July 11th, 3:00 p.m.: Entrepreneur, author and content creator, Ankur Warikoo, recently joined us on the Bhrigu Lake trek with his WebVeda team. Their objective was to come together as a team, given that they all work remotely, in different parts of the country. This was the first time several of them were embarking on a high altitude trek in the Himalayas.

For us, it was wonderful taking Ankur’s team on the trek. The team was among the most receptive, humble teams we have worked with. Not only were we able to successfully bring the team together, but the programme was a wonderful learning experience for our facilitators as well. 

But nobody can articulate it better than Ankur Warikoo, the master orator himself. In this video, he shares some of their takeaways as a team, with a lot of wise learnings for entrepreneurs. As always, his advice is hard to ignore. Take a look.

Hey everyone, my name is Ankur Warikoo. I'm an entrepreneur and a content creator based out of India. I have a team of 14 people and we are completely remote, spread across the country.

So every 3 months we meet for 4-5 days, we call it an offsite. And that's the time when we come together, we discover each other, we bond. And then we go into our own worlds to just work the way we do.

So this time we decided on a very different experience. Everyone opted for and voted for a trek. I think what they had in their mind was a hike.

That they'll go for a day and then we'll come back. What they weren't expecting was the intensity with which we pulled this off. 

So we started scanning and Indiahikes was evidently the choice because you guys are the best at what you do.

So we picked up Beas Kund, but closer to the date we were told that because of safety concerns that may not be the right choice. So we moved to Bhrigu Lake and commendably the team instantly adjusted everything that they had prepared for and made it happen.

So we spent 4 glorious days. Today is the last day. We're trekking down now and descending to the base camp. And I'm recording this with absolutely my heart and all full of appreciation for the Indiahikes team for how they have done it. 

Q. What about your experience for the last 4 days, how was it? 

So to give you a context, our previous offsites have been what I would call and this is generally the best word that I can use- full of pamper. And pamper largely means luxury. 

So we stay at really fancy places, hotels, we dine well, we eat well. And while all of that is also appreciated, we've never had a connect with nature in the way that we did today and the last 4 days. 

What I found was a very surreal feeling of the team coming together in a way that they've never done before. I'll give you a simple example.

Because of the campsite that we have which is all there in the open, for the first time people saw how other people brush their teeth. It's as simple as that. But it's ridiculous how these small things make you feel so connected with people who are not your family, who are not necessarily your friends but are your colleagues.

And then you're living with them in small places, you're walking with them, you're supporting them or you're seeking their support. Because this is not an easy trek, we've climbed 14,000 feet. And all of this has happened almost like as easy as it sounds because we have this collective power.

And I thoroughly enjoyed this experience because this is not what we're used to or what we experience in city life. 

Q. What was your objective for this trek and do you see it getting fulfilled? 

So the objective for this trek was very clear. 

It was how can we connect with nature and thus with ourselves in a manner that's truly minimalist. 

We often in today's world spread ourselves far and wide. Jitna paisa hoga, jitni zameen hogi, jitne kapde honge. 

We haven't had a shower for the last four days. I've been wearing the same t-shirt, the same pants. And everything has been, ki jitna kam aapka daaira ho sakta hai, utne mein hi rahiye. Wo do foot by do foot ke tent mein hi aapki poori duniya basi hogi. Your trek pole is your best friend.

People around you are all that you have. If you slip, they hold you. If you're low, they make you go up.

Everything is just in this small cocoon. And then you're facing all of these mighty mountains who've been developing and shaping themselves up for millions of years. And you feel really small.

But in that minuteness of life, you truly begin to appreciate how important life is and how important everything that we often take for granted is. 

That was the objective and 100% checked. 

Q. Is there one takeaway that you would like to share or give as advice to future entrepreneurs from the trek, what would that be? 

It's interesting that you use the word entrepreneur, Sharvari, when you ask this question because that would be my advice. 

I think while the mission and vision for India Hikes is that everyone should trek. If I had to add in my little bit here, I have nobody to say so.

Every entrepreneur mandatorily should trek. It should be like a national government policy. Because this is truly the test of what real life will be when you go back into your business.

