Running in The Himalayas definitely was an experience I’ll remember for ages. With that in mind, be prepared for a running guide that’s truly different from the others. That’s not only due to the special location, but also because there’s not any sightseeing, but instead a hell lot of beautiful nature!

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Staying at JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove, I just had to go running!

• Distance: 4.5 kilometers
• Jogged altitude: 300 meters
• Calories burned: 350-400
• Month: February
• Weather: Clear

Even though the hotel didn’t recommend that I go on myself, I had a talk with our guide for the trek to the Kempty Falls and he encouraged me to do it anyway.

Map of my run through the Himalaya

Such a good guy! It turned out to be just the perfect decision and that’s not only because the weather with clear sky and just below 20 degree Celsius was great!

Enjoying incredible views of the mountains

Just a few hundred meters after leaving the property, I found myself on a viewpoint, which offered such beautiful views that I decided to stop for a moment.

JW Marriott Mussoorie itself already looks impressive

Going on, the path got a little difficult as it happened to be really small and also a little rocky.

The views start to be amazing literally seconds after leaving the hotel

At this point, it’s definitely worth noting that running in the Himalayas is only for those who are experienced with running.

The difficult path is just one problem when running in this area.

The extreme slope makes running quite tough

The real problem is the height and the slope, which make running a really different story than what most runners know.

Dying on the way up, up and further up

Usually, I’m nobody who’s crying just because of some slope (check running in Barcelona for that!), things got out of line while running in the Himalayas.

The extreme slope makes running quite tough

While the first kilometer or so was just fine, things got so much tougher when the path got way better.

I thought that this was a strange coincidence, but after running up and further up, I got an idea: this path must lead to Mussoorie, the city on the top of the mountain and may also be used by locals transporting something up to the city (with animals actually).

While the pine forests around me where just beautiful, I just couldn’t go on at some point. After running up with extreme slope for about ten minutes, I decided to just call it a day and return.

At some point, you’ll just be out of energy when running in the Himalayas

Feels like I have to work on my shape again!

Enjoying the relaxing way down

Running down through the forests and getting back to the path where the views are the nicest was extremely enjoyable in contrast to the way up.

Funny enough that I also met a cow on my way down. However, I decided to not take a picture as I was told to run by fast as the cow seemed a little aggressive.

The views on the way down are incredible beautiful

Nevertheless, the way back was quite nice and the views once again were spectacular. While running in the Himalayas was a rather short experience in terms of distance, it may have been one of the most strenuous ones in my life.

So, if you happen to have the chance to stay at JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove and are an experienced runner, definitely take the chance!

You like this running guide? Take a look at our other “Running in …” posts!