Going on a trek isn’t as big an investment as buying a car or a home. However, it is a highly adventurous activity and by nature involves a certain amount of risk.

There are chances of avalanches, floods, or landslides occurring in the mountains due to unpredictable weather. From fractures and sprains to higher forms of AMS, injuries and illnesses are thus highly probable for trekkers.

Here’s where trek insurance comes into play.

Having trek insurance is an essential part of your pre-trek planning. At Indiahikes, we have always strived to make treks safer for our trekkers. We used to offer trek insurance as an option over the past years. We have now made it mandatory for all our treks.

Though you may have your own life insurance and/or a medical insurance policy, chances are these policies do not cover any risks incurred while participating in adventurous activities like trekking. Read the fine print and you’ll know what we’re talking about.

In this article, we explain why trek insurance is important and what our insurance policy covers.

Trekking by nature is a high-risk activity. You are at a high altitude (above 8,000 ft), the weather is unpredictable and at most times the terrain is difficult too. Illnesses, accidents, and injuries aren’t uncommon in the mountains. Most of these can be sourced for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, most of our treks are at high altitudes.

In most of your treks with Indiahikes, you’ll be reaching heights of 11,000 ft or higher. The chances of getting hit by AMS are very real.

When we see a trekker consistently display symptoms of AMS, the first thing we do is make him or her descend. In most cases, quick descent coupled with a course of Diamox treatment does the job.

But in some severe cases, the AMS progresses to the more dangerous HAPE or HACE. These require immediate evacuation and medical attention.

The more remote the trek, the more serious the condition. And higher costs of rescue and medical assistance.

To give you an example, we recently had a trekker on our Goechala trek get hit by HAPE on the Goechala trek. This was at Lamuney campsite (13,743 ft). Out Trek Leader immediately brought her down to base camp, hired a car, and transported her to the nearest hospital. The total charges for treatment, evacuation, and stay amounted to approximately Rs. 11,000.

Even though we emphasise on safety, accidents are inevitable in the Himalayas. Unpredictable weather conditions and the nature of the terrain can cause unexpected injuries.

In our experience, these are the possible injuries:

Ligament tears while climbing steep terrains if your muscles are not warmed up

Injuries during playing games at the campsite

Accidents like these always require immediate evacuation and urgent medical expertise.

At Indiahikes, we’ve always put in processes and measures to increase the safety standards on every single trek of ours. All our Trek Leaders are Wilderness First Responder (NOLS) certified. They are equipped with a High Altitude Medication Kit, oxygen cylinders, and two-way radios for constant communication with the base. We have made microspikes mandatory on all our snow treks. And so much more.

In spite of that, the nature of trekking is such that you never know when a mishap could occur.

And in these cases, owing to the remoteness of the region, expenses may shoot up exponentially.

Here’s when the mandatory trek insurance comes to your rescue. It takes care of these emergency expenses which can burn a hole in your pocket.

And since it’s a matter of money, we don’t want to leave things to the fine print.

We’ll explain more about our trek insurance policy.

Our trek insurance policy covers health and medical expenses arising out of illnesses and injuries when you are on the trek. It is a group health insurance and costs Rs. 30 per day. Depending on the number of days your trek is the total insurance cost may differ.

For example: If you are booking a 6 days trek, you will be paying Rs. 180.

The insurer we have tied up with is ASC 360.

The insurance is valid from the time we pick you up for the trek, till we drop you off. So for instance, if you’re going on a trek like Phulara Ridge, the actual trek begins on Day 1 when you start from Dehradun and ends on Day 6 when you come back to Dehradun.

Once you register and make a payment for the trek you’ll be issued a policy document. The document will contain details about what expenses will be covered. Also included with be the contact details for rescue and claims processing and reimbursement.

Our trek insurance is for a total sum of Rs. 3,25,000. Below are all the expenses it covers:

1. Hospitalisation Expenses for Injuries - INR 1,00,000

2. Medical Evacuation (Air or Road) - INR 1,00,000

3. Personal Accident (Death & Disability) - INR 1,00,000

4. Repatriation of Remains Extension - INR 25,000

In case of a severe illness or injury, the trekker will be evacuated to the nearest exit point from where transport shall be arranged to the nearest hospital.

Here are a few cases in which insurance will not be covered under the policy.

1. Suicide, attempt to Suicide or intentionally self-inflicted injury, sexually transmitted conditions, mental disorder, anxiety, stress, or depression.

