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TREKS THAT TRANSFORM LIVES

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Latest Trek News

Tiny Tots up on a Trek! Five-year olds from DPS West Take to Trekking as part of their curriculum
July 15th, 2024, 6:00 p.m.

On Thursday, 11th of July, our youngest-ever group of students embarked on a trek to Kunagalu Betta, which we fondly call Puppy Betta for the rock’s resemblance to a puppy's face. 

The five-year-old preschoolers were promptly ready early in the morning at the school grounds of DPS West for their day-hike. The most exciting part? 

The little ones were accompanied by their parents (and for some of them, their grandparents), enthusiastic to join in on the learning adventures which would be held outdoors for the first time.

Students from DPS West have been embarking on day-hikes with Indiahikes everyday since June 25th, 2024. Thirteen groups have completed various treks around Bangalore, including Yathi Raja Betta, Skandagiri, and Kunagalu Betta. The final group trekked on Friday, 12th of July, wrapping up this delightful series of adventures.

The journey of DPS West’s daily hikes began two months ago with a special “Camp in Campus” experience, where students were slowly introduced to the outdoors, while still spending time within the safe and familiar surroundings of their school campus.

This received such positive feedback that it inspired the parents of the school students to get onboard the idea of more full-fledged treks.

Parents and grandparents who joined the treks expressed their joy in seeing their children explore new territories and learn from everything the outdoors have to offer.

We hope this love for the outdoors continues to grow in the young, old, and everyone in between.

For us at Indiahikes, we were thrilled to introduce the more than 500 young adventurers to the joys of trekking. DPS West has shared that they would love to do this again. They mentioned that maybe next time they would try overnight camping. We are looking forward to collaborating with DPS West again in the near future and are excited to watch their journey as they try newer adventures in the outdoors.

On Thursday, 11th of July, our youngest-ever group of students embarked on a trek to Kunagalu Betta, which we fondly call Puppy Betta for the rock’s resemblance to a puppy's face. 

The five-year-old preschoolers were promptly ready early in the morning at the school grounds of DPS West for their day-hike. The most exciting part? 

The little ones were accompanied by their parents (and for some of them, their grandparents), enthusiastic to join in on the learning adventures which would be held outdoors for the first time.

Students from DPS West have been embarking on day-hikes with Indiahikes everyday since June 25th, 2024. Thirteen groups have completed various treks around Bangalore, including Yathi Raja Betta, Skandagiri, and Kunagalu Betta. The final group trekked on Friday, 12th of July, wrapping up this delightful series of adventures.

The journey of DPS West’s daily hikes began two months ago with a special “Camp in Campus” experience, where students were slowly introduced to the outdoors, while still spending time within the safe and familiar surroundings of their school campus.

This received such positive feedback that it inspired the parents of the school students to get onboard the idea of more full-fledged treks.

Parents and grandparents who joined the treks expressed their joy in seeing their children explore new territories and learn from everything the outdoors have to offer.

We hope this love for the outdoors continues to grow in the young, old, and everyone in between.

For us at Indiahikes, we were thrilled to introduce the more than 500 young adventurers to the joys of trekking. DPS West has shared that they would love to do this again. They mentioned that maybe next time they would try overnight camping. We are looking forward to collaborating with DPS West again in the near future and are excited to watch their journey as they try newer adventures in the outdoors.

In a wave of good news for trekkers, landslides have been cleared from the NH7 route from Rishikesh to Valley of Flowers.

The major landslide that occurred on July 10th took a long time to clear because of the size of the boulders. Smaller walking routes were established by Saturday, but it took a while to clear the road. As of today, the landslide debris has been cleared and traffic is moving smoothly.

If you have an upcoming trek to Valley of Flowers, please keep in mind that this highway is prone to landslides. They are regular occurrences that come with the monsoon. These landslides are usually cleared off within a day, but they may cause long delays in your travel.

In case of such delays, we make small shifts in your itinerary. We accommodate most of the itinerary shifts within your travel plan, but in case of any major delays, it’s best to have a buffer day in your travel plan. So please plan your travel accordingly.

