India's National Parks
Trekking in India
India Travel Log, links
Jamnu, Kashmir, Ladakh
Makrand Zalkikar page: Kashmir, Ladakh, Nepal

Changabang'98 - expedition
MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES in the India:

Himalayas
Patkai, Vindhyas, Satpura, Aravalli, Sahyadri, Eastern Ghats.

Sahyadris

Sahyadri lies in the mid western part of India and runs approximately 800
miles North-South and has many parallel and some very distinct East-West
spurs. In fact these East-West spurs could be called as separate mountains.
The highest point in Sahyadri is 5,400'. Whole range is endowed with rich
tropical flora and fauna. One noticeable feature of Sahyadri is it contains
more than 250 forts all along its length. Some of these forts are more than
1,800 yeas old. Nearly all these forts were nurtured and maintained by the
great Maratha king 'Shivaji Maharaj' who ruled the adjoining territory of
Sahyadri - Maharashtra State - in 17th century. Some of these forts are still
in good condition and are attraction of trekkers and mountaineers in the state.
In addition to forts, Sahyadri is also studded with many formidable pinnacles,
beautifully carved ancient caves, holy shrines and temples, scenic natural
and artificial lakes and dams.                                     

Sahyadri offers a variety of easy to difficult, but interesting and beautiful
trekking routes. Some of these treks prove to be outstandingly beautiful in
rainy season.                                                             

Sanjay Naik

The Vindhya Range, low mountain range of central India. It extends in a generally east-western direction from Varanasi to Gujarat State for a distance of about 1090 km (about 675 mi). The range separates the drainage basin of the Ganges River on the north from the Deccan Plateau on the south. Elevations range from 455 to 910 m (from 1500 to 3000 ft) and reach a maximum of 1113 m (3651 ft).

The Ghats, two converging mountain ranges in southern India, called the Eastern and Western Ghats, running along the eastern and western coasts of the country.

Eastern Ghats parallel the Coromandel Coast. The average elevation of the range is about 457 m (about 1500 ft), but several peaks reach an altitude of about 1219 to 1524 m (about 4000 to 5000 ft) above sea level. The Eastern Ghats lie generally at a distance of about 80 to 240 km (about 50 to 150 mi) from the coast, but at Vishakhapatnam they form precipitous escarpments along the Bay of Bengal. The chief rivers that cross or penetrate the mountains are the Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri (Cauvery).

Western Ghats extend from the southern portion of the Tapi River valley along the Malabar Coast to Cape Comorin. The range is divided by Palghat Gap (about 40 km/25 mi wide); the section north of the division is about 1290 km (about 800 mi) long and that to the south of the gap is about 320 km (about 200 mi). In many sections, the range is separated from the coastline only by a narrow strip of land. The Western Ghats have an average elevation of 914 m (3000 ft), but south of Palghat Gap some peaks are as high as 2438 m (8000 ft).