This is one of a series of posts describing short strolls/hikes from a trip of Kumaon undertaken with my family during December 2012. While sightseeing was an important aspect of this trip, it had added significance since I have family roots in this Himalayan region (indeed, both my parents were born and brought up here). I myself was born and brought up in the middle of the Indo-Gangetic plain (and visited limited parts of Kumaon only a few times), but almost all the family stories I heard as a child were rooted in that area. Interestingly, I myself acquired a love for the hills while living halfway across the world, when I moved to the NYC area for work, and became a (day) hiking enthusiast. This trip was an opportunity to both visit the places I had often heard about as well as acquire at least a passing acquaintance with a part of the mighty Himalayas that span the northern frontiers of India. Some hiccups at the start of the trip required us to modify our plans to omit long walks from our itinerary, but there were still enough opportunities to experience and visually document the natural beauty of the area, as well as some of the worrisome signs of its spoilage.
Date: December 7, 2012
Location: Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand, India
Description: A short 5 minute scramble and stroll from the Mountain Trails resort (where we stayed for a night) led to this viewpoint located on private property (visitors are welcome, however). One can get a panoramic 360 degree view of the whole area from here.
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| Sign marking the viewpoint |
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| North-facing (zoomed) view of snow-capped peaks |
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| North-facing wide-angle view: A foreground of verdant slopes gives way to a chain of rugged snow-capped peaks |
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| South-facing view (HDR in one of the Art modes) |
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| South-facing view |
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| The setting sun casts its glow over the set of five peaks known as Panchachuli |
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