UKH

My daughter is going to India and wants to go trekking . I went to Kashmir in the 80's but wouldn't advise her to go there now. The political situation is even more fragile than it was then. 

Are Simla, Dharamsala good ? Any tips for a safe, special place? 

They don't feel they'll have time to do Nepal. 

In reply to Pete Pozman:

I had a short trip in 2006 to the Singalila Ridge. Initially travellled to Darjeeling from Delhi and then got a lift to the start of our route.

Fantastic views of the Himalayas, great tea houses and lots of sights. We were just under 4000m at the highest point. 

The ridge is on the India/Nepal border. 

Andy

 

In reply to Pete Pozman:

On her own?

I was up in Northern India, Himachal Pradesh, back in 97 and TBH it wasnt great for the girls.

Obviously sexist but also very grabby and pully, pulling the hair of light haired girls. It didn't feel that safe TBH.

Maybe it's changed but I'd be wary of going back with me wife and kid now. 

In reply to Pete Pozman:

Try Ladakh. They can do the Markha Valley trek if they want something easy to organise, and add on a jeep trip to Tso Moriri or Pangong Tso at the end if they want more content for Instagram.

Leh is no Kathmandu, but there's cheap hotels, cafes and restaurants and it's easy enough to organise trips. You can fly in/out too, relatively cheaply, so it's good for those short on time, so long as you spend a couple of days in town doing not much (monasteries, cafes) before going any higher, as it's around 3400m.

In reply to Damo:

I was in Leh. We part trekked part bussed it but had to hitch back to Srinagar on a lorry (crossing the Zoji La on the top of the driver's cab at dawn  was something). I didn't know you could  get a commercial flight to Leh) 

She's with her boyfriend  

In reply to Pete Pozman:

We (my partner and I) went trekking in Uttarakhand in September last year. Logistically very easy to reach from Delhi and seemed safe/ hassle free. It was less developed than the Nepalese trekking I've done, but in a positive way.  

We did the Kuari pass trek, but there seemed to be lots of alternative routes in the area. I have some PDFs of potential routes, let me know if you'd like them and I can email them to you.

Tom

In reply to Pete Pozman:

You can still come in/out via Srinagar if you want to, but there can be minor security issues sometimes on the Srinagar end. Many people fly in now from Delhi, but some do the two-day jeep/bus drive from Manali, via the Rohtang La etc.

They're building a tunnel under the Rohtang La, and pushing roads into Zanskar at quite a rate, so when that happens the Indian motorists already flocking to Manali and Leh will proliferate. While there are good and bad aspects to such development, it certainly spoils many of the classic trekking routes.

If they are even thinking about going there, they should go now.

In reply to Damo:

Ladakh is a great option, more Tibetan than Tibet. 

In reply to Pete Pozman:

Thanks for the tips. 

In reply to Pete Pozman:

Have a chat with Rimo expeditions based in Leh. They are excellent: very professional, organised, and with great staff. 

In reply to Pete Pozman:

I have used Rimo Expeditions too and found them excellent. I did a trek with my two daughters when they were teenagers. We had a fantastic time. There are several options available, including tailor-made, bespoke treks at a fraction of the price of going through a western firm, which basically just takes a huge commission and leaves most of the organisation to a firm such as Rimo. Flying into Leh is a blast. Get a window seat away from the wing on the left hand side, and the views are incredible.  

Do leave some time for acclimatising before starting the trek: Leh is HIGH. There is plenty to do - including monastery visits, the Khardung La (highest motorable pass in the world) and superb white water rafting on the Indus. 

In reply to Pete Pozman:

Uttarkhand is the place to go, its totally safe and cheap and underdeveloped, the Pindari Glacier is definately a good intro to trekking in Himalaya. We did this one in the Christmas hols one year and had the whole trek to ourselves.

 

In reply to Iandavid:

I second the Pindari Glacier. Fantastic trekking and not in the Nepal style at all. Didn't book anything in advance and just found basic accommodation at night. Most other trekkers were Indian families which was fun and it was, as others pointed out, what Nepal was like in the 70's before it turned into the well-oiled banana-pancake/tea-house machine that it is today

In reply to Pete Pozman:

ps Mcleodganj (aka Dharamsala) is also good

In reply to Pete Pozman:I think, as others have said , Ladakh fits the bill for a first time and easy to organise . To add a note about logistics , the flights in and out of leh can get get grounded for a few days at a time , so best to not rely  on it for onward connections . Fly in and then jeep/ bus out to manali being the obvious solution to that . Also manali is another great  place to hangout and organise outdoorsy things to do. Great Shame about Srinagar / Kashmir being off the radar , but I d also not want to think my kids were trekking travelling there at the moment.