2. ﻿﻿﻿Being under influence of drugs, alcohol, or other intoxication or hallucinogens

3.﻿﻿﻿ Participation in actual or attempted felony, riot, civil commotion, crime misdemeanor

4.﻿﻿﻿ Committing any breach of law of land with criminal intent.﻿﻿﻿

5. Death or disablement resulting from Pregnancy or childbirth

﻿﻿﻿6. Professional sports team in respect of specific benefit for inability to perform﻿﻿﻿

7. Participation in any kind of motor speed contest.

8. While engaged in aviation, or whilst mounting or dismounting from or traveling in any aircraft. (Not

9. Underground mining & contractor specializing in tunneling

10. Radioactivity, Nuclear risks, ionizing radiation

11. Indemnity It is hereby stated that due to any circumstances such as delay in evacuation, delay in hospital admission, delay in attending by the doctors, etc any loss of life, limb, property, or any other loss accrues then under such circumstances ASC 360 shall not be held liable for the losses suffered. It is further stated that for any loss, damage, mishappening, or any other foreseeable and unforeseeable circumstances that arrive in such conditions ASC 360 shall not be held liable. It is reiterated that ASC 360 liabilities are limited to the terms as mentioned hereinabove and subject to the terms of the Policy.

12. The Policy is valid exclusively for the clients of Indiahikes only

13. This policy is only valid for Indian nationals or expats working in India

14. No Pre-existing diseases shall be covered under the policy whether declared or not declared

15. No related cancellations/ rescheduling/ delays are covered under this policy

16. Pre-approvals are a must for Medical evacuation.

17. Age Limit — minimum 1 year and maximum 70 years

18. Limitation of the Liability: It is understood that ASC360 is acting as an insurance intermediary and shall not be liable for any claims.

If you want to make a claim, follow these steps:

Fill out the trek insurance claim form that is available at all the base camps.  

Within the next 7 days from the incident date, make sure you consult a doctor and get a medical report. 
(Note: Without the doctor consultation, your claim will not be approved)

Meanwhile, ASC 360 team will send you an email as soon as they receive the report. Make sure you reply to the email with the medical report and all the medical bills. 

Once all the documents are verified, the claim should be approved in no time.

So there you go! Hopefully, you will have a safe trek and won’t have to use trek insurance at all.

Making insurance mandatory is just one more way in which we’re making your treks safer. And we always believe it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Have any questions? Do drop in your thoughts in the comments.

Trekking in the Himalayas comes with its own risks. To ensure your own safety, Indiahikes has made Trek Insurance mandatory. Read on to know why.

Why Trek Insurance Is Mandatory On Our Treks And What It Covers

I conducted a survey a few months ago, where I asked trekkers about the post-trek issues they faced. I got over a thousand responses. 

Out of the 1,075 who responded, more than half of the trekkers faced post-trek issues. 

Even though I knew what post-trek issues to expect, the ratio of these ailments surprised me. Here’s some insight for you.

Out of 1,075, 37% said they faced numbness/swelling in their toes, long after their trek was over. 

19% said they had intense body pain after the trek.

18.5% said they suffered sharp pain in their toes. 

12% of them got a fever immediately after their trek.

5% suffered from sunburns after their trek.

The rest of them mentioned cases that might be very specific to themselves, so we’ll not get into that. 

In today’s post, I’m going to talk about the most common post-trek issues, why they could occur, how to tackle them and how to avoid them altogether. 

This is a problem that many trekkers write to me about — numb/swollen toes as a post-trek issue long after their trek has ended. And it seems to be the most prevalent of all issues. Thankfully, it isn’t something to be very worried about, even though it may last several weeks. 

This happens for of a couple of reasons. 

Firstly, on treks where there are long, steep descents, there’s a lot of pressure on your toes. With every step, your toe hits your shoe, and with the thousands of steps that you take, it damages the sensory nerves in your toes. When sensory nerves are damaged, they take away sensation from that area. They also make the area swell. It is often accompanied by pain in the toes too. 

Secondly, it’s likely that your feet are already swollen from 2-3 days of long-distance walking. So your shoes are extra compressed around your feet, causing your toes to hit your shoes more easily. 

Both of these together cause numb/swollen toes.

The symptoms of numbness / swelling usually go away within 10-15 days, even without treatment. However, there have been cases of it lasting 4-5 months as well (these are usually extremely unusual situations). They eventually heal. So don’t worry about it.