Entrepreneur, author and content creator, Ankur Warikoo, recently joined us on the Bhrigu Lake trek with his WebVeda team. Their objective was to come together as a team, given that they all work remotely, in different parts of the country. This was the first time several of them were embarking on a high altitude trek in the Himalayas.

For us, it was wonderful taking Ankur’s team on the trek. The team was among the most receptive, humble teams we have worked with. Not only were we able to successfully bring the team together, but the programme was a wonderful learning experience for our facilitators as well.

But nobody can articulate it better than Ankur Warikoo, the master orator himself. In this video, he shares some of their takeaways as a team, with a lot of wise learnings for entrepreneurs. As always, his advice is hard to ignore. Take a look.

Yesterday, a 30-member team from Indiahikes set out to clear up a litter hot-spot on the Bijli Mahadev trek.

Given that this is a popular trail, often used by pilgrims and tourists, a large part of the trail is extremely polluted. But we did not imagine it to be as polluted as this.

As our team dug into the trash from every nook and cranny of the hotspot, they collected 522 kg of waste.

They are further painstakingly segregating this waste and disposing it to rightful waste management authorities.

While it is heartbreaking for us to see so much waste on a lovely trekking trail such as Bijli Mahadev, we are also proud to leave the trail cleaner than before.

As per our latest reports one of the minor landslides on the NH7 highway between Rishikesh and Badrinath has been cleared.

But the landslide that struck the day before yesterday, approximately 3 km before Joshimath is yet to be cleared. Because of the size of the fallen boulders, the authorities are finding it challenging to clear the area.

A small walking trail across the landslide zone has been established to allow trekkers and yatris to cross on foot.

However, this could also get closed to allow uninterrupted repair work. In such a case, trekkers and yatris will be taking a 3 km route through the forests above the landslide zone.

The Indiahikes local team is stationed at the zone to receive trekkers who are incoming and also to support trekkers who are heading back from the trek.

We expect the landslide to be cleared by the time the next team travels towards the basecamp, on July 13th.

We have been receiving multiple requests from trekkers to open up a trek in South India over the next two months.

So we have opened up 6 dates for the Kodaikanal Avocado Hill trek in July and August, all of them during the weekends. Although we started running this trek only recently, trekkers have been loving the experience: the solitude of Spice Valley, the rolling hills while trekking, the lush forests.

It’s ideal for anyone who wants to get away from the city over a weekend, and have a mindful experience in the outdoors.

Until 11th July, no trekkers will be permitted to go on the Tarsar Marsar, Nafran Valley, and Bodpathri treks.

The District Administration of Pahalgam has restricted trekking in the region. The Budgam district has also retracted permissions to trek in the area. The government seems to have taken this call as a safety measure in light of the current unrest in J&K.

Trekkers who are already on their way to Srinagar or in the base camp are being diverted to other treks in J&K, which are running smoothly.

Four of our treks in J&K are permitted to run as scheduled: Kashmir Great Lakes, Pir Panjal Lakes, Warwan Valley and Tulian Lake.

We are continuously monitoring the developments. Please keep a tab on our website. We will update you as the situation changes.

There's been another minor landslide at Pipalkoti on the NH7 route.

The good thing is that as fast as landslides happen, they are cleared off as quickly. This particular one is expected to be cleared in the next 2 hours.

If it is not cleared for any reason, the trekking group departing on July 10th will stay at Pipalkoti for the night and carry on with the trek tomorrow.

There are no issues on the actual Valley of Flowers trail. The route is clear and open to trek.

Joshimath, Uttarakhand, July 10, 2024: A landslide occurred earlier today on NH7, approximately 3 kilometers before Joshimath. This route is used by trekkers traveling from Rishikesh to Karchi, the basecamp for Indiahikes' Valley of Flowers trek. It is also the national highway leading to Badrinath.

Authorities immediately initiated efforts to clear the landslide zone. However, the scale of the landslide may cause delays.

