Forest Walks

Walking is man’s best medicine – Hippocrates.

Fancy your daily dose of 10,000 steps? How about that in the lap of nature? Read on and learn why we love our walks in the forests.

Nanda Devi — On clear days, hill-tops in Natadol also provide beautiful vistas to enjoy and photograph. Nanda-Devi peak in the late evening.

Just a short distance away from us is a dense forest. Full of ancient conifers, tall oaks, dense acacias, birches, chestnuts, twirling leaves of aspens, and various wild fruit trees. Lots of different brambles and shrubs along with these tall trees, make this a wonderful place to visit.

Forest holds its own secrets. Everything that is there in the forest seems to be linked to everything else. The trees talk to each other using their roots that mingle with other trees. Fungi in the soil help them with this. Birds help them in carrying the seeds away and also keeping some of the pests in control. In exchange, trees provide them with nuts and fruits. The leaves fall down and the earthworms convert them to food for the trees. We can go on and on about how they all work to maintain a fine balance in nature.

Canopy — In some places, the forest is not too dense, and the light hits the ground. This is where small plants start to flourish.

The trees are also social beings to us. They love to grow in groups. When there are many of them together, they appear healthy. The tall trees foster the small ones by providing them nutrition. The shade from the canopy restricts their growth so that they can become strong and well-rooted. Some trees love the company of other kinds of trees too. Rhododendrons fancy Pines. Oaks are partial to Birches. Join us for a walk through the forest and we’ll be happy to share our love for nature with you.

When a beetle scurries away to an undergrowth, it is an exciting moment for us. These small insects also have an important role to play. Bees, butterflies, and ladybirds have long been known as our friends, but these other insects are also important. Apart from looking beautiful, some of them keep small pests in control, others help the soil. Even so-called pests have their own uses.

Clouds on Forest — Sometimes, on a warm day, it is quite common to see clouds rising up from forests. And you wondered how forests create rains?

The narrow forest-trails have been made by constant walks of people and flowing water during rains. We stick to these trails while walking. Sometimes, if we are lucky, we spot some wild animals too. A cunning fox, or an easily scared yet curious deer, or the shy marten… just a glimpse of any of these is enough to make anyone’s walk memorable. At places, the trails open up to give views of distant hills. Do halt and enjoy these views.

Autumn — The colors of autumn never fail to impress us.

Yes, we are in love with the forest. Every visit teaches us new things and every walk is different. The looks of the forest change with changing seasons! Birds are not the same every time, the forest smells vary, the sounds alter and even the feeling is different. Forests are magical and this one near us, even more so!