CHHOTA KAILASH -- NATURAL BEAUTY, PEACE AND SERENITY

OM Pravat and Adi Kailash also known as Chhota Kailash is an area of great natural beauty, peace and serenity.
During this trek one gets an opportunity to view the snow peaks of Annapurna, thick forests, water falls and wild flowers.
JONGLINGKONG is another name of Chhota Kailas (6191m) while its small but beautiful lake is called Parvati Tal.
The reflection of the peak in the lake is really fascinating.
There is a temple near the lake, which is sometimes visited by swan-like birds. A little distance from here is to be found the remains of a dry lake.
Along the river Kuti are two passes Lampia Dhura and Mangsa Dhura, both leading to Tibet.
The ITBP and SPF personnel will tell whether one can cross the Sinla pas to reach Dedang.
If this is not possible one will have to return.
If there is little or no snow, one should set out early in the morning to cross the pass.
The route to Sinla pass is under a heavy blanket of snow.
One can see the Chhota Kailas peak constantly from there.
The traditional trekking route is from New Delhi to Kausani, Dharchula, Pangu, Sirkha, Galgad, Malpa, Budhi, Navidang, Gunji, Kutti, and Jollingkong to Adi Kailash.
And remember the grade of trekking is strenuous, and the duration is 23 to 24 days.Enjoy your time here in the lap of Himalaya, and forget about metro city for some time.

PINDARI GLACIER –GRANDEUR OF THE HIMALAYA

There are many glaciers in the Himalaya, but Pindari glacier is the most popular, since it is most easily accessible within the reach of common trekkers. The rewards are many beautiful mountains, flora and fauna, water falls, and snowy ranges all within your range.
There is high elevated circumference of 110 kms around Nanda Devi, Pindari glacier at the lower edge of this circumference.
The Pindari glacier in the Bageshwar dist of Kumaon Himalaya, in the Indian state of Uttaranchal, is in the Nanda Devi and Nandakot Peaks, 5 kms long, 6m high and 2.5m wide, the altitude is 4000m to 5000m.
The Pindar river emerges from this Pindari glacier.
The traditional route from Delhi is as under.
From Delhi to Bageshwar - 16 hour drive, smooth no problems for vehicles.
Bageshwar is the last town, with STD booth, last place of gas station, local govt accommodation facility is available here.
From Bageshwar to Song, at an altitude of 1300 m, the distance is 40 kms and it should take 2 hours by jeep, the roads are not good but the worst as well.
From Song , walk the distance to Loharkhet , the walk is long, hard and dry, altitude 1800 m, the local govt has some accommodation facility.
From Loharkhet to Dhaukri to Khati to Dwali to Phurkiya to ZERO POINT OF PINDARI GLACIER.
From the distance the frozen streams look like puzzle, Pindar river looks like a mystery, always trying to fight with the ice which tries to choke it and the river always trying to cut into the glacier.
The trip to Pindari glacier ends up to a arbitrary zero point, beyond this point the visitor shall not able to see the Nanda Devi and still Himalayan Peaks are beckoning .

MELGHAT TIGER PROJECT- CONFRONTATION BETWEEN MEN AND TIGERS

MELGHAT TIGER PROJECT, 100 kms from Chikhaldhara in the Amravati Dist of Indian state of Maharasthra., is one of the yet another place for the adventures and naturist s to study the tigers and other mammals in nature’s surroundings, and those who are interested in botanical subjects , they have yet another opportunity for studying the tropical dry, deciduous forests.
Nature has granted protection to the Melghat in the form of only few entry points in the rugged topography.
Melghat tiger sanctuary has an area of 800 sq.kms,. is a home of 41 species of mammals. These include the tiger, leopard, sloth bear, gaur, jackal, hyena, wild boar, langur, and number of sub-species of deer family.
There are almost 250 types of birds some of them as rare, which you can find only in dense forests.
There are some villages in the core section of the forests, mainly dependent on forests, for the collection of fruits, wood and medicinal herbs.
One shall find most original herbs and fruits that are used for medicinal purposes.
There are instances of confrontations between men and wild animals, in the year 1998; there were 11 cases of persons injured, 1 by tiger and 10 by sloth bears.
The population of some important animals, tigers 73, leopards 79, sloth bear 187, the other animals counted together totaling 10 thousand.
There are number of tributaries of river Tapti which provided natural water source for the forests.
Maharasthra Tourism Development Corporation has resort with fine accommodation and eatery facilities at Chikhaldhara.
The village people in the forests are and the forest dept staff is very friendly and helpful to the people.
If you wish to see the wild animals roaming freely in the forests come and see them here, and be careful to keep the escorts, tigers may rather prefer you as their prey rather than guests.

