NANDA DEVI & TRISUL

Day 1
Flights usually depart London in the evening.

Day 2
We arrive in Delhi in the morning and transfer to our hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax and recover from the flight or for individual exploration of Delhi. Rooms in the hotel are usually available from noon. Those who have made their own flight arrangements will join us at the hotel during the day.

Day 3
We take the early morning train to Haridwar, one of the seven holy towns of Hinduism and the site of the 12 yearly Kumbh Mela. The town is situated on the edge of the Shivalik foothills, where the Ganges leaves its last rocky gorge and begins a 2000km journey across the plains to the Bay of Bengal. We then transfer to our vehicle to drive along the River Ganges, stopping for lunch along the way and, time permitting visiting the ghat at Deoprayag, where the Ganges proper begins. We stop for the night further along the valley at the small town of Srinagar.

Day 4
Another days driving as we continue through the heart of Garhwal. The road gradually ascends as it follows the Alaknanda Valley through a timeless agricultural landscape. We pass through Rudraprayag (610m), where in the 1920's Jim Corbett shot the 'Rudraprayag leopard', a man eater who allegedly consumed some 125 peopleover the years. A commemorative stone marks the spot. The 'prayags' are sacred confluences on the rivers that drain into the Ganges; there are five I all and further along te valley is Karnaprayag (832m) situated on the junction of the lovely Pindar River and the Alaknanda. Shortly before Gwaldam we turn off the main road to Debel (1218m) and drive up a switchback track to the road head at Loharjung (2234m) with stunning views of Trisul and Nanda Ghunti.

Day 5
An easy first days walk as we leave the modern world behind and enter a world where the lifestyle has not changed much for centuries. We descend into the Gyan Ganga Valley through rhododendron and fir forest. Reaching the river we follow it for a while before crossing it and climbing steeply to the shepherd encampment at Didana. Approximately 13km, 4 hours walking.

Day 6
Today starts with a steep climb up through the forest. Passing through Ali Bugyal we emerge above the tree line and are rewarded for our hard work with wonderful views of the peaks of Chaukamba and Nilkanth. We continue along the grassy ridge to the high grazing meadow of Bedni Bugyal. It is said to be one of the most stunning alpine viewpoints in the Himalaya. The mountains we glimpsed through the trees now present themselves in a massive wall of dazzling white. Most significant are Trisul (7120m) with its three prongs representing Shiva's trident, Nanda Ghunti, Nilkanth and Chakamba. To the northwest are tantalising views of the giants of the Great Himalaya. Bedni Bugyal is used by travellers on the great pilgrimage to Roop Kund, which takes place every 12 years. Approx 11km, 5-6 hours walking.

Day 7
An easy half day today so we can spend time enjoying the views at Bedni Bugyal this morning and perhaps walk a little higher up the valley towards Bhugu Basa. Our walk today begins with a long steep descent through a fine forest of fir and rhododendron to the river. We then climb up from the river to Wan, a typical Garhwali village. We campjust above the village near the Tourist Bungalow on a wide tree fringed terrace. Just above camp is the sacred grove of Latu, a local spirit, whose temple lies under one of the biggest Deodar trees in India. Approx 11km, 4hours walking.

Day 8
Past the temple the trail climbs steadily through magnificent cypress trees to the Kukin Khal pass at 3069m. This pass divides the Nandakini and Wan valleys. Look out for the graves of 2 holy men. The path now descends to a broad meadow on a paved stone trail to Kunol village, a traditional Garhwali settlement with stone and slate houses and excellent views of Trisul. Fields are still hand tilled and provide villagers with most of their staple foods and a small income from any surplus. A lengthy descent takes us down to the Nandakini River, where we can stop for lunch and bathe our feet in the cool water. A very pleasant walk in the afternoon takes us on a broad cliff path above the river to pine forest and more villages. Near Sutol we cross the Nandakini on a solid iron bridge and camp for the night. Approx 17km, 6 hours walking.

Day 9
A half day today as we trek through the heart of Nanda Devi country. The Nandakini is worshipped as the river of the mountain goddess. A short climb brings us to Sutol, a lovely village with paved alleys and heavy slate roofs. Our walk takes us up and out of the valley through delightful villages where many social rituals and annual events are still linked to worship of the 'mother goddess'. Almost every stone, tree and hilltop seems to have some significance attached to it and a sense of timelessness prevails. Dropping again to the river we climb up to another col and pass fields and small holdings. The trail takes us up and down all day today until we finally emerge at Dekhandar, set on a ridge at 2120m with amazing views of Trisul. Approx 4-5 hours walking.

