I started planning for this India trip in the Fall of '07, after years of thinking about a multi-week, multi-purpose immersion into this region. My brother Christopher (ER doc from NYC) had been to India and Tibet on prior trekking trips. This time he wanted to include a Himalyayan climb, along with monastery trekking. I also wanted to stay at an ashram and check out the yoga scene in India.
So we started planning for a trip that would include all of these dimensions. I started web-searching for the ashram and the climb in October/November. By January, I had made initial plans and flight reservations; and then started coordinating with Chris and the India contacts to finalize the details. By February we had locked into a guide (Raja Mukherjee of Adventure Mania) for the climb in the Indian Garwahl Himalayas; and I had also made a reservation at Santosh Puri Ashram in Haridwar/Rishikesh area.
Back at home we organized our gear, using a combination of my regular climbing checklist, and one that Raja (our guide) sent to me. Dr. B. either borrowed or bought what he needed. I mow have a good gear checklist for this type of climb and can provide additional info/advice on planning a trip if anyone needs that. I also can provide references on the guide service.
For the non-mountain part of the trip I planned to travel 'light' in minimalist mode by limiting my clothing and personal items to a minimum. So, I planned to carry everything in my small climbing backpack, with a single duffel bag for all of the mountaineering equipment and clothing. The guide provides the ropes and the protection.
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