15 Greatest Himalayan Treks in Autumn this 2021 (Sept, Oct and Nov)

I‘m noticing an fascinating trekking development in India. At first, I believed it was a one-off statement. However I’m noticing it 12 months after 12 months now.

Yearly, as soon as the monsoons are over, trekkers rush to register for our winter treks. Even now, a lot of our December dates are already full. 

What baffles me is that trekkers don’t appear to know the goodness of trekking in between — the autumn season. 

Regardless that most of our autumn teams are full, I discover that it’s the skilled trekkers who select to trek in autumn. Most trekkers new to trekking (75% of our trekkers) appear to decide on the normal summer season or winter months to trek. 

Which is why we put this submit collectively.

Autumn is without doubt one of the finest trekking seasons, if not THE finest. And I don’t need you to overlook out on the appeal of this season.

To let you know why, I requested our founder, Arjun Majumdar, to make a fast candid video and share the grandeur of trekking in autumn.

He shares a few of his private tales, and in addition his favorite purpose to trek in autumn — one thing you’ll not see in another season.

If that’s not sufficient, our co-founder Sandhya UC pens down her ideas on trekking in autumn.

Summer season has historically been the preferred season for trekking within the Himalayas. However few folks know in regards to the charms of trekking in autumn, and why it’s maybe the right season for a himalayan trek.

I checklist beneath 4 causes that make autumn my favorite season to trek.

1. Crystal clear skies 

The monsoons wash the skies of all hanging mud and haze. The air within the mountains turns into crisp and squeaky clear, making Autumn the most effective time for mountain views. Massive mountain views are at their finest. Each fold, each crack is seen with full readability.

Lengthy distance views are additionally at their finest. You see mountains that you simply by no means knew existed when you have been trekking in spring or summer season.

A few of my favorites from autumn are, Tapovan with Mt Shivling towering over, Dayara and Gidara Bugyals with their 270 diploma mountain panorama and the Phulara ridge stroll and Sandakphu with lengthy distance views.

2. Little or no probability of climate disrupting your trek

I’ve additionally observed that we get little or no climate disruptions on our treks within the months of October and November. Summer season sees afternoon showers day by day whereas winter and spring are inclined to get sporadic snowfall. Autumn climate disruptions are virtually unparalleled. Once more an after impact of the clear skies. If you need a assure of nice climate in your trek, select autumn.

3. The colours of Autumn

If spring is the time for flowers, autumn is for the colours of leaves, grass and the skies. The forests are colourful, teeming with yellow and pink foliage. The grassy vegetation at greater altitudes flip pink earlier than turning into gold. The skies are additionally at their colourful finest particularly at sundown. If you happen to want to see the colours of the mountains, trek in Autumn. My favorites for colors are Har Ki Dun valley, Goechala, Buran and Rupin valleys.

4. Decrease crowds

Being the non-traditional season for trekking, most trails are relatively empty in Autumn in our nation. You might be more likely to have all the campsite to your self even on well-liked trails. 

A few of these treks, which climb above 13,000 ft, have tight home windows and shut down by mid-October. Some others have longer seasons that stretch effectively into November. Click on on the trek to examine the dates.

The perfect time to begin registering for these treks is in July. Most of our September and October teams fill out by late July, so plan quickly!

View All Autumn Treks

Greatest Autumn Treks within the Himalayas (Sept, Oct, Nov)

Only a few trekkers have set foot on the Dayara Bugyal trek, regardless that it lies very near the Gangotri area.

Dayara Bugyal is a type of off-beat treks which takes your breath away! It’s so rewarding for little or no effort.

The huge meadows, stunning campsites and gorgeous mountain views make Dayara Bugyal a super summer season trek. Particularly if there are children aged 7 years and above, as a result of it makes for an ideal household trek, similar to the Phulara Ridge trek above.

Discover Dayara Bugyal

Set within the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand, the Deoriatal Chandrashila trek is a deal with for wildlife lovers. And it is usually an amazing summit climb (12,083 ft)  for many who are starting to begin trekking within the Himalayas.

You see, summit climbs are rewarding, and trudge up a mountain for hours through the wee hours. You attain its highest level just like the rays of the solar lighten the sky. All the things is beneath you — the clouds, the hills, the tiny specks of civilization. On a Himalayan trek, you often see mountain ranges within the distance.

That is the place Deoriatal Chandrashila is particular. It isn’t a bit of Himalayan ranges that you simply see. You see all the foremost summits of Western and Japanese Uttarakhand from the summit. By all, we imply all.

Discover Deoriatal – Chandrashila

3. Kuari Go

Problem: Simple – Reasonable
Area: Joshimath, Uttarakhand
Period: 6 Days

Not many treks enable you very near India’s tallest mountain (with its base utterly in India), Mt Nanda Devi. However right here’s a trek that not solely takes you shut, however means that you can trek beside Mt Nanda Devi for days collectively! If that’s not sufficient, you could have Mt Dronagiri and Mt Hathi Parbat conserving you firm all through the trek.

