11 tel: 0845 330 8579 (local call rate, UK only) international tel: +44 1453 844 400 www.himalayankingdoms.com a bruise on the world map from which the eye just cannot escape, yet its gigantic mass is young in geological time. A mere 20–40 million years ago the tectonic plate of the Indian sub-continent swung upwards into the soft belly of Eurasia. The Tibetan plateau, itself the size of Western Europe, was uplifted to an average height of 4,600m/15,000ft, and the perfect crescent of the Greater Himalaya, 1,500 miles long, was formed. Marine fossils found in the rocks of the highest peaks prove scientific theory that the ancient Tethyan Ocean was trapped by the collision and its sea bed thrown miles into the air. is the most extraordinary geographical feature on the surface of our planet, Col. Jimmy Roberts Colonel Jimmy Roberts was the ‘father’ Himalayan trekking. An officer in the Gurkhas, he started his Himalayan climbing in 1937 and lived in Nepal from 1962 until his death in 1997. His first commercial trekking group was to Everest in the spring of 1965. We still use his excellent company, Mountain Travel Nepal, formed 1964. His memorial fund (administered by the World Pheasant Association) supports half a dozen schools in the Seti valley. We are pleased to be associated with the project and have raised considerable funds to support these schools. Himalaya

In 1998 we ran our first trek to Arunachal Pradesh, and in 2001 Steve Berry made a further reconnaissance of this trek up into the mountains just east of the Bhutanese border. We have taken a few small groups there since then, who were very enthusiastic about this unspoilt region. Besides vast views of the hitherto largely unexplored mountains of the eastern Himalaya, the climax of the trek is reaching the large, fabled Tibetan-Buddhist monastery of Tawang. It was built between 1643–1647 on the mandate of the ‘Great Fifth’ Dalai Lama, and was the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama. Like all of Arunachal Pradesh the tribespeople in these mountains are quite unique and are predominantly Monpas and Sherdukpens. The Monpas in particular have language and architecture that is strongly akin to Bhutan. We combine this fantastically exciting trek with a gameviewing visit to Kaziranga National Park, rounded off with a touch of the old Raj in Calcutta. The Eastern Himalaya, Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh 12 Download detailed itineraries from www.himalayankingdoms.com e: info@himalayankingdoms.com Traditional bridge on the Lost Pass trek Photo: Steve Berry Arunachal Pradesh & Nagaland Himalayan Kingdoms… …was the first UK company to run a trek, in 1998, to the north-eastern Indian frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh, and in 2001 we were the first British tour operator to take a group to Nagaland. The area is slowly opening up to a small number of visitors, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this exploration. £2,695 £2,275 Dates: Thu 16 Oct – Sun 02 Nov land only Grade: Moderate On Trek: 7 days European Leader: “Ned” Kelly Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 6 Camping: 5 Lodges/Govt Guest House: 5 Optional: Single Room £285 Single Tent £75 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 18 days 1–2 Fly to Calcutta, rest –3 Fly to Tezpur, drive to Bomdilla 4–10 Trek to Tawang and drive over Sela pass 11–13 View Tawang and drive to Tezpur 14–15 game-viewing at Kaziranga 16–18 Fly to Calcutta, sightseeing, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients An enormous area of the Himalaya to the east of Bhutan is yet to be explored! Arunachal Pradesh and other areas of the North East Frontier Province have been closed to outsiders since the beginning of the last century. This is because the Chinese refused to ratify the border with Tibet (called the McMohan Line), set in 1914. However at the end of 1996 we were extremely excited to hear parts of this sensitive border area were to be released. Our first trek was to the village of Komsing, on the Siang River, peopled by the remote Adi Minyong tribe. It was here that Noel Williamson, political officer of the British Raj was murdered by the tribespeople, as they wrongly thought he had come to flatten their hills by bombardment. He was one of many explorers trying to discover whether the Tsang Po was one and the same as the Brahmaputra, and where they connected. We begin with a steamer ride from Dibrugarh for eight hours up the mighty Brahmaputra to Pasighat. We will then trek on good paths through jungle and forested hills to Komsing and beyond. After this we will relax with some game-viewing at Kaziranga Wildlife Park. Towards the Tsang Po Gorges, Arunachal Pradesh £2,750 £2,330 Dates: Thu 30 Oct – Sun 16 Nov land only Grade: Moderate On Trek: 7 days European Leader: John Shipton Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 4 Camping: 9 Lodges: 2 Planters’ Bungalow: 1 Optional: Single Room £330 Single Tent £75 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 18 days 1–4 Fly Calcutta, sightseeing, fly Dibrugarh –5 Steamer on Brahmaputra to Pasighat 6–12 Hill tribe trek to Komsing and beyond –13 Explore Yamne Valley, return to Pasighat –14 Steamer ride Dibrugarh, drive Kaziranga –15 game-viewing at Kaziranga 16–18 Fly to Calcutta, at leisure, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients 4 4 Capital City Town Airport Major peak International Border Road Railway Pass ] [