EIGHT STORIES THAT BRING ALIVE THE BEAUTY OF THE HIMALAYAS.
When city-dwellers meet the mountains, stories manifest themselves. Of narrow escapes from remote valleys, encounters with the wild, treks across snow-covered passes and flower-filled meadows, blended with the kindness of locals and their food, culture and festivals. The real stories in the book attempt to make just one point - exploration is for everyone.
About the Author Born in UP and raised in Punjab, Gaurav Punj is the prototype of what the Himalayan folk are wary of. This hasn't deterred him or diluted his unconditional love for the Himalaya though. A Berkeley, California graduate, GP is a bit of a conflicted soul who wears an aura of calm. He secretly hopes that not too many people come to the Himalaya even while he writes books on it and prays for them to become bestsellers.
Entertaining and amusing! Gaurav Punj is without doubt a prototype of Indian Himalayan trekking. This travelogue provides firsthand knowledge with unforgettable stories and lifetime experiences of different treks. Lovely is He who created such a heavenly place on Earth and capacitates it to so much amazement and beauty that it can even be sensed with just words. This was my first travel book ever and I am glad that it has not only ignited the desire of exploring mountains but also provided much needed knowledge about cultures, ecosystem, terrain, climate and of course people! The Guide, Itineraries, Local contacts, Maps and so many illustrations are very much valuable. Lastly, the 'solo misadventure' of Rujuta is really engrossing and stimulating too! This isn't to be kept just on the shelf... has to be treated as a reference for planning upcoming trips and treks!
Where do I start from, a nomad at heart reading a book by another actually well travelled nomad. The book is for mountain lovers, who not just adore but revere the mighty Himalayas. I have read a few travel books from the west from experiences of PCT to the mighty Eigers and Akaskan treks of the west. However found this book high on my recommendation list. The excellent visual writing making us feel we are right there with them, at times i did feel the adrenaline rush. The humor and humility of the author, the effervescent and vivacious Rujuta's solo trek account was the icing on the cake. I know I am going to read this again and again, someday follow at least one of the itineraries if not more. Not sure why i haven't read the authors first book yet??
The core idea that this book tries to convey is that "Adventure is for everyone." What happens when a disparate group of city-dwellers set out on a quest for adventure? Gaurav Punj tells you in 10 vividly descriptive stories in this travelogue. I absolutely loved the Mumbaiya language and pop-culture references and the Travel Guide, complete with a list of local contacts, at the end of every adventure to assist future travellers. The feeling of nostalgia that this book invokes in me is very real. But at the same time, I think I need to dock a point for the amateurish language and writing. Loved it for being one of the first books by the new generation of Indians who love to travel and hike!
The book authored by Gaurav Punj is a collection of real narratives of his trekking expeditions amidst various Himalayan region. It also provides for various itineraries in case anybody is interested in the travel to that path.
My Take:
This is the first travelogue book I’ve put my hand on and I absolutely loved it. Since they are real life incidents, it’s very believable. What adds to the narratives and description is the pictures of the location added towards the end of the book.
The descriptives are beautiful and are in a medium paced. One can actually visualise everything happening right in front of you. The collection of stories varies from some funny moments to scary incidents to near missed mishaps. You can feel what the trekkers went through which is the beauty.
The book is definitely worth the keep since it details the incidents and also provides for the contact details of homestay provided there. One can grab this book if they are mesmerized by the Himalayas and want to visit the places.
I picked this book because i came to know Punj is married to Rujuta Diwekar. I liked Punj's easy, conversational style, almost as if he were casually telling a fellow group of trekkers his experiences sitting around a campfire. Some small things I picked up from the book and would like to highlight. There is a certain ethos which the author seeks to promote in writing this book. Trekking while having the minimum impact on the environment, not bargaining with the locals while on the trek, the respect for BRO and the army men who often help when calamity strikes : all these shine forth and resonate with my personal (if little) trekking experiences. His experience of the full moon on the Himalayan snows is one which I wait to have physically now.
