The August blossoms have faded from the bugyals, and there is still a month before the scintillating views of October offer themselves up- September tends to be the lean month for trekking But don't strike it off from your calender. It's a great month for trekking in the mountain deserts of Spiti, Ladakh or in the relative dry Darma valley in the northeastern Kumaon.If you don't have the time to venture so far afield, the lower valleys of Garhwal Kumaon are lush green.



Only a seasoned adventurer would venture as far as the glacier in September, but the charming valley of the upper Ramganga makes for a relaxed walk between densely wooded slopes, and frequent views of the Hiramani and Namik glaciers.

The walk begins at Liti, a three-hour drive from the bustling bazaar of Bageswar. If you make an early start from Almora, you can load your porters by early afternoon, and hit the trail to Gogina. The walk is pretty level, but 17km might be daunting for your first day out. Instead, stop 6km out, at Mehta Dhaba, (restaurant) Satgarh. He will rustle up a simple meal for you, or if you are kitted out, clamber 200m downhill, to old terraced fields, which overlook the river, and offer great camping.

Gogina is now an easy morning's walk away, again on a flat trail. As you reach this largish village, the valley opens up to the glaciers in the north. Stop here for lunch, of camp, in the school grounds at the edge of the forest. If you're continuing to Namik village, you need to wind 1,000ft down to cross the river (at 5,944ft), before steeply climbing the other side to Namik village (7,182ft). Huge stands of marijuana flank the path as it enters the village. Stop for tea, but if you're camping, head up to the flat fields around the temple.

If the weather holds out, it's a great walk through pine and rhododendron forests to the Thalthok meadow at 11,000ft. Great camping, but also shelter in the form of a tin shed.