The Golden Triangle and Himalaya Trekking

Day 4 Tilgan to Sarotu (3380 m) 6 to 7 hours

Today, our path is not quite so steep. It goes on through forests and we have to cross a river. We hike on green pastures, where we meet shepherds with their sheep. It goes up to just above the tree line. (Overnight in a tent) B/L/D

Day 5 Sarotu to Deo Tibba Basecamp (4300 m) 5-6 hours

Today we have a very special stage ahead of us: we go to the Base Camp of the Deo Tibba, which at 6001 meters is one of the highest peaks in the region. He proudly towers over our camp, which is located on the bubbling Alien River! (Overnight in a tent) B/L/D

Day 6 to Chikka (3300 m) 6 hours

It goes downhill and then into the Hamta valley. We reach a dam and meet settlers who spend the summer here with their cows. It goes deeper into the valley and we have to cross a river over a shaky bridge. (Overnight in a tent) B/L/D

Day 7 Chikka to Balu-Ka-Gera (3770 m) 5 hours

Today we have the adventurous challenge of crossing another river, this time without a bridge! We have our camp near a small lake. (Overnight in a tent) B/L/D

Day 8 Balu Ghera to Shia Gauru (via Hamta Pass) (4268 m) 6 hours

Today we cross the famous Hamta Pass. Over boulders it goes higher and higher and the air becomes noticeably thin. Arriving at the top, we are surrounded by glaciers and snow-capped peaks. We descend into a side valley of the Lahaul valley. (Overnight in a tent) B/L/D

Day 9 Shia Gauru to Chatru (3560 m) 4 hours and jeep drive to Chandra Tal Lake

Today we have an easy day. We descend comfortably to Chatru, a tiny place with a few small eating places next to the raging Chandra River. From here we take the jeep to the infamous Chandra Tal Lake. It lies far in the high mountain desert of the Lahaul valley and for about 2-3 hours it goes deeper and deeper into the mountains on a sandy slope. The lake, located at 4200 meters high, has the shape of a crescent moon (Chandra=Moon) and is surrounded from all sides by high mountains. (Overnight in a tent) B/L/-

Day 10 Return to Manali 6 hours

A long but impressive drive that takes us back to the green Kullu Valley via the 3980 metre high Rothang Pass. Here is a room with a bed and a hot shower waiting for us. (Overnight stay at the hotel) B/L/-

Day 11 Relax day in Manali and evening bus journes to Delhi overnight 14 hours

We enjoy the lazy day in Manali until we return to Delhi in the evening. (Overnight stay on bus) B/-/-

Day 12 Arrival in Delhi and drive to Jaipur

We are on our way to Jaipur. After 3- 4 hours drive we reach the “Pinke City” and capital of Rajasthan. On the way we stop at Amber Fort, a huge palace complex.

The rest of the day is for a visit to the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar Observatory. We can watch an original Bollywood movie at Rajmandir Cinema and watch the sunset from Tiger Fort. (Overnight stay at the hotel) B/-/-

Day 13 Sightseeing in Jaipur by bike and drive to Agra

Today we visit Jaipur in a very special way: by bike! This is how we see corners of the city, where no other tourist comes, and get to know the city life quite authentically. Then we continue by car to Agra.

On the four-hour drive to Agra we can stop at Keoladeo National Park in Barathpur. The bird park, with over 364 different bird species, invites you to visit by car rickshaw. Waterfowl from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia hibernate in the swamp landscape. Originally, this area was used as a hunting ground for the Maharaja of Bharatpur. Afterwards we stop again in Fathepur Sikri, a magnificent, long-abandoned palace complex. (Overnight stay at the hotel) B/-/-

Day 14 Visit to the Taj Mahal and drive to Delhi

Early in the morning at sunrise we visit the famous Taj Mahal. The tomb was erected by the Mughal Prince Shah Jahan as a sign of his love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died at the birth of his 14th child.

We return to Delhi (3 hours). From here it goes to the airport or for another night to the hotel. B/-/-

Trekking routes

The trekking routes are designed according the skills of our guests and are all feasible for a person with a good fitness level, unless otherwise mentioned. The daily routes are between five and eight hours long (with breaks) and an average increase of around 500-800 metres of altitude is completed.

In between, rivers may have to be crossed. The paths are partly well developed, but sometimes also almost non-existent. On our trekking routes there are hardly any villages in between, so we will take enough food for the whole tour.

