First, let's talk about where the word Kumaon came from. You will be surprised to know that this name is derived from the incarnation of Lord Vishnu's turtle. It belongs to the land of Kurmanchal or Kurmavatar.
If we look at its area, it extends to the northern end of the Gangetic plains and goes as far as Tibet. Kumaon has snow-capped mountains, shining water lakes and a variety of flora and fauna.
Kumaon is located in the north-Indian state of Uttarakhand, which separates Nepal from the Kali River in the eastern region. The Kailash-Mansarovar region of western Tibet is seen in its northern backdrop while its border connects Chamoli and Pauri districts of the Garhwal region. Kumaon in the southern region is surrounded by the districts of Bareilly, Rampur, Moradabad, Bijnor and Pilibhit.
Kumaon has been a centre of attraction for tourist for a long time. There is evidence of the existence of Stone Age settlements at this place, which include stone-built shelters on Lakhu Udhaar. You will feel yourself in the Mesolithic era by seeing the paintings found here. You will feel the spiritual atmosphere in the temple of Katarmal Sun Temple in Almora. The Sun Temple located here is more than 900 years old. It was built during the fall of the Katyuri dynasty.
Do you know that the carved doors and panels had to be moved to the Delhi Museum? This work had to be taken care with full precaution as the idol of the 10th-century god disappeared. The Chand dynasty of Pithoragarh became the most popular dynasty a few centuries ago.
The magnificent group of the temple in Jageshwar has a confluence of one hundred and sixty-four temples which were built in a grand manner by the Chand rulers over two centuries. This temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is surrounded by dense deodar forests and beautiful carvings on the walls of the temple.
How you can reach beautiful places in Kumaon?
By Air: It's the nearest airport is at Pantnagar (Nainital). Regular flights come here during the summer season. Now Pithoragarh airport also welcomes you with an open heart. By Rail: The nearest railway to Nainital and Almora is the Kathgodam railway station. By Road: Kumaon is connected to many important cities by road.
Places for trekking in Kumaon
If you are fond of adventure, then you should visit Kumaon Valley once in your life. There are three different trekking areas in Kumaon. You can enjoy trekking along the Himalayan region, Almora, Ranikhet, Kausani, Chaukri mountains and Pithoragarh in Kumaon hills as well as the Himalayan glacier trails of the Kumaon hills in Nainital district.
Top 10 Treks of Kumaon region of Uttarakhand
Pindari Glacier Trek
Milam Glacier Trek
Panchachuli Base Camp Trek
Adi Kailash and Om Parvat
Roopkund Skeleton Lake Trek
Kafni Glacier Trek
Ralam Valley Trek
Darma Valley Trek
Lipulekh Trek
Nanda Devi East Base Camp Trek
Pindari Glacier Trek
The famous Pindari Glacier situated in the north part of the development block Kapkot is adventurous as well as thrilling. The first rays of the sun falling on this glacier in the morning are the main attraction for which tourist gather. Nature has given a lot to the region, but the governments have done nothing for the region as well as tourist. There is no proper trekking route, no shops or source of food.
The Pindari Glacier, located at an altitude of 12500 feet above sea level, is extremely picturesque. To reach here, tourists have to go to Song 38 km from the district headquarters, then to Loharkhet, three km from there. After this, a very difficult trek of 11 km to Dhakudi starts, this can be annoying. After spending the night in Dhakudi, you will reach Khati seven km away on the second day. Next day you will reach Dwali, 11 km away, and takes 5 km of Furkia the next day to rest in the night.
On the second morning, you will take a seven-km trek to reach Zero Point and from here you will see a panoramic view of the Pindari Glacier. Arriving here, the tourists have fun in the velvet grass. Apart from the breathtaking view of the Himalayas, they also enjoy the Pindar river flowing and the captivating springs. Colourful flowers start blooming here as the summer season approaches. The beauty of the flowers of the state floral Burhans on the glacier route makes the journey even more captivating. Many animals including musk deer, barasingha, ghurl, kankar, leopard, bear, wild chickens are seen in this high Himalayan region.
Milam Glacier Trek
Milam Glacier is located in the Himalayan mountain ranges. Its height is between 5500 meters to 3870 meters. Spread over 37 square km, this glacier is the largest glacier in the Kumaon region. The Milam glacier is also the source of the Gauriganga River, a tributary of the Kali River. In order to reach the glacier, one has to pass through waterfalls, villages, forest and wooden bridges. Tourists can set up camp in Munsiyari Tehsil of Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.
Panchachuli Base Camp Trek
Panchachuli Base Camp Trek is the amount the easiest and safest trek in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. To reach here, you need to drive till Dugtu Village. It is 65 Kms away from Dharchula in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.
From Dugtu Village you can reach Basecamp by doing 3-4 km trek. And Zero Point by doing 3 km more.
Adi Kailash and Om Parvat
Well since Modi government came in power, the development process is on full swing in this region and now you have two options. Either you can do a trek or you can go by shared Taxis. The fare is approx 1100-1200 INR per person from Dharchula in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.
Roopkund Skeleton Lake Trek
The trek to Roopkund starts from Wan Village as well as Lohajung. You can choose either routes to reach Roopkund.
While on the way, you will pass through a vast green area of Bugyal known as Bedni Bugyal and Ali Bugyal.
To reach Wan Village you first need to visit Gwaldam in Uttarakhand.
Kafni Glacier Trek
Kafni glacier, situated at an altitude of 3810 meters on the Kumaon Himalayas, is on the southeast side of Nanda Devi. The Kafni River originating from this glacier is a tributary of Pindari. The Pindari River is a tributary of the Alaknanda and the Alaknanda River later joins the Ganges.
Adjacent to the Kafni glacier are two more glaciers - Pindari and Milam. Tourists visiting Kafni Glacier on foot make their camp at Bageshwar in Uttarakhand. To reach the glacier, one can reach Loharkhet from Bageshwar, Dhakuri from Loharkhet, Dhati from Dhakuri and Dhawali from Khaki. Kafni is reached by travelling 12 km to the left from Davali. Kafni offers a spectacular view of the peaks of Nanda Kot and Nanda Bhanar with altitudes of 6860 meters and 60104 meters.
Ralam Valley Trek
Rama Valley Trek is a 10 days trek and is among the toughest trek in the region. This trek is also known as Ralam Dhurra Trek and it lied at an altitude of 5630 m. This pass is located in Munsiyari Tehsil of Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.
Darma Valley Trek
Also known as the valley of remote villages this is less known treks of Uttarakhand. Darma Valley is located between Muthi Yangti Valley and Lassar Yangti Valley. It is located at an altitude of 3470 m and is the source of Darma Ganga River. You can see the mesmerizing view of Panchachuli Peaks from this valley. Because of ongoing development in the region by the current Modi government, you can now drive up to Dugtu Village (Earlier till Dharchula). From here you can complete the Trek in 4 days in which you will cover places like Nagling, Bugling and Sobla.
Lipulekh Trek
Lipulekh Pass Trek is one of the most beautiful trekking routes of India and it is on the way to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
Since the Modi government came, now you can reach here by road. You need to get an inner line permit from Dharchula or Pithoragarh SDM office to reach here.
Nanda Devi East Basecamp Trek
Nanda Devi East Basecamp Trek is a 10 days trek and is the amount the difficult Trek of the region.
After reading this article, your mind must also be looking at the snowy mountains and beautiful views of the Kumaon Valley.
What are you waiting for? Pack your bags and head out on a trip to Kuamon in Uttarakhand.