Numb/swollen toes usually come back to life on their own. It takes some time for the sensory nerves to heal, so you have to wait it out. To accelerate the healing, try alternating hot and cold packs on your toes. It increases blood flow in the region, which in turn accelerates healing. 

Also, dip your feet in a bucket of cold water (refrigerated cold) alternating it with a bucket of warm water (not super hot). It has the same effect.  

Learn to descend correctly! Bad descending techniques are the biggest culprits responsible for numb toes. No matter what gear you buy and precautions you take, if you don’t descend correctly, there’s a 95% chance you’re going to have numb and painful toes after your trek.


Few other things you should ensure to avoid numb/swollen toes

– Wear shoes that have enough space in the toe box to accommodate movement of your toes. Ideally, buy shoes one size bigger than your normal shoe size. That will accommodate any swelling in your feet as well.

– Lace your shoes tight enough to ensure your foot doesn’t slide forward in your shoes. Make good use of the lace hooks along the ankle length of your shoes and also the top-most eyelet in your shoe. These help the most in terms of restricting your foot movement. 

– Use two trek poles on the trek. Two trek poles work like magic. They take all the pressure off your feet and knees and let you have a comfortable descent.

This is different from the numbness, constant/dull pain that I talked about earlier. In this case you feel an acute pain in your toes. This is the second-most occurring of the post-trek issues amongst trekkers. I’ve seen many trekkers get alarmed with this pain, and I don’t blame them — they imagine it to be frostbite. Despite the acute pain, thankfully, this too goes away soon. 

This sharp pain occurs in your toes because of spasms in your blood vessels. It affects other extremities of your body too, but we’ve seen it affecting toes most often. 

This occurs because of over-exposure to extreme cold — if you have walked on snow for long, or if you have walked wearing wet shoes, or walked around the campsite in your sandals too long, or haven’t worn socks when inside your sleeping bag (on a cold night). 

Your blood vessels get constricted thanks to the cold. They have constricted to an extent that blood flow in them has greatly reduced. In a warmer temperature the blood vessels suddenly burst open to circulate blood. That’s what causes the sharp, sudden burst of pain.

Only for as long as your feet are unprotected and exposed to cold. 

This usually goes away as you enter warmer climate. It goes away even if you protect your feet with warm socks. If it persists long after your trek (which is rare), then dip your feet in warm water twice a day. Toss in some epsom salt, it’ll help. 

Keep your feet dry and protected at all times. Avoid exposing them to extreme cold — an example would be walking around the campsite early in the morning or late in the evening in your sandals. As a good practice, always wear a pair of clean woollen socks when you get inside your sleeping bag.

And never ever walk in wet shoes for too long — dry your shoes as soon as you can. If you cannot dry your shoes, change your socks often. Socks are easier to dry than shoes.

There’s a combination of both these ailments that trekkers often complain about. A sense of ringing numbness coupled with a throbbing pain that lasts for days after a trek. Sometimes for over two weeks.

 Rest assured, this too does not last forever. It usually disappears within 2-3 weeks.  The treatment is the same. Dip your feet in a combination of hot/cold water 2-3 times a day. Allow the blood circulation to return. 

As a precaution, pay attention to your shoes, your trek poles and your descending technique. When you descend try to follow a criss cross path with your toes pointing to the lower side of the trail rather than straight down. 

It’s no surprise that so many trekkers face body pain after their trek. It’s the most normal reaction to what you have put your body through on the trek, and it will go away on its own. 

On a trek, you are often pushing your body to its limit. You’re climbing uphill and downhill, you’re walking long hours, you’re carrying a heavy backpack, you’re battling cold weather, and you’re not in a very conducive place for all this — high altitude, with less oxygen saturation. 

All this takes a toll on your body. Your muscles are overworked, your core, guts, hamstrings, calves, back, shoulder, neck, even arms! So it’s only natural when your body reacts with pain after the trek. 

Typically for around 3-4 days after the trek.

Rest it out. Sleep enough after coming back, don’t have packed schedules. Just this usually helps. There’s no need for other treatment. 

Work on your fitness for at least 2 months before your trek. What most people don’t know about getting fit for a trek is that you not only feel less physical stress during the trek but you don’t feel any stress after the trek either. Your body recovers within a day after your trek, and you can bounce back to normal life immediately.