It's unpredictable, you cannot plan. I remember we came in and it was like raining cats and dogs. And we were like, it's over, it's not going to happen.

And yet it happened. On the day of the summit which was yesterday, we climbed from 12,000 to 14,000 feet. We were very scared because there were insane thundershowers at night.

And we were like, it's over, nothing is going to be seen, nothing is going to happen. Not a single drop of rain. So things will go your way, things will not go your way and you will never know.

But you will have to adjust, you will always have to adjust. You will always have to realign yourself and be super agile to make that happen. You will feel low, you will feel small, you will feel like things are not working out your way.

But if you have your collective and more importantly you have yourself and the conversation you have in here, you will rise up. And the biggest thing is one step at a time. It doesn't matter how much time you take.

We had team members who were perhaps slower than the rest by hours. There were people who scaled the summit faster. But at the end, everyone was sitting together at the summit. And everyone left the summit together. So it just tells you one step at a time is a strategy. There is no slow, there is no fast.

Everyone has their own pace, everyone has their own personality, everyone has their own identity. So even in your startup, you will take as much time as you need. As your nature is, so will your start-up be.

But one step at a time means showing up every day. I have also written this in my book.

And it's one of my favourite quotes of all time that the pro is the amateur who shows up every day. And trekking teaches you that. 14,000 feet.

And Amit and Sharvari have instilled in our minds that 14,000 feet is not a joke. Generally, when we reached there, we were like, yay, the summit is done. And then they were like, this is 2000 feet above Mount Fuji.

And incidentally, we had just come back from Japan. And we were seeing Mount Fuji. We were like, how huge is this.

And suddenly you have climbed 2000 feet above that. It is insane when you think of it. How did it happen? Just one step at a time.

Keep looking at your feet. One step at a time, one step at a time. 

And another thing which I love and give you entrepreneurial advice.

When you're, let's say, in snow. You don't know where to step your foot on. And the best thing is that wherever the person in front of you has put his foot, if you keep it there, you'll be safer than usual.

So what others have done, even if you copy the exact same thing, you will succeed. But a lot of people think that innovation is cool. You have to become Elon Musk.

You have to do something different. No, friend. Not every person needs to become a rock star.

If you were to follow the footsteps of people who have come before you and they've done what you wish to do, you will get there. 

And all of these are just insane learnings that something as magnificent as an offsite trek could teach you. 

So, mandatory, if I were the education or the entrepreneurship minister of this country, I wouldn't even sanction the status of a start-up if you haven't trekked in your life.

Q. Thank you so much, Ankur. Just so simply you have put that trekking is so similar to life, right? And your words are words of wisdom. So thank you for sharing that with us. Thank you. 

Thank you, India Hikes, for all that you do.

It really makes a difference. And I'm so happy that there are people as passionate as you who own up, show up every day and make the world realize how important the world we stay in is and how we need to both protect it and through this journey, protect our own sanity in so many ways. Because once you go back into the city life, the world just takes over and you get lost in the crowd, only to realize you're not even living your own life but someone else's.

Thank you, Ankur. So keep trekking, keep exploring the outdoors and we wish to see you back.

Ankur Warikoo takes his team on a trek: Comes back with beautiful learnings on entrepreneurship

July 10th, 2024, 3:00 p.m.: Until 11th July, no trekkers will be permitted to go on the Tarsar Marsar, Nafran Valley, and Bodpathri treks.

The District Administration of Pahalgam has restricted trekking in the region. The Budgam district has also retracted permissions to trek in the area. The government seems to have taken this call as a safety measure in light of the current unrest in J&K.

Trekkers who are already on their way to Srinagar or in the base camp are being diverted to other treks in J&K, which are running smoothly.

Four of our treks in J&K are permitted to run as scheduled: Kashmir Great Lakes, Pir Panjal Lakes, Warwan Valley and Tulian Lake.

We are continuously monitoring the developments. Please keep a tab on our website. We will update you as the situation changes.

Permissions temporarily retracted for 3 treks in Jammu & Kashmir due to unrest in the region 

Landslides cleared on the way to Valley of Flowers. Traffic now running smoothly. 

July 15th, 3:00 p.m.: In a wave of good news for trekkers, landslides have been cleared from the NH7 route from Rishikesh to Valley of Flowers. 