Here are updates from our current groups:

Trekkers departing July 9th were stationed at a hotel 3-4 km from the landslide zone last night. They will take a 3-kilometer detour on foot to Dhak, from where they will stay for the night and carry on with the trek tomorrow.

Trekkers departing on July 10th, will either (a) carry on to the basecamp if the landslide is cleared OR (b) Stay at the designated hotel and carry on to Govindghat tomorrow.

If you’re headed to Valley of Flowers, it’s best to include a buffer day in your travel plan, to account for any such disruptions.

Our first ever group to Pir Panjal started on a high today, with the SDM of Surankote, Mr Mohd Farooq flagging off the trek.

Trekkers have been waiting with bated breath to witness this trek. After our exploration and documentation last year, we still maintain that this is the grandest trek in J&K with 10 lakes, 4 meadows and endless jaw-dropping moments.

The flag-off was covered by the local media, who interviewed our trek leader and trekkers. At the first camp, the Indian army gave a warm welcome to the team.

We feel privileged to be working closely with the local administration and people, who have been very enthusiastic about growing trekking in the region. It is a wonderful start to a trek we are running for the first time in the region.

We wish the first team the best weather and the best views. We’re excited to hear back from them after 6 days!

We are thrilled to be back in Georgia for the first time after 2019. The first of the two groups going this year with Indiahikes started off their trek from Omalo today.

The team is already loving the beautiful scenery of the Tusheti National Park. Right from the drive from Tbilisi to Omalo, across the Abano Pass To the lovely village of Omalo, they are loving every bit.

They are also being pampered by Georgian hospitality. In Omalo, they were hosted by our local partner and her family, Eto’o, who is among the warmest people we have met in Georgia. They were not spared of the pampering even on their drive, where they stopped for lunch and were treated to a Georgian feast.

For all those who don’t know about the Atsunta Pass trek in Georgia, it is among the most beautiful treks in Eastern Europe. We dearly call it the “flower-bouquet” trek of Georgia, given the boundless meadows full of flowers. If you love trekking, this trek must be on your bucket list for 2025.

Trekkers at the highest point on Bali Pass.

After eight days of high adventure, great weather, and breathtaking views, the first group of Bali Pass trekkers for this year successfully completed the trek and returned to the base camp yesterday. This is a huge moment for both the trekkers and the Indiahikes team, as crossing the pass above 16,000 ft is no easy feat.

Here are some of the highlights that our trekkers experienced on this trek:
  • There was a lot of adventure on this trek, be it walking on a knife edge ridge, or crossing the Ruinsara river using Tyrolean traverse. The technicality required on this trek was a daring experience in itself.
  • The clear weather offered continuous views of the grand Swargarohini massif.
  • The pass crossing was exhilarating, even though there was less snowfall this year.
  • The unexpected, dense, green forests after crossing the pass near Lower Damini, added to the trek's beauty.

One major challenge on this trek was the descent from the ridge. The lack of snow made the trail tricky with many boulders and stones, straining trekkers' knees and ankles. However, with the technical support, collaboration, and effort of the entire team, the trekkers completed the trek safely and successfully.

Trek leader Amit Gupta was extremely happy with the way the entire team came together and worked as one to make it a wholesome experience. He said, "Care is something which came out from each team member. Thanks to the overall team effort, they could help each other across difficult sections by holding hands, carrying backpacks on tricky parts, and guiding the trekkers through their fears.”

With a fantastic start to the 2024 Bali Pass season, we look forward to trekkers enjoying a smooth and rewarding experience in the upcoming group.

At Indiahikes, we always wanted to open more treks that are high on adventure. While the Bali Pass is highly adventurous, it comes with a limited trekking window due to weather conditions. Keeping this in mind, to give trekkers an equally adventurous experience, we have opened more groups to the only other pass crossing trek that goes above 16,000 ft - Pin Bhaba Pass. The trek is also accessible for a longer duration from July through August.

Abhi Study Circle, an entrance exam tutorial center, recently collaborated with Indiahikes for a Himalayan Expeditioners Program that took students on the Bhrigu Lake Trek.

