Korzok Village- Remote Ladakh

Korzok Village

 

Changthang district plateau, Lakdah , Himalayan India 

The lady of my guesthouse was dressing up as I left the house in the morning for a walkabout. I photographed her dressing up and helped her with her costumes and jewellery. I had unbashingly invited myself into her bedroom and she welcomed me quite openly although she was a little amused how excited I was seeing her dressing up. Her head gear lined with precious turquoise was incredibly heavy and it was amazing how she could wear that for the whole day. The whole setup was heavy and took quite awhile to dress. You could tell how precious every gear and every jewellery were to her as she unwrapped them after taking them out from a wooden chest. Obviously these were her only possessions from her dowry as often female were only given these passed down from their mothers as their only financial property. We couldn’t really communicate as I couldn’t speak Ladakhi and know only little Hindi, and she, spoke only little Hindi and no English. I came to know that she was going to meet the High Lama who was coming for the blessings and she motioned that she was also going to dance for the festival. Really did wish I could have communicated with her and perhaps asked her more about her life in this remote little village. Along the only street out of Korzok, I came upon this bunch of women all dressed in their finest costumes, they gathered and then quickly disappeared back down to the mud lined houses. Curious and wondered what they were up to, I was walking around from house to house, took me quite a while before I found them hidden away at one of the ladies’ houses. They were rehearsing for their folk dance in preparation of the upcoming festival. Couldn’t really understand what they were doing, it was a form of line dancing where they held their hands and walked front and then back while singing one of the village songs. They often stopped and discussed what they would do next then continued on with their humming. It got kinda repetitive after that. The head gear lined with turquoise stones was usually their only prized finanical possesions and the women usually were given very little property, except for those costumes and jewellery. Their silk cape lined with pashima sheep wool which was their main live stock in their village.

Origional Work: Travellust

About The Author:

My Aim for the travels?

I want my life to be shaped by this travel lust. To capture the world as seen through my eyes and to remember it when I was there. I’m an introverted quiet person hardly sociable, don’t really like to talk or chatter much, but as I travelled, I have changed a little, traveling has forced me to be a little more open to people and to life, it reallly does shape you whether you realise it or not.

Heat in plains of North India - Himalayas is hot destination.

Dramatic rise is heat in plains of North India has forced either people to remain indoors or to run for himalayas which is getting busier each day by thousands of vehicles running into it.

Char dham yatra has started and Srinagar and Manali are HOT destinations.

Kinner Kailash Circuit - A Tough Option

KINNER KAILASH CIRCUIT- A TOUGH TREK IN TRIBAL HIMACHAL PRADESH

Owners of two trekking agencies held

Owners of two trekking agencies have been arrested for allegedly sending the trekkers to high altitudes of the Garhwal Himalayas despite inclement weather that led to the death of five porters in September.

The five porters died on the way to Kalindi Badrinath trek after they were caught in a blizzard prompting the Uttarakhand government to order a probe in this regard.

Police sources said efforts are on to arrest the owner of New Delhi based third trekking agency, which was booked in the case.

The arrests were made on Saturday after investigations found these three trekking agencies guilty of the crime, the case for which was registered by Sub Divisional Magistrate of Bhatwari on September 24, they said.

Dharmendra Panwar of Uttarkashi-based Himalayan Adventure and Kapil Singh of Dehra Dun-based Mount Shepherd have been arrested while a police team has been sent to New Delhi to arrest the owner of Grand Adventure agency, which has its office at Shakarpur area.

Police investigations found out that they facilitated the trekkers of the two teams, including one from Australia, obtaining the inner line permit to go on adventure tour to Badrinath -Kalindi trek from September 10-15 despite knowing well that the weather conditions in the higher Himalayas might be adverse during the period.

An 11-member team of trekkers and porters from home and another 35-member team from Australia were trapped in a blizzard in September. While all the trekkers were rescued safely, five porters were killed in the incident.

High altitude trekking closed- Tribal village treks for winters.

With Himalayas getting cooller every coming day and reports of closer of high passes and stranded trekkers coming on our TV screens - I think this is time when we should change our plans to visit high altitudes. Even calculative risk can go beyond control. We see what happens in Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti in September is somewhat shock to all those who realized that they are on mercy of clouds, Sun and people who will come for rescue.



Himadventures is suggesting treks of Central India [ Sahyadr Mountain Range ] to all clients and inquiries and more and more people are showing interest in exploring this vast horizon of tribal region which is situated in dense jungles.

Beas Kund and surrounding

Kinner Kailash Circuit- google Earth Image

Malana - Himachal Pradesh.

* Do not touch people, some rocks & stones in this village. They are sacred and heavy fine from village head have to be paid instantly.