ABI GAMIN --- ONE OF THE STALWARTS WITH GLACIERS AND CLIMBING.

A large of peaks in Himalayan are stalwarts and not open for the climbers, especially for the foreigners, mainly for the securities reason, since Tibet is the immediate neighbor.
Abi Gamin is one of these tall stalwarts, conquered only a few times.
Abi Gamin situated in the Chamoli Dist of Indian state of Uttarakhand, at the elevation of 7355 meters, is a serious challenge for the hard-core climbers.
It is hardly 2 kms from Kamet, another stalwarts of Himalaya.
It is between the famous passes, Manna pass and Niti pass on the Indian – Tibet borders. Alaknanda and Dhauli Rivers is the watershed of Abi Gamin.
More than a dozen expeditions since 1848 were done to conquer Abi Gamin but all have failed, until however, in year 1950 when the expedition of Anglo- English team succeeded in reaching the peak, the operation had been thru Tibetan side.
Later expeditions had been in the year 1953 and 1955 both from the Indian side of Kamet.
Whichever way you go be ready to face the glaciers, the hidden valleys, the killing cold and tedious climb.
For security reasons, the permission to these expeditions has to be cleared from Govt of India.
This expedition is for hard-core climbers. Keep necessary gear, the tents, the climbing tools, sturdy shoes and clothes, and spirit of daredevil.

RONGBUK GLACIER -- EXPEDITION TO MOUNT EVEREST.

Probably the climbers who wish to conquer the Mount Everest shall first hear the name of Rongbuk Glacier and Rongbuk Monastery.
Mount Everest is the source of Rongbuk Glacier; there are two tributaries, East and West Rongbuk Glacier.
The climbers to reach the base camp of Mount Everest must go thru Rongbuk Glacier.
In 1921, George Mallory first explored Rongbuk Glacier and Rongbuk valley to conquer the Mount Everest.
Rongbuk Monastery founded in 1902, which lies at the foot of Rongbuk Glacier is the highest monastery ( 5100 ft) , it is only 200 meters down from the base camp of Mount Everest , has a dirt road facility now, but in 1921 when George Mallory came here he had to walk 5 weeks from Darjeeling to reach here.
From Rongbuk glacier the view is said to be most dramatic view , a panorama of Mount Everest with other peaks, often shrouded in clouds and mists, one shall see the imposing head of ice and granite , Mount Everest.
In 1983, the renovation work was undertaken by Govt and some type of basic guest house and a small restaurant has been established.
If you want to conquer Mount Everest, first try to live by Rongbuk Glacier, from there make your judgments whether you are fit to go further.

PANGONG TSO – LAKE IN HIMALAYA. – A GEOLOGIST’S PARADISE

Himalaya is a big icy brother of India, with numerous hills, peaks, glaciers and number of rivers originating from Himalaya, nourishing different cultures, Himalaya is a unique identification of India.
On the north to east to west, there are various states; out of these Ladakh is the best known state of mountains.
Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake, Tso means in Ladakhi Language Lake, is the unique.
The journey of 160 kms from Leh, capital of Ladakh is the beginning point of our tour to Pangong Tso.
The journey thru rugged tracks, cut from the mountains, the very few small villages, the people waving , the only people you shall see the most are the Indian Army Personnel.
Mind you the visitor shall be crossing the Changla Pass (17350 ft), the third highest pass in the world. The oxygen is scarce but Army people generally help to the needy one. Although Indians are granted the permission individually, the foreigners are granted the permission in groups accompanied by some reputable company escorts.
Pangong Lake is the 13900 ft, the water is always cool and though it is saline it freezes to ice in winter. The water is cold, clear and extremely salty, one can with ease pick pebbles and by luck may find some fossil in it. Hence it is the paradise of Geologists. Geologists research here for the existence of life cycles in the lake.
The atmosphere is clear, no plastic garbage no crowds, thanks to the Indian Army , they are keeping the things in order.
The region around is very suitable for Kiang, a mammal of horse family.
The wet land is the visiting place of migratory birds, Siberian Crane, keeping photographers busy.
Mind you the nature is adverse, warning; the icy chunks freezing the time, the nearest rest houses are few kms away in village with preliminary facilities. You must reach Leh for rest.
This trip is for the off traditional vacations places; here the visitor is in the arms of nature.
Pangong lake is divided in between India and china army people of these two nations are guarding.
Boating is not permitted.
But lake is well –known for it’s wet land, which is now covered as protected under Ramsar Convention.