Summer Time, Indian Himalaya

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Greetings!

 

vantage point on the trek

 

This summer, plan ahead to take in some new combination trips. We also have some quick tours to Ladakh, incase you are up for a quick driving holiday. Plan ahead and get the early bird advantage on air fares into Ladakh. Camp Lunagad in the scenic Tons valley opens May 1, so you can plan your summer sojourn soon. Hope you get to move out and breathe some clean mountain air this summer.

 
Chopta Tungnath Trek and Ganges Raft Expedition May 1-7, May 8-14 and June 5-11, 2011  Chandrashilla summit                                    A short easy trek running parallel to the high Himalayas. Good views all the way, beautiful camping by the lake at Devariyatal and some great forests. In the early spring the rhododendron forest glow red as the flowers bloom. The views from the Chandrashilla top will stay in one's memory for really long, and a terrific run down the Alaknanda and Ganga rivers, absolutely terrific combination.

Day 01 : Board morning 7 am Shatabdi Express from Delhi to Hardwar. Arrive at Hardwar at 11:20am, transfer to Camp Silver Sands, to arrive by lunch. After lunch, raft the Ganga river to get familiar with paddling commands, paddling strokes and other safety instructions. Back to Camp for tea. Dinner and overnight Camp.
Day 02: Drive Camp Silver Sands - Sari and trek to Devariyatal (2440m) 4.5 hrs drive and 2 hrs walk.   The road goes along the river Alaknanda before entering the Mandakini valley. It's gradual uphill all the way up to the beautiful lake of Devariyatal.
Day 03: Trek Devariyatal - Chopta (3000m) 6-7 hrs.
The trail goes through the dense forest and stays on the ridge all the way to Tali. From here we descend for a while to cross a stream and then climb up gradually to reach Chopta, located in an idyllic setting having beautiful meadows and is surrounded by dense forests.
Day 04: Trek Chopta - Tungnath (3680m) - Chandrashilla Top (4130m) - Chopta.
Start early in the morning and climb up to the temple of Tungnath and beyond. Tungnath, one of the Shiva temples is the highest temple in Garhwal and has definitely a certain mystical/religious aspect which is quite based on the spectacular surrounding and views from there. Views which go far beyond the simple "view of mountains".  The summit of the Chandrashilla peak provides a breathtaking 360 degree view.
Day 05:  Drive Chopta - Bagwan (4 hrs). Begin our multiday adventure down the Alaknanda and Ganga rivers. Run Class 3+ rapids till the town of Devprayag where the Alaknanda meets the  Bhagirathi, to make India's holiest river.  Continue below the confluence to camp at Beas Ghat beach for the night. 
Day 06 : Raft down the remote gorge of the Upper Ganga, and continue past Kaudiyala and down the two biggest rapids on the Ganga, "Daniel's Dip" and the "Wall". Float into Camp Silver Sands for a late lunch. Short optional hike, or swim in the river to cool off. Overnight Camp Silver Sands.
Day 07 : Relaxed day at Camp. After lunch, depart for Hardwar to board the evening Sahatbdi Express. Arrive Delhi 10:40pm.
 
Rs. 25,000/person ; email to book.
Ladakhi Man

Day 01. Fly Delhi - Leh (3466m ; 11,370ft). Transfer to hotel. Rest, hydrate and acclimatise. Overnight Leh hotel.

Day 02. Leh. Acclimatize and sightseeing. For the more energetic a visit to a few monasteries such as Shey, Thikse and Hemis will be arranged. Or choose to relax and walk into Leh town, to its exciting market and outdoor restaurants.  Overnight Leh hotel.

Day 03.Leh - Drive 6 hours over the Khardung La (5602 metres) into Nubra valley. O/N in camp / lodge in Sumur. Overnight Nubra valley.

Day 04.  Sumur -Hunder -Diskit -Sumoor - Full day sightseeing. Drive back across the Shyok river at Khalsar and visit Deskit and Hundar. Visit the sand dunes on the banks of the Shyok, with a good chance to view the two humped Bactrain camels. Visit Deskit monastery, and drive back to Sumur. 
 
Day 05.  After breakfast, drive back over the Khardung La to Leh. Walk to Shanti Stupa to view Leh town and the sunset. Overnight hotel.

Day 06.  After breakfast, drive to Alchi. Enroute, see Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, Magnetic Hill , and the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers. On the way back visit Spituk monastery. Overnight hotel.

Day 07.  After early breakfast,  drive to Pangong lake. Back to Leh by evening. Overnight hotel.

