Hide And Peak

A Trek Into Nanda Devi National Park Encompasses Culture, Wildlife and 360-degree Views of the Great Himalayan Range

- Bibek Bhattacharya

I will never forget my first glimpse of Nanda Devi, one of the most strikingly beautiful mountains in the world. It was at the end of six days, battling the fickle weather of a latein retreating monsoon: stranded on perpendicular rock faces amidst heavy fog, violent storms and lightning atop a high-altitude meadow, and clouds everywhere. Monsoon in the Himalayas is a magical, yet mildly frustrating experience—especially if you’re in one of the most storied regions of the great range, surrounded by mountains that are household names. And after almost a week’s frustration, I woke up one clear morning at the camp in the hanging valley of Dharansi and there she was, the great Nanda Devi, revealed at last.

Most people know the mountain’s famous south face view as seen from hill stations like Ranikhet and Almora in the Kumaon Himalayas. The twin peaks of Nanda Devi and Nanda Devi East peer over the icy 21,700-foot-high southern ridge that cloaks the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, a vast area of about 380 square kilometres of glaciers and meadows.

Another popular view is that from the Kuari Pass trek in the Garhwal Himalaya. From here, you see the west face of the mountain, a vast triangle dominating the horizon, aloof and above the surrounding galaxy of peaks. It’s the same view from Dharansi, except that seen from here, the west face looms like an enormous sail, with scuttling clouds at its summit adding to that illusion.