With an experience of more than a decade of taking trekkers to their favourite trails, we have noticed a lot of them spending a hefty amount on their gear, travel & stay. In my personal experience, I have seen many trekkers complaining that I have to spend double the amount of my trek fee on travelling to the base camp, stay, & trekking gear.

Hence, in this piece of article, I have come to address this issue. I will inform you about how to reduce the cost of trekking in the Himalayas. I will be giving you excellent hacks & pieces of advice that will significantly help in bringing down the cost of the trek.

I know there are multiple questions hovering now. I will go chunk by chunk.

How should I reduce my cost of travel?

1. Take trains

Travel to the very last mile by train. A train journey costs half as much as a flight. Perhaps lesser. Also, most metro cities are connected to Delhi by fast trains that take less than 24 hours. So if you can manage to add a Saturday/Sunday to your trek, then blindly take a train!

Our co-founder did the Valley of Flowers trek this way and spent less than Rs 10,000 from Bangalore to Bangalore!

2. Use public transport, especially buses, to the base camp

Most of our base camps are well-connected by bus. especially from central points like Kathgodam, Haridwar or Dehradun. Buses usually leave early in the morning, and if not all the way, they cover at least 80% of your journey to the base camp. You may have to change buses for the last stretch, but that’s an adventure in itself.

If you do your homework on the buses available, you’ll be the most independent, efficient traveller! And it’s thrilling how less you spend. You might spend Rs 400-600 on a bus in comparison to the Rs 1,100-1500 that a shared cab will cost you.

3. Plan in advance

There’s nothing more crucial than this. If you’re planning a trek this year-end or even next year, then plan now! With every day that you waste, the flight price is competing with the trek fee. Almost always, it beats the trek fee too. So planning early is key.

On our part, we have already scheduled treks for the rest of the year. So take a look at our upcoming treks here and plan your travel right away.

How should I reduce my cost of stay?

1. Stay at dorms

You’ll be surprised at how easily dorms are available in most cities. Most GMVN, KMVN accommodations have dorms. There are also dorms like Zostel that are pocket-friendly. So avoid big rooms just for those few hours you have. Choose dorms.

2. Stay in railway retiring rooms

These AC rooms cost around Rs 450 for 24 hours of stay. All you need is a confirmed railway ticket! There are multiple non-AC options available too.  The rooms are usually neat and clean with the basic requirements. Find more details about this here. If you just have a few hours to spend, then this is a terrific option!

How should I reduce my cost of food during transit?

1. Eat basic food at dhabas

There are always dhabas along the road that serve up quick and delicious food. Stick to your aloo paratha with a dollop of butter. Or maybe curd rice! Avoid anything extravagant. It will burn a hole through your pocket and likely, through your stomach.

2. Better yet, carry your own food

When any of us from Indiahikes travels, we always carry food for the first length of our travel. Roti and jam, sandwiches, chapati rolls, anything that can last a day, or maybe two. Especially if you’re travelling by flight, don’t pay Rs 100 for a bun with a slice of tomato inside it. Carry your own bun and tomato for 10 or 20 bucks!

3. Make do with quick, light meals

Instead of buying a whole meal from a restaurant, you could buy bread and fresh veggies and make yourself a wholesome sandwich. This way, you know exactly what is going into your stomach and you spend less.

How should I reduce my cost of gear — The mother of all trek costs?

1. Beg, borrow, steal trekking gear

Your first approach should be to borrow gear. I did my first 3 Himalayan treks without owning anything but shoes (which I bought for Rs.999 at a clearance sale and it has lasted more than 10 Himalayan treks). I borrowed my brother-in-law’s jacket, my aunt’s sweaters and woollen socks, my dad’s garage torch, and my colleague's backpack.

With trekking becoming popular, more and more people own gear. It isn’t hard to find someone willing to lend it to you. Just post on a trekking group, or maybe ask your friends. You could even shoot out a question on your family Whatsapp group! You’ll never know who might be able to help!

2. Rent gear

You know, it makes us cringe when someone spends more on their gear than on their trek. So Indiahikes started renting gear. Instead of spending Rs 6,000 on a pair of shoes alone, spend around Rs 2,000 on shoes, a trekking pole, a padded jacket and a poncho. Indiahikes always revolves around the idea of mindful trekking. When you rent, you contribute to one of our visions of sustainability.

And if it’s your first time on a Himalayan trek and you’re just testing the waters, then don’t think twice. Just rent gear. If you’re trekking by yourself, there are several rental websites. Just do a bit of research. 

3. Try some jugaad with gear

Instead of buying a headlamp that may cost you Rs 600, tie a sling to your 60 rupee torch and make it a headlamp. Instead of buying woollen socks (they’re ridiculously expensive), wear two pairs of shin-length cotton socks. Or you could go to the mountains and then buy woollen socks. They’re very affordable there! There’s a lot you can make do with. It’s what true minimalists do.

4. Don’t get starry-eyed for big brands

We’ve noticed that many trekkers go by the brand. But even a pair of shoes from a Moti Bazaar at Dehradun or Chandini Chowk in Delhi can do the job. Just go by the techniques of choosing the right shoes. Looking for a brand name is not one of them.

5. You don’t need high-end models

If you are going for a branded pair of shoes, don’t go for the high-end models. Even the lower-end models will give you a similar performance. You may have noticed many local folks on the mountain trek wearing canvas shoes. What you really need are nimble feet!

6. Share your gear

If you’re travelling in a group, share your toilet kits and medical kits. You could carry, say, one kit for five people.

Conclusion

One of the primary reasons we started Indiahikes was to make trekking accessible to the layperson. Bringing down the cost of trekking was a big part of this.

Even today, we believe that trekking lends itself to a very pocket-friendly sport. “The more you save from one trek, the more you collect for your next one,” says Sandhya, our minimalist co-founder.

I couldn’t agree more! It does involve a bit of a lifestyle change — overlooking luxuries, sacrificing a few comforts… But learning to manage with minimal resources is a very valuable life skill, something that you’ll value for the rest of your life.

Let me know if you have any more hacks that can help the trekking community in bringing down the cost of trekking. Drop them as a comment below so more people can follow your tips on budget-friendly trekking!