A little Himachali homestead somewhere on the way from Shimla to Narkanda.I took this from quite a distance.The greenish building with the cone-shaped roof should be the family temple.Those little bare trees are apple trees.There has been very little snow in these parts this year.You can see only a little dusting of snow in this shot.

I find these homesteads very charming and I thought I must share this one with my friends.

A cherry orchard in full bloom in Narkanda some 70 kms from Shimla.We have passed this orchard many times and even bought boxes of its lovely cherries in June last year but this was the first time in three years that we were lucky enough to see it in full bloom.A breathtaking sight.The sun had almost gone down but I think I managed a decent shot.:-)

That is how the tourism department of Himachal advertises this state and I think the words are very apt.:-)

It was a lovely cold and clear day today and we went for a drive to Narkanda,some 70 kms from here.There has been fresh snowfall on the peaks and they were sparkling white today.This is a view of the peaks from Fagu some 20 kms from Shimla.The building with the red roof is the Hotel Apple Blossom of the Himachal tourism department.

I took this shot on the road to Hatu peak from the town of Narkanda some 70 kms from Shimla on the Shimla - Kinnaur highway.At an altitude of just over 11000 feet ,Hatu is the highest peak in this area and is covered in deep snow for most of the winter months.The road from Narkanda to Hatu winds steeply through dense forests of conifers ,oak, holly and other high altitude trees.This tiny lake is around halfway up to Hatu.In the background you can see the distant Himalayan peaks.

A view of the snow-covered peaks from Hatu Peak (3300 mts above sea level) in Narkanda, some 70 kms from Shimla.

I always feel very sad when I realize that we have now been in Shimla for nearly 3 years and it is almost time to go back to the plains.I will miss having a view like this just about 3 hours away from home.:-)

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A cherry orchard in blossom in Narkanda some 3 hours from Shimla. Again an old shot from our Shimla days.:-)

A view of snow covered peaks from the town of Narkanda in Himachal Pradesh.Situated at a height of over 8500 feet above sea level some 60 kms from Shimla ,Narkanda is one of the most beautiful daytrips from Shimla.This area is famous for its apple and cherry orchards and is very lovely in springtime when the orchards are in bloom and the distant snowpeaks are sparkiling white after the heavy snowfall of winter.However , Autumn with its warmer tints and deep blue skies is also very beautiful.

Have a great Sunday dear friends.

Nothing can compare with the grandeur of the Himalayas.

A view of the snow-covered peaks from Narkanda,some 70 kms from Shimla.

A small distinctive bird of around 9 cms found in the underbush in the forests of the Himalayan region in India, South East Asia and Eastern Asia. They are a delightful species really small and quite beautiful. This was a lifer and one we were eagerly looking for. I wasn't prepared for its size as I imagined it to be the size of a quail, but it not even half the size of a quail.

We sighted a few on the roadside in the forest areas - we thought they were ground birds (they are!), but within seconds they climbed to the mid-canopy just by jumping around and not flying. They prefer the deep dark bushes where they forage and hunt the insects, larvae and worms in the mossy ground. Shot this on a small cement barrier on a forest road where it briefly stood for a few seconds and then disappeared.

Thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback - much appreciated.

A beautiful owlet that we always want to get better shots of, but not that lucky much of the time. When we searched for it, we didn't find it, but found it twice / thrice when we weren't looking for it.

The birds are found in the cold forests of hilly regions like the Himalayan belt and parts of the North East india. They are resident, but make altitudinal movements in response to cold. I think they eat small birds, rodents, frogs and lizards apart from insects.

This one was shot on the hill slopes, where it was roosting quietly. The challenge was that the tree / slope was in shade, but the entire backdrop - which were all mountains was under the sun. It was quite a challenge and there were a significant number of shots that were wasted since it was tough to shoot against such a bright background while the subject was in shade.

Thanks in advance for all your likes and feedback.

A small active bird around 9-11 cms long sporting a distinctive look - a black mask and a black throat. They are delightful creatures and I love watching them. These are very common in the Himalayan region and we sighted them pretty much everywhere during our trip. On this day, sighted a flock of them on roadside bushes and trees actively foraging. The road has a valley on one side sloping down gradually with thick vegetation - that place was magical - so many species of birds!

The birds are found in the Himalayan belt and much of the South East Asia. They are quite agile, noisy and prefer to forage in flocks around fruiting small berry trees. The birds are usually found near broadleaf trees and forage primarily on insects, seeds and fruit. I think they are found within a wide range of altitute in that region - remember seeing them at the base on the Himalayas and then even on the Hatu Peak which is around 3500 metres above sea level.

Thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback - much appreciated.

Skiing slope in Narkanda some 70 kms from Shimla.Shot taken in January 2015.I miss you Shimla:-)

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year to all my Flickr friends.:-)

The Hindustan-Tibet Road or the National Highway No.22 as it is now known, was built by the British in the 1850s.It is approx 500 kms long and runs from Ambala in the plains of north India to Shipki La Pass in the Indo-Tibet border in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh.The road runs through spectacular scenery and also through some of the most difficult mountain terrain in the world.Beyond Narkanda ,from the little town of Sainj,the road runs beside the River Sutlej right upto Shipki La Pass.It is through this pass that Sutlej enters into India from Tibet.I took this shot somewhere near the town of Rampur on our way to Sarahan from Shimla.

A beautiful little warbler around 11-12 cms in length and named after visibly brown flanks. This is an easy to hear warbler, but not easy to sight it. The birds are found in the himalayan forests in India and much of China as well. I suppose they are birds of altitude and are found between 1200 m - 1800 m above sea level, and in some places around 3000-3800 m. The place I shot this was around 3300 m.

During our trip, we heard it dozens of times over the first 3 days and the last evening, I got this fantastic shot which I am very happy with. It was foraging on the sloping hillsides which are often difficult to walk or get onto. We found this in one such slopes outside the hill station of Narkanda. It was evening and the birds are finding their last meal of the day - so they were quite active and easy to shoot luckily.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback - much appreciated.

A view of snow-covered peaks from Narkanda some 70 kms to the north of Shimla.Narkanda is a small town at a height of around 10000 feet above sea level on the way from Shimla to Kinnaur.There are lots of apple and cherry orchards here and also very breathtaking views of the Himalayas.

A beautiful colorful warbler about 9-10 cms sighted often in dry bushes and scrub in the himalayan region. They are so active and seen in good numbers on the himalayan forest slopes comprised of deciduous, conifer/pine/rhododendron forests. The area is rich with a variety of warblers that I find it very hard to id them in the field.

I couldn't id this in the field, but now I think I figured it out. The body is of lemon color, with a dark patch behind the ear and grey lateral stripe on the crown. We sighted this in several places, but got the shots on a road where the slope is almost 70-80 deg, so birds stayed close to the road. The birds habitat include insects, spiders and their larvae.

Many thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback.

A charming Himachali homestead on the road from Shimla to Narkanda.In the foreground is an apple orchard in full bloom.How I miss this time of the year in Shimla!

I will be off for two days my friends.See you all soon and take care.:-)

We went for a very short trip to Narkanda,some 70 kms from Shimla,for a couple of days.The picturesque villages in and around Narkanda are famous for apple orchards and at the moment the trees were loaded.This pretty little lake is a few kms from Narkanda and a very nice spot for a picnic.

Have a wonderful Sunday my friends.

This family was just packing up after enjoying a picnic lunch with this spectacular view before them on Hatu peak near the town of Narkanda in Himachal Pradesh.

I took this shot from Hatu peak near the town of Narkanda ,some 70 kms from Shimla.At an altitude of just over 11000 feet ,Hatu peak is the highest peak in this area.The very narrow road from Narkanda to Hatu winds steeply through forests of fir, spruce,maple,cedar and other high altitude trees.It is not a road for the fainthearted although it is a very beautiful one offering some stunning views.On top of Hatu peak there is a beautiful temple dedicated to the Goddess Hatu Mata.The peak also offers almost 180 degree views of the distant snow peaks.

I had taken this shot during an overnight trip to Narkanda some 70 kms north of Shimla on the Shimla-Kinnaur highway.The moon was just rising and it looked very mysterious and beautiful.I have been able to capture only a fraction of the magic but I wanted to share this with my friends.

A small distinctive bird of around 9 cms found in the underbush in the forests of the Himalayan region in India, South East Asia and Eastern Asia. They are a delightful species really small and quite beautiful. This was a lifer and one we were eagerly looking for. I wasn't prepared for its size as I imagined it to be the size of a quail, but it not even half the size of a quail.

We sighted a few on the roadside in the forest areas - we thought they were ground birds (they are!), but within seconds they climbed to the mid-canopy just by jumping around and not flying. They prefer the deep dark bushes where they forage and hunt the insects, larvae and worms in the mossy ground.

Thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback - much appreciated.

