The Himalayas seen from the International Space Station
The Himalayas are a range of mountains in Asia, most correctly defined as stretching from the Indus river in Pakistan, through India, Nepal, Bhutan, ending at the Bramaputra River in India. This is often extended to
include the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush, and other minor ranges extending from
the Pamir Knot, as these mountains are continuous with the Himalaya proper, and
the geographical difference makes no difference for the traveller, we follow
this convention here. This region includes the 14 highest mountains in the
world, and over 100 peaks over 7200m
If
you are not planning to do any trekking, then you will not need any special
equipment, or even warm clothing as you will be able to pick up good warm
clothing on entry to the region. If you do need warm clothes, don't miss the
second-hand markets selling attire from wealthy nations.
If
you are trekking, the
equipment you will need depends on your destination, in most of Nepal you will
need nothing more than a sleeping bag and a pair of boots; the Indian Himalaya
offer a large number of routes that are possible to trek independently if you
have a tent, stove, and all the equipment needed for unsupported trekking.
The Himalaya are a home to a diverse
number of people, languages, and religions. Generally speaking Islam is
prevalent in the west, Hinduism in the southern ranges of the eastern Himalaya,
and Buddhism in the northern ranges of the western Himalaya. While there are
numerous languages spoken, Hindi/Urdu (when written, they are two totally
different languages, when spoken they are nearly interchangeable) will take you
very far, as it is understood by the majority in the Pakistani, and Indian
Himalaya. In Nepal it's not very useful, but it does have significant overlap
with Nepali, and as such gives you a head start with that language.
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