We see lots of people getting trek fever. Sometimes it is a bout of cold. Maybe accompanied by a sore throat. They typically have the flu. 

When your trek ends, your body’s immune system is at its lowest. It has used up all its resources to keep you going on the trek. 

The moment you get off the hills, the pollution, germs, bacteria and viruses in the air are almost waiting gleefully to attack you. And they do.

Your body, with its diminished charge, doesn’t have the strength to fight off the bad elements.

Invariably, you fall sick. It usually is a bout of flu, though we have seen even typhoid and jaundice.

Again, rest. Nothing works magic like resting can. You’ll bounce back to life within a few days. You really don’t need to rush to a doctor. However, after three days if you are still sick and your fever hasn’t dropped, then do meet your physician. 

There are a few things you can do to avoid trek fever. 

– Run that extra mile preparing for the trek. This is the most effective way of beating trek fever. The more you prepare, the more you build your body’s immune system. It is as simple as that.

– Don’t indulge in junk food immediately after your trek. Trekkers are usually in a celebratory mood after a trek. The first thing they do is gorge on food. Junk food is never good for your body. Especially not at those dhabas on your transit from the base camp. No chicken dishes at the nearest restaurant. Eat fresh, healthy food for at least 2-3 days after your trek. 

– Avoid sightseeing immediately after your trek. Crowded places with sweaty tourists should be last on your agenda immediately after your trek. It’s better to go sightseeing before your trek, provided your “sightseeing” doesn’t involve bungy jumping or rafting. The mantra is to avoid crowded places after a trek. Even at airports stay away from crowded zones.

We have a good article on trek fever and how to avoid it here, and this video with detailed explanations too.

Out of the five post-trek issues I’ve mentioned in this mail, this is the most problematic one. It lasts longer than expected and sometimes nags you in your daily activities as well.

Knee pain occurs for multiple reasons, but on a trek, it’s usually three main reasons — bad descending techniques, weak ligaments around the knee, pre-existing knee problems. (Of course, I’m not going into impact injuries.) 

In our experience we have noticed weak ligaments is the biggest culprit of knee pain. On a long descent (most treks have them), our ligaments are stressed again and again, resulting in swelling. Sometimes these swellings are visible. At other times they just show up as pain around the knees. After 3-4 hours of this abuse, our knees cannot take it anymore. Our knees are in excruciating pain.

One knee pain starts, it’s not easy to make it go away. But there are a few sure-shot ways of avoiding knee pain on a trek. 

– Use two trekking poles. Using one trekking pole is a no-brainer. No trekker should trek without one. But we have seen that two trekking poles are much more effective than one, in terms of taking pressure off of your knees. So use two. 

– Strengthen the ligaments around your knee much before your trek. At least one month in advance work on knee strengthening exercises. 

– Wear a knee brace on your descents if you have a known knee-problem. This gives your knees some cushioning and support, and eases the pressure around it. 

As I mentioned earlier, your knees get busted especially after long descents. The best treatment is to rest your knees for at least a week or ten days after your trek. Avoid cycling, running after your trek. 

The RICE therapy is a tried and tested treatment to relieve knee pain. That’s Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Treat your knee with this therapy for 7-10 days. You’ll immediately start seeing a difference. 

If your knee pain lasts more than a week (which means it’s not just from the repeated impact), then you should meet a doctor.

Follow these techniques to descend correctly and avoid Knee Pain

– Don’t be afraid to descend, more so, don’t slow yourself down. Most trekkers brake too often while descending, not allowing gravity to lead them. This is disastrous for your knees because it adds enormous pressure on them.

– Descend in a slight criss-cross pattern even on a narrow trail. Avoid pointing your toes directly downwards but angle it slightly to the left or right. This takes a good load off your knees.

– Look for natural flats on the trail: A stone, a tiny mound, a dip. They act as steps. Turn your trail into a series of natural steps rather than a straight incline. This greatly reduces stress on your knees.

Sunburns are also common after your trek. Around 5% of our trekkers say they face sun burns. Trekkers with very sensitive skin suffer a lot more — chapped lips, skin peeling off, extremely dry hands and feet — these are all common after a trek. 

The sun’s rays are much more harmful at high altitude than they are in our cities because of a thinner atmosphere and easier exposure to UV radiation. Which is why most trekkers have skin peeling off for nearly two weeks after their trek.

