Weekends are always about the sudden urge to travel to some place new and getting away from the hustle of the city life. But then we always stop short of actually getting out to turn those travel plans into reality. Not all of us.
Meet Anangsha Alomyan, a 23-year-old student from Assam, a national level lawn tennis player, who’s an avid traveler and a big lover of the Himalayas.
Photo | Anangsha Alomyan at Kuari Pass Trek (Lord Kurzon’s Trail)
- So Anangsha, tell us a bit about yourself.
I am originally from Assam and am currently pursuing a masters degree in sociology from Delhi School of Economics. I have been interested in extracurricular activities since childhood. Most of the time, I devote myself to tennis and fitness, meeting friends and listening to music. And when I’m not playing doing any of that, I’m usually into photography or drawing.
Anangsha at Asia’s second highest paragliding site – Bir Billing, Himachal Pradesh (12,000 ft above sea level)
- How did you develop a passion for travelling? Tell us about the places you’ve been to.
I only started travelling exclusively since last year (in May 2016). I embark on trips depending upon my schedule. Sometimes I take time out once in two months or sometimes I go on two trips at a stretch! I don’t let anything hold me back. In the one year that I’ve traveled, most of my trips have been to the Himalayas, apart from other parts of north India and a few places in the South and North East.
Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand | Photo courtesy @thebrooklynomad
I have covered 15 cities, three states and one international destination including Punjab, Amritsar, Agra, Pushkar in Rajasthan, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pondicherry, Kolkata and Chandigarh. I have also traveled across the Northeast covering Assam, Shillong, Nagaland, Kohima, Sikkim, Gangtok and Arunachal Pradesh. Among the international destinations, I have visited Bangkok, Koh sa mui and Krabi in Thailand.
Being an avid lover of the Himalayas, I have enjoyed travelling to destinations like Rishikesh, Chopta, Tugnath, Chandrasheel, Deorital, Kuari Pass in Uttarakhand and regions in and around Dharamshala, Kasol, Tosh in Himachal Pradesh.
A view of a starry night sky at Mukteswar-Kumaon, Uttarakhand | Photo @thebrooklynomad
Photo @thebrooklynomad in Krabi, Thailand.
- How did you like travelling around the Northeastern states of India?
I grew up in a Northeastern state and since then I’ve never stopped admiring the lush greenery and beauty of this part of India. Every new place I traveled across the Northeast lent a new perspective to the world I thought I knew. It’s more than just lush surroundings. It’s a whole new world out there which is a class apart from a lot of other places I’ve visited.
Nathula Pass, Indo-China Border, Gangtok-Sikkim
Photo | @thebrooklynomad at the Shivalik Mountain Range
- That sounds like a lot of fun but surely there were many challenges on your way?
I faced a lot of challenges during my treks in the Himalayas. Travelling through steep trails, passing through large chunks of rocks and debris on the pathway in Himalayas made it difficult to trek. Honestly, every trek is challenging because every time it presents you with a new set of obstacles. Not to forget about the temperature in Himalayas that is a little difficult to tackle as a novice, but is also enchanting.
Setting out to travel was not an easy task for me as my parents have always been skeptical about my well being in the Himalayas. That took a lot of convincing. My journey through mountains has always been adventurous. As you witness nature’s charisma and breathe lush green grasslands, encountering challenges while trekking becomes easier. I have loved watching the water stream down the valleys and staring in awe at the shimmering night stars light years away from us. I have fallen in love with the mountains, their extraordinary and enigmatic nature. I will never stop loving the adventure, meeting new people, creating memories and exploring the most unexplored places in the world.
Anangsha en-route Triund Trek.
Triund Glacier Trek.
- Here is one of the anecdotes from a night during my trek to Triund in Mid-July
Trekking down 7 kms from Dharamshala to grasp a charismatic moment in Triund wasn’t easy as I had to undergo a huge hailstorm at night.I woke up early to find out that I had nothing but a dirty over sized tracksuit and a gray sweater left to wear. I had no T-shirt and water had soaked deep into my pair of muddy Nike shoes. Last night’s hailstorm had drenched my entire backpack of woolen clothes, jeans, a tripod, tent and my most important asset: my camera.
Everything succumbed to big snowballs hurling themselves at us at 13,000 ft. There was no ray of hope for me to survive as my body was entirely numb for almost four and half hours. I somehow battled the horrific night and the next morning I shamelessly smiled at the camera with the quintessential Himalayan view in the backdrop. I captured this panoramic beauty and thanked God for helping me survive this near death encounter.
Check out this short video by Anangsha captured during her trip to Ladakh.
Follow Anangsha on Facebook and Instagram to treat yourself to beautiful travel pictures.
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