The Himalayan Expeditioners Program is the most advanced Outdoor Leadership Program we offer for school students. Himalayan Expeditioners is an immersive experience, pushing students out of their comfort zones and building invaluable life skills and leadership skills.

Seventeen 11th and 12th grade students successfully completed this four-day trek. Sahil, the founder of Abhi Study Circle and an enthusiastic trekker, wanted his students to experience the joys of trekking. This is the fourth time Abhi Study Circle has collaborated with Indiahikes, and each trek brings more valuable lessons and personal growth for the students.

Hemanth, a trek leader at Indiahikes, shared his learnings and takeaways from this trek, and here is what he had to say, “I think we all pushed our limits and achieved it together. For the first time, I didn't hear much about the summit experience. Everyone was sharing how the journey to reach the summit was more beautiful than the summit itself. They came with the mindset that it would be a learning experience, and they truly got the same through it. They were all happy after completing the trek and shared a lot of thoughts. They felt that connection with nature and how nature inspired them in imparting teamwork and collaborative leadership skills, survival skills, pushing one’s limits, being optimistic and living in the moment.”

With such positive learnings and takeaways from this experiential learning program, students genuinely felt a transformational shift in their confidence and mindset and wanted to come back for more treks in the future.

Last weekend was exciting and productive for both the Indiahikes team and the students of Ekya School. As part of the school's transitional outbound programme, they embarked on day hikes to Bananthimari Betta. Their objective was for 9th and 11th grade students to reflect on the new phases of their lives. They wanted their students to reflect on building connections with their new classmates, becoming seniors, and what they are looking forward to in the coming years.

What better location to reflect on these thoughts than in nature? With this unique approach to education, the first two groups of 9th graders from Ekya School set out for an experiential learning programme with Indiahikes to Bananthimari Betta. The students had a great experience on the trek, ending the day with smiles all around. They participated in various activities as part of our hands-on learning programme, including team-building exercises, basic survival skills, and connecting with nature activities. The trek allowed them to make new friends, deepen existing relationships, and reflect on themselves.

Here is what their trek leader, Rahul Paul, had to say about the entire experience. “Students shared that, through this experience, they took back learnings on being more responsible, humble, and collaborative by caring for and helping each other. Few students shared how it was refreshing and rejuvenating for them to spend time in nature and explore the trails leading up to the summit.”

After a successful weekend of trekking with the 9th grade students, next weekend 2 groups of 11th graders will be going for the Bananthimari Betta trek. With this, we are excited to officially kick start our school programmes for the season and introduce them to the world of trekking and experiential learning.

Over this weekend six trek leaders and assistant trek leaders completed a technical training course at Hampta Pass. The course spanned over four days and was conducted by Ashish Sukhadare, our technical safety trainer.

With the Hampta Pass season just around the corner, the team conducted a thorough training session before any trekkers embarked on the trail. While training, they also completed a recce in the process, uncovering a more challenging aspect of Hampta Pass that trekkers don't typically encounter.

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After a lot of anticipation, we are finally starting the Manali trekking season from today. The trekkers for Beas kund, Bhrigu lake and Hampta Pass are all geared up and stoked to kick start the season.

Trekkers have already started reaching their respective basecamps, although there is near record breaking traffic in Manali. So trekkers, ensure that you have enough time in your hands to reach your basecamps.

We are as excited and thrilled as you are to start this season and fingers crossed, have a smooth run till September.

For those interested in joining us this Manali season, we have slots available in July, August and September for all of our Himachal Treks.

Why trekking with Indiahikes is different

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Do you go through this? You find yourself stuck in a situation that doesn't allow you time for adventure. The lack of excitement in your daily life leaves you restless. You long for something more meaningful.

This is where our treks make a difference. Our outdoor leaders conduct sessions that weave mindfulness into your journey. In the lap of the mountains, they engage in thought-provoking exercises that help you reflect and contemplate. Very often, the person you are before and after a trek is different.

Our leaders teach you new outdoor skills that give you the confidence to trek alone anywhere in the world. 