A good guide about what to expect and what can happen when you set out on a trip/trek in Himalayas. I am not a seasoned trekker and hence, the book is an equal mix is interesting and informative for me. Hoping that reading this translates to more motivation to plan more trips. Also, the biggest takeaway from the book for me was that, there is a reason why hiring local guides makes a difference. And in doing so, you are not only hedging your own risks but also supporting a community and an ecosystem at the same time.
"That's a thing about books. They let you travel without moving an inch" This book - Loaded with mountains - did the same for me. I literally travelled through it's words. It may have varying reviews, based on interest of a reader. For a reader like me - who is in deep love with himalayas but not able to greet them since many years - will find an oasis between it's pages. On contrary, those who aren't connected much with mountains, may find it boaring. I thoroughly lived this book during its tenure between my two palms. Splendid. MountainSpellBounding.
The book gives a good overview of lesser Poland known treks in the Himalayas. The writing style is pretty informal. The list of treks and itineraries at the end of each chapter were quite useful. The last story by Rujuta Diwekar was a letdown. The book did not have enough coverage of the Northeast Himalayas especially the ones in Arunachal Pradesh.
Dedicated "To the shepherds of Himalaya, on whose trails all trekkers tread", this is a collection of trekking/travel stories to the Indian Himalaya. Covering a wide range of the Himalaya from the north-west to the north-east, Gaurav Punj narrates accounts of his trekking trips to the following - Ladakh, Jolingkong, Spiti, Kugti, Damarsain Meadows, Khan Pari Pass, Kalpa and Sangal and finally Sikkim.
First of all, for someone who only thought of snow-capped peaks, when thinking of the Himalaya, this book made me realize how vast and diverse the Indian Himalayan ranges are. And Punj describes this passionately in each chapter. For example, did you know that there are 4500+ high-altitude lakes in the middle Himalayan ranges, high above the plains! There are lakhs of meadows, large forest ranges, and of course, mighty rivers (and rivulets and streams). Wow! Just reading about this was awe-inspiring!
This book also helped give me a geography lesson. I can now (vaguely) identify where Leh or Kinnaur is, I know about the Garhwal and Kumaon regions of Uttarakhand, and that Chamba, Lahaul and Spiti are in Himachal Pradesh, and that Sikkim is conveniently divided into north, east, south and west regions.
Punj's narrative is easy and conversational, and he gives the reader a wonderful insight into how a trek in the Himalaya unfolds. The stories have a warmth and sincerity that is enjoyable, and the anecdotes are funny, informative and very relatable. There are 15 pages of pictures too, to help you get an idea of the landscape and details being discussed.
What I liked the most about the book is that it gives us a peek into the lives of the people and the ecology in the Himalaya. True to his dedication, Punj talks about the shepherds and the local people, how climate change and building of dams is affecting their lives, how entire villages dependent on certain rivers/forests are being challenged, etc. And tourism, although an important (and sometimes only) source of income, is also dangerous if it damages the very sensitive ecological balance in the region.
And this is why, he says, when one visits the Himalaya - "Don't be greedy, spread out." And to help with this, Punj has detailed out a few day-by-day trek itineraries at the end of each chapter (25 in total), along with contact information for guides, local tourist organizations etc.
Oh, and BTW, at the end of the book, there is a short fun-yet-introspective essay by Rujuta Diwekar on her "solo misadventure" in the Himalaya!
If you like travel, and trekking in particular, and if you answer "hills" to the "hills vs. beaches" travel question, this book is definitely for you. For me, it ignited a strong desire to visit the Himalaya soon... and try and explore it beyond the Shimla/Manali circuits!
