to take up challenges and create memories for a lifetime. Speaking of this, that’s when he thought to take up his next trek to the mighty Himalayas. With the Kuari Pass, his love for nature bloomed and he wanted to explore the Himalayas at its best.
Many of us keep on working day and night and never get a chance to move out the comfort zone to experience something unusual. He says – “we are the one who creates memories for ourselves, we are the one who will lead our way, the way we want, on the road less travelled.” Thus, he hopped on Kuari Pass Trek, covering Joshimath, Nanda Devi Peak, Ganga River, Auli, and of course the Kuari Pass itself.
Wow, it sounds like a bunch of pilgrim and exploration together. Awaiting his journey to these stunning places, he started off his trek to the Kuari Pass, Uttarakhand.

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Why Kuari Pass?

For anyone who has been to the Himalayas before, this trek will be a different experience altogether! Lush green meadows, snow-clad mountains, high altitude peaks, freezing temperatures, and gaining height amidst the dense forests and pine – is a dream come true for many. He took this trek as he wanted to explore the untamed vegetation, snow-clad peaks, trek to the heights to understand whether he can take up treks in the coming future at this altitude or not.
Kuari Pass trek is called as a heaven of treks in the Himalayas as it is one of the best treks for beginners. Thus, even Taneja was comfortable with this notion as he knew he had to gain heights and this time, on his bike. So, stepping into with Kuari Pass is one of the most perfectly crafted treks for beginners.

What to Watch in Kuari Pass?

It is a region in Garhwal Himalayas and is the starting route to Nanda Devi, Dronagiri, Joshimath etc. This peak is decked with some of the ancient forest trails covering beautiful forests and lush green surroundings. These forests are mostly of oak and rhododendrons. The trek is beautiful covering a long distance of steps, plateaus and green meadows. It is a magical view that makes the journey quite mesmerizing. You would find an amalgamation of two different kind of landscapes which is something to watch out for.

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Talking about Campsites

They were amazingly plotted and the base camp had stunning views all-around of high rising peaks and forests. The trekking expedition to Kuari Pass which I took with Thrillophilia has the campsite at Chitrakantha which is amidst the thick forest of the Khullara campsite, letting you watch the peaks rising in the background and offering an equally suitable stay to rejuvenate.

The Mountain Views

Giving you magnificent views of Mount Nanda Devi, Dronagiri and a few more, the splendid sights continue on the trek, ahead into the Himalayas. This region is blessed with many local shepherds who welcome the tourists with an open heart – it is a lifetime experience.

The Trek Begins

Wow, I was pretty excited to start my trek to Kuari and on top of it, my friends and our tour guide had elaborated the destination so beautifully that we all in our group were thrilled to get on our shoes and track pants.

The 5 Himalayan treks for Newbie trekkers

Haridwar to Joshimath- Day 1

The day started with enthusiasm as the trek involved a long hike of 260 km to Joshimath. As I started the rise at 6 am in the damp and dull morning and then we had our first stop, Devprayag, Which is one of the Panch Prayag of Alaknanda River. I witnessed the holy confluence of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda Rivers that form the River Ganges.

We all took blessings from Ganga, stayed there for a couple of minutes to delve into the serenity and holiness of Ganges. I was stunned to see the beauty and magnificence of the location. While experiencing the longest ride, I came across many Dhabas and some of them were really good.

Joshimath to Chitrakantha- Day 2

Moving ahead to the first campsite Chitrakantha, the day began with a short ride of 12 kms to Dhak Village, which is the start point of the trek. Taneja and his trek friends walked in and out of the forests and enjoyed the gentle slopes.
“We reached the first campsite of the trek Chitrakantha, which was spectacularly beautiful and serene, especially, in the fading evening light.”

Chitrakantha – Tali Top – Day 3

We all woke up with full enthusiasm and did some warm-up exercises followed by a wholesome breakfast as we all needed a lot of energy to reach to the Tali Top which is a 6 km trek from Chitrakantha. We started our trek and covered 3500m where I witnessed the dense mountain forests filled with rhododendrons, spruce, and silver birch. Then came a prominent ridge and all this gave my heart a blissful touch as the trek was very magnificent and interesting..

Tali Top to Kuari Pass – Day 4

The trek trail began from Tali Top entering into the forest coppices to Khullar. The ascend began from this point and it is one of the most arduous and winding along the Himalaya Mountains. We climbed huffing and puffing throughout snow filled patches and arrived at Kuari Pass, where we felt gushing chill top winds which took all our efforts. The view of the towering Nanda Devi peak from here was really marvelous, which was surrounded by a wall of mountains. We saw the Rishi Ganga river forcing its way to meet River Alaknanda. We spent some time here enjoying the beauty of nature and then returned trekking back to the Tali Top.

Tali to Joshimath via Auli- Day 5

Day 5 was about coming back Tali to Joshimath via Auli, Rishi Ganga River. Taneja was mesmerized by the golden brown layers of the Auli Ski slopes to the first flakes of snow that submerged the trail. It was a continuous descent. Auli is a hill-station for skiing, where Taneja and friends even planned their next trip to have fun in winters and experience skiing again.

The Journey Ends – Day 6

The trip ends here, after an amazing long trek to Kuari Pass, spending 6 full days amidst nature and mountains, when asked Taneja about his experience, he exclaims –
“It was a super-duper hit. I thought trekking will be difficult but I found it was an easy trek. Taneja shared that there are some challenges of climbing Kuari Pass, but I found my trip full of adventures and worth remembering experience.”

Just to Sum Up –

I have never felt so thrilled any time of my journey or any kind of treks I have ever been. If again I would get a chance to visit one such destination I would love to embark on the road. Waiting for the next!!!

A Story so Interesting, Come Fall in Love with the Mighty Himalayas!