The major landslide that occurred on July 10th took a long time to clear because of the size of the boulders. Smaller walking routes were established by Saturday, but it took a while to clear the road. As of today, the landslide debris has been cleared and traffic is moving smoothly. 

If you have an upcoming trek to Valley of Flowers, please keep in mind that this highway is prone to landslides. They are regular occurrences that come with the monsoon. These landslides are usually cleared off within a day, but they may cause long delays in your travel. 

In case of such delays, we make small shifts in your itinerary. We accommodate most of the itinerary shifts within your travel plan, but in case of any major delays, it’s best to have a buffer day in your travel plan. So please plan your travel accordingly.

Pipalkoti landslide cleared. Landslide near Joshimath taking time.

Uttarakhand, July 11th 2024, 10:30 am: As per our latest reports one of the minor landslides on the NH7 highway between Rishikesh and Badrinath has been cleared. 

But the landslide that struck the day before yesterday, approximately 3 km before Joshimath is yet to be cleared. Because of the size of the fallen boulders, the authorities are finding it challenging to clear the area. 

A small walking trail across the landslide zone has been established to allow trekkers and yatris to cross on foot. 

However, this could also get closed to allow uninterrupted repair work. In such a case, trekkers and yatris will be taking a 3 km route through the forests above the landslide zone. 

The Indiahikes local team is stationed at the zone to receive trekkers who are incoming and also to support trekkers who are heading back from the trek. 

We expect the landslide to be cleared by the time the next team travels towards the basecamp, on July 13th.

Second minor landslide occurs on Valley of Flowers route at Pipalkoti

Pipalkoti, Uttarakhand, July 10th 2024, 2.41 pm: There's been another minor landslide at Pipalkoti on the NH7 route. 

The good thing is that as fast as landslides happen, they are cleared off as quickly. This particular one is expected to be cleared in the next 2 hours. 

If it is not cleared for any reason, the trekking group departing on July 10th will stay at Pipalkoti for the night and carry on with the trek tomorrow. 

There are no issues on the actual Valley of Flowers trail. The route is clear and open to trek.

Landslide on NH7 Temporarily Disrupts Travel to Valley of Flowers Trek

Joshimath, Uttarakhand, July 10th 2024, 11.36 am: A landslide occurred earlier today on NH7, approximately 3 kilometers before Joshimath. This route is used by trekkers traveling from Rishikesh to Karchi, the basecamp for Indiahikes' Valley of Flowers trek. It is also the national highway leading to Badrinath.

Authorities immediately initiated efforts to clear the landslide zone. However, the scale of the landslide may cause delays.

Here are updates from our current groups: 

Trekkers departing July 9th were stationed at a hotel 3-4 km from the landslide zone last night. They will take a 3-kilometer detour on foot to Dhak, from where they will stay for the night and carry on with the trek tomorrow.

Trekkers departing on July 10th, will either (a) carry on to the basecamp if the landslide is cleared OR (b) Stay at the designated hotel and carry on to Dhak tomorrow.

If you’re headed to Valley of Flowers, it’s best to include a buffer day in your travel plan, to account for any such disruptions.

Joshimath, Uttarakhand, July 10, 2024: A landslide occurred earlier today on NH7, approximately 3 kilometers before Joshimath.

Landslides in Uttarakhand temporarily disrupt travel to the Valley of Flowers Trek

After eight days of high adventure, great weather, and breathtaking views, the first group of Bali Pass trekkers for this year successfully completed the trek and returned to the base camp yesterday. This is a huge moment for both the trekkers and the Indiahikes team, as crossing the pass above 16,000 ft is no easy feat. 

Here are some of the highlights that our trekkers experienced on this trek:

There was a lot of adventure on this trek, be it walking on a knife edge ridge, or crossing the Ruinsara river using Tyrolean traverse. The technicality required on this trek was a daring experience in itself. 

The clear weather offered continuous views of the grand Swargarohini massif.

The pass crossing was exhilarating, even though there was less snowfall this year. 

The unexpected, dense, green forests after crossing the pass near Lower Damini, added to the trek's beauty. 

