I’ve been itching to get back to the ever since I first set foot there in 2001. We vowed to return to get further off the beaten track and, if possible, tackle a summit. Then a few years ago my old guiding pal starting talking some nonsense about making up his own trek through northern .
He had decided, along with some friends , that it would be an interesting and challenging journey to walk from Dharamsala to Manali, a walk that would take approximately 2 weeks. They worked out that they could continue this walk, linking up with other trekking routes that would take them further into the mountains towards the Rhotang pass then on to Spiti before heading towards Gangotri and Nepal. They also reckoned that it would be possible to do this without straying too far from the mountain paths and without transport. I told him that if he ever actually got round to it, I was in.
After nearly three years and much discussion, the walk has evolved into a 3 1/2 month (approximately 1000 mile) trek through some of the most breathtakingly beautiful and remote areas in the . And I’m in.
and Marcos decided that it would be an amazing challenge to complete the whole journey without the use of any transport, hence the title ‘No Wheels Just Legs’. The idea of getting back to nature and immersing ourselves in the mountains for a few months, without any distractions, appealed very much to them and me. Therefore the route chosen has been carefully planned to avoid major roads and keeps to footpaths as much as possible. However, as it’s impossible to foresee every eventuality we may have to allow ourselves a little flexibility to deal with whatever difficulties and obstacles we encounter…While we estimate that the journey will take approximately 3 1/2 months to complete, it’s impossible to be exact. We have a 3 month window to complete most of the trek due to the extreme weather conditions and high mountain passes that will become blocked with heavy snow. The topography of each area will vary drastically from the plush green foothills of Dharamsala, Manali and Shimla with their temples, monasteries and hot springs, to the barren and steep slopes of Spiti with it’s giant glaciers, beautiful lakes and moonscape scenery.
The above is just a brief overview of the journey. During the course of the trek I hope to post regular updates of our progress. While it will be difficult to access the internet in some areas, particularly Spiti which is extremely remote and has very few habitable areas, a number of the towns we’ll be passing through should have internet facilities, albeit slow so please be patient. Also, please check for photo’s and if you’re very lucky, film footage of the trek.
As some of you know, I’ve been volunteering at Waverley Care’s hospice for the past two years and have been humbled by both the spirit of the service users and dedication of the staff and other volunteers I’ve had the pleasure of working with in this time. It’s only a wee charity so please give what you can.
There is one final motivation for going back to the and fundraising. Less than a year after returning from in 2001, one of our crew, Nick Wilkes, died in a car accident at the age of 21. We will return again for that summit, but in the meantime, he would approve of this wee adventure. Namaste bro, the odds are in our favour…
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