Day 10
We climb steeply up from camp on a zig zag trail to open grassy meadows. Look out today as you walk through the village of Ala for the ornate woodcarvings above the doors of the houses. Snow peaks now begin to emerge to the north above the forest. Climbing through more forest we camp tonight at Ramni. Above the village there are wonderful views.In one direction is the country through which we have been walking andin the other the mighty peaks of Trisul and Nanda Ghunti. Approx 4-5 hours walking.

Day 11
A long day today with fabulous views. We start with a gradual climb to the Ramni Pass (3064m), known locally as Binayak Top. There are magnificent views of snow covered peaks through the trees and it is also possible to make out the Kuari Pass, which we will be crossing in a couple of days' time. Look out in this area for the multi coloured Monal pheasants, which inhabit the forests in this area. We descend gently at first across pastureland and open glades into forests with horse chestnut and walnut trees. The descent steepens through the colourful village of Jhin-jhi. Continuing on down we reach the wild Beireh Ganga, a river that caused Shipton and Tilman much frustration during their explorations. The bridge was then a tree trunk affair and was frequently washed away. Fortunately nowadays the river is spanned by an impressive suspension bridge built in the post war period. Watch out for the monkeys who seem to love this place. After the bridge there is yet another steep ascent following a zig zag path up the bare eroded hillside. As we climb we can see the remains of Gohna Lake, which was formed in 1893 after a landslide dammed the Bireh Ganga. In 1894 the monsoon rains broke the dam and caused a castatrophic flood as far downstream as Srinagar. We continue on up after lunch through forest and pasture towards Pana, the last village before the pass. Shortly before the village we cut up to Kaliaghat, a small bugyal (grazing area) to camp. Approx 6-7 hours walking.

Day 12
Our route today traverses above Pana village and then starts a steep climb up into rhododendron forest. It's a broad well-made track and after a number of false starts a col is reached at 3100m. The path now descends gently, traversing along the valley to the open meadows at Sartoli with views across to the Kuari Pass. The trail descends several streams before it plunges down a steep loose section - take care here. At the bottom you can see to the right where the river has carved out a deep rocky gorge. This is wild country and we are now above all habitation. Look out for Blue Sheep and the Himalayan Black Bear!. Still climbing we finally reach out camp below the Kuari Pass, a large open pasture used by shepherds to graze their herds of sheep and goats in the summer. Approx 5-6 hours walking.

Day 13
We start early today to enjoy the views at the top of the pass. The trail zig zags to the top of the pass where the views are often cited as the best in the Indian Himalaya. To the north is the Chaukhamba Range, while the summits of Mana (7272m), Kamet (7756m) and Abl Gamin (7355m) extend to the Tibetan border. In the middle foreground a number of spectacular peaks including Dunagiri (7066m) and Changabang (6848m) enclose the Nanda Devi Sanctuary while to the west the snow-capped ranges extend to Gangotri. Nanda Devi cannot be seen from the pass but if the weather is clear it is worth walking along the ridge to about 4268m where the views are even more spectacular and we can see Nanda Devi. We descend to our camp at Talli where we have amazing sunset views of Nanda Devi if the weather is clear. Approx 6 hours walking.

Day 14
We follow a long undulating trail down to Auli with views of Nanda Devi all the way down the ridge. Here we rejoin our vehicles for the short drive to Joshimath. Approx 5 hours walking. At Joshimath we stay in a basic lodge.

Day 15
An early start for the long but spectacular drive to Rishikesh. We follow the Alaknanda River most of the way and will arrive in the evening at Rishikesh. Rishikesh is a popular pilgrim and meditation centre on the banks of the Ganges. Approx 8-9 hours drive.

Day 16
The enthusiastic can get up early this morning and visit some of the ghats at Rishiksh. After breakfast we drive to Haridwar, where we can stop and visit some of the temples and ghats. We then have a fairly long drive back to Delhi arriving in the early evening.

Day 17
This morning we depart Delhi for the flight to London arriving in the early evening. Those not flying with us to London will leave the hotel after breakfast.