Woo!!! It was a great read man! I mean I have just ordered his first book “The Land Of Flying Lamas,", trust me. It was worth reading. I mean, who doesn’t love mountains! And when it’s not about Alps or Switzerland. It’s all about our country and those beautiful descriptions with detailed itineraries. I have captured all of those itineraries in my phone. I mean just in case. Author is in this trekking business from last 10-12 years. He has described about total eight places where he went for trekking with his team. Even you will find pictures, which are also inserted in the middle of this book. This book starts with his first trekking trip to Ladakh. A pretty narration of Chaddar Trek, Leh and Leh Market, and the beautiful Pangong Tso. He said it’s a Magical place to explore. Though he visited this before the release date of “3 Idiots “ he he. I just loved this part so much. Then Stories goes by JOLINGKONG, SPITI VALLEY, KUGTI (The Home of Shiva, the land of moonlit snows. He said this land is totally reflected with Shiva Mythology), DAMARSAIN MEADOWS (Badrinath temple, the last Dham of Chaar Dhams. The beautiful Auli, Niti Valley and what not), KHAN PARI PASS (there he got the opportunity to meet with The Gaddis, his sheep and their Kingdom), KALPA AND SANGLA (Kinber Kailash the mythical home of Lord Shiva, the last village of Tibet) and last but not the least SIKKIM (the place of Lamas and Lepchas and their flamboyant world). You will get some fine details about Kailash Mansarovar, the home of Lord Shiva, which was the best part of this book. I loved the way Author described their experiences like “sleeping on snows," “the last moment Puran Puli and that hunger pangs," “visits of Gaddis” “selflessness and innocence of Pahaadi people “, “Uday and his help," everything was so SURREAL and so close to the heart. And the best part was the simple and lucid language. Simple but the best. Highly recommended by me. Thanks a lot Westland Books for sending me this beautiful book which I haven’t read, but only experienced some beautiful moments as well. Ratings : 4.7/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
While exploring nature what counts is the emotions invested, the moments shared, the feelings experienced, the difficulties, the triumphs, the bonding, the disconnect from the rest of the world and the connection to the self. On trekking there is nothing like you.
The Land of Moonlit snows and other real travel stories from the Indian Himalaya by Gaurav Punj is a beautiful guide as well as a book of memories of the author himself when he went on his himalayan trek. Author has expressed his every emotion, his every gut feeling and his every heart wrenching moments while seeing the nature at its best. He has shared with us the laughters and the jokes that had happened with other trekkers and locals in the Himalayas. Author provides us an apt itnery with all age groups and the ways to reach to the place and what to explore and how. The book carries beautiful photos of the Himalayan treks that will make one wish to go on a himalayan trek once in a life time. Because of the daily routine lives, we forget that out in the world before the concrete jungles were built nature existed freely and beautifully and yet it does still in some parts of the world. To explore nature is to explore ourselves. Because nature is peace that brings one peace. The cover of the book is really pretty and the book will give you a glimpse of the Himalayas and its beauty.
This book makes me want to trek in the Himalayas. Defenenitely not too aspiring but an easy trek to get a taste of the trek life. On a not crowded trek trail. Adding this to my bucket list.
The book itself was a good read. Giving a glimpse of the trek life. This is the first time I got to know about all the factors involved, hardships encountered and the joys involved. Its more of an account that puts together the experiences on a Himalayan trek. Though the write up is not as dreamy as a Himalayan scene, it still is good to read and inspires to trek in the high Himalayas.
The guides towards the end of each account should come in handy for those who wanna pack their bags and head on a trek to these areas.
The final chapter by Rutuja was a different game. It was a good sweet read of her solo trek.
Recommend this book for those who wanna get a glimpse of a Himalayan trek.
The book is all about personal experiences of the writer, who is a trekker shaped out by his passion. The book succeeds, in my opinion, in fuelling dreams of going on trek to enjoy the beauty that nature, unsullied by the human kind, is capable of dishing out. The information on the various agencies and also the classification of the trek based on fitness levels is again, very informative and makes it a handy book to possess for those who have that wanderlust spirit in their souls. The flow of the narrative is crisp and helps keep the attention rivetted. The only point of improvement that I could think of is that the use of descriptions could have been made a little more poetic and artful and had not been just left to the pictures (at the end) to speak.
