November Calendar Sheet No. 11
The Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world. Snow-capped peaks, raging mountain rivers, deep forests, traditional mountain villages, herds of sheep, moon-like desert landscapes, furrowed glaciers, colourful flower meadows. All this are the Himalayas and so much more.
Few people are aware that part of the mountain range is also in India – and a fairly large one. The relatively young but still high mountain mass extends in the north-east with the states of West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, but also in the northwest in the regions of Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. In between is Nepal.
Here you will find everything: from gentle green hills in the lower regions to the high mountain plains of Spiti and Ladhaks,every form of landscape is represented. Unlike the one in Nepal, the Indian part of the Himalayas is still relatively unknown in terms of tourism.
Only gradually mountain lovers discover the beauty of the Indian part of the Himalayas, be it on foot, by bike, as a jeep or motorcycle tour. Everyone enjoys here to the fullest! Be it mountaineers who venture to one of the countless unclimbed peaks, trekkers who meet no other human soul on trekking tours of up to 4 weeks, or mountain bikers who meander down into the valleys from undeveloped trails.
Paragliders take advantage of the favorable air currents and sometimes glide hundreds of kilometres at an altitude of more than 5000 metres, while rafting enthusiasts travel for days on the currents of the sacred rivers Indus, Ganges and Zanskar, and climbers venture up rocky slopes.
Yes, the Indian Himalayas is truly something for adventurers and nature lovers.
But also those interested in culture can enjoy! Be it the Buddhist high mountain regions in Ladakh and Spiti with their ancient monasteries, the Hindu wooden temples and small villages in the green valleys of Himachal or Uttrakhand or the Indigenous peoples in Arunachal Pradesh!
The Indian Himalayas are diverse, wild and still undeveloped in many parts.
When you look at the infinite starry sky at night, see the Milky Way and one or the other shooting star, you feel very small and at the same time so grateful to be a part of this wonderful world!
