Milam Glacier, Glacier in Pithoragarh, India
Milam Glacier is an ice mass in the Kumaon range of Uttarakhand, stretching between roughly 3,870 and 5,500 meters in elevation. The landscape features steep slopes, snow fields, and deep valleys carved by the moving ice.
The glacier formed during earlier ice ages and remains part of the Himalayan ice system, feeding water into surrounding river networks. The meltwater source that begins here has shaped landscapes and settlement patterns for thousands of years.
The glacier area marks a traditional passage where mountain communities have developed practices around seasonal ice conditions and water availability. Local populations have adapted their lives to the rhythms of the ice and the rivers it feeds.
Access requires government permission, and conditions are best from May through October when weather is more stable. The trek involves high altitude and steep terrain, so visitors should be prepared for mountain conditions and sudden weather changes.
This ice mass is one of the largest in the Kumaon region and supports specialized plant species found only at extreme elevations. This rare mountain ecosystem exists in only a few places across the Himalayas.
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