That’s simply one of many causes to do the Kuari Go trek. This trek additionally has a number of the finest forests in comparison with all different Himalayan treks, and also you camp in the course of one in every of them. As you climb greater, you attain Gorson Bugyal, an enormous stretch of meadows opening as much as the mountain views. Within the autumn season, you see the most effective of the views from these meadows.

Provided that it’s suited to newcomers, it’s one in every of our simpler treks, with extraordinarily excessive rewards!

Discover Kuari Go

4. Kedarkantha

The Kedarkantha trek is without doubt one of the hottest winter treks we now have, and rightly so. Within the winters, the path is totally coated in snow and it’s a pleasure to trek. Nonetheless, the draw back of this recognition is the truth that it does are inclined to get fairly crowded within the winter months. However if you wish to expertise the identical Kedarkantha path, with out the gang, then it is a perfect autumn trek.

Not solely does the path boast of superb snow-clad mountains, but in addition of a number of the most pristine views of the Himalayan vary. In-fact the 360-degree view from the summit is unmatched within the Autumn months.

Including the cherry on the cake, the trek turns into a notch simpler than I the winter too! So when you’re planning on trekking in Autumn, look out for the Kedarkantha trek, particularly when you’re planning to take your youngsters alongside (that is your finest probability).

Discover Kedarkantha

To start out the checklist of the most effective autumn treks, right here we’re with surprisingly an Indian ridge trek. Ridge treks in India are an absolute rarity, perhaps only a handful of such treks exist in India.

A ridge is a spot the place two sides of the mountain meet. So a stroll on a ridge is sort of like one on a knife-edge, the place there are simply flanks of the mountain sloping down from both facet of you. There are small ridge sections on a couple of Himalayan treks. Nonetheless, to have a whole’s day trek on a ridge is unparalleled.

When you’ve got finished a summit climb, you’d know that you simply stand on the highest level for maybe 20-Half-hour. That is the place you get nice views of the mountains round. On this trek although, you’re at a excessive level of 12,000 ft for day’s value of trek (4-5 hours!).

The 250-degree panorama of snow-capped mountains stays with you all through! It virtually provides you the sensation that these mountains are trekking together with you, as you traverse the ridge that curves its means into the panorama.

Under you, the bottom sweeps down on both facet – one right into a meadow, one right into a valley. These dramatic views and ever-changing landscapes are what makes Phulara Ridge Trek a singular expertise.

Discover Phulara Ridge

On the Brahmatal trek, you stroll on a high-point with the mountain dropping on both facet. That is known as a ridgeline. A ridgeline typically provides the sensation of an prolonged summit.

What’s pleasant is that you simply additionally get to camp on the ridge – at Tilandi. From right here, you get to see the Himalayan panorama rolling out on either side.

As you’re on a excessive level at Tilandi, you get to witness the sundown and dawn from the identical campsite. And being on the high-point additionally makes it the windiest campsite of the trek.

To high all of it, you get to see Mt Trishul and Mt Nanda Ghunti up shut from Brahmatal Prime!

Discover Brahmatal

The Har Ki Dun – Ruinsara Tal trek hasn’t seen a lot human footprint, leaving many birds and animals to thrive on this area. You possibly can spot Langoor households close to Puani Garaat. Likelihood is, that you simply would possibly even spot Black bears, wild boars and Barasingha amongst different animals owing to the nice climate and full absence of haze.

The path allows you to get pleasure from their habitat of pine forest at its vibrant finest.

It’s in all probability the one valley from which you’ll be able to see Swargarohini – I, II, III, Bandarpoonch and Black peak, all collectively. Getting such a transparent view of Swargarohini, makes you are feeling like a Pandava ascending to the heavens. You may also see the Ruinsara Peaks.

Usually you’re accompanied by swollen streams that move mellifluously down the hills. The Har Ki Dun trek is certainly the most effective autumn treks and it’s at its vibrant finest within the months of September, October and November.

Discover Har Ki Dun – Ruinsara Tal

Placing the Sandakphu – Phalut trek in direction of the top of this checklist tells you that there’s no explicit order on this checklist. As a result of that is one in every of our greatest autumn treks. With views of 4 of the tallest mountains on the earth – Mt Everest, Mt Lhotse, Mt Makalu and Mt Kanchenjunga, that is one trek to maintain a tab on when you’re getting in autumn.

Not solely do you get crisp views, however you additionally trek by way of fantastic forests of the Singalila Nationwide Park. The colors in these rhododendron, bamboo and pine forests are gorgeous!

Additionally, you can get an opportunity to identify the elusive pink panda in these forests in autumn. Certainly one of our skilled wildlife photographers, Ajit Hota, says autumn is a good season to identify the pink panda and a whole bunch of birds too. He even noticed a bear on this trek! So when you plan this trek, preserve your eyes peeled for wildlife.

Being up within the mountains in such clear, clear air is a blessing. All the things appears extra enhanced – the colors, the smells, the dimensions… They are saying an uncluttered house can convey readability to the thoughts; an uncluttered trek within the Himalayas can do exactly {that a} 1000 occasions over.

