Places to visit in himalayas
Stretching from Pakistan to Tibet, the Himalayas are Earth’s mountainous masterpiece.
Earth’s crowning glory, the Himalayas are a formidable, ever-changing monument to Mother Nature. For soul seekers and the vertically inclined, the 2,400-kilometre (1,500-mile) crescent stretching from Pakistan, across India, Bhutan and Nepal until reaching Tibet represents both the spirit of adventure and the adventure of spirituality.
The region boasts some of the greatest geodiversity on the planet: the highest mountain and the deepest ravine, wild rhododendron forest and high-altitude desert. But it’s no wilderness. More than 53 million people call this massif home; a vibrant patchwork of cultures and communities, threaded together by ancient pilgrimage and trading routes.
Since Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Everest in 1953, the world’s highest peak has remained the jewel in the Himalayan crown. While it welcomes 600 summit attempts each year, 1,314 kilometres (817 miles) away in the western reaches of Pakistan, K2 the world’s second-highest mountain often goes years without a single attempt.
Considered the last frontier, first summited in 1954, K2 remains largely unconquerable. Mythical but deadly, one in four who attempt it perish. And while it’s the preserve of the world’s most elite climbers, its trail to base camp hovers within the grasp of mere mortals. The journey begins in Askole, the last village in the Braldu Valley, passing Masherbrum and the Trango Towers, before Concordia unveils itself.
While only the hardiest of hikers are drawn to Pakistan’s remote corners, the Nepalese Himalayas maintain a delicate balance of comfort and adventure. High mountain paths follow ancient trails, lined with spinning prayer wheels. On clear days, the craggy, snow-blanketed Everest obliges, providing a jaw-dropping backdrop particularly when the huge tangerine sun announces dusk and dawn. Away from the popular trails of Everest and Annapurna, the 17-day Manaslu teahouse circuit rolls out of the jungle across suspension bridges and terraced fields, following the ancient salt trading route.
For adventurous souls willing to brave rough roads and high altitudes, the tiny kingdom of Mustang beckons. Closed to the world until 1992, it remains somewhat untouched by modern mode a land of crumbling fortresses, neglected gods and lunar landscapes. There’s a humble majesty to this long-forgotten realm, where, for a fortunate few, no-longer princes still welcome visitors into their private homes. Elsewhere lies one of Earth’s greatest archaeological mysteries: the man-made Mustang Caves. Sculptures, paintings and preserved bodies, at least 2,000 years old, dot the 10,000-chamber complex.
From long-forgotten empires to the lastsurviving Himalayan kingdom, Bhutan is an otherworldly time capsule; the country’s national identity and traditional values remain steadfast, as it carefully embraces newfound modernity. With more than 155 temples and monasteries, dating back to the 14th century, the Paro Valley is a poignant starting point. The iconic Taktsang Monastery, known as the Tiger’s Nest, clings to a sheer cliff face, floating 900 metres (3,000 feet) above a carpet of oak forest. A steep two-hour climb, up stairs hewn from rock, culminates in a sudden burst of colour. Prayer flags adorn every surface, and nooks are crammed with tsa-tsas, miniature shrines made by monks from the ashes of the dead.
A change of pace awaits in Tibet, where the country’s charm lies as much in its quiet resilience as its scenery. The multi-storey monasteries of Lhasa still vibrate with murmured mantras, a testament to the population’s unshakable belief. Meanwhile, the red and gold Potala Palace, the highest in the world, is not only an architectural marvel but the former residence of the Dalai Lama with one thousand rooms linked by butter-lamp-lined corridors. Today, it houses the magnificent tombs of eight Dalai Lamas, alongside gilded statues and handpainted Buddhist scrolls.
Further afield, in the wilds of western Tibet, the pyramidal Mount Kailash rises from the Barkha plain. One of the most mystical sites in Asia, it is a holy cynosure of four religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Bon the shamanistic religion of indigenous Tibetans.
For hardy travellers willing to break further into the isolated badlands of the country’s far west, a lost kingdom awaits at Tsaparang. Ruined residences and Kashmiri-influenced art, including sculptures depicting cosmic visions, lead to a muralled underground palace, hidden deep in the eroded desert gorge. From the outside, it looks like any other mountain, its wondrous innards betrayed only by a small sculpture, offering a hint of the magnificence within.
Hemmed between supernatural mountains and perilously high passes, India’s Ladakh, or Little Tibet, unfolds in a dizzying display of spectacularly jagged peaks and bottomless valleys, brought alive by turquoise and emerald high-altitude lakes. Home to both Tibetan Buddhists and Kashmiri Muslims, Ladakh is a melange of mud-brick dwellings, mosques and Buddhist treasures.
The ancient monasteries of Lamayuru, Thikse and Alchi, filled with red-robed monks, spill over rocky peaks. Sun-faded flags flap over painted murals and white-washed stupas, while prayer wheels, stamped with the mantra ‘Om mani padme hum’, beg to be spun three times granting safe passage through the most treacherous, and wonderful, of Earth’s creations: the mighty Himalayas.