Himalayas - Trespassers Not Allowed

O Himalah! O rampart of the realm of India!
Bowing down, the sky kisses you forehead..
- Sir Muhammad Iqbal

The word Himalaya has been derived from the Sanskrit word which means - abode of snow. The Himalaya is the world's largest mountain range and separate the Indian sub continent with the Tibetan Plateau. It is perhaps the greatest theatre stage which nature's hand has made for its elements. It won't be wrong to call it a collage of natural beauty as it portrays various facets of nature like the snow capped mountain peaks, valleys, glaciers, rivers, rich and varied vegetation. There are about 14 peaks of Himalayas and hundreds of summits. So if you are willing to take a walk through the green and flowery meadows or wanna climb up the rugged mountains, then Himalaya is the destination of the hour.

From south to north the Himalayas are divided into different parallel ranges:
And they are as follows:
Lower Himalayas- Have an average height of 3,700 m
Sub Himalayas - Sub Himalayas has an average height of 900 to1, 200 m. It is the youngest of the three ranges.
The Great Himalayas - This is a single range and the oldest of the three ranges with a height above 6,000 m including Mount Everest, K2 and Kanchenjunga and nine of the 14 highest peaks in the world.
Tibetan Himalayas - The Tibet Plateau is known as the Roof of the World with an average height of 4,000 to 4,5900 meters. Even the Karakoram Range in the Northwest is also considered as a part of the Himalayan range. Notable Peaks

• Mount Everest
• Mount K2
• Kanchenjunga
• Makalu
• Dhaulagiri
• Nanga Parbat
• Annapurna
• Nanda Devi

Trekking Season
Indian Himalyas provides some superb possibilities of Trekking. While the numbers visiting Indian Himalayas are small in comparison with the numbers trekking in Nepal, there is nonetheless a steady growing interests.

The trekking season, from the traditional late spring to summer, covers virtually the whole year including winter at lower attitudes. Professionally operated ground transportation, trained staff and good quality equipment are available in Delhi with tour operators and outfitters specialising in trekking tour to the Himalayas.

Himalayan Explorers

• Heinrich
• Nazir Sabir
• Tenzing Norgay
• Sir Edmund Hillary
• Jerzy Kukuczka
• Reinhold Messner
• Harish Kapadia

The De Facto
Location - Northern Part Of Indian Sub - Continent
Area - 612,021 sq. km
Elevation - 26, 000 ft.
Best Time To Visit - Mid April to May-June and also between September to November.
Also Known As - Himavan, Himvat, Himachal and Himadri.
Access
Air: Indian Airlines, flies to many destination in the Indian Himalayas. Some Private airlines include Modiluft airline, Jagson airlines
Road: Most of the bus services heading north from Delhi to the hill stations and trekking off points depart from the interstate bus terminal at Kashmeri gate.

Did You Know?

• The Himalayas is also the origin or source of World's two important river systems: the Indus Basin and the Ganga- Brahmaputra Basin.
• Shangri -La is a fictional Eden that lies somewhere in the Himalayas, based on the legendary Shambhala.
• The Hollywood movie Vertical Limit( 2000 ), is set in the K2 peak of the Himalayas, in Pakistan.
• Several levels of Tomb Raider 2 and one level in Tomb Raider: Legend Of the Tomb Raider series are situated in the Himalayas.