BACKGROUND: Situated in Kullu Distt. of Himachal Pradesh. Malana is famous for its unique history. Tribal people here find their roots with Alexandria. It is widely believed that people of Malana are direct descendant of Greeks,which visited India during one of their campaigns under Alexander the Great. The very features, language, religion and socioeconomic structure resembles with ancient Greek civilization. This is quite true that they manage their own judicial, social and religious lives- which is unique in its own way-and that's major attraction for people to visit and witness a life style where certain stones are also sacred and in case someone touches them-have to be heavily fined. Malana is unique village where a tourist is told very clearly about his limits and its penelty.One can not touch certain stones and neither touching the residents is accepted.Accidents do happen and they draw very heavy penalty from trekkers/tourists. Although Indian Govt. knew very well about activities and drug culture going on,but strangely there have been no steps taken till date. Hence Malana is still considered one of the great mines of "high quality " of Charas.And many locals have become millionaires within couple of years.

PHASE1 One can reach Bhuntar by air also,otherwise it is well connected by road and heavy traffic of buses and taxis is there to accommodate every one.Bhuntar is situated on Kullu-Manali highway.From Bhuntar one has to turn for Manikaran which is a religious place for Sikhs. Kasol is just on way to Manikaran,just a 45 min. drive from Bhuntar.One can smell the very air filled with western music and small eating joints serving different different dishes.I have seen many "Hippies" spending good time here,before starting climbing for Rashol.

PHASE2 Trek is very easy in first leg and well defined.One encounters many people from different countries ,enroute.So ,no confusion.Rashol is bit higher and last leg of the day may leave you bit tired.There are now well equipped eating joints which are also offering night stays,for very nominal prices.

PHASE3 Start early and within three Hrs., Malana shows its beautiful fields. Now they do not cultivate "smoking stuff" this side of the trek (Media attention) There is INSTRUCTION BOARD Rt. at enterence...study it very carefully. No police is going to come for your help in any case.They make and rule their own laws.This is Malana. Inquire before photography..there are certain stones/rocks/temples which are not allowed to be photographed.You can eat at many eating joints and boarding is also provided by them.Have a nice time.

NOTE: Our personal experience is that this region is not safe for solo trekkers and please do not go alone.

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Major Highways Opened

After landslides caused by heavy rains- traffic was stopped on major highwaysof uttaranchal. Thousands of vehicles were stranded but now traffic had been restored besides heavy rains.

Monsoon Havoc In Himachal- 65 reported Dead in Coud Burst

Over 65 persons were feared to have been washed away in flashfloods caused by a cloudburst in Ghanvi village, about 175 km from here, this evening. So far four bodies have been recovered.

According to initial reports reaching here, 14 houses were swept away and 13 partially damaged by the gushing water and debris, which came down from Dharla village located uphill. There were a large number of labourers working at the Ghanvi Project (Stage-I) who lived in hutments.

A primary health centre building and a residence of a doctor were also washed away. Some employees and students, who lived in rented accommodations, were also feared to have been killed. Exact details were not available as the village had been cut off with flood waters washing away roads.

Deputy Commissioner Tarun Kapoor said there were around 100 persons, mostly labourers, who lived in temporary hutments and around 15 houses of villagers. All approaches to the area had been blocked due to landslides and exact information would be available only in the morning.

The local subdivisional magistrate was camping at Juri and rescue teams had been sent to the village.

The Ghanvi power plant was shut down as the level of silt rose to 15,000 ppm due to flashfloods. The 300-MW Baspa Project was also closed due to high silt level.

French man dies while trekking in Himachal

A French national who was trekking in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu valley died after he slipped and fell into a stream, police said.

Goergett Gregory, 26, and his two friends were trekking near Vashiht Thursday when he fell into a 300-feet deep gorge. He died on the spot, the media Friday quoted Manali police officer Sanjay Sharma as saying.

Police said Gregory's friends, including his French girlfriend, were with him when the accident took place.

Experts from the Mountaineering Institute of Manali pulled out the body. The French embassy in New Delhi has been informed about the accident

Gastroenteritis reported from Kullu areas

Areas around Archhandi village near Naggar village have reported about 12 cases of gastroenteritis in the past two days and more than 24 cases of acute diarrhoea. Four cases were admitted to the government Aurvedic Hospital, Katrain, yesterday and seven were admitted to a private clinic, Chand Medical Centre (CMC), Patlikuhal.

Dr O. P. Ghandwal, medical health officer, and officiating chief medical officer, here, said a team of doctors and paramedical staff had rushed to the village and taken stock of the situation. He said he himself was also in the village and the situation there was under control.

He said the team had treated 10 cases scattered in four-five hamlets, but none of the patients was seriously ill. Ghandwal confirmed that the cause of the disease was the contaminated drinking water, as the people were drinking supplies of the Nullah water, which was not fit for human consumption.

