Mystic Himalayan Trails

01/04/2026

A few glimpses from this season's first big students group camp.

A reputed boarding school from Dehradun. 100 plus boys and girls. 4 days of learning and fun in the Great Himalayan Outdoors.

Image 1: Around the camp fire in the magical Himalayan twilight.

Image 2: Instruction on tent pitching by our excellent instructor

Vid Clip 3: Learning the Mountain Code of Conduct.

11/03/2026

Just because the Spirit of the Mountains is a little less elusive now...
Doesn't mean that I can't fall in love all over again. ❤️

Images 1 & 2: With Dolma, the newly crowned Queen of the Kibber WLS

Image 3: Behind the scenes

07/03/2026

Why should you choose .himalayan.trails.manali for your Himalayan wildlife explorations?

Well, the short answer to that is - Knowledge

Knowledge born out of years of studying, working with and understanding the behaviour of some of the most elusive species that call these great mountains - home

In this video, our chief naturalist - Rahul, is seen scouting out and explaining a Himalayan Red Foxes trail to Brigadier Ashok Abbey, acclaimed Indian Mountaineer and Ex. President of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.

03/03/2026

Just back from an exceptional winter wildlife exploration in the Spiti Valley, with some lovely folks. Well, let's just say that we were amply rewarded. 🙂

Here's a sneak peek. More images and videos will follow, once processed.

01/01/2026

Daughter of snow; Sons of shadow...

The first day of 2026 has given me pause... to reflect.spitival

Maybe I’m late to the reels game—sure.
But the mountains don’t care about trends.

This moment from 2019 has lived in me ever since:
a snow leopard mother, two cubs,
three ghosts drifting across the white silence of Spiti.

I’ve climbed peaks, chased horizons,
stood on ridgelines where the world drops away—
but nothing prepared me for what the snow leopard did to my spirit
back in 2005, in a quiet corner of Ladakh.
One glimpse… and my life tilted on its axis.

I’ve spent years following that feeling,
helping pioneer snow-leopard expeditions in the Indian Himalaya,
tracking the mountain’s most elusive heartbeat.
And every encounter still rearranges something inside me.

This reel is a small window into that transformation—
a story written in snow, shadow, and awe.

I’m leading a small group back to Spiti this February
to seek this magic again.
If these moments speak to you,
come walk with us.

Drop me a Dm or call me on + 91 8219660954, if you’re interested

(Shout out to Swapnil Rachelwar for editing inputs)

10/12/2025

Backcountry skiing and ski touring is slowly but steadily gaining popularity in our Himalaya, as a cutting edge winter sports activity.
Here's a lovely film on backcountry skiing ⛷️ and split-boarding 🏂 in the Lahaul & upper Kullu valley. Hope you guys enjoy it.

HIMACHAL LINES - Routes Beyond the Map and Mind is a splitboard film from the STILL WILD LINES - The Unwritten Mountains project. It follows a small team of ...

27/11/2025

The Night Sky at Hanle - was one of the highlights of our recent trip to the Changthang highlands.

Although I've been to Hanle many times earlier (even in the middle of the harsh winter), the focus had always been on the wildlife and landscape of the area.

This time around, the night skies there just fascinated me. And although it wasn't moonless (with the moon being up on the firmament till around 1 Am), it was still worthwhile to step out into the bitter cold of the night ( around 2.30 AM ) - all bundled up, and gaze into infinite space.
There is something truly magical about the experience, which cannot be explained in words.

Here are a few images 👇 But let me clearly state that this is just a fledglings attempt at astrophotography; Even though I diid not have the proper setup for it. I have only used my mobile phone's camera for these pics and had to figure out the settings through trial and error.

Image 1: The Moon clicked through an optical telescope, by aligning my phone's camera with the eye piece.

Image 2: Countless jewels studded on the night sky, with the Orion constellation distinguishable

Image 3: The Great Bear or Ursa Major constellation, which is one of the easiest to observe. Also known as the Saptarishi in India

Image 4: The lights of the resort, where we were staying, with the night sky above

Image 5: Cygnus and Betelgeuse in the same frame. Had to use the Stellarium app for this one.

Image 6: The Orion (also known as the mighty hunter) constellation once again, with the belt 9r girdle of Orion (the three stars in the middle), clearly visible.

Image 7: A closer look at the Moon through the eye piece of the telescope. You can clearly make out the craters and other impact scars on the surface in this one.

16/11/2025

The 'Sheen Pippins' call... ❄️

On my evening stroll today, I came across this pair of Himalayan Streaked Laughing Thrushes, chattering away excitedly on a bush.

The Streaked Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron lineatum) is a social, medium-sized bird common in the mid to upper elevations of the Himalaya. It is known for its distinctive brown plumage with fine streaks, with a short beak and dark brown crest. These birds primarily forage on or near the ground, using their beaks to dig through leaf litter and probe under bark for food. Their diet is omnivorous, consisting of insects, including beetles and caterpillars, as well as berries and seeds, such as those from bramble and rhododendron plants. 

Notably, in the mountains of Kashmir valley, the Streaked Laughing Thrush is known locally as - 'Sheene Pippin'
It is believed that when these birds make this peculiar piping call, the first snows of winter aren't far away.
Making this little bird - The Herald of Winter.

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06/11/2025

At the high altitude Pangong Tso, a brackish Oligotrophic and Endorheic lake, located in the Changthang highlands of Ladakh.

This 134 Km long and 5 Km wide lake (at it's widest), is situated at an average altitude of 4250 Mtrs, spread across the Indian and Tibetan Changthang.

In summer, it is the favourite haunt of migratory aquatic birds like Bar Headed Geese, Ruddy Shelducks, Black Headed Gulls, Arctic Terns, Pintails, Grebes, Brahminy Ducks, Mallards, Shovellers etc., making it a must visit spot for avid birders.

Video credit:

31/10/2025

Crossing the high passes of Zanskar is always an unforgettable experience.

Behold the mighty Singgey La at 16,590 feet (5,057 meters) and the Sirsir La at  4,565 meters (14,977 feet), which connect Zanskar with Ladakh, going through some of the remotest habitations in these highlands - Lingshed, Yulchung and Photoksar.

This is a journey for connoisseurs.


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