Sunburns take time to heal, but they usually heal on their own once you come back to warmer weather. A good way to speed up the process is to moisturise frequently, especially your hands and feet.

Coconut oil, mustard oil and petroleum jelly help moisture better than most other moisturisers.

A few other hacks that our Trek Leaders vouch for are face packs — a combination of tomato pulp + sugar works very well.

– Use a sun hat with flaps to cover your face and neck while trekking. This takes care of 95% of the issue. You’ll find some terrific sun hats here.

– Always wear full-sleeved tshirts or arm sleeves.

– Apply sun screen before you start your trek. More importantly, re-apply the sunscreen every 3-4 hours. It usually gets washed away and becomes ineffective within 3-4 hours.

– Apply sunscreen after applying your moisturiser for more protection.

These seem to be one of the common post-trek issues mostly during the trek. And we have some resources that will help. You’ll find a video on how to treat blisters here and an article on how to avoid blisters here. 

Gosh, “depression” is a strong word to use! But a lot of trekkers have put this down as one of the post-trek issues they face — missing the mountains a bit too much after coming back. This could be a legit problem, because when you’re trekking, the exercise makes your body release hormones that make you happy.

A good treatment is to continue exercising after your trek. This continues to release those happy hormones. It keeps you on a high. Better still, start planning your next trek. The anticipation keeps you going.

With that, I’m going to conclude this post. 

I hope I’ve covered what most trekkers go through and how you can tackle them. None of these post-trek issues are problems to worry about and can be treated with simple home remedies.

Let me know if you have faced any other post-trek issues. Drop in a comment on this post so all trekkers can see and learn. 

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to comment. 

Here's how to tackle and avoid post-trek issues like numb toes, sharp pain in their toes, trek fever and sunburns.

6 Post-Trek Issues and How to Avoid Them -- Numb Toes, Fever, Sunburn

post hike fatigue, post hike recovery, digitalgia paresthetica, trekking, hiking toenail damage, digitalgia paresthetica treatment, hikers toe treatment, post hike recovery food

The Brahmatal Trek is an Easy-Moderate Trek of Level 2 (What does this mean?). This means that the trek has some long days, some difficulty when it comes to snow and trekking in winter. We lay out further details of the Brahmatal trek difficulty in this article. 

The Brahmatal lake trek is considered to be a slightly easier trek as compared to some of the other ones in the in the same region, including Roopkund and Ali Bedni Bugyal. 

Brahmatal is known for the majestic views that it offers from the summit, especially of Mt. Trishul and Nanda Ghunti. Every time I plan on going there, the only thing that keeps me motivated is the high reward to effort ratio, in the sense, the feeling of rewards and satisfaction easily outweigh the efforts you put in the trek. 

A view of Mt Trishul from Brahmatal Top. Picture by Indiahikes Photographer Jothiranjan

Brahmatal is a very good trek for beginners, but you need to have a good fitness level to complete the trek. It’s not advisable for a complete beginner with no preparation to undertake such a high-altitude trek. The reason is that the initial ascent itself from the base at Lohajung at the start of the trek till the first campsite at Bekaltal is more than 2000 feet. 

Climbing such a distance is sure to get the air out of your legs and is considered the most difficult part as this is when your legs and body aren’t warmed up as opposed to the coming days. And the trail only gets higher from there. Each successive day you’ll be required to climb upwards of 1,500 feet and this is where it gets challenging. 

Therefore, it’s important you make sure that your body is in the right physical shape.

For this, I would recommend that you start running at least a month in advance from when you plan to undertake the trek. This is the best form of exercise that you can do on a continuous basis before every trek, especially Brahmatal. You should aim to finish a 5km run in 40 minutes or less. And doing so 3-4 times a week consistently for the next 30 days will bring your body up to the right conditions. 

What is the highest altitude on the Brahmatal trek? 

Brahmatal Lake is situated at an altitude of 12,000 feet or roughly 3,600 meters. While it may not be much in comparison to some of the other treks, it does pose difficulties, especially to beginners. 

Trekkers start from Lohajung which is located at a height of 7,800 feet, so in all, you’ll need to make an ascent of 4,000 feet up and then back, spread over 3 days. So far in my expeditions to Brahmatal, I’ve never come across any serious cases of trekkers suffering from altitude sickness. 

Still, it’s always advised to be on the lookout for symptoms and catch them when they are in their milder stages, especially during the colder months. 

