camping – VAGABOND IMAGES

Spring some romance in Oman this year!

Upendra SwamiFebruary 14, 2019256 Views0

Well, its Valentine’s Day. But, truly speaking romance is not just about the Valentine’s day. And, when its spring time, its all about love. A travel far away from your routine world can surely lit a spark in your lives. You might have many options in mind but Oman can certainly be on top of them for all the fantastic reasons. If it’s mesmerising beaches, majestic mountains or desert experience that you are looking for your adventure filled romantic moments, then Oman has it all. Located just 2 ½ hours away from India, the Sultanate is an exotic, adventurous, historic and geologically stunning country offering the most authentic Arabian experience. Also, connected via direct flights with major Indian cities, easy e-visa process and introduction of a short-term 10-day tourist visa ma...

AdventureIndia

Pang : Thrill of being at highest transit camp in the world

Upendra SwamiApril 28, 2018751 Views4

Pang is a magical place. It brings you to an entirely different world, like the one never seen before. At an altitude of over 15,300 feet this is also claimed to be the highest army transit camp in the world. Army claims the altitude as 15, 640 feet. For a traveller- a biker or a driver, Pang is in midst of two entirely different terrains. While coming from Sarchu is the rough routes of Kangla Jal while on the Leh side is the super-highway of More Plains. Both worth a journey of lifetime. Establishment at Pang would have been come up as a place for stoppage for armed forces moving to and fro to areas bordering Pakistan and China. Being an open valley close to stream and less windy in comparison to Sarchu would have made it ideal place for transit. When adventurers starte...

AdventureIndiaPhotogallery

Satsar to Gangabal : Photo journey to the climax!

Upendra SwamiMarch 1, 2018541 Views4

After a satisfying fourth day, it was time to move towards the climax on the 5th day of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek. It was supposed to be the last day of climb. Satsar campsite is at an altitude of 12,000 ft and Gangabal campsite is at a an altitude of 11,500 ft but on the way we have to cross the Zach pass at an altitude of 13,400 ft. How to prepare? Read: Thajiwas is a perfect acclimatisation for Great Lakes Trek So, lets travel through the day's trek in photos. Starting right from the first light of the day- Its early morning after a wonderful night of stargazing. You just can't imagine, how this sky looked like in the night. Its cold still, but all ready to move. Its getting brighter and campsite is buzzing with early morning activities. Also Read: Kashmir Great Lakes-...

AdventureIndiaPhotogallery

Thajiwas is a perfect acclimatisation for Great Lakes trek

Upendra SwamiSeptember 10, 2017465 Views11

One of the most beautiful places to see around Sonamarg in Kashmir is the Thajiwas Glacier. It is a favourite among picnickers and campers as it is far from tourist chaos of Sonamarg market. Thajiwas glacier is located seven kilometres from Sonamarg. One has to trek upto the glacier from the road-head. It is lovely place to relax and enjoy. But it is not just for picnickers . It is also for serious trekkers. Trek to Thajiwas is not a tough one, but it is one of the favourite treks for all those who have based themselves in Sonamarg and want to acclimatise for other high altitude treks around including the Great Lakes trek. Those who don’t want to trek, can also take a pony ride to the glacier. Glacier is at an altitude of 9,186 feet. Trek to glacier goes throug...

AdventureIndiaPhotogallery

Himalayan Rides : Batal to Chandratal

Upendra SwamiJuly 13, 2017485 Views5

We are on a virtual ride to Lahaul & Spiti valley. Every rider or driver or adventurer enthusiast going to Leh or Kaza is very much keen to know about the road conditions on these arguably two of the most fascinating road journeys in the world. Its a journey, everybody would like to embark upon. So, here is a first hand experience of the trip, which I have broken down into different segments, or we may say shorter distances to give a more detailed overview of the trip. Read: Milestones to Ladakh - Manali to Gramphoo In the earlier parts of the journey, we have travelled from Manali to Gramphoo, then Gramphoo to Chatru and Chatru to Batal. Now after spending some time with Chacha-Chachi of Chandra Dhaba at Batal, we move towards Chandratal. Once we cross river Chandra a...

AdventureIndiaPhotogallery

Mesmerising & captivating Chandratal Lake

Upendra SwamiSeptember 26, 2016426 Views11

It has been a long gap from the blog, for almost twenty days owing to a dream trip on my loving bike to some dream destinations of Lahaul & Spiti. Whatever one may say, it is one trip that for most of the travellers will rank quite high above any other in terms of sheer thrill and adventure. And so was it for me. So, basic motive of the trip was to attend the Naropa 2016 but than it was always just a pretext. Biking to Leh was the implicit story. And, first highlight of the journey was indeed the Chandratal Lake. It was a dream fulfilled. Just the image below can tell it why. Isn't it. Located in Himachal Pradesh at an altitude of 4270 metres, this is one of the most popular and visited high altitude lake in India. Its captivating beauty has made Chandratal a popular destinatio...