Off beaten track

Blue Whistling Thrush ...... .....greeting a new  day An iced caterpillar a juvenile flycatcher contemplates the end of the day Trapped! A hungry female beetle trapped in the slime of a slug Every cloud has a golden lining a Grey Bushchat female peeks at us coyly...... .....now she gets bolder a male Grey Bushchat greets the dawn..... .....looking for an early worm Reaching out to the sky ....even slugs make out a Streaked Laughing Thrush flirts among the rocks A golden end to another day 

The Dhauladhars offer a very different vista compared to the higher ranges in the Himalayas.  Not very high and therefore a wide range of vegetation offers a variety of experiences, views and bird sightings. It is an easy trek that for the young and fit, and can be done in a day, however an overnight stay at Snowline, further on, allows one �to smell the roses� and enjoy the view while walking. Our trek started from Dharamkot, a laid back hamlet on the outskirts of McLeodganj near Dharamshala. We were staying in a homestay, of which there are many and most don�t appear on the web so you could literally shop around and find a place to stay that suits your budget. Almost every resident who has a house advertises a place to stay, from tiny rooms with common toilets to reasonably well appointed places with en suite rooms.  Prices vary from a few hundred rupees to about Rs1500 per night. Remember this is a hill town and beyond Mcleodganj one has to walk to most homestays.  The...