Some people visit the Himalayas; Dr Devinder Singh Hanspal has spent a lifetime returning to them. His memoirs trace a passion for the mountains that took root in a boyhood spent at a boarding school in the hills of Mussoorie, and deepened over decades of service as a Medical Officer with the Border Security Force. His treks are from snowy heights along the Line of Control in Kashmir to medical camps along the Amarnath Yatra trail.

Latter years saw him trek with old college friends turned “Himalayan Trekkers”, to the captivating valleys and meadows of Uttarakhand and Himachal, road journeys through Ladakh, Spiti and Zanskar, and finally the long-awaited Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal. Through it all runs a single thread: the author’s conviction that these Himalayan peaks, forests and rivers offer not just scenery but genuine solace.

Part personal history, part love letter to the Himalayas, this is an invitation to anyone who has ever felt the pull of the mountains to go and find out why.
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AUTHOR: Dr Devinder Singh Hanspal, IG (Medical) BSF (Retd) is a distinguished Medical Officer who served the Border Security Force across the Indo-Pak border, LoC, and in Counter-insurgency operations.

Twice honoured with the DG’s Commendation Roll, he later commanded hospitals in Bhopal and Jammu. He retired in 2024 as Inspector General (Medical) and now resides in Chandigarh. An avid trekker and enthusiastic birder, he believes in pursuing his hobbies to the fullest.

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Dr Devinder Singh Hanspal

 

Dr Devinder Singh Hanspal, IG(Medical) BSF (Retd) Devinder is a distinguished medical officer who served the BSF across the Indo-Pak border, LoC, and in counter-insurgency operations. Twice honoured with the DG’s Commendation Roll, he later led hospitals in Bhopal and Jammu, retiring in 2024 as IG (Medical). He now resides in Chandigarh.

OAK GROVE SCHOOL, JHARIPANI

 

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