All of these happen in the most stunning mountain scenery that you will see in the Indian Himalayas. Our treks are transformative journeys.  

Arjun Majumdar

Founder, CEO, Indiahikes

Trekker Reviews

PR Ganapathy

Former Regional Director South Asia, Stanford Seed

Indiahikes is not just a trek organizer. They are the creators of a movement.
Something special happened to me on my recent trek to Surya Top. I booked the trek in February. Subsequently, I was informed by my family priest that my mother's death anniversary (Thithi) fell on 23...Read More
Something special happened to me on my recent trek to Surya Top. I booked the trek in February. Subsequently, I was informed by my family priest that my mother's death anniversary (Thithi) fell on 23...Read More
Ankur Warikoo

Entrepreneur and Content Creator

Every entrepreneur mandatorily should trek. I would make it a national policy if I could.
I have a team of 14 people and we are completely remote, spread across the country. So every 3 months we meet for 4-5 days, we call it an off-site. And that's the time when we come together, we discov...Read More
I have a team of 14 people and we are completely remote, spread across the country. So every 3 months we meet for 4-5 days, we call it an off-site. And that's the time when we come together, we discov...Read More
Deepak Gaur

Air Vice Marshal, Indian Air Force Veteran Consultant Aerospace Medicine Vasant Vihar, Dehradun

We returned more aware and possibly more sensitive towards nature
We did the Dayara Bugyal trek with India Hikes in September 2023 and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I personally loved the way IH paid attention to small details to make the trek, not just s...Read More
We did the Dayara Bugyal trek with India Hikes in September 2023 and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I personally loved the way IH paid attention to small details to make the trek, not just s...Read More
Richa Pant

Founder, Harmony INC Sustainability Professional with two decades of work experience in CSR and ESG space Mumbai

Most organisations just talk about sustainability
Being a sustainability professional it was natural for me to choose yet another organization that has strong values around it - Indiahikes. The Green trails initiative is focused on reducing litter an...Read More
Being a sustainability professional it was natural for me to choose yet another organization that has strong values around it - Indiahikes. The Green trails initiative is focused on reducing litter an...Read More
PR Ganapathy

Former Regional Director South Asia, Stanford Seed

Indiahikes is not just a trek organizer. They are the creators of a movement.
Something special happened to me on my recent trek to Surya Top. I booked the trek in February. Subsequently, I was informed by my family priest that my mother's death anniversary (Thithi) fell on 23...Read More
Something special happened to me on my recent trek to Surya Top. I booked the trek in February. Subsequently, I was informed by my family priest that my mother's death anniversary (Thithi) fell on 23...Read More
Ankur Warikoo

Entrepreneur and Content Creator

Every entrepreneur mandatorily should trek. I would make it a national policy if I could.
I have a team of 14 people and we are completely remote, spread across the country. So every 3 months we meet for 4-5 days, we call it an off-site. And that's the time when we come together, we discov...Read More
I have a team of 14 people and we are completely remote, spread across the country. So every 3 months we meet for 4-5 days, we call it an off-site. And that's the time when we come together, we discov...Read More
Deepak Gaur

Air Vice Marshal, Indian Air Force Veteran Consultant Aerospace Medicine Vasant Vihar, Dehradun

We returned more aware and possibly more sensitive towards nature
We did the Dayara Bugyal trek with India Hikes in September 2023 and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I personally loved the way IH paid attention to small details to make the trek, not just s...Read More
We did the Dayara Bugyal trek with India Hikes in September 2023 and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I personally loved the way IH paid attention to small details to make the trek, not just s...Read More
Richa Pant

Founder, Harmony INC Sustainability Professional with two decades of work experience in CSR and ESG space Mumbai

Most organisations just talk about sustainability
Being a sustainability professional it was natural for me to choose yet another organization that has strong values around it - Indiahikes. The Green trails initiative is focused on reducing litter an...Read More
Being a sustainability professional it was natural for me to choose yet another organization that has strong values around it - Indiahikes. The Green trails initiative is focused on reducing litter an...Read More