He further said the villagers had been advised to take precautions and use boiled water until the Irrigation and Public Health Department cured the water. He said “There is no outbreak or epidemic” as feared and “things are under control”.

Heavy Rains in Himachal Pradesh- More than 50 dies

The over century-old railway station at Koti on the Shimla-Kalka track was washed away in a cloud burst and 19 persons were killed at various places over the past 24 hours as rain havoc continued in the state for the second day today. With this, the death toll due to rain-related incidents over the past two days has risen to 50.

Normal life remained totally paralysed as not only the link roads but even the main highways, including Shimla-Kalka, Shimla-Mandi and Hindustan-Tibet road, remained blocked by landslides. People of Solan, Shimla, Kinnaur and parts of Bilaspur and Mandi districts went without newspapers, milk, vegetables and other daily necessities. The transportation from Kinnaur, Rampur and upper Shimla areas was affected due to numerous road blockades.

Six persons died in Solan district, which recorded the heaviest rain in the state. Dharampur received 330.5 mm of rain in less than 24 hours during the cloudburst, which brought down Koti station. The massive landslide not only disrupted the movement of trains but also blocked the Shimla-Kalka national highway causing one of the worst traffic jams in recent times. More than 3,000 vehicles remained stranded for about 18 hours on both sides of the blockade. Two persons were killed in Kasuali, two in Nagli and another two in Parwanoo. Nadaun in Hamirpur recorded the highest rainfall of 511 mm over the past 48 hours (280 mm in 24 hours), followed by Bharanj 456.5 mm (142.2 mm), Dharampur 373.7 mm (330.5 mm), Mandi 361.5 mm (174.5 mm) and Guler 356.1 mm (146mm and Sundernagar 340.6mm(147.5 mm).

A family of four, including a five-month old child, was buried in a landslide in Nag village near Matiana in Upper Shimla area. The other three deceased, all Nepali labourers, were identified as Prem Kumari, Man Prasad and Bhim Bahadur.

Power situation improved somewhat as 300 MW of generation was resumed, improving the grid frequency to 49.4 from yesterday’s 48.7. However, the 1500 MW could not be generated for the third consecutive day though the level of silt in Sutlej came down from 70,000 ppm to 14,000 ppm today. The project can be operated only up to a silt level of 4,000 ppm. The silting of water sources feeding Shimla town affected pumping of water as a result of which taps remained dry in most parts of the town.

Four more persons were reported killed the Kangra district. The rescue workers recovered two bodies from the landslide under which some shops were buried in Jwalamukhi. One person died in Dehra and another was washed away in Kotla. A women and an 11-year old boy were washed away in Lot village and an unidentified women was washed away in Suketi Khad in the Mandi district. A couple was buried alive in Lathiani village in Hamirpur district. In Kinnaur landslides at six places blocked the main highway from Reckong Peo to Pooh.

Trekking in SAHYADRI MOUNTAIN RANGE- Ratan Gad

Ratan(Gem) gad is a high plateau in the beautiful bhandardara region near Nashik(Nasik), it lies near harishchandragad and kalsubai peak. It lies 20 kms away from the bhandardara dam. Lashing rains for 2 days, extreme windy conditions and some exciting climbs made this one of the most memorable treks in recent times.







Ratan(Gem) gad is a high plateau in the beautiful bhandardara region near Nashik(Nasik), it lies near harishchandragad and kalsubai peak. It lies 20 kms away from the bhandardara dam. Lashing rains for 2 days, extreme windy conditions and some exciting climbs made this one of the most memorable treks in recent times.


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Sandip R. Kakad

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Global warming- effect in Himachal Pradesh

global warming has now a local angle too. It has been found that the Vaspa basin here has been de-glaciating at an estimated 19 per cent from 1962 to 2001. The Indian part of the Himalayas, which has about 15,000 glaciers is retreating by 30 meters per annum—a cause of serious concern among the scientists.

These were the major focus of the two-day workshop on ‘Climatic Change and its Impact on Farming Systems and Natural Resources’ at Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni.

The scientists said if the present rate of de-glaciations continues, the likelihood of the Indian glaciers disappearing by the year 2035 would be high as pointed out in a recent report of the International Commission for Snow and Ice. The report further states that the Asian glaciers may increase the water flow in several rivers, thus increasing the frequency of floods and adversely impacting agriculture.

Dr Jagmohan Chauhan, vice-chancellor, Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, while addressing the participants said the climatic changes taking place in the past 150-200 years due to human activities had been rapid. The green-house emissions have contributed to the global warming. The global atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by 32 per cent where the pre-industrial level of 280 PPM has soared to 379 PPM in 2005.