On our treks we cross passes, snow or glaciers. On steep slopes, we have safety equipment with us.

Daily routine (Depending on the length and intensity of the trek, the times may vary)

7: 00 am Get up with Tea

7:30-8:30 am Breakfast

7:00-9:30 am Dismantling of the camp

8:00- 9:30 am Start Trek

1:00 pm Lunch on the way

3:00-5:00 pm Arrival at the camp and camp construction

3:30-5:30 pm Snacks

7:00 pm Dinner

Altitude and altitude sickness

Altitude sickness is a very important topic that should not be underestimated, especially during our trekking tours in the Indian Himalayas. At altitudes above 3500 m, our body has to slowly get used to the low air pressure, which also causes less oxygen to enter our lungs. The first signs of altitude sickness are headaches, which are accompanied by dizziness, nausea, insomnia and loss of appetite. It becomes problematic when water accumulates in the lungs and brain and edema occurs. Then only the immediate descent to lower altitudes will help. To prepare for the heights on our treks, we will either spend a few nights at high altitudes before the trek or slowly ascend during the trek to acclimatize. If we notice that there are problems with our guests (each person is otherwise able to acclimatize, regardless of age, gender and fitness level), it may happen that either the entire group or the concerned participant descends/returns with a team. In addition, it makes sense to take an emergency drug for altitude sickness. For this, it is best to consult the pharmacy or the travel doctor. For certain treks we will also have oxygen with us.

Luggage

Each trekking participant is responsible for his own clothes and personal belongings. Depending on the trek, we are either  with horses or porters. If we have load horses, one bag per participant can be loaded onto the horse. In the case of treks with porters, all personal luggage must be carried independently. Tents, sleeping bags, mattresses and food are carried by our porters.

For trekking tours with horses, a day backpack with space for the lunchbox, a water bottle and warm overcoat clothing should be taken with you. Here to the complete packing list for our trekking tours.

Packing list for trekking tours

• sleeping bag at least -10°C
• large backpack or soft carrying bag so that the load animals can carry the luggage
• Small carrying backpack for the day approx. 30-40 l with rain protection
• flashlight/headlamp
• 2 refillable water bottles
• hiking poles
• passport and passport copy
• camera with spare battery and memory card
• headgear as sun protection
• Good Sunglasses
• cap
• Scarf, Buff
• Gloves
• wind-proof trekking pants
• trekking pants
• Functional Underwear Long
• hiking boots
• socks thick and thin
• sneakers, sandals and/or slats
• windbreaker
• Warm Jacket
• fleece sweater/jacket
• Tshirts
• sunscreen, lip balm min. Protection 40
• fat cream
• water purification tablets (boiled and filtered water is provided)
• own medications for headaches, nausea, digestive problems, colds)
• bubble patches and dressing material
• own hygiene articles
• Toilets Paper
• hand disinfection

Meals

During the trek there will be a vegetarian full catering. Water is either boiled or we have a water filter with us.

Breakfast (daily selection):

• Coffee/Tea
• Oatmeal porridge/muesli/cornflakes/Indian porridge
• Indian breakfast
• Sliced fruit/vegetables

Lunch (mostly lunchbox), sometimes warm in the camp

• Sandwiches/Indian (rice, chapati, vegetables)/potatoes
• Juices
• Chocolate
• Fruit

Snacks

• Tea/coffee
• Cookies
• French fries/Indian snacks

Soup

Dinner (depending on the length of the Trek mix of Indian/Chinese/Continental)

• Vegetable dish
• Lentil dish
• Rice/noodles
• Chapati
• Salad
• Dessert

Accommodation and camp

We have very comfortable and spacious two-man tents. Our mattresses are practical but simple if there are problems with sleeping on hard surfaces, please take your own mattress with you or order from us. Our sleeping bags are freshly washed and have a very good quality with comfort zone up to -5°C/extreme zone up to -20° C. It is recommended to bring personal indoor sleeping bags.

In addition, we have a spacious dining tent with tables and chairs, a kitchen tent for the team and a toilet tent. For treks up to 4 people, the kitchen tent can also act as a dining tent at the same time.

For trekking tours with porters, we will take our smaller, lighter tents with us and do without a toilet tent.

Weather

In the Himalayas, temperatures fluctuate widely. While it can get warm up to 25°C during the day and the sun is not only warming, but also very intense (sun protection is a must), it can also cool down significantly below the minus-grade at night, especially in the months end of September and October, as well as in June. There may also be weather changes with snow on the passes.