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This is an archive article published on February 23, 2003

On The Shelf

Trekking in the HimalayaBy Hashmat SinghRoli Books, Rs 550This is the book for rabid romantics. The book speaks of trekking in the mountains...

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Trekking in the Himalaya
By Hashmat Singh
Roli Books, Rs 550

This is the book for rabid romantics. The book speaks of trekking in the mountains and there is little you can do to escape the sheer magic of it all. If you have been up there scaling the rocks, a little something tugs at your insides urging you to relive the experience — and if you haven’t still had to chance to romance the ecstatic greens, then there is no way you cannot feel like embarking on a trek right away.

Divided into seven parts, the book provides details about treks in Bhutan and Sikkim-Darjeeling, Nepal, Kumaon and Garhwal, Himachal and Ladakh. It has detailed route maps with directions about where to start the trek and which path to follow, base camps, ways and means to get there, tips on the best time of the year that one could pick to be in the area, emergency services available, highlights and even notes on folklore and local faith and belief.

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The book begins with a guide on trekking and trip grading and provides a schedule for the various legs of the trek.

Salim Ali: India’s birdman
By Reeta D. Gupta
Rupa, Rs 195

There is a story about the father of Indian ornithology Salim Ali. The tale goes like this: a journalist was once interviewing this doyen of Indian birds, who was hard of hearing. So through the interview, the ‘Grand Old Man’ (as he is called by wildlife lovers) kept saying ‘pardon’ and asking the reporter to repeat his questions. But suddenly, his face lit up and, pointing to a tree far in the distance, he exclaimed,‘‘Did you hear that? That was a Barbet!’’

The story of one of India’s first wild life lovers (and first ever ornithologist) is compellingly told by Gupta.

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