OT Staff & Waquar Habib
In the picturesque Zanskar River, Chadar Trek goes over thick ice and narrow gorges. A winter challenge not without rewards, it offers unmatched landscapes and unspoilt Himalayan experience for trekkers.
Roopkund's high-altitude trail touches forests and alpine meadows culminating at mysterious Roopkund Lake. Famed for ancient skeletal remains, it champions glistening snow-laden peaks for headstrong hikers.
A most sought-after UNESCO-listed stretch, this walk implants you in the lap of alpine boom. Meandering paths and mind-boggling fauna frame every frame the eyes can behold; it's what photographers' dreams are made of.
Bridging Kullu Valley to Lahaul, Hampta Pass is entails verdant forests, desolate highlands and winds in the hair. Comfortable slopes and oddly dramatic panoramas invite both seasoned and starter trekkers.
Cutting through remote villages and stark desert mountains, this classic route in Ladakh may intimate you to Buddhist culture and life in high passes. Views of snow-leopards and ibex are reported alongside uplifting sky views.
A winter favourite, this trek ladders through green pine patches to a summit plateau. Snow dominates its length as frame-worthy panoramas of Himalayan giants like Bandarpoonch and Swargarohini add to the experience.
Cradled in Nanda Devi National Park, this remote trek encircles India's second-highest peak. Challenging trails and narrow valleys give way to pleasant biodiversity alongisde towering rock faces.
Slithering deep into Kanchenjunga National Park, this trail is a spectacle of Mount Kanchenjunga, world's third-highest peak. Rhododendrons and arresting sunrise viewpoints make the hike memorable.
That it offers rhododendron forests and alpine meadows is the second best thing about this trail. The first is its extraordinary views of 4 of the 5 highest peaks: Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu.
A testing climb to one of Ladakh's highest summits, this trek is a litmus for fitness and grit. The climax, however, of unseen Himalayan vistas turn in into a challenge every bit worthy of being undertaken.