As per the report of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climatic Change, the global average surface temperature may increase by 1.4 to 5 degree centigrade by the end of the 20th century while the sea level may rise from 0.18 to 0.60 meter by the turn of the century.

The participants agreed that the global warming had been brought about mainly by the human activities like rapid industrialisation, enhanced use of fossil fuels as well as intensive agricultural practices. This has led to an increased concentration of green-house gases in the atmosphere, especially carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

The workshop concluded with various recommendations like a need for the estimation of biomass and carbon pool of trees outside forests, developing adaptation strategies which should include development of drought/heat tolerant genotype, improved farm management practices, change in land use, watershed management and agri-insurance. The thrust of the research should be on impact assessment further based on demand and supply of foods crops, plantation, agro-forestry, soils, water, pests, fish and livestock, equity and vulnerable ecosystems.

Latest Weather In North India

Dry Weather

Temperature: Past 24 hours change: The maximum temperatures fell in Haryana and changed little elsewhere. Departure: They were appreciably below normal in Haryana, Punjab and east Uttar Pradesh, below normal in Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh, above normal in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and normal in the rest of the region. The highest temperature in the region was 30.4 degree Celsius recorded at Barmer (Rajasthan).


Forecast : Weather will be mainly dry over the region. Rain/snow is likely at a few places in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir from tomorrow evening.

NOTE: By the time this post goes to publish-weather has changed dramatically in himalayas and north india. ot had start raining and cloud formation looks like it will be raining tomorrow also. Higher reaches of himalayas are reporting heavy to moderate snowfall.

Adventure And Outdoor Travel Forum - Index

Adventure And Outdoor Travel Forum - Index

Tribal Trekking Routes In SAHYADRI MOUNTAINS

The Sahyadri, with their rugged topography, rocky mountains and pinnacles, historic hill forts, huge lakes and extensive forest region are a virtual paradise for trekking, climbing and camping. The Sahyadris provide a wide choice of outdoor and adventure to all lovers of outdoor life - the trekker, the climber and the nature lover.

Tribal Village Tour and Trekking

Living in a Tribal village is a unique experience. This tour offers you a chance to see village life very closely. You will stay in a tribal village with tribal people. Most of the villages are located at the mountain base and having lot of Jungle around. In this tour you will do trekking from one village to another.
The Tribal Village - Trekking Tour
Duration	8 Nights and 9 Days
Places to Visit	Mumbai - Bhandardara - (Villages) Ghatghar - Saamrad - Ratanwadi - Kumshet -Shirpunje
Day 1:	Mumbai Arrive in Mumbai and takeover from Airport, Transfer to the Hotel. Rest day.
Day 2:	Mumbai - Bhandardara (182 km Drive) Travel from Mumbai to Bhandardara which is around 182 km by road. Bhandardara is a Hill station having lot of things to see you can have extra day to explore this area. Transfer to the Hotel.
Day 3:	Bhandardara - Ghatghar (22 km Drive) Drive to Ghatghar which is a first village where we will be having our Camp. Night stay in Camp.
Day 4:	Ghatghar - Saamrad (Aprox. 5 km Trek) A short trek to next village. Explore this village and surrounding. Night stay in Camp.
Day 5:	Saamrad - Ratanwadi (Aprox. 8 km Trek) Trek to next village. This trek will go through lots of ups and downs and through Jungle also. Night stay in Camp.
Day 6:	Ratanwadi - Ratangad - Jungle Camp (Aprox. 10 km Trek) Trek to next village. Visit Ratangad(4255 ft.) It is an interesting fortress, situated at the edge of ghats with numerous water cisterns and caves.It also commands an excellent view all around. Night stay in Jungle Camp.
Day 7:	Jungle Camp - Kumshet (Aprox. 12 km Trek) Trek to next village. Explore this village and surrounding. Night stay in Camp.
Day 8:	Kumshet - Shirpunje (Aprox 15 km Trek OR Drive) Drive to next village. Explore this village and surrounding. Night stay in Camp.
Day 9:	Shirpunje - Bhandardara - Mumbai (Aprox 225 km Drive) Travel back to Mumbai. Night stay in Hotel. Tour End.
Note: You can customize this tour according to your plan. Please do not hesitate to contact us for your questions and concerns. Email : info@himadventures.net

Sahyadri mountains- hidden treasure for trekkers and adventure lovers.

Trekking- A wonderful experience for one who is interested to see beauty of nature and its miracles. In day-to-day life we often read about wonders of nature through books, magazines etc, but in fact we are unaware of mysterious nature. Trekking is a way by which it can be experienced, obviously it will be beneficial for us, because knowingly we destroy nature's beautiful places by throwing garbage here and there .We have to obey some rules to keep nature clean, that are learnt by trekking.