Difficult treks in India
Difficult treks in India, 15 handpicked trails spread across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Sikkim and beyond. Each difficult route below lists its altitude, duration, ideal season and how to get there, so you can pick the trek that matches your fitness and time.
Roopkund (Mystery Lake)
A glacial lake full of ancient human skeletons, reached across the vast Ali & Bedni Bugyal meadows.
Gaumukh Tapovan
A pilgrimage-trek to the snout of the Gangotri glacier, the source of the Ganga, and the meadows of Tapovan below Shivling.
Bali Pass
A demanding high pass linking Har Ki Dun to Yamunotri, crossing between two sacred valleys.
Kedartal
A steep, rugged trail to an emerald glacial lake sitting beneath the fearsome Thalay Sagar peak.
Milam Glacier
A long, historic trade-route trek up the Gori Ganga gorge to a giant glacier past abandoned villages.
Indrahar Pass
A tough pass over the Dhauladhar range above Triund, with immense views of the Pir Panjal and Chamba valley.
Buran Ghati
A thrilling crossover with a near-vertical snow-wall descent (rope rappel) from the pass into the Pabbar valley.
Pin Bhaba Pass
A stunning green-to-brown crossover from the lush Bhabha valley of Kinnaur into the moonscape of Pin, Spiti.
Chadar (Frozen Zanskar)
The legendary walk over the frozen Zanskar river through a canyon at sub-zero temperatures, one of the world's most unique treks.
Goecha La
The iconic trek to a high pass facing the sunrise wall of Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain.
Gorichen Base Camp
A remote, permit-heavy trek to the base of Arunachal's highest peak in the far eastern Himalaya.
Sandhan Valley
The "Valley of Shadows", a deep, narrow 200 ft canyon requiring rappels and swims through cold pools.
Kumara Parvatha (KP)
Considered one of the toughest treks in the Western Ghats, a relentless climb rewarded with vast Ghat panoramas.
Agasthyakoodam (Agasthyamala)
A permit-only pilgrimage-trek up a biosphere-reserve peak revered for the sage Agastya and its rare medicinal flora.
Vellingiri Hills
The "Kailash of the South", a steep seven-hill pilgrimage climb open only in season, with a Shiva shrine at the top.