“It was my first high altitude trek with Indiahikes to Bhrigu Lake.

The one thing that I am still carrying with me is to care about nature.

So much so that after the trek was over, I was really concerned about the waste crisis in the mountains.

I come from a finance background and do not have much bandwidth to stay there and do some on-ground volunteering work.

So post the trek, I decided to visit an NGO named Krich Cleaning in Manali. They work for solid waste management in the region.

I met the staff over there and told them about the background and experience in finance I come with. I wanted to volunteer to be a financial consultant for that NGO.

I thought I can help them strengthen their organisation in terms of how they go about their finances. In this way, I would feel a part of me is working towards something that’s meaningful.

If I look back at where does this feeling come from, I get reminded of my experience on the trek.

The kind of conversations we had around sustainability left a deep impact on me. Besides that, having an eco bag with me and picking up trash every day made me think about my life choices as a consumer.

Now that I am back to city life, I have stopped using disposable plastic in my daily life. Instead of that, I use areca farm plates or reusable cutlery.

I have also replaced plastic bottles with glass bottles. Besides that, I make sure whenever I go out I have a bag or two extra with me so that in case I need to buy anything, I do not get those single used plastic bags.

I have realised that it’s not the big steps that matter in the long run. Making these small changes in my lifestyle is what would help me go a long way in my sustainability journey.

The way my Trek Leader Ayushi and the whole Indiahikes staff have a passion for the organisation and the things that they do touch me deeply.

If I ever trek again I’ll trek with Indiahikes because of the love and care they have for nature. I have never seen people working somewhere so invested in their organisation. This is something that’s absolutely incredible.”

- Prateek, Indiahikes Trekker