Day 08.   Early morning transfer to airport for flight to Delhi. Trip ends.

 

Cost : Rs. 18,530/person + airfare Rs. 14250/person ; email for details

 
The Tons Thriller May 08-14, May 15-21, May 22-28 and June 12-18, 2011

 

 

In May 2005, Aquaterra Adventures opened the entire Tons river, 19 years after it was run in 1986. And continues to be the only outfitter running regular descents on this section, continuing to set the industry benchmark in running all of India's wild raftable rivers. Tiuni Bazar Rapid below Pabbar Confluence  On the Middle Tons between Lunagad and Tiuni, the river drops at an average rate of 32 feet per kilometer. This includes a drop of 78 feet/kilometer over the last three and a half kilometers before Tiuni. Amazing scenery, world class whitewater make this a premier expedition for the white water paddler.  We run several rapids ranging from Class III to Class IV+/V, with whitewater sections separated by maybe a hundred yards or less of flat water. It aims to propagate the sheer adrenaline and magic of taking on 40 kms of quality whitewater from Gyunhatti till Tiuni, in what could possibly be, one of the finest whitewater experiences possible in the world today. Adrenaline pumping river days are followed by relaxed afternoons, to be spent under leafy alders, taking short hikes into the alpine forests and camping out near fields of calf high mint and marijuana.  

Outside Magazine writes up on one of the worlds' greatest 30 trips : http://www.aquaterra.in/aquaterra/news/press-releases/greatest_trip_ever1.htm ; and check out the Amercian Whitewater article on the Tons  valley ; Click for a visual review  or click here for Slide Show on Camp Lunagad      

Day 01 : Board morning 7 am Shatabdi Express from Delhi to Hardwar. Arrive at Hardwar at 11:20am, transfer to Camp Silver Sands, to arrive by lunch. After lunch, raft the Ganga river to get familiar with paddling commands, paddling strokes and other safety instructions. Back to Camp for tea. Dinner and overnight Camp.
Day 02 : After an early breakfast, depart for the Tons valley, to cross Mussourie before it wakes up. Packed lunch enroute. Arrive at Tons camp and settle down.  Check in to tents, and relax. Short hike to stretch those legs.  Campfire dinner and overnight at camp.
Day 03 :  Rafting on the Tons from Mori-Khunigad. Familiarization with paddling commands and paddling strokes. Take short walk to the Lunagad pool, or relax at Camp. Campfire dinner and overnight at camp.
Day 04-05 : Leave Camp to begin 2 days of exhilirating river rafting, dedicated to the 21 km section from Mori till Tiuni, where the Pabbar River meets the Tons. This is the more continuous part of our expedition. Days are mixed with running several continuous Class 4 rapids in a day and camping by lunch on beautiful alpine meadows above the river, taking walks into the forest and breathing rhododendron-scented air. It's a great mix of high adrenaline rafting and soothing camping in very scenic surroundings. Drive back to Camp - shower, relax and party!
Day 06 : Drive to Sandhra village and trek 3 hours to Mora village. Packed lunch enroute. Return to Camp by early afternoon, relax at Camp. Overnight Camp.
Day 07: After brunch, drive to Dehradun to board Train No. 2018 Dehradun Shatabdi from Dehradun to Delhi.
Rs. 25,000/person ; email to book
 
Located in a little known pocket in nort western Uttarakhand near the border with Himachal Pradesh, lies the absolutey stunning valley of the Tons river.  Located at a pleasant 3500 feet above sea level, this area is rich in every type of western Himalayan flora and fauna, densely forested with deodar, pine, alpine oak, birch, chestnut, rhododendron and jamun.  Tons Valley, one of the best kept secrets of the Himalaya An excellent river camping site, relaxing walks, ample angling opportunities and great whitewater make it an ideal getaway for everyone including families and children, from the quiet holiday-maker to the die hard adventure seeker. Only 410 kms from Delhi, it offers an escape from 4 days onwards to a week or two. White Water Rafting on the Tons (the biggest tributary of the Yamuna with its source in the snowfields of the 20,720ft high mountain, Bandarpunch), a small volume, Class 4 river offers an excellent adrenaline rush and adds to the excitement of being in the outdoors. Staying at Camp in the midst of thickly forested hillsides combined with hikes and overnight treks in the hills around our Camp, make it a memorable family getaway from the summer heat. And for keener rafters and kayakers, try out a multi-day expedition style river rafting trip on the Tons river till the dam at Icchhari.

Rs. 5900/person ; email to book