Discover Sandakphu – Phalut

Gidara Bugyal is an historic, pristine meadow that’s identified within the hardcore trekking circles. It is without doubt one of the largest excessive altitude meadows you’ll set foot on. It’s bigger than its twin Dayara Bugyal. Probably bigger than the dual meadows of Ali and Bedni Bugyal as effectively. It takes at the least two days to traverse!

Regardless that it’s identified within the trekking circles, Gidara is extraordinarily secluded. There are only a few folks that truly trek in these meadows. The one indicators of civilisation you’re more likely to spot are the shepherds and their settlements round your first campsite, Rikoda. You may even see a mountain canine or two. However you’re more likely to be the one group trekking and tenting in these meadows.

Discover Gidara Bugyal

The trek that takes you to the supply of river Ganga, the Gaumukh glacier. Not solely that, it’s the solely trek within the nation that takes you nearer to Mt Shivling the place you see it from the bottom to the summit, in a single gigantic body!

Together with Mt Shivling, Mt Meru and the Bhagirathi sisters preserve shut firm at Tapovan.

Discover Gaumukh Tapovan

11. Rupin Go

Problem: Reasonable – Troublesome
Area: Jiskun, Himachal Pradesh
Period: 7 Days

If there’s a basic trek in India, it needs to be the Rupin Go. This trek is like an orchestra, increase momentum with surprises in surroundings each hour or so. With each step, the trek throws up a brand new vista to see, a brand new surroundings to unfold. Fairly abruptly too!

The surprises start proper out of your first day of trekking. When, round 20 minutes into the path,  you see the Rupin River make an look, fanning out into a large mattress beneath you. And it doesn’t cease right here.

From right here, the path takes you thru hanging villages after which fairly abruptly, it plunges right into a deep pine forest!  That’s not all. The path then meanders by way of glacial meadows, snow bridges, glacial valleys, snow fields and a whole bunch of waterfalls!

Discover Rupin Go

Most trekkers head over to the Buran Ghati trek to rappel down the snow wall in June. However when you assume this isn’t the most effective autumn treks, then you’re making an enormous mistake.

Any nature lover will go weak on the knees on this trek. Because the climate modifications, the colors of the forests tackle an orange tinge. There are pines, maples, oaks, and for good lengthy hours! You’ll not need to step out of the forests.

However how will you resist, as a result of, on the fringe of the forest, you get a glimpse of the beautiful Dayara meadows. We name this place the place you enter the meadows the “Wow Level.” Attempt to not say wow whenever you stand right here!

In autumn, vivid blue skies drop down behind the honey-tinged meadows. And also you get to camp right here. It’s an expertise you’ll not get wherever else at another time of the 12 months.

I’d strongly suggest doing it in October. It’s early winter, you would possibly expertise the primary winter snow (just a bit bit).

Only one factor to bear in mind when you’re going right here in October, the temperatures will drop to unfavorable numbers. So carry at the least 4-5 heat layers. Thermals are a should too! There gained’t be a snow wall, however every part else is value each step you are taking!

Discover Buran Ghati

There aren’t many treks that allow one expertise the uncooked grandeur of a Himalayan cross crossing, that too within the autumn season. Connecting Har Ki Dun valley with Yamunotri, the Bali Go is an exhilarating path. It traverses the confluence of Tons and Ruinsara rivers, the undisturbed serenity of the Ruinsara Valley and the plush meadows of Devsu Thach.

Quickly, golden-brown grass on the trek of autumn paves means for an alpine zone. At 16,207 ft, the Bali Go trek gives a 360 diploma panoramic view of the Bandarpoonch, Kalanag and Swargarohini peaks. This reward doesn’t come simple, as this trek is a troublesome one, not appropriate for newcomers.

Discover Bali Go – Ruinsara Tal

The largest purpose to do the Goechala trek is the grand views of massive mountains that you simply see. You don’t simply see one summit — the Kanchenjunga — however 14 different massive summits. That’s so much for any trek — particularly as near the eyes as on the Goechala trek. It’s no surprise that trekkers contemplate Goechala to be the closest to the large mountain treks of Nepal.

The path to Goechala is blessed with rhododendron forests. And are available spring-summer months of April and Could, they burst to life with pink and pink flowers! It’s an enormously pleasing stroll by way of the wooden-log trails of those jungles!

The Samiti Lake is one other massive attraction on the Goechala trek. The view of the nonetheless waters, and the reflection of Mt Pandim within the lake, particularly within the early hours, is a visible deal with.

Discover Goechala

Certainly one of our more durable treks, positively not for newcomers. It climbs as much as 16,000 ft to the Kedartal Lake. You stand up near massive mountains Mt Thalaysagar and Mt Bhrigupanth.

This trek charges excessive on journey. It’s also an endurance check of kinds, because it has lengthy days, robust terrain and climbs to a really excessive altitude. If you wish to keep away from treks like Rupin Go and Gaumukh Tapovan, and but expertise the identical journey, then select this trek.

Select this trek solely if you’re very match and have some prior excessive altitude trek expertise.

Discover Kedartal

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