One major challenge on this trek was the descent from the ridge. The lack of snow made the trail tricky with many boulders and stones, straining trekkers' knees and ankles. However, with the technical support, collaboration, and effort of the entire team, the trekkers completed the trek safely and successfully. 

Trek leader Amit Gupta was extremely happy with the way the entire team came together and worked as one to make it a wholesome experience. He said, "Care is something which came out from each team member. Thanks to the overall team effort, they could help each other across difficult sections by holding hands, carrying backpacks on tricky parts, and guiding the trekkers through their fears.” 

With a fantastic start to the 2024 Bali Pass season, we look forward to trekkers enjoying a smooth and rewarding experience in the upcoming group. 

At Indiahikes, we always wanted to open more treks that are high on adventure. While the Bali Pass is highly adventurous, it comes with a limited trekking window due to weather conditions. Keeping this in mind, to give trekkers an equally adventurous experience, we have opened more groups to the only other pass crossing trek that goes above 16,000 ft -  Pin Bhaba Pass. The trek is also accessible for a longer duration from July through August. 

Trekkers at the highest point on the Bali Pass. 

It is a trek update on the Bali pass trek. The first batch just returned from the bali pass trek.

Trek Update: The First Group Of Bali Pass Trekkers Successfully Complete The Trek

Abhi Study Circle, an entrance exam tutorial center, recently collaborated with Indiahikes for a Himalayan Expeditioners Program that took students on the Bhrigu Lake Trek. 

The Himalayan Expeditioners Program is the most advanced Outdoor Leadership Program we offer for school students. Himalayan Expeditioners is an immersive experience, pushing students out of their comfort zones and building invaluable life skills and leadership skills.

Seventeen 11th and 12th grade students successfully completed this four-day trek. Sahil, the founder of Abhi Study Circle and an enthusiastic trekker, wanted his students to experience the joys of trekking. This is the fourth time Abhi Study Circle has collaborated with Indiahikes, and each trek brings more valuable lessons and personal growth for the students.

Hemanth, a trek leader at Indiahikes, shared his learnings and takeaways from this trek, and here is what he had to say, “I think we all pushed our limits and achieved it together. For the first time, I didn't hear much about the summit experience. Everyone was sharing how the journey to reach the summit was more beautiful than the summit itself. They came with the mindset that it would be a learning experience, and they truly got the same through it. They were all happy after completing the trek and shared a lot of thoughts. They felt that connection with nature and how nature inspired them in imparting teamwork and collaborative leadership skills, survival skills, pushing one’s limits, being optimistic and living in the moment.” 

With such positive learnings and takeaways from this experiential learning program, students genuinely felt a transformational shift in their confidence and mindset and wanted to come back for more treks in the future. 

Learn more about experiential learning programs

It is a news update on students from Study Circle going on the Bhrigu lake trek as part of out experiential learning programs.

Study Circle Students Undergo A Transformative Journey on Bhrigu Lake Trek

Abhi Study Circle Students Undergo A Transformative Journey on Bhrigu Lake Trek

Last weekend was exciting and productive for both the Indiahikes team and the students of Ekya School. As part of the school's transitional outbound programme, they embarked on day hikes to Bananthimari Betta. Their objective was for 9th and 11th grade students to reflect on the new phases of their lives. They wanted their students to reflect on building connections with their new classmates, becoming seniors, and what they are looking forward to in the coming years. 

What better location to reflect on these thoughts than in nature? With this unique approach to education, the first two groups of 9th graders from Ekya School set out for an experiential learning programme with Indiahikes to Bananthimari Betta. The students had a great experience on the trek, ending the day with smiles all around. They participated in various activities as part of our hands-on learning programme, including team-building exercises, basic survival skills, and connecting with nature activities. The trek allowed them to make new friends, deepen existing relationships, and reflect on themselves.

Here is what their trek leader, Rahul Paul, had to say about the entire experience. “Students shared that, through this experience, they took back learnings on being more responsible, humble, and collaborative by caring for and helping each other. Few students shared how it was refreshing and rejuvenating for them to spend time in nature and explore the trails leading up to the summit.” 