Frequenty Asked Questions

Many trekkers call and ask us this question. You may notice that our trek fee is marginally higher for some treks, and you may wonder why you have to pay more for the same trek. The answer is straightforward. There's a very big difference in the quality of the experience you will have with Indiahikes compared with anyone else. You'll notice a stark difference in three areas:

1. Safety: Indiahikes is known to be India's safest trekking organisation. There's a reason for this. In the mountains, there are no better safety experts than Indiahikes trek leaders and the Indiahikes team. Whether it is our people, our processes, our equipment, or our protocols, they are watertight. So much so that other organisations come to Indiahikes when there's an emergency in the mountains. This is the level of safety we give our trekkers, and the marginal difference in the trek fee is something you pay for a very big benefit.

2. A mindfully designed trek: When you go on a trek with us, you don't blindly trek from Camp A to Camp B. There are a lot of mindful activities and experiences conducted throughout the trek. Our trek leaders are professional outdoor facilitators who can help you feel connected to yourself and nature. They are of a much higher caliber, and you'll notice this when you meet them.

3. A premium experience: We want trekkers to have a comfortable, premium experience in the mountains. You will notice this in the quality of our facilities. Right from the time you reach the base camp, you stay at our beautiful community campuses and not at cramped lodges. The equipment you use is expedition-grade and made to order by Indiahikes for Indiahikes. The food you eat is freshly cooked and part of a nutritious menu that our team has designed with your health and taste in mind.

There are multiple other aspects, like our hygiene practices, our bio-toilet systems, and our sustainability practices, where you are not harming the environment when trekking with us. There are many differences you'll see in your trek with Indiahikes.

With all these benefits, our trek fee is marginally higher. Many trekkers come back and tell us that our fee must be higher and is not high enough for the kind of experience we design. Yet, we will not veer in that direction because our philosophy is that Everyone Must Trek. After all, we know how good it is for society.

Yes, absolutely. Many solo trekkers join our teams and have wonderful experiences. They end up meeting like-minded people on the trek and don't feel like they have come along on the trek anymore.

Our pre-trek experienced team ensures that you know your entire team well much before you actually head out on the trek.

Additionally, we have several women trekkers who join us solo as well because of the safety they get with the Indiahikes team. You're welcome to join us as a solo trekker too.

Our answer to this is straight. When trekkers say Indiahikes is the safest trekking organisation in India, they are also referring to safety of women. You are going to be completely safe with us for the following reasons:

1. 35% of our trekkers are women. So you will be trekking with many other women in your group.

2. Our accommodation is separate for men and women. You will be sharing your tent / staying space with other women.

3. More and more solo women are trekking with us, so much so that you'll see a solo woman trekker in almost every group. This number is only growing. So you're not alone.

4. We ensure you e-meet your trekkers much before meeting them, in a pre-trek briefing as well as on a Whatsapp group. So you're not meeting strangers on the trek. You already know them.

5. 35% of our trek leaders are women. You might just have a woman trek leader!

6. Our male trek leaders are also trained and sensitised to handle any situations sensitively, including your periods. You're free to approach them for anything.

It is because of all these reasons that more and more solo women trekkers choose to trek with Indiahikes. Our own women team members live and work in the mountains, leading groups and living in a male-dominated industry. It is completely safe, you'll see for yourself.

Many trekkers call us and complain that our groups get filled too quickly. They never get the slots they want. Unfortunately, this is the hard reality. We have observed two things.

(1) It is the more challenging treks that get filled very quickly. Like the Rupin Pass trek or Buran Ghati trek. This is because when it comes to challenging treks, trekkers are very cautious about choosing the right organisation. They know that safety is of utmost importance on such treks and don't want to compromise. That is why you will see these treks getting filled almost 6 months in advance. You too, must plan these treks at least 5 months in advance.

(2) The popular treks always get filled in advance. Treks like Kashmir Great Lakes trek, Tarsar Marsar, Kedarkantha in winter, Deoriatal-Chandrashila in spring, these are blockbuster treks of our country, which you have to plan in advance.

