The Western Indian Himalayas consists of several beautiful regions, each to be visited during the right season. Each region can be explored via a unique traverse that hops across many valleys and mountain passes in that region (different colors above). We can also hike across multiple regions by combining individual traverses following the right seasons. In this post we present 10 beautiful regions and 8 possible cross-region traverses to explore the entire Western Himalayas.
- Regions
- Seasons
- Traverses
- Across Regions
- Traverse Sections
Regions
There are a couple of distinctive regions that make up the Western Himalayas:
- GHR – Great Himalayan Range is a high altitude range which separates the lush green Himalayan foothills from the alpine deserts of Zanskar and Ladakh (rain shadow regions)
- Ladakh – alpine desert and popular international hiking destination
- Zanskar – remote region tucked between the GHR in the South and Ladakh in the North
- Kashmir – beautiful valley of Kashmir tucked between the Pir Panjal and the GHR
- Lahaul – alpine desert region of Himachal between Ladakh and Kullu
- Manimahesh – one of Siva’s 5 Himalayan adobes tucked between the Pir Panjal and the Dhauladhar
- Parvathi – lush green Parvathi valley, gateway to alpine desert of Spiti
- Garhwal – Western Uttarakhand
- Kumaon – Eastern Uttarakhand
Seasons
Each region above is best visited during the right season. High altitude regions are best visited during summer (Jun-Sep) when there is less snow. During Spring (May) and Autumn (Oct) we can visit mid ranges. Avoid the monsoon (Jul-Aug) which brings heavy rains to the regions South of GHR . During winter (Dec-Mar) many high passes are closed by heavy snowfall. The map above and below table lists the best months to visit each region.
Traverses
Each of 10 regions in the Western Himalayas can be explored through a unique traverse (different colors above). Each traverse connects multiple valleys and mountain passes in a given region (refer “Sections” below). The distance and duration (15km/day) of each traverse is listed below. We can combine multiple regional traverses below to make a long distance traverse across multiple regions as per the right seasons. A total of 2321km of traverses over 154 days of hiking across the Western Himalayas! Load below GPX files in nakarte.me to study the respective traverses:
| Nr | Region | Distance | Duration | Season | Monsoon |
| 1 | Kashmir | 205 | 14 | Jun, Sep-Oct | no |
| 2 | Ladakh | 447 | 30 | Jul-Sep | no |
| 3 | High Garhwal | 210 | 14 | June, Sep-Oct | |
| 4 | High Kumaon | 171 | 11 | June, Sep-Oct | |
| 5 | Mid Kumaon | 258 | 17 | May-Jun, Sep-Oct | |
| 6 | Mid Garghwal | 285 | 19 | May-Jun, Sep-Oct | |
| 7 | Zanskar | 227 | 15 | Jul-Sep | no |
| 8 | Great Himalayan Range | 213 | 14 | mid Aug-Sep | |
| 9 | Mani Mahesh | 136 | 9 | mid Aug-Sep | |
| 10 | Lahaul-Parvathi | 169 | 11 | mid-Aug-Sep |
Across Regions
Let’s take a closer look at how we can connect individual traverses across the right seasons to explore multiple regions in the Western Himalayas in 8 long distance Trans Himalayan traverses. Summer (Jun-Sep), monsoon (Jul-Aug), Spring/Autumn (May/Oct).
