Why Treks in Indian Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh Kashmir Differ

We all have been confused when it comes to picking a region for trekking. So, this article is about why treks in Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir differ.

For some, it’s Uttarakhand, according to one of my friend. “What you get in Uttarakhand, you don’t get anywhere in the world,” she says while pointing at the view of Mt Trishul from Kausani. It’s true that such views are visible only from treks in Uttarakhand.

After I visited Kashmir during one of my Road trip, my personal bias leaned towards Kashmir. With willows, poplars, and chinars bordering its vast grasslands, I felt Kashmir had the one of the most charming tree line & grassland. No other state could look so picture-perfect.

Ladakh, The Land of High Passes, boasts a landscape that can leave you thrilled. It is a place where the landscape changes dramatically; it is truly astonishing to see the mountains, snow, cold desert, alpine meadows and lakes at a short distance from each other. It has amazing and unmatched treks like the popular Frozen River Trek/Chadar Trek.

One of my colleague, shares an interesting thought with me. “I am biased towards the treks of Himachal Pradesh,” he says while describing the lush green valleys, and mountains of the state. “You also don’t find such contrasting landscape — like the green Parvati valley and snow desert Spiti — in any other place in India,” he adds.

But Do we even know why these differences exist?

For a long time I thought I knew; but then I realised I didn’t know much.

After a long study of various books at Kunzum Café, Delhi & interacting with fellow traveler I realized,

Latitudes effect on trekking

“The latitude & hemispherical placement of a region determines the angle at which it receives sunlight. That, in turn, affects the flora, fauna, and snow of the region.”

Untill now I hadn’t anticipated the powerful role of latitude as we moved from one region/state to another.

Instantly, scenes from the Kashmir valley flashed across my mind. The landscape in Kashmir looks different from the rest of the country.

This was because of its latitude.