Known as the ‘abode of gods’ for being home to four spiritual hotspots of Hinduism and India’s holiest (and longest) river, Uttarakhand also hosts Nanda Devi, the country’s highest peak that is completely in India (and second only to Kangchenjunga that is shared with Nepal). While this is a ‘pilgrim state’ for many Indians and a yoga mecca for many global travellers, to me it is home. There’s more to trekking here, too: it’s India’s unofficial rafting capital, plus the offbeat climber’s dream with a plethora of lesser known peaks interspersed with bucket list hikes.