After a successful weekend of trekking with the 9th grade students, next weekend 2 groups of 11th graders will be going for the Bananthimari Betta trek. With this, we are excited to officially kick start our school programmes for the season and introduce them to the world of trekking and experiential learning. 

Students participating in a connect with nature activity. 

Students participating in a team building activity.

It is a short news update on a experiential learning program for school students of Ekya. They trekked to Bananthimari over the weekend.

Ekya School Students Reflect On Their Journey So Far At Bananthimari Betta

The recent terror attacks in the Jammu region have been truly catastrophic. Several trekkers have been calling us, worried about the safety of their treks. 

Here is our assessment of the situation.  

These incidents in Jammu have been very sporadic and unpredictable. However, the route from Jammu to Srinagar and from Srinagar to the starting point of the Kashmir treks are all safe.  These routes are heavily fortified and we do not anticipate any untoward incidents in these regions.  

Our local team in Gagangir and Aru have reassured us that the movement of people and vehicles has been normal in the region.  No curfew or restriction on movement has been imposed. 

Considering this, it is safe for trekkers to travel in and out of the region. 

All our trekking trails are in remote areas, away from the distressed areas of J&K. All our Kashmir treks are conducted under the watchful eyes of the Indian Army. Where the army is not present, the entire Jammu and Kashmir administration, from the tourism and forest departments, monitors our treks. 

We will continue to remain in touch with the officials and if there is any change in status, we will let you know immediately. 

We will keep you updated on the status regularly. Stay tuned to our website.

This article is an update on the J & K terror attacks and the safety of Indiahikes trekkers

Status update on current situation in Kashmir

News Update On Current Situation In Kashmir

Over this weekend six trek leaders and assistant trek leaders completed a technical training course at Hampta Pass. The course spanned over four days and was conducted by Ashish Sukhadare, our technical safety trainer. 

With the Hampta Pass season just around the corner, the team conducted a thorough training session before any trekkers embarked on the trail. While training, they also completed a recce in the process, uncovering a more challenging aspect of Hampta Pass that trekkers don't typically encounter. 

Hampta pass is a challenging trek when it comes to bad weather. After the heavy rains last year, we became even more aware of the safety hazards for our trekkers and realised how important it is for our team to constantly improve our technical and medical skills. 

High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) drills

Here is what Lakshmi Selvakumaran, the head of the learning and development team at Indiahikes, had to say regarding our training programs. “Our training programs are structured for our trek leaders in a certain way where they have a space where they can put themselves in real life situations and be able to tackle all the challenges that are thrown at them in the mountains. It is not only about dealing with a situation and learning from it on the spot or during the course of the trek, but also being completely prepared and preventing those situations from happening in the first place. The Learning and Development team is constantly setting up and improving these training programs so that the safety of our trekkers is not compromised.” 

We plan on conducting more training programs in the coming months so that our trek leaders are equipped to face any such situations in the mountains. This will in turn help make our treks safer and run in a more smooth and efficient way. 

This article is about the technical training that was conducted for trek leaders on Hampta pass.

Indiahikes Trek Leaders Complete A Technical Training Course at Hampta Pass

After a lot of anticipation, we are finally starting the Manali trekking season from today. The trekkers for Beas kund, Bhrigu lake and Hampta Pass are all geared up and stoked to kick start the season. 

Trekkers have already started reaching their respective basecamps, although there is near record breaking traffic in Manali. So trekkers, ensure that you have enough time in your hands to reach your basecamps. 

We are as excited and thrilled as you are to start this season and fingers crossed, have a smooth run till September. 

For those interested in joining us this Manali season, we have slots available in July, August and September for our Himachal Treks.  

It is a short real time update on the start of the Manali season. Hampat Pass, Bhrigu lake and Beas kund trekkers have started to make their way to the basecamps.

Real Time Updates: The Manali Trekking Season Has Begun and Trekkers Are Thrilled

Yesterday, we woke up to tragic news about trekkers passing away on the way to Sahasratal, a high altitude alpine lake in Uttarakhand.

They were returning from the summit when the weather turned hostile with a white out. 

Even though they were just a couple of hours away from camp, they were stranded outdoors overnight in freezing, inclement weather. 9 trekkers passed away and 13 trekkers were rescued. 