Find out more in detail about Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), how to treat and prevent it, and other altitude illnesses.

The Brahmatal Lake is at around 12,000 ft. It's a challenging climb all the way to the top, especially in winter snow. Picture by Gajendra Kumar

The Brahmatal trek is bound to be more challenging during winters, in the months of December to end of March, not because of the terrain, but due to snowfall and snow-covered trail routes. This is also the most preferred time period for trekkers to visit. 

Walking in snow becomes difficult and taxing. It requires practice and also the right equipment in some of the harder sections of the trail. 

Heavy snowfall and snow on trails increases the difficulty of Brahmatal in winter. Picture by Vishwas Kishnamurthy

To summarise, the Brahmatal Lake is perfect for beginners, family, and a group of friends looking to get away from the hustles of city life. But being fit is a prerequisite that’s non-negotiable, especially during winters. Therefore if you’re a fit beginner, Brahmatal offers everything from views to the overall experience, that you’re looking for in a short trek. For more information on this and other such treks in the Himalayas, you can research further on our website.  

Drop in a comment if you have any questions and we will get back to you!

Information about difficulty of Brahmatal trek, including winter, snow, altitude, challenges and fitness requirements.

How Difficult Is The Brahmatal Trek In Uttarakhand | Winter, Snow, Altitude Challenges

How Difficult Is The Brahmatal Trek In Uttarakhand

Have you ever wondered what happens to your poop when you go trekking in the mountains? I’m sure that’s the last question to pop in your mind while planning a trek, but we at Indiahikes have given it some serious thought. Serious enough to write a blog piece on it. 

After countless experiments on our varied expeditions in the hills, we think we’ve finally figured out the most effective and sustainable solution to handling poop at high altitudes. If I were to give it to you in one word – it’s Composting. 

Yes, the same old concept you first read about in your science textbooks in middle school. But don’t worry, this one has nothing to do with earthworms 🙂 In fact, by the end of this article, you’ll have developed enough understanding as to how to provide the right conditions for composting. And I’ll also sneak in a few tips to speed up the process for you. So without further ado let’s get to business. 

➤ How Exactly is Composting Carried Out?

 To compost poop, all you really need is a hole in the ground. If you’re trekking alone or with a couple of friends, carry a shovel. Use it to dig a pit about 1 foot deep, then squat over and do your business. Once you’re done, use the same mud you pulled out to cover the hole. 

This technique is called the cat pit system and is simple enough when trekking with little to no company. 

When moving in a large group, however, of let’s say 15-20 people, you can’t go around asking everyone to dig their own holes each day. You require a bigger and more efficient system. This is where we at Indiahikes use the dry composting toilet pit. It’s basically a deeper version of the cat pit system in the sense that it often covers a depth of 4 feet or more. 

The compost pit is where the magic happens. The entire process of decomposition is carried out by microbes – microscopic organisms naturally present in the soil – which help break down the organic matter of the poop. 

And like any other living organism on our planet, they require their own set of suitable conditions which help them thrive. 

➤ 4 Things Absolutely Critical for the Microbes to Survive:

Our tiny friends require a balanced diet that’s rich in both nitrogen and carbon, ideally in the ratio of 1:2 respectively. While nitrogen is sufficiently present in your poop to help the microbes kickstart the composting, carbon on the other hand needs to come from an external source. 

At Indiahikes, we usually prefer carrying sacks of mud or cocopeat/sawdust (both rich sources of carbon) on our treks which we place near our compost pit for trekkers to use while finishing up. One other essential source of carbon you can add further is the soiled toilet papers you’d have used, which you can add in the pit along with the cocopeat. 

Please be mindful that the toilet paper you bring along on the trek isn’t bleached or laden with any chemicals as this’ll kill the microbes. That’s the reason why we also strongly discourage bringing wet wipes along on our treks. 

Your body ensures that the microbes get enough water to play their part in the composting process. This is where your poop and pee come in handy in keeping the compost system hydrated. It’s also the reason why this entire method is called the “DRY” compost pit as you don’t need any extra water from outside. 

Microbes require oxygen to perform the aerobic decomposition of matter. Having a pit in the ground allows for natural aeration and enables the pit to ‘breathe’ well. 

The final thing that these organisms need is shelter, in particular, the right temperature to do their work. This is a hard task as you’re in the mountains, but you are helped to some extent by the fact that the temperatures underground are warmer than land. Besides, make sure to keep the pit in a location that gets direct sunlight during the day.  This provides the microbes with an ambient temperature to carry on the process. 

