Trekking in the Himalayas by Harish Kapadia

OUTLOOK TREKKING IN THE HIMALAYAS. By Harish Kapadia. Pp. 512. Several colour photos and maps. (Outlook Publishing India 2016 INR 220).

For anyone who is planning a trek in the Himalayas, whether it is their first time to the mountains or one of many excursions, there are plenty of guidebooks available to help plan your adventure. However, one of the simple truths about travelling through the Himalayas on foot is that routes have a way of changing from one season to the next because of landslides, new motor roads, or a bridge washing out. This is reason enough to consult up-to-date publications and make sure that your guidebook contains the latest, most relevant information.

Nobody knows the Indian Himalayas better than Harish Kapadia, who has spent a lifetime exploring these mountains from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, as well as everything in between. He is an award-winning mountaineer with several first ascents to his credit but he is also an expert on approaches and access to destinations at lower altitudes. Kapadia has published more than a dozen volumes on the history and heritage of the Himalayan region. His latest book, the Outlook Traveller Getaways guide to Trekking in the Himalayas is an essential companion for anyone wishing to explore the many valleys and ridges, lakes and passes that make up the greatest mountain range on earth. In addition to his expertise, Kapadia is a born storyteller and he brings the mountains to life with his anecdotes and insights.

This book contains general descriptions of each of the specific regions it covers as well as helpful suggestions for how to prepare and pack for your trek. Those who like trivia will find plenty of obscure details in this guidebook, such as the fact that 1,25,000 species of fungi are found in India. On the other hand, if you’re interested in the big picture there is useful advice on where to get the best views of Kangchenjunga, Everest and Makalu. Particularly helpful is the fact that each of the treks described in this book are outlined in charts that break them down on a day-to-day schedule, with distances, altitudes and helpful notes on each stage. For example, here is advice on Day 5 of a trek from Darjeeling to Sikkim : “Though many people skip this campsite and head straight to Guicha La from Thangsing, returning in a day can get too exhausting. It is advisable to stay a night at Samiti Lake. It helps in acclimatization too.” These are the kinds of specific details that make this book invaluable.

An attractive array of photographs illustrates the text and there are clear and accurate maps for most of the routes. The book also contains short articles by other authors like Ashok Dilwali the veteran Himalayan photographer, who provides advice on how to get the most from your camera when trekking. While this guidebook restricts itself to India and does not cover Nepal or Bhutan, there is a great deal of new material that other guidebooks have not covered, particularly the mountains of the northeast, which remain the least explored Himalayan region.

Stephen Alter