These trekkers were trekking with  a local operator from Uttarakhand. 

Many of these trekkers have trekked with Indiahikes in the past and are known to us personally. 

This is among the worst disasters we have heard of in the Indian Himalayas in the recent past. 

It's a grave day for the trekking community. Our prayers are with the rescued trekkers and the families of all the trekkers we have lost.

This is a news post on the trekking tragedy that occured on the Sahastra Tal trek in Uttarakhand, where nine trekkers lost their lives.

News about trekkers in Sahastra Tal, Uttarakhand

Our thoughts are with their families

We deeply regret the loss of the 9 trekkers on the Sahastra Tal trek

In addition to the regular groups for Channarayana Durga and Minchukallu Betta, we have launched nine new stargazing groups.

Ever since we opened up special stargazing groups last year, trekker interest in the night sky has shot up! We are noticing that most of our stargazing groups are the first to get filled.

Our treks in South India to Channarayana Durga and Minchukallu Betta make for wonderful stargazing spots, away from the light pollution of the city and with vast expansive views of the night sky.

If you'd like to hear stories about the night sky, get closer to the stars and understand the universe better, this is a wonderful way to do so.

Learn more about stargazing treks with Indiahikes

The article is a news post, announcing the availability of new slot of Channarayana Durga and Minchukallu Betta treks between september and Decmenber. and the additional stargazing groups.

We have opened Channarayana Durga and Minchukallu Betta groups from September to December 2024

The final group of Gaumukh Tapovan trekkers for the month of May, successfully completed the trek. Trek leader Amit Gupta came back singing praises about the trek’s success, despite having a few challenges. 

There were some setbacks that the team faced. The weather was a bit brutal, since the sun scorched the trail. Nevertheless, they were blessed with clear views almost every step of the way. 

Due to the pilgrimage, the campsites had some yatra crowds as well. To ensure that trekkers still got a true Indiahikes experience, our team made sure that they camped away from the crowd and conducted activities that allowed trekkers to stay connected with nature. 

Another challenge that they faced was crossing the tricky rockfall section. To ensure a safe and successful crossing for all trekkers, the Indiahikes team ensured that clear instructions were communicated to the trekkers before the trek. Helmets were also provided to prioritise safety. Despite the difficulty of the terrain, with these precautions in place, the trekkers were able to cross the section safely. 

For Amit, “the Gaumukh Tapovan trek was not just a spiritual journey, but a journey which tests you with challenges of rockfall area, compromising campsites areas and water conditions. But at the same time it rewards you with towering peaks standing with sheer elegance and charm.” 

If you are heading to the Gaumukh Tapovan trek in the coming months, ensure that you are well prepared. Some essentials you must carry with you are hats, sunglasses and full sleeve dry fit clothes to protect your skin from the sun. 

The Gaumukh Tapovan is also a moderate to difficult trek, so ensure that your fitness is up to the mark before the trek. 

Learn more about the Gaumukh Tapovan Trek

The article talks about the challenges faced by out Indiahikes team during the gaumukh tapovan trek and how they overcame it.

Latest Update: Trekkers Successfully Complete The Gaumukh Tapovan Trek Despite Scorching Heat And Char Dham Yatra Crowd

In the past week, Indiahikes teams at Lohajung, Sari and Gangotri base camps, set on a mission to collect and segregate waste as part of the Zero Waste Himalaya Challenge. Within ten days, our teams collected around 500 kg of trash from the mountains. 

The Zero Waste Himalayan Challenge gathers people to clean up waste in the Himalayas and identifies the most littered brands. This initiative aims to highlight major polluters and understand the types of waste in the region. Indiahikes is participating by helping collect and sort the waste, providing valuable data for Zero Waste Himalaya to conduct their audits. This year the cleanup happened between 25th May and 5th June. 

We at Indiahikes have always been very vocal about disposing waste responsibly through our green trails initiative and have actively been implementing the same on all our treks, even at our office. 

To take the green trails initiative further, we have joined the Zero Waste Himalaya challenge, a yearly campaign that is determined to analyse and monitor waste that is collected across the Himalayas. This campaign aligns with the sustainable goals of our organisation and with our motto to leave the mountains better than we found them. 