➤ What Happens to the Compost Pit after Your Trek?

If you follow our instructions and tips mentioned above to the letter, it’ll take about 6 to 8 months for your poop to completely decompose into organic manure. This inspired us at Indiahikes to actually go back to our same spots once our trek season is finished, after about 8 months to check on the toilet pits. You can therefore take our word when we say that these dry compost pits are a great way of converting poop into nitrogen-rich manure. 

To know more about the process, or if you have any queries regarding it, feel free to write to me at neha@indiahikes.com or drop in a comment below. If you found this piece insightful, do remember to share it with your fellow trekkers. 

What Happens to your Poop in the Mountains

Did you know that in a group of 5 trekkers, at least 1 of them shows mild symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)? This is something we’ve noticed a lot over the past decade after leading hundreds of treks in the Himalayas. What we’ve also seen is that in most cases, trekkers don’t recognize their symptoms as AMS and rather attribute it to something else completely. 

AMS could prove dangerous if not caught in the early stages!

Yes, that’s right. If not diagnosed and treated at first, it could quickly climb on to a person mid way through his trek and turn out to be more serious. So in this article, I’m going to talk about 5 of the most common symptoms that you may not recognize as AMS and by the end of the article, you’ll know what signs to look out for, the next time you’re up in the hills. 

To begin with, let me try and tell you what AMS is in brief – Acute Mountain Sickness is your body’s way of telling you that it’s not adjusting well to the high altitudes. Now WebMD and Google will tell you to look out for a headache as it’s the most common symptom of AMS, but it’s important to note that in quite a few cases, people with AMS don’t experience any sort of headache at all. Therefore it becomes critical to recognize the symptoms I’m writing about. 

Always remember the Golden Rule for traveling in the mountains which says about suspecting and treating AMS as your first priority and then moving onto anything else.  

The first and most often ignored sign of AMS that I’ve seen among trekkers is having a bad stomach. A lot of trekkers develop a case of diarrhea wherein they blame their loose motions on the food and water around them. But you shouldn’t do that. Gastrointestinal symptoms are often seen in the milder stages of AMS so it’s essential that you take them as a sign of AMS, treat them, and then continue on with your trek. 

The second sign for AMS that trekkers neglect is nausea. They suffer from feeling like they’re about to vomit any second but wait for actually vomiting before terming it AMS and then treating it. Never make the mistake of delaying. Remember the golden rule, and treat your nausea as a sign of AMS. Trekkers also complain about a loss of appetite during the period and attribute it to dehydration, which you should avoid doing.

During my many expeditions, I’ve often seen trekkers complain about not getting enough sleep, and them tossing and turning in their sleeping bags all night. Now it’s easy for first-timers to blame this sudden outburst of insomnia on a change of surroundings and not being used to tents or sleeping bags. But shivering in your tent and being unable to sleep isn’t normal, especially when your body feels tired and exhausted after having trekked all day. So if you’re unable to sleep, please treat it as a sign of AMS first and foremost. 

 That brings me to my penultimate symptom – Extreme Fatigue. Now I’ve noticed this on many of my treks where a trekker who’s extremely fit and well-paced and ahead of the pack on Day 1 of the trek, feels exhausted and fatigued the next day and is barely able to keep up, and by the end of Day 3, he’s seen struggling for breath and lagging behind while climbing. This isn’t normal, extremely for people who are fit, as they’re expected to maintain a stable pace each day of the trek. If you ever encounter such a situation yourself, please treat the fatigue as AMS first.

The fifth and final sign that goes unrecognized as a symptom of AMS is this inexplicable case of uneasiness or restlessness. I’ve observed quite a few times when a trekker isn’t able to pinpoint exactly what’s going on but they can tell you that something for sure is wrong with their body, and sometimes their mind too. You must be aware of this and treat it as a signal your body is sending you regarding AMS. 

That brings us to the end. By now I hope you’ve built upon your understanding of AMS and will be better equipped to handle it on your next trek. You must keep in mind that this isn’t an exhaustive list of symptoms and that high altitude affects each person differently. Many people might show a range of symptoms with different intensities. Therefore it becomes critical to stay alert and notify your trek leader or other members in your group and always treat these symptoms as AMS first. Never forget the golden rule. 

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