Sections
Assuming a daily mileage of 15km below are the distances / durations for the individual sections within each traverse:
Kashmir
| Trek (OSM) | Distance (km) | Duration (days) |
| Kashmir | ||
| Kashmir Great Lakes | 62 | 4.133333333 |
| Kullan to Ari | 34 | 3 |
| Road Chandanwari – Lidru | 0 | |
| Ditap Gali | 31 | 2.066666667 |
| Bhot Kol | 66 | 4.4 |
| Total | 204 | 13.6 |
Ladakh
| Ladakh | ||
| Road Panikar – Rangdum | 0 | |
| Kanji La | 38 | 2.533333333 |
| Yogma La, Snyutse La | 24 | 1.6 |
| Road Photoksar – Panjila | 0 | |
| Konske La | 28 | 1.866666667 |
| Dunduchen La | 19 | 1.266666667 |
| Road Chilling – Skyu | 0 | |
| Gand La | 22 | 1.466666667 |
| Stok La | 8 | 0.5333333333 |
| Stok to Tso Moriri | 172 | 11.46666667 |
| Parang La | 100 | 6.666666667 |
| Road Kibber – Kaza | 0 | |
| Kaza to Dhankar | 36 | 2.4 |
| Total | 447 | 29.8 |
High Garhwal
| High Garwal | ||
| Pin Baba | 49 | 3.266666667 |
| Road Kaphnu – Chitkul | ||
| Lamkhaga | 67 | 4.466666667 |
| Road Jaspur – Gangotri | ||
| Kalindi Khal | 65 | 4.333333333 |
| Road Mana-Pulna | ||
| Kankul Pass | 29 | 1.933333333 |
| Total | 210 | 14 |
Mid Kumaon
| Mid Kumaon | ||
| Dunwari Khal | 33 | 2.2 |
| Sitel-Pana | 38 | 2.533333333 |
| Sitel-Wan | 14 | 0.9333333333 |
| Wan-Himni | 22 | 1.466666667 |
| Himni-Badiyakot | 18 | 1.2 |
| Badiyakot-Kathi | 14 | 0.9333333333 |
| Kathi-Kalpata | 13 | 0.8666666667 |
| Khalpata-Namik | 14 | 0.9333333333 |
| Namik-Lilam | 27 | 1.8 |
| Lilam-Mathkot | 21 | 1.4 |
| Mathokot-Bona | 16 | 1.066666667 |
| Bona-Teejam | 28 | 1.866666667 |
| Total | 258 | 17.2 |
Zanskar
| Zanskar | ||
| Rangdum to Lingshed | 45 | 3 |
| Lingshed or Zangla | 46 | 3.066666667 |
| Zangla to Shade | 37 | 2.466666667 |
| Phuktal Gompa to Sarchu | 50 | 3.333333333 |
| Phirse La | 49 | 3.266666667 |
| Total | 227 | 15.13333333 |
High Kumaon
| High Kumaon | ||
| Buinder Khal | 45 | 3 |
| Unta Dura (Milam) | 45 | 3 |
| Birje Ganga | 16 | 1.066666667 |
| Ralam pass | 28 | 1.866666667 |
| Sin La | 37 | 2.466666667 |
| Total | 171 | 11.4 |
Great Himalayan Range
| Great Himalayan Range | ||
| Hagshu La | 68 | 4.533333333 |
| Muni La | 67 | 4.466666667 |
| Kang La | 78 | 5.2 |
| Total | 213 | 14.2 |
Manimahesh Traverse
| Manimahesh Traverse | ||
| Kugti pass | 27 | 1.8 |
| Dham Godi | 15 | 1 |
| Sukh Dali | 17 | 1.133333333 |
| Bara Bhanghal | 25 | 1.666666667 |
| Kaliheni Pass | 52 | 3.466666667 |
| Total | 136 | 9.066666667 |
Lahaul-Parvathi
| Lahaul Parvathi | ||
| Baralachala – Chandra Tal | 53 | 3.533333333 |
| Sara Umga | 37 | 2.466666667 |
| Pin Parvathi | 79 | 5.266666667 |
| Total | 169 | 11.26666667 |
Mid Garhwal
| Mid Garhwal | ||
| Rupin Ghati | 52 | 3.466666667 |
| Masri-Rekcha | 17 | 1.133333333 |
| Jakhol-Taluka | 10 | 0.6666666667 |
| Phachikandi pass | 33 | 2.2 |
| Darwa pass | 33 | 2.2 |
| Dayara | 27 | 1.8 |
| Kalaipir | 15 | 1 |
| Shastru Tal | 30 | 2 |
| Kunkola Khal | 25 | 1.666666667 |
| Rali-Patwariyan | 33 | 2.2 |
| Chandrasilla | 10 | 0.6666666667 |
| Total | 285 | 19 |