I STOOD ATOP RAMII DATCH, a ridgetop cairn-dotted crossing, taking in the sweeping views of the large and brilliantly blue Tarsar Lake below. The landscape and scope of the lake were unlike anything I had witnessed in the rest of my Himalayan treks. Sheep grazed languidly along its grassy upper slopes and a deafening silence resounded as the almond-shaped lake sat mirror-like, without a ripple. The alpine lake was mesmerizing, surrounded by dramatically sloped ridges descending to the lakeshore below and gullies sneaking up with remnants of glacial ice that had fed the lake overages.
It was just the second day of our four-day hike and I was already touching close to 4,000 meters at this ridge, also the highest point in our trek. On the other side of the ridge at a short distance shimmered the edge of Marsar, another lake similar in magnitude and beauty. Numerous conversations with Sayyed Tahir, our immensely knowledgeable lead guide, and Mohammed Adil, who ran Cliffhangers India (our local and thoroughly professional trekking agency), brought the region alive as a veritable lake district with some interesting and better variations to the trek we were undertaking. To be fair our consideration had been more driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and a vague idea of a quick trek.
The alpine lake was mesmerising, surrounded by dramatically sloped ridges descending to the lakeshore below and gullies sneaking up with remnants of glacial ice that fed the lake for ages
ON THE DOUBLE TO CAMP TWO
Denne historien er fra October 2020-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
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Denne historien er fra October 2020-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Chutneys For Every Season
GROWING UP IN JHARKHAND, I've always been enchanted by the state's culinary landscape. Here, the local cuisine never fails to surprise with its depth and variety.
BADGE OF HONOUR
IN THE DYNAMIC LANDSCAPE of tourism, where greenwashing often taints sustainability, certifications can help distinguish between genuine efforts and marketing gimmicks. Green certification systems encourage businesses to enhance their environmental credentials.
WHEELS OF TIME
IN 1947, TRAINS CARRYING REFUGEES ACROSS THE BORDER WERE SYMBOLIC OF THE TUMULT OF THE PARTITION.
RAILS OF THE Raj
FROM ITS CONCEPTION TO ITS ROLE IN THE NATION'S HISTORY, THE BRITISH INDIAN RAILWAYS IS A PHENOMENON MARKED AS MUCH BY MARVEL AS AVARICE
THE RHYTHM OF BOLLYWOOD
FROM THE RAILROAD THRILLER MISS FRONTIER MAIL 1936) TO SHAH RUKH KHAN DANCING ON A TRAIN IN DIL SE' 1998), TRAINS HAVE GIVEN UNFORGETTABLE SONG SEQUENCES TO MANY HINDI FILMS
MEMORY'S OASIS
REMEMBRANCES OF GROWING UP IN SEALDAH RAILWAY OFFICERS COLONY IN KOLKATA
A FAREWELL × TO FLAVOURS
FROM CUTLETS AND RAILWAY MUTTON CURRY IN DINING CARS TO THE UNREMARKABLE FARE AVAILABLE TODAY, THE JOURNEY OF FOOD ON THE INDIAN RAILWAY IS FASCINATING
HERITAGE ON THE TRACKS
THE ICONIC DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAY, FONDLY CALLED THE TOY TRAIN,' HAS HELD ITS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE STATUS SINCE 1999
HIDDEN LIVES
SPANNING 65,000 KILOMETRES THROUGH DENSELY POPULATED INDIA, THE RAILWAYS ARE A BACKDROP TO COUNTLESS STORIES. 'THE UNRESERVED' BY FILMMAKER SAMARTH MAHAJAN CAPTURES A FEW
JOURNEYS WITHIN AND WITHOUT
FOR IMTIAZ ALI, TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE TRANSFORMATIVE, OFFERING GLIMPSES OF INDIA'S DIVERSE SOCIETY AND ITS MANY CULTURES AND RELIGIONS