This year, we participated from seven locations across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand: Gangotri, Janglik, Jiskun, Kotgaon, Lohajung, Raithal and Sari. A total of 108 Indiahikes members participated in the cleanup and together spent 23 hours conducting the green sweep, waste segregation and brand audit

Shachi Tripathi, an experience manager at Indiahikes, gave us some alarming news from the slopes of Lohajung. In an hour, six people had collected around 50 kgs of waste by covering an area of only 400 to 600 metres. That's a concerning amount of trash in such a short distance and time!

The waste that was found during this clean up included liquor bottles, chips packets (mostly from local brands) and plenty of soft plastics. 

On the slopes of Sari, Ashish, our Trainer, and his team also participated in the Zero Waste Himalayan challenge. They covered around a kilometre and collected approximately 35 kg of waste. 

Sari is part of the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, and is also the base camp of the Deoriatal Chandrashila trek. Because of this, Sari is bustling with tourists as well as trekkers. 

There is also a scarcity of water at Sari right now due to less rain and forest fires, therefore, increasing the number of packaged water bottles in the area. The team at Sari collected around 300 plastic water bottles and 100 liquor bottles, along with several other pieces of soft plastic waste. 

The Gangotri temple attracts several pilgrims to the town every year. The increasing number of pilgrims also increases the amount of waste that is generated. 

The team targeted the major hotspots around Gangotri, and in the span of 1 hour, they collected 274 kg of mixed waste. 

Trek leader Amit Gupta said that, “During our clean up drive, we were using the slogan CLEAN HIMALAYAS GREEN HIMALAYAS, and we could see this grabbing attention for the people around us.” 

Teams from Raithal, Janglik, Kotgaon and Jiskun collected 56 kg, 59 kg, 9 kg, and 22 kg of waste respectively. 

Before sending the waste collected to Waste Warriors, we did a waste audit through the KoboCollect App. We recorded details such as: 

Each waste item expressed as kilograms and number of pieces (for example: Maggie ‘x’ kgs and ‘y’ number of packets) 

Type of waste (i.e. tetra, plastic, wood, glass etc)

Material of plastic waste (i.e. multi-layer or if single layer: PET, HDPE, PVC etc)

Category of waste (food packaging, personal care, household etc)

Location with number of volunteers participating

Findings from the waste audit also enable us to reevaluate our take on sustainability and  reinforce our non-negotiables with trekkers.  For example, 81.7% of all plastic waste collected as part of the challenge last year was food packaging. Further, almost 78% of this plastic waste was multilayered i.e. they are made up of multiple materials meshed together in layers, making them impossible to recycle. These then end up disrupting the ecosystem by clogging waterways, causing harm to wildlife, and polluting the surrounding air and soil.

The sheer amount of waste that was found in such a small area, by a handful of people in a limited time, really makes you think about the amount of waste that is generated by each individual.  

Trekking routes these days see an increasing number of trekkers and tourists. With increasing traffic in such remote places, a lot of environmental problems arise. Our Green Trails initiative, in simple terms, aims to revolutionise trekking in an eco-friendly and sustainable way so that our impact on the environment is minimal. We believe that 10 years down the line, the mountains that we visit today should be as beautiful as they are today, if not better. That requires consistent effort from every person trekking through these beautiful mountains. 

As a tourist or a trekker, wherever you go, ensure that you try to carry little to no amount of packaged items. Even if you do, ensure you take it back with you and dispose of it responsibly in areas where there are municipal corporations. It is important to take responsibility for our own waste and leave the place better than we found it. 

Sari team and the waste they collected. Photo by Ashish Sukhadre

Lohajung team and the waste they collected. Photo by Shachi Tripathi

Gangotri team and the waste they collected. Photo by Amit Gupta

Learn more about our Green Trails Initiative

Indiahikes participated in the Zero waste Himalaya challenge as part of our green trails initiative to clean and segregate waste from the mountains.

Indiahikes Teams Remove 400 Kilos Of Waste From Trekking Trails, Inspired By The Zero Waste Himalaya Challenge

Indiahikes Teams Remove 500 Kilos Of Waste From Trekking Trails, Inspired By The Zero Waste Himalaya Challenge 

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