A colorful finch around 22 cms long and endemic to the Himalayan region in parts of Nepal, India and Pakistan. The birds are easy to id due to their distinctive call and appearance. The head is large and body bright yellow - it was easy to sight in the pine forests. These are birds of altitude and usually found above 1800 m to around 3500 m. This is the female which I find quite beautiful with interesting colors.

During our 4 days we sighted them in a number of places, but they were usually seen on top of pines. In some of the places, we sighted them foraging on the ground, picking fruits, buds, insects and larval moths from the trees and the winter grass. This shot was taken in a forest area on the roadside - we walked around the place and saw a couple of these foraging on the ground and then flying up to the trees. Both males and females were sighted together.

Many thanks in advance for the views, faves and feedback - much appreciated.

A beautiful little warbler around 11-12 cms in length and named after visibly brown flanks. This is an easy to hear warbler, but not easy to sight it. The birds are found in the himalayan forests in India and much of China as well. I suppose they are birds of altitude and are found between 1200 m - 1800 m above sea level, and in some places around 3000-3800 m. The place I shot this was around 3300 m.

During our trip, we heard it dozens of times over the first 3 days and the last evening, I got this fantastic shot which I am very happy with. It was foraging on the sloping hillsides which are often difficult to walk or get onto. We found this in one such slopes outside the hill station of Narkanda. It was evening and the birds are finding their last meal of the day - so they were quite active and easy to shoot luckily.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback - much appreciated.

A large and distinctive thrush that we saw in groups of 10-15 birds during our trip to Himachal Pradesh. They were seen a in number of places in the countryside foraging on the ground or perched on the trees. The male has a distinctive black face and black color from the head / chin to the breast area and sports a greyish / blackish tail. The one in this picture is a female.

About 25cms long, there are found in the Himalyan forests in India, but they have pretty wide across much of asia and parts of Europe. They are found in a variety of habitats much like other thrushes including coniferous forests, edges of rivers and streams, dry woods, and even deciduous forests. I think they are migrants during winters when like most thrushes they get down to lower altitudes. The diet is mostly insects like beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and a bit of berries too.

Many thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback - much appreciated.

I was unsure of this shot for a long while and needed a bit of processing. The Snow Pigeon is a medium sized pigeon a bit larger than the Rock Pigeon and is found in the hills of Central Asia across a wide geographical range. We sighted these at several places in the Himalayan Forests - always in flocks of 10 or more. They were quite shy and flew away from far.

The birds are easily idenifiable by their features with their contrasting blackish head and white necked collar and ashy colored wings. While looking for a woodpecker, we stumbled upon a large flock of 20 + birds on the elevated hill side and they flew away before we could id them. Luckily, managed to get 1-2 shots of these birds before they disappeared into the pine forests.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback - much appreciated.

a small vally at the bank of satluj between Narkanda n Rampur

A colorful finch around 22 cms long and endemic to the Himalayan region in parts of Nepal, India and Pakistan. The birds are easy to id due to their distinctive call and appearance. The head is large and body bright yellow - it was easy to sight in the pine forests. These are birds of altitude and usually found above 1800 m to around 3500 m.

During our 4 days we sighted them in a number of places, but they were usually seen on top of pines. In some of the places, we sighted them foraging on the ground, picking fruits, buds, insects and larval moths from the trees and the winter grass. This shot was taken at a Step farm where they were coming down to the ground and foraging. After a couple of hours, there were only 1-2 shots to be happy with.

Many thanks in advance for the views, faves and feedback - much appreciated.

One of our favourite places near Shimla was Hatu Peak near the picturesque little town of Narkanda some 70 kms north of Shimla.Hatu peak is at an elevation of over 11000 feet above sea level.The mountainsides are covered with thick forests of fir and spruce with a smattering of maple,aspen and cedar.In summertime lovely wild flowers also make their appearance.The peak which has a temple dedicated to Hatu Mata commands magnificent views of the distant snow-covered peaks.

Unfortunately I did not possess my wide angle lens when I took this shot and as the sun was very strong my photos did not turn out too well.Therefore I admit to having played around a bit with this one.However I hope this shot gives an idea of the spectacular location of Hatu peak and the breathtaking views from there.Once in about 3-4 months we would go to this place and I can never forget the feeling of exhilaration when we reached this spot.:-)

Hatu Peak, Narkanda

An unexpected lifer and one that we didn't expect to find in the Himalayan forest we visited. Around 12-14 cms, these are beautiful little birds found in the montane forests of the Himalayan belt in India. They are also found in parts of South East Asia and China. The birds prefer the temperate broadleaf and conifer forest, e.g. oak and mixed oak-rhododendron forest, mixed broadleaf-coniferous forest.