Part memoir. Part travel journal. Part guide. Gaurav Punj has certainly a veteran when it comes to treks to the Himalayas. With his words he also manages to paint a pretty picture of every trek he's undertaken. What impressed me most was his empathy and respect for the local populace and their practices, and of course ecology. While describing the beauty of a trek by the frozen river of Zanskar, he laments the fact that tourism and global warming threatens existence of this frozen river which serves an an important trade route for the local population. He also speaks endlessly for the need to preserve local customs and traditions and endorses sustainable eco-tourism without ever sounding like an activist. This book wasn't recommended to me, I only picked it up because I got a good deal on it thanks to Amazon. So this little book proved to be a pleasant surprise.
An amazing read for anyone who lives and breathes Himalayas and it certainly gives an authentic local taste to the reader, straight from the mountains. After reading this book ,I must say I am itching to go back to the mountains. My personal favourite was the Kugti Pass chapter , a trek really close to my heart , I am so glad GP penned down all the interesting encounters of Kugti trek and I could re-live the adventures . While reading the book, I really admired the respect GP has shown to the tough mountain people, gaddi shepherds, trek porters , Indian army and also glad he raised the tough challenges that the ecology of Himalayan region is facing owing to climate changes , loopholes in government projects and mass trekking.
I read this book amidst the second covid wave, sitting in my room, in between my work-from-home meetings. And this, I realized just a few pages into the book, was an absolutely wrong time to be reading it. This book will stir wanderlust badly in you. And if you have never trekked before, or have trekked but not adventurously, this book will make you want to pursue that. The anecdotes are penned beautifully here, and the backdrops to some of the Himalayan locales are quite intriguing. An add-on the book gives you is helping you plan your trip to the place at the end of every chapter. The writing is very simple, which is why it builds a connect rather fast. You at times feel like you were a part of that group and of the funny incident that is being narrated.
You know what I am also GP.(Girish Pednekar) ;-) . This book is very beautifully written. The narration of all the treks by GP is superb. All the stories from this book keeps readers engaged. If you are a trekker and mountain lovers you should definitely read this book. Even if you are not a trekker and looking for some non fiction book (like me) then you will definitely love this read. Also all the local information about the guides, trekking organisations are given in this book along with different trek itineraries and best suitable times for their visit. Rujuta's story comes as an icing on the cake in the end. Overall very nice book. Thanks GP!
This was my first travel book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. All the experiences were thrilling and funny to read. One can really feel the paths and treks taken by real people. The added photographs complete our imaginations. After reading through each chapter, I felt like travelling myself to the Himalayas. It was very thoughtful of the author to share essential travel itineraries and local tour companies who helped in his journeys. Wonderful book!
My first travel logs for Himalaya and it was indeed fascinating. I loved the section "The guide" which details the itinerary of doable treks in Himalayas. The book was overall kind of amateurish and true to the words as author described himself "an accidental author". But stories become more interesting and structured towards the end of the book. Also totally loved the pictures which are put up by Author.
Its a good read for people who rae planning to trek in Himalayas. It gives some insights about trekking which you do not find normally over internet and things you can encounter. It will definitely add value to your next trek and it also encourages to trek to offbeat locations. Good book for trek lovers and exploreres
Not a travel book with great literary quality if that is what you are looking for , not a dry documentation either, more like a friend sharing his travel stories over a drink. I would be revisiting pages with an itinerary and contacts.
I would Trek to and read more about the Himalayas, this book has enough to initiate those feelings..
I loved this book very much. I dont think there are many travel books like this in india. The real life stories, tour guides, contact informations and most importantly the photographs - all were very much unique and yes i cried randomly for no exact reasons!! I loved it, yes i will definitely recommend it to others!!
Awesome Read. It just gives you a direct insight to Himalayan Beauty. And it will definitely going to give you a direct experience of Trecking. It also inspired me to plan a vacation on Himalayan Range.
It's a good book which we cannot stop reading. The author kept us so engaged. Though we did not visit Himalayas or done any trekking still we can feel the inner peace by reading this book.
This book made me want to step out of the city and office life onto the offbeaten roads in the himalayas. It strives to inspire the nomad in us as well as provide itineraries for the less crowded treks and road trips.
Such a beautiful experience I had while reading this book. Very less books gives us experience of being there. It is a very good book for travel lovers and Himalayan Lovers like me😍. Lovely one