A guide to trekking in the Indian Himalayas, covering Kashmir, Jammu, the West Bengal Hills, Darjeeling, Ladakh and other areas.

Indulge your spirit of adventure and trek the spectacular Indian Himalaya. First-timers and seasoned trekkers alike can experience the region's rich blend of cultures, religions and dramatic landscapes, led by author and Indian Himalaya devotee Garry Weare.

1.accurate route descriptions for more than 200 days of trekking

2.custom-made, two-colour maps for all treks

3.invaluable advice on hiring guides and porters plus tips on trekking independently

4.trekker-specific equipment, medical and language sections

5.suggestions for environmentally responsible trekking

Himalayas

The Himalayas are a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. By extension, it is also the name of the massive mountain system which includes the Himalaya proper, the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush, and a host of minor ranges extending from the Pamir Knot. The name is from Sanskrit himālaya, a tatpurusa compound meaning "the abode of snow".

Together, the Himalaya mountain system is the planet's highest and home to all fourteen of the world's highest peaks: the Eight-thousanders, including Mount Everest. To comprehend the enormous scale of Himalayan peaks, consider that Aconcagua, in the Andes, at 6,962 m, is the highest peak outside the Himalaya, while the Himalayan system has over 100 separate mountains exceeding 7,200 meters.

The Himalayas stretch across six nations: Bhutan, People's Republic of China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is the source of three of the world's major river systems, the Indus Basin, the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin and the Yangtze Basin. An estimated 750 million people live in the watershed area of the Himalayan rivers, which also includes Bangladesh.