Our advice is that you plan your trek at least 5 months in advance. This gives you three benefits:

a. It gives you a comfortable choice of choosing your most preferred dates, vs the dates that are leftover.

b. It gives you a good cushion in case you need to cancel / reschedule your trek. Your cancellation fee will be almost non-existent, depending on how early you change plans.

c. You have a good amount of time to prepare for the trek and become as fit as a trek leader.

So plan in advance, you'll have the best experience.

It’s wonderful that you’re planning to start trekking in the Himalayas. You’d be happy to know that around 70% of our trekkers are beginners and always get hooked to trekking after their first trek!

Having said that, you must choose your trek wisely — something that is not too difficult, yet will allow you to experience the grand settings of the Himalayas.

These are the treks we find best suited for beginners:

If you're in Bangalore, we highly recommend opting for our treks near Bangalore as preparatory treks for the Himalayas. These are the best treks you can do around Bangalore:

If you're unfit or obese, then you must choose the right treks to do. We recommend choosing from our "easy" treks. The Manali Kaisdhar trek is the best one, because the trails are completely flat and will not test your endurance. It is a good stepping stone into the world of trekking.

On the other hand, if you're able to work on your fitness and meet the fitness criteria for any of our treks you're welcome to join our other treks too.

Every trek of ours, starting from our easy-moderate treks, has a certain fitness requirement. Our Experience Coordinators do fitness checks before allowing trekkers on treks. If you're able to get on a fitness routine and share proof of your fitness, you're welcome to join us.

There's a reason why we have strict fitness protocols on our treks. This video will tell you what happens if you're not fit.

On the other hand, several trekkers ask us what is the fitness approval process. Take a look here.

High-altitude trekking is a team sport. When a team of 18 is trekking to the summit, every single trekker's fitness matters. The team is only as strong as its weakest trekker. Often, unfit trekkers slow the team down, drain resources since they need a guide / trek leader constantly with them, they slow the team down.

On the other hand, every high-altitude trek comes with a set of challenges. Steep ascents and descents, uneven terrain, snow walks, stream crossings, pass crossings, and summit climb. Even the easiest of treks have some of these challenges if not all of them. Without fitness, trekkers struggle, get injured easily, lag behind, or simply fail to complete the trek. 

At Indiahikes, we take pride in the fact that our trekkers are among the fittest in the country. Those who do not meet the fitness requirements are often sent back. Our philosophy is that trekking and fitness go hand in hand. Without fitness, there’s no trekking. 

We have two kinds of waivers and scholarships at Indiahikes.

1. Scholarships for children: At Indiahikes, we strongly believe that children must trek. Children aged 14 and below qualify for a 30% trek fee scholarship. Reach out to us before payment to avail of this offer. Check out this article to learn more.

2. For every ten adult members (aged 15 and above) of the group, we waive off the trek fee for one person. Indiahikes will reimburse the said trek fee after you complete your trek.

The answer for this is not a yes or no. If you have any kind of health issues, please speak to us on a call before registering for a high altitude trek. Whether you can trek depends on the severity of your issue. We'll be able to speak to you and give you some guidance.

On the other hand, please take these two steps first:

1. Watch the "Ask Dr Sree" series, where Dr Sreelakshmi Thirumoorthy, a high altitude trekker and a practicing doctor, covers several health-related topics in her show. Trekkers find her videos to be very helpful.

2. Speak to your doctor about taking on a Himalayan trek and ask them if it is advisable. If they give you a green signal, nothing like it.

Once you're on the trek with us, we will have a safety check-in on the first day of your trek. During this check-in, disclose any health issues that you have to your trek leader, so that they can take extra care of you. Please also carry your medications along on the trek.

This is a big worry among trekkers. But what we have seen is that most trekkers start their treks by worrying about toilets but return feeling so comfortable with the toilets that they want the same toilets in the cities!

