Mystique of Mountains
Mountains are majestic and irresistible. Linking the plains and plateaus with the skies; reaching out to suspended droplets of water in the clouds and gathering them in glaciers and snow peaks; sheltering the treasures of the sea floor in their crests; cherishing unfathomable secrets in their seductive folds; watching over our planet silently like sentinels, mountains hold out mystery and allure. Enablers of life on our planet through the thousands of rivers that spring from their wombs, mountains also have immense power to destroy – through the fire they harbour in their volcanic bellies.
Accompany me, as I take you cruising up the winding roads of the Himalaya, to the crest of the Andes in Machupicchu, through the grand ranges of Zanskar, the Hindukush, the Karakorams, the Pamirs, the Caucuses and the Tien Shan ranges. Drive with me through the pristine forests of Bhutan and Sikkim, the sacred abodes of the gods in Uttarakhand and Himachal and Kashmir, up the cableway to the Tatras in Central Europe and the Blue Mountains in Australia.
This section is all about the comfort of cruising through the mountain ranges. If you want real action, go to the section on Adventures where you can view my treks to Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp, Upper Mustang, Kailash Manasarovar and Amarnath etc.
Bhutan – Abode of Mist & Mysticism (2006) - You’re on cloud nine, literally, as your vehicle teeters precariously on the hairpin bends that dot the 171 kilometer-long road from Phuentsholing to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. On one side is the lush green valley polka-dotted with red rhododendron blossoms and on the other,…
Binsar – Cloud Forests & Bell Temples (2017) - Gollu Devta is the patron-saint of justice in Kumaoni pantheon. His message is loud and clear. He wears brass bells, thousands of them to send out his message. When you visit the temple, you literally pick your way through clusters of brass bells slung about…
Dali, Also Surreal (2013) Cang Shuan Mountains, Yunnan - A gurgling stream flows right down the middle of the cobbled pedestrian-only high-street. Water wheels at frequent intervals ensure that the crystal-clear water does not stagnate. Ersatz bamboo bridges arch across the stream and lead to alleyways that meander seductively through the plaza. Not a…
Kalpa, Tranquil and Timeless - Of all the quaint and picturesque villages that dot the banks of the Sutlej as she comes coursing down the slopes in Himachal Pradesh, Kalpa is truly special. Liberally clothed in stately fir, pine and cedar trees that have their crown up in the clouds,…
Kashmir, India’s Pride & Pain (multiple times) - Over the years, Kashmir has called me repeatedly, under one pretext or another. The first trip was in 1986 when the houseboats were all dressed and lined up and there were virtually no tourists. That was the beginning of rumblings in this stunningly beautiful valley.…
Ladakh I – Batalik & Drass to Chushul (2002) - The photos in this post were exhibited in Delhi in 2002. They were shot on film then and have since been scanned and uploaded to this site. It was my first trip to Ladakh. I was fortunate to be the guest of the army in…
Ladakh II – Manali – Leh – Thoise – Zero Point (2004) - A Tale of Two Rivers – Chandrabaga & Shyok Ladakh beckoned again. Two years ago, I had travelled from Demchok on the Indo-Tibetan border, where a youthful Indus enters Indian territory and courses through some spectacular mountainscape in Ladakh only to take its leave –…
Ladakh III – Nubra -Thoise (2009) - After eight days spent exploring the remote Zanskar valley we, a group of three women, retrace our footsteps through the same route by which we came – Rangdum, Parkachik, Panikhar, Suru and Sankhoo to get back to Kargil to begin the second leg of our…
Lake District – Where Daffodils Dance (2011) - “I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills When all at once, I saw a cloud A host of golden daffodils Besides the lake, beneath the trees Fluttering and dancing in the breeze” Oh, treat the last bit as…
Lansdowne, Hidden Jewel of The Himalaya (2012) - Testosterone and four-wheel drives make for a heady, often deadly combination. Three fancy four-wheel drives, plastered with rally stickers and belting out thunderous music are roaring up the hillsides, crunching pebbles with their monstrous tyres and overtaking other vehicles nonchalantly, in their rush to get…
Machu Picchu – Enduring Inca Mystery (2009) - Mist, mystique and mystery are the defining characteristics of Machu Picchu, the Inca ruins in Peru, the latest addition to the list of new world wonders. Tucked away in the Andean heights, perpetually draped in gossamer clouds and concealed from the prying eyes of treasure-hunters…
Nilgiri – Nature’s Palette (Sept 2021) - Spontaneous journeys throw up spontaneous charms. I have been to Ooty a few times, once even by that quaint heritage railway that chugs, hoots and heaves leisurely for six hours from Mettupalayam and serves up rectangular frames of pine-scented meadows. A road that snakes alongside…
Panchmarhi, The Green Mile (2009) - Let someone say And say to your shame That all was beautiful here Until you came So says a placard placed strategically at Sunset Point. It is difficult to imagine tranquil Pachmarhi was better than what it is now. There is an uninterrupted continuum of…
Ranikhet (many times) - Ranikhet is virtually in your backyard if you’re a Delhi resident. Over two decades we used to drive up to the hills frequently – not only to Ranikhet, but to Almora, Nainital, Munsiyari, Chaukori, Pithoragarh, Bagheshwar, Jageshwar, Badrinath, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Mussoorie, virtually every dot…
Rishikesh to Badrinath & Vasudhara - A sliver of mist has descended upon Neelkanth, curling around his crown like a gossamer scarf. Flanked by two dark massifs, much like security guards escorting a VIP, Neelkanth dazzles. The chance to catch a glimpse of his snowy majesty is reason enough to brave…
Shimla -Sangla – Kinnaur- Spiti (2011) - “Stock up on pain balms, spare spectacles and take an oxygen cylinder” advises a friend when he comes to know of my plans to drive into Spiti in an all senior-citizens’ group. I am slightly apprehensive about the impending altitude sickness to which I…
Siachen – World’s Highest Battlefield (2004) - During our long trip from Srinagar to Leh and thence to Nubra Valley, thanks to our friends in the Indian Army, we manage to obtain the necessary permit to visit the Siachen Base Camp, the highlight of our journey to Nubra. Soon after we descend…
Sikkim – Yungthang, Guru Dongmar, Nathu-la (2007) - Imagine yourself at a height of 18,000 feet on a rocky ledge overhanging a precipice. A good 4,000 feet below, the ledge is the seemingly endless Tibetan plateau stretching as far as the eyes can see. Behind you, a chain of frosty peaks tower at…
The Caucuses – Untrodden, Unexplored (2006) - Where can you see snow-topped mountain ranges straddling two seas, one aquamarine and another, sapphire-blue? Where can you drive through a continuous canopy of russet and golden maple leaves festooning the winding hill roads? Where in the world does one encounter bright sunshine in one…
Trudging up the Tatras in Poland (2016) - Beata Malinowska is breathless as she catches up with the group at the foot of the ski slopes. Óh, I am soooo hot” she drawls, her eyes rolling back into her forehead and her knees buckling under her in mock exhaustion, although the temperature is…
Valparai in the Western Ghats (2020) - Valparai beckoned, a hidden hill station, seductively veiled in mist and untrampled by tourists. We drove from Bangalore in about eight hours. After Pollachi, the climb begins, offering panoramic views of pristine forests and endless tea estates, terraced fields redolent of ripe green peppercorns and…
Zanskar – Zoji La – Kargil -Padum – Leh (2009) - At 14000 feet above sea level, Penzi La may be the official gateway to Zanskar, a valley embedded deep in the entrails of Ladakh, but it is Drang Drung, the towering glacier just a few meters past Penzi La that dominates your digital lens and…