3 Easy Steps To Protect The Mountains

Most of us tend to think that the Himalayas are pristine. But in reality, it’s quite terrifying to think of all the waste up there - recyclable and non-recyclable.

The problem is that in the mountains, there’s no way to get rid of garbage -- it ends up in rivers or behind hillsides. Heaps of plastic lying there for years and years. There is no waste management system in such remote areas.

In one chilling video our trek leader took, the entire garbage of a mountain village was dutifully collected by the local garbage collector, only to be thrown in the river outside the village. 

I will ask you today, how does it feel when one reaches the most beautiful landscapes & finds it all dumped with plastic & other waste? You might feel disgust, anger, guilt, sadness & a lot more emotions. Right?

You know, there’s one other emotion that you all can experience. And that is “Feeling Proud”. Feeling proud of undoing the damage & bringing a change.

Yes! At Indiahikes, we’re trying to undo as much damage as we can through our Green Trails initiative. And trekkers play the biggest role in this. 

Watch the documentary film, Heroes of Himalayas. It’s a story on the Green Trails initiative by Indiahikes.

If you’re trekking with us, or using our information to do any solo trek anywhere in the country, we expect 3 mandatory practices from you. 

Just 3 practices. 

This can completely change the way you trek and help you leave the mountains better. Take a look.

1.) Don’t take any disposables with you.

I’d like to throw special attention to disposable cutlery, wet wipes and sanitary pads. Our campaign against these has been long-running and successful in reducing the most-used disposables in the mountains. 

Since trekkers cannot shower while trekking, and also because they have to use dry toilets, they tend to use wet tissues (or wet wipes). Wet tissues are one of the biggest dangers of the mountains. They do not decompose at all -- even after a year they are as they are -- but worse they are also ridden with chemicals that leech to the ground. 

A sanitary pad comes with layers and layers of plastic. They never ever decompose. They come bacteria-ridden when used. It is one of the worst nightmares of the mountains. 

Then comes the issue of cutlery. Washing your own cutlery in cold, snowy weather is an unwelcome thought. And trekkers try to use biodegradable cutlery on treks. But this is not wise either. It takes years for the biodegradable cutlery to decompose at such high altitudes, where the weather conditions don’t lend themselves to easy decomposition. 

So avoid any disposables, whether they are biodegradable or not. Use steel cutlery to wash it easily, and use regular tissues, perhaps with some water on them. Only carry reusables on your trek. 

2.) Don’t buy anything wrapped in plastic before, during or after your trek. 

In a waste audit we conducted in the Himalayas, we found that the biggest contributor to plastic waste in the mountains was food wrapped in plastic -- chips packets, biscuit packets, chocolate bars, toffees, Maggi. Most of these are wrapped in thin plastic (with a very low micron count), which is not recyclable. They either stay on trekking trails forever, villagers burn them or they end up in a landfill. 

The only solution is to avoid generating plastic waste. Try local food on all your treks, it gives you a peek into the local culture and is freshly prepared with local produce. It’s far healthier than any packaged food. Not only does it reduce the burden of plastic on the environment, it also helps the local economy grow. 

The biggest test of your craving will be after your trek when you’re returning to the city. Trekkers tend to give in to their city cravings and binge on packaged food. If you can hold off your craving throughout the journey until you’re back home, then kudos to you! 

3.) Leave the mountains better than you find them. 

Finally, I don’t have to mention this, but you need to absolutely leave the mountains better than you find them. It is your basic responsibility. 

So if you see any litter, whether it’s yours or not, pick it up, put it in a small bag and dispose of it in our segregated bins at the base camp. If you are not trekking with us, collect the garbage and take it to the nearest big city for disposal (like Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun). This will help leave the trails cleaner and greener.

Wrapping words

Now these are just three basic practices I have shared with you. But they are effective enough to leave the mountains clean for generations to come. 

All I ask you is to stay a little more conscious & follow these practices while trekking in the mountains.

Additionally, I’m sharing some articles & resources for further reading with you. These are a few of the best articles you’ll read on sustainability in trekking in India. Take a look: 

1. How just one person can change the mountains in a week
2. Maggi or the mountains? What do you choose? See our waste audit here
3. Why waste crisis is a behavioural problem - A TEDx Talk by our Green Trails head

Get in touch with me through the comments if you have any questions, doubts or suggestions about sustainable trekking.