We have bio-toilets, researched and designed by Indiahikes for high altitudes. These toilets are designed with two things in mind: (a) your comfort and (b) care for the environment

What are bio-toilets? Biotoilets are deep pits dug into the earth, on which we place wooden planks. You squat Indian-toilet style and do your business in the pit, after which you use toilet paper to clean up. Once you're done, you use sawdust to cover up the human waste and leave the toilet clean for the next person. (In case you cannot squat, request your trek leader for a toilet seat. They can make it available.)

How are they comfortable? These toilet tents are placed at a slight distance from the campsite. There is no sight or smell once you enter the toilet. The sawdust doesn't allow any smell to escape and also absorbs all the moisture, keeping the toilet dry and odour-free. It also speeds up decomposition. On the other hand, our toilet tents are sturdy, with zips and good privacy. So you can do your business comfortably.

They are environmentally friendly: These are dry toilets, where we don't use water. There's a reason behind this. Our toilets are designed after extensive research on the decomposition of human waste at high altitudes. Using too much water slows down the decomposition by many months, which is not favourable in such fragile eco-systemsecosystems. (You can read more about the design of the toilet system here).

5 Reasons Why Indiahikes

We are India’s safest trekking organisation
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When we brought out new trails in Indian trekking, safety came with us. Back in 2012, we were the first to introduce microspikes, and two years later, pulse oximeters became standard thanks to us. Nobody does safe treks like Indiahikes. In the mountains, emergencies don't care who you're with – everyone knows that when trouble hits, you look for the yellow tents of Indiahikes.

We are pioneers of treks in India
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We are pioneers in trekking. Since 2007, we have brought out treks that have become India's most famous treks: Roopkund, Rupin Pass, Buran Ghati, Kedarkantha, Kashmir Great Lakes, Tarsar Marsar, Brahmatal, Phulara Ridge—the list goes on. In 2023 alone, we brought out five new treks in Indian trekking. We know treks better than anyone. This comes directly from the reason why Indiahikes was born: to bring out trek information and enable trekkers to trek on their own.

We are India’s largest trekking organisation
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More than 25,000 people trek with us every year. We are the largest trekking organisation in India. 24% of our trekkers come back to trek with us every year. Over 4,000 students from the top educational institutions trek with us every year. Aside from this, families with children choose to trek with Indiahikes knowing that our treks are the safest. We have taken over 8000 children trekking so far, and the number continues to grow.

Our treks are transformative
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We focus on designing transformative experiences. Our trek leaders conduct thought-provoking exercises that help you reflect and contemplate. This impact stays with you for a long time. Trekkers return feeling energised, more confident, or developing abilities to deal with difficulties. Many have changed careers, rethought their core values, become more humble, shown gratitude to others, or started a new fitness journey.

We are India's most sustainable trekking organisation
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Since 2012, we have pioneered sustainable practices that have become standard in trekking. Using eco-bags, our trekkers have cleared over 120 tonnes of litter from the mountains. We do not carry packaged foods; instead, we serve freshly made food. We do not light campfires; we carry coal to light angethis to keep you warm. Our bio-toilets not only keep our toilets odour-free but also enrich the soil. When you trek with us, you leave mountains better.

The Indiahikes Advantage

You’re guarded with our trek again philosophy

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If you are unable to complete a trek, or if you love a trek, you can repeat it with us anytime. You don’t have to pay us for it. See our thoughts behind this here.  

Get expert guidance even before you start the trek

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Get personalised support from our expert Experience Coordinators. From registration to departure, they'll prepare you every step of the way.

Join any group, they are all women-friendly groups 

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With around 30% of our trekkers being women, all women, including those travelling solo are comfortable to join any of our groups.

Meet like-minded trekkers

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Indiahikes carries with it a strong spirit of trekking, one that comes with fitness, minimalism, mindfulness and a deep love for nature.

Avail a 30% scholarship for children aged 8-14

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We want to see more children trekking. Indiahikes will sponsor 30% of your child’s trek fee. Let them explore nature, build confidence, and create memories.

Trek Together, Save Together: 10+ Group Waiver

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Sign up for an Indiahikes trek with 10 or more trekkers, and one lucky member gets their trek fee waived entirely! You only pay for 9.