A rare sight, the meadows of Gulmarg minus the snow covered covered in white and yellow blooms on the green grass.

12 Stunning Landscapes from the Himalayas

With the Himalayas, it is love at first sight! Its landscapes vary as much as human emotions. While their meadows and streams fill you up with joie de vivre, the lifeless mountain faces jolt you with their intensity.

These are some of our favourite Himalayan landscapes.

A passageway along the gushing river makes for an exciting approach to this thrilling waterfall. Read full stories on :Lolab Valley: Kashmir UnexploredA day in Kokernag, Kashmir

Aharbal waterfalls in South Kashmir

 

A fairy tale – was our first impression of Chatpal.A wooden cottage. A gushing stream next to it. Air so clean and fresh, it felt almost – unnatural!There are no “tourist points” to sit on a horse and see, in Chatpal. Getting lost in nature, or within oneself is the star attraction of Chatpal.Read more on Chatpal at Chatpal, an offbeat gem hidden in Kashmir.

Fairy tale landscapes of Chatpal

 

Sheshnag is the first night halt of the Amarnath yatra. Thousands of Hindus undertake a pilgrimage to Amarnath, at a height of 3888 meter, in honour of Lord Shiva. This picture was taken at dawn in freezing cold. The snow on the mountains is fresh from previous night's snowfall. Read more on Amarnath yatra: Trek on a pilgrimage.

Sheshnag mountains on the Amarnath yatra

 

Yusmarg, Kashmir, India

Blooms on the rolling Yusmarg meadows

 

Penzila is the only mountain pass on the way to Zanskar valley. Its highest point is at 4200 meters. Right after crossing this point, we got the first glimpse of the Drang Drung glacier.It was a splash of white against the rugged browns of the Zanskar mountains. It was an enormous glacier, melting in full flow at the peak of summer.

Drang Drung glacier atop Penzi la, the mountain pass to Zanskar

 

Phuktal is the remotest part of Zanskar. The green fields are a rare sign of civilisation in the sparsely populated interiors of this Zanskar valley. This was the landscape en route Phuktal monastery. Read the full story of our visitto Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery

Gorge of Lungnak river in Zanskar

 

The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.

Golden landscapes of Fotu la enroute Ladakh

 

A typical high altitude Himalayan scene: Barley fields, white mud houses surrounded by the barren mountains. This is village Purga on our way to Tso Moriri. It’s a surreal landscape, with a complete lack of colour.Yet, there is something hauntingly beautiful about these villages. It could be the romance of an isolated life so evidenced by these surroundings. Or the constant reminder, that there is just one force that controls life here: nature!Living in sync with nature is not a choice but the only way, life here is possible.

Typical landscapes of high altitude Himalayan villages

 

Tso Moriri, at a distance of 250km from Leh is a high mountain lake at a height of around 4500m. We were walking towards Tso Moriri and I saw the concentrated natural light at one place. My friend was standing right in the centre of the light and the sun was about to set. Warm light, long shadows, beautiful Tso Moriri lake in the background created the right moment to take this shot. All I did, was align myself (my shadow) to create a magnificent levitating effect to figure in the centre.

The magical Tso Moriri, mountain lake in Ladakh

 

We reached the Thiksey monastery in the evening around closing time. The Thiksey monastery monastery is located on a hilltop and we could see a panorama of beautiful landscapes all around. The sky was full of compelling colours of blue. And the light was a beautiful golden. To sum it up, it was a perfect time for some photography.

Landscapes around Leh, Ladakh

 

They looked like needles rising in the sky, reminding us of the sand castles we built on the beach as kids. Except that they were gigantic! And this wasn't really the sand at the beach. These were the mighty Greater Himalayas, withered with age by their only constant companion- the ferocious winds.Read full story of the 470 km Leh Manali journey at The Leh Manali route – an epic journey

Gigantic needles of Greater Himalayas on the Leh Manali route

 

The Baralacha la was our last pass of the day. We were now one state lower, in Himachal Pradesh. Deep valleys, hairpin bends and steep curves were now “just another day in office”. Read full story of the 470 km Leh Manali journey at The Leh Manali route – an epic journey

Baralacha la on the Leh Manali route

 

These changing faces of the landscape make the Himalayas alive and imposing. After we visited the Himalayas and spent time with them, they weren’t just a mountain range anymore.These are stories of the time we spent at some of these places.

Chatpal, an offbeat gem hidden in Kashmir
Amarnath yatra: Trek on a pilgrimage

Trek to Phuktal Monastery in Zanskar, India

Mountain passes we crossed in the Himalayas

Tso Moriri: A mystical magical lake in Ladakh

The Leh Manali route – an epic journey

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