Types of Expeditions

Low Altitude : The Himalayan Foothills ( Apr - mid Nov

The area surrounding Kulu is varied - grand deodar ( cedar ) forests, mixed deciduous woods and plenty of villages and terraced cultivation. From the top of the ridges and passes - not more than 11,000ft / 3245m - there are undreamed of views. The area is renowned for its old forest rest houses - simple two or three roomed cottages often  without running water, but roaring fires and lamplight. What they lack in facilities, they more than make up in charm. Nights are spent either inside or in tents pitched in their quaint gardens.

The walking is along muleable tracks, often contouring round valleys, though there are plenty of up and down too. Anyone used to rough country walking should not have any difficulty. Those who always wanted to walk in the Himalayas, but were daunted by the thought, could safely choose these treks. The nights can be chilly, and the sun can be hotter at mid day than you would normally expect walking in Europe.

Mid High Altitude - the Greater Himalayas ( Mid Jun - mid Oct )

The stages can vary from 3 hrs to eight hours, depending upon the availability of water at the campsites. You walk along paths, sheep tracks and across scree and glacial debris. There are few villages, and the population is Buddhist, from whose flat mud baked roofs, flutter prayer flags. You go up through magnificent forests, birch and rhododendron scrub and out on to the flower covered alps at around 13500ft / 3980m.

Although hot in the sun, it can be bitterly cold at night. No mountaineering skills are required, for it is walking rather than climbing. Previous experience is less important than a readiness for adventure.

High Altitude -Lahul, Spiti & Zanskar ( July / Aug / mid Sep )

These areas on the 'roof of the world' lie on the far side of one of the great Himalayan ranges, beyond the reach of the monsoon. Here it is arid and the air harsh. Fields and even the few trees - willows and populars - must be irrigated. As in Tibet, most of the people are Mongoloid and Buddhist. Though the terrain is inhospitable, it is just the opposite with the villagers. The long winters and harsh summers give them a rare blend of hospitality. The monasteries here are store houses of Indo - Tibetan art and the sounds and sights give one a glimpse of a very ancient culture.   

Here the treks reach heights of about 16000 ft / 4715m. Again one need not be a mountaineer but fitness is a must.