Lesser-known hill stations
These include: Himachal Pradesh: Chamba, Dalhousie, Dharamsala, Kangra, Keylong, Nahan and Paonta Saheb. Kashmir: Batote and Sonamarg. Uttar Pradesh: Dehra Dun and Lansdown. West Bengal: Mirik. Madhya Pradesh: Pachmarhi. Maharashtra: Panhala. Gujarat: Saputara. Rajasthan: Mount Abu. Tamil Nadu: Coonoor, Kotagiri and Yercaud. Kerala: Munnar, Periyar and Ponmundi. Karnataka: Mercara. Andhra Pradesh: Horseley Hills. Bihar: Netarhat. Assam: Haflong.

Trekking
Below is a description of the most important trekking areas in India. For further practical details on trekking, see the Activities section.

Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is India’s northernmost state, and the one which is best-known for trekking. It is an extravagantly beautiful land of flower-spangled meadows, wild orchards, spectacular coniferous forests, icy mountain peaks and clear streams and rivers. The capital, Srinagar, is the base for many treks, notably to the blue Zabarwan Hills and Shankaracharya Hill. The three other main bases in Jammu and Kashmir are Pahalgam (100km/62 miles from Srinigar) in the Lidder Valley, the base for treks to sacred Amarnath, Aru, Lidderwat and the glacial lakes of Tarsar and Tulian; Gulmarg (51km/32 miles from Srinagar), from which treks can be made to the crystal tarns of Apharwat and Alpather, the upland lakes of Vishansar and Gangabal and the Thajiwas Glacier; and Sonamarg, in the Sindh Valley, the base for treks into the surrounding mountains.

Srinagar is also the roadhead for trips into the arid plateau of Ladakh, a country of perpetual drought, the home of wild asses and yaks and with high ranges that have some of the largest glaciers in the world outside the polar regions. Leh, the divisional capital, lies on an ancient Silk Road and is the base for spectacular treks across this remarkable landscape.

Further south, excellent trekking may be had in the vicinity of Jammu, the railhead to the Kashmir Valley. The three main centers are Kishtwar, Doda and Poonch.

Himachal Pradesh
The landscape of this province ranges from the barren rocks and raging torrents of the valleys of Spiti and Lahaul in the north to the southern orchard country of Kangra and Chamba. Treks from Manali include the Bhaga River to Keylong, and then on to the Bara Shigri glacier or over the Baralacha Pass to Leh (see above). Kullu, in the center of the province, is set in a narrow valley between the towering Himalayas and the River Beas, and is famous for its temples and religious festivals.

Treks from here traverse terraced paddy fields and on to remoter regions of snow and ice. The view from the Rohtang Pass is particularly spectacular. The town of Dharamsala, in the Kangra Valley area, is the base for treks into the Bharmaur Valley over the Indrahar Pass, and on to other still higher passes beyond.

Chamba, situated on a mountain above the Ravi River, is named after the fragrant trees which flourish around its richly carved temples. Treks from the nearby town of Dalhousie lead to the glacial lake of Khajjiar and to the passes of Sach and Chini. Shimla, once the summer capital of the British, is a high hill station and the base for treks into Kullu Valley via the Jalori Pass and on to the Kalpur and Kinnaur valleys.

Garhwal
Set high in the Garhwal Himalayas, this region (which is sometimes referred to as the Uttarakhand) abounds in myths and legends of the Indian gods. It is also where the source of the life-giving ‘Ganga’ is to be found; indeed, many of the great rivers of northern India have their headwaters in this land of lush valleys and towering snow-ridged peaks. Mussoorie, a hill station much used by the British to escape the searing heat of the plains, is an excellent base for treks into the Gangotri and Yamounotri valleys.