About us

About HT

We, HIMALAYA TREKKERS a professional tour operator focusing on trekking to the Indian Himalayas. Simply you can think that, we are a registered tour travel operator which runs treks with its own logistics/equipment/staff from different bases on Himalayas.

To make things easier and cost effective we have few trusted partners  in the Himalayas. They are not a mere vendors but associated with us for years to deliver unmatched services.

We pitch in:

• Suggesting you the trek(s) as per season and your experience, important trek route information that you need, your planning and preparation for the trek, helping in travelling arrangement prior the trek . And
• Running your trek, operations on ground with safety, and support during trek and later.

Today with the experience of over 7 years running as a Tour Operator, HIMALAYA TREKKERS (HT) operates on more than 50 different routes (we hope to document more soon) covering ONLY a gross part of the the Indian Himalayas. We thrive to:–

Conducting environmentally cleaner treks – We call them ‘Green’.
Using quality equipment that is perfectly suited for the trek.
Best in class support staff across the Himalayas along with you.
Providing equal care and attention to all members – Proportionate support staff
Having nutritious food and meals along the way.
Most importantly, enjoying the rendezvous with the ‘big guys’ (read Himalayas) 🙂

Team HT:

Core strength and heart of our team is our Trek Guides (we are not keen on employing Trek Leaders), and ground support staff. We have selectively chosen our support team over the years who are quite experienced local people to make our treks enjoyable and safe.

We have a lean and experienced team in our Kolkata office. Here is our “front facing” team with whom you would probably talk and exchange emails.

Aritra

I primarily work as a travel consult with prospective trekkers, helping them decide about their choice of trek and associated details. I am born and brought up in Kolkata, with dreams to see the world; I’ve gathered an experience in tourism industry of over four years. Apart from consulting, I do back end operations related to treks and sometimes accompany in various treks for my practical experiences. Always hungry for more knowledge, my personal interests include Travelling primarily in the mountains but to other places too. Cooking, listening to pop music and watching action adventure movie are my favourite leisure.  I have bachelor’s degrees in Geography and Tourism Administration.

Rhik (Subhodip)

I work as an Explorer, Photographer and Base coordinator in HT. My work ranges from taking care of the queries to arrange logistics for the treks. Besides accompanying groups in challenging treks from time to time, I like to explore around the Himalayas to document lesser known trails. I get fascinated by stories, like to know and share these. Knowing part includes travelling, reading and watching movies. Sharing part includes little bit of writing and clicking a lot of photographs. My affair with the Himalayas started back in the school days. Even after 5 years of off and on relationship it was not mellowing down and I figured it’s time for some serious commitment. Thus I started working full time in this field. I hold a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and basic Mountaineering course from HMI, Darjeeling.

Sapta (Saptarshi)

I look after the website contents and bits of development pieces due to my previous experience. I was fortunate to greet the big mountains – Himalayas, almost 2 decades back during my college days. The introduction was intense and deciding that after a decade of independent trekking I found the entity, HIMALAYA TREKKERS. Apart from documenting the popular treks, I do participate in new route explorations and recce expeditions. My personal interests include rock climbing and bouldering, Himalayan flora and fauna, reading mountain literature. I have a bachelor’s degree in engineering and basic Mountaineering course from HMI, Darjeeling. Apart from Himalayas, I am an incorrigible Sci-Fi movies fan and occasionally listen to alternate and progressive music.

Background and Incubation:

From the early years of this millennia since our college days we started trekking with friends and amateur clubs. Our early forays into the mighty Himalayas started with Sandakphu, Dzongri-Goecha La and other places in the eastern Himalayas. As the enthusiasm picked up and our love for the Himalayas started growing out of proportion, we also began venturing into Himachal, Kumaon, Garhwal and Ladakh. After visiting Pin Parvati Pass, Kalindi Pass, Roopkund & Ronti Saddle, the first seed of desire to take this up as a profession was planted – especially because it started getting more and more difficult coming back to mountains with increased hassle of logistics to work it out independently. Saptarshi (Sapta) took this challenge and was happy to gave up his career of a ‘software professional’ to get into this realm by starting HIMALAYA TREKKERS in June 2010.

During our days as amateur trekkers, the thing that struck us the most was that, on one hand, treks were either done by a bunch of enthusiastic individuals (like us) or organized by local clubs and led by what we called ‘hardcore’ trekkers. In both cases, it invariably meant using worn out tents and sleeping bags, having meagre and bland meals, finding guides who were often incompetent. These trips were treated more as accomplishments rather than realizing the sense of adventure, awe and togetherness that the mountains evoke.

For us, it always was about soaking in the mind-numbing beauty and enjoying the sheer grandness of the abode of the gods, and, success of the trek lay in completing the trek as a team.

On the other hand, there were agencies which offered fantastic facilities at equally fantastic prices and taking herds of people as part of their package deals. Over 30 people and a disproportionate number of support staff would mean much less attention to individual needs and near zero flexibility during the trek.

What we also found appalling, was the scant respect that seemed to have for the mountains – any camping ground or trail would be strewn with plastic wrappers, packets, bottles and containers, tin cans and glass bottles and jars.

There was also this aura built around ‘trekking’, as if, it is the hallowed turf of a few and not for the much larger population of nature lovers. We felt differently. For us, this brief escape, from civilization and mobile networks, was an addiction that was difficult to shake off. We felt, it must be the same for countless others too. Trekking is not the same as mountaineering expeditions or rock climbing which indeed requires a lot of technical skills – at the end of the day, you need to walk.