They are found around the altitude of 2100 –3600 m in Indian Subcontinent, sometimes descending to 1200 m in winter. We sighted them in the summer around 3000 m height, and were not looking for them. Infact, I had trouble getting the id of this bird for a day, because no one was expecting it there.

Many thanks in advance for the views, faves and feedback. Much appreciated.

Narkanda is a town in Shimla district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is at an altitude of 2708 meters on the Hindustan-Tibet Road (NH 22) in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is about 65 km from Shimla and surrounded by the Shivalik Ranges. It is a skiing resort in winter.

Explored on 21.03.2013 #81

I took this shot from the window of our car while we were on our way back from Narkanda to Shimla some days back.The sun had just set and suddenly I spotted this series of peaks lighted up by the setting sun very,very far away on the horizon .It looked really so wonderful.Although the shot itself is not a very great one I felt I had to share this scene with my Flickr friends.

Passed by this textured pine while strolling through a coniferous forest in Himachal Pradesh, India

NH22, the gateway to Kinnaur is very attractive by itself.The edge,which is sharp at places, falls vertically to riverbed of Sutlej. NH22is a important road in the national highway grid connecting Ambala in Punjab to Khab in Himachal Pradesh via Chandigarh, Shimla, Narkanda, Rampur and beyond Khab to the Indo-Tibet border via Shipki La pass. In Himachal Pradesh it is a poorly maintained mountainous road with sections cut through rocky wall of Sutlej valley.Hairpin bends, broken fences, narrow dimensions and frequent landslides make for dangerous driving conditions.No wonder it has been named as one of the Deadliest roads in the world by the History Channel. It is 460km long.

A view of the snow-covered Himalayan Ranges from Narkanda some 70 kms. from Shimla.

Have a wonderful weekend my friends.

Black-and-yellow grosbeak, Narkanda, Himachal Pradesh, India

Read complete post at www.traveltravailsandheck.com/2024/04/21/grosbeaks/

Milkyway from Chitkul Village

Heights: 4550M (14927ft) According to BOARD - 3450M (11320ft) According to Wiki...

District: Kinnaur

State: Himachal Pradesh

Population: Approx 600

Country: India

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Tourists enjoy a bit of skiing in Narkanda some 70 kms from Shimla.

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Situated at an attitude of 2708 meters on the Indo Tibet road (NH-22), Narkanda offers a spectacular view of snow ranges, an ideal retreat for people who seek only seclusion in mountains. Just after taking a bend in the road, came across this spectacular view….

Narkanda hills can be recognised from a distance by the snow shining through the pines for a large part of the year.

We came upon this woman sitting and knitting in the woods near Narkanda during our recent trip there.There was no noise except the chirping of birds and she looked so peaceful sitting there and knitting in the mellow sunshine.I almost envied her.:-)

This will be my last upload for sometime my friends.I am off to Delhi on work for a couple of weeks.See you all when I get back and take care.:-)

Narkanda, Himachal Pradesh, India

Narkanda is a town and a nagar panchayat in Kumarsain subdivision of Shimla district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is at an elevation of 2708 meters on the Hindustan-Tibet Road in Himachal Pradesh, India within a fir forest. It is about 60 km away from Shimla and surrounded by the Himalayan Range.

Two women wait for a bus somewhere on the road from Shimla to Narkanda.They are wearing the typical costume of women in this part of Himachal.The Salwar kameez (long tunic and loose leggings),sleeveless jackets,colourful head scarf and trainers (useful for walking or climbing in the mountains).I had taken this shot on the spur of the moment because they made such a pretty picture sitting there and the little boy waved to me.:-)

Our son Siddharth took this shot of Sanjay and me walking through an apple orchard in Narkanda some 70 kms from Shimla.

The nomads who roam the cold and inhospitable regions of the Himalayas normally do not descend to the salubrious climate that pervades the valleys of Himachal Pradesh located along the trade route going into Tibet via Kotgarh. The nomads are Gaddis and you can still spot population of sheep and goats on the road with a shepherd or two in tow minding them.

I chanced upon two such shepherds one fine day near Narkanda in Himachal Pradesh in June with almost nil visibility because of the fog and mist. I stopped and took some photos while the two gentlemen and a goat stared at the camera fiddling fool with intense and abstract curiosity.

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Captured at a place called Hatu Peak,Himachal Pradesh,India.

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Some gorgeous colors in the sunset sky post drizzle in the mountains of Himachal, before Narkanda.

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