At Indiahikes, we don’t look at cleaning the mountains as a one-time activity. It is not about charity or good deeds. It is about responsibility. Every green sweep we do is meant to push for something larger — awareness, systems, and lasting change.

Recently, this came into sharp focus at our Manali base. A short walk into the forest near campus revealed what we had seen far too often — piles of waste scattered in the forest. Beer bottles, sanitary waste, diapers, non-recyclables. We had cleared the same forest before, in 2023 and earlier this year. But the trash kept returning. It was evident — another clean-up was not enough. 

The very next morning, we joined hands with the Mahila Mandal. Around 15 women from the local village, along with our team, came together for the clean-up. For the women, this was not new — on the 10th of every month, they take turns cleaning the village. But this time, the focus was not only on cleaning. It was on finding ways to manage waste sustainably.

Rahul and Hira ji laid out a clear plan. We divided into two mixed groups — Indiahikes teammates and Mahila Mandal members. For an hour, we combed the forest, clearing everything we found. The forest looked cleaner. But the real impact began afterwards.

Back at the base, we spoke about what happens after the waste is picked up. The women shared that while they now keep dry and wet waste separately, segregation is not being done properly. Many expected Indiahikes to collect it from their homes. Earlier, a vehicle collected waste weekly, but that had stopped. The only option left was burning it. They knew it was harmful, but without alternatives, they had little choice.

That is when Alveera talked about composting — turning wet waste into compost for their farms. It was a small but practical shift. Yet, it was also clear that 15–20 women cannot change the waste practices of an entire village. To bring accountability, Akshay and Archna suggested involving the Pradhan in the next clean-up. Leadership had to be part of the solution.

The women also joined us in practising segregation right there. It was a start — small, but significant.

The clean-up underlined an important truth. This is not just about litter lying in the forest. It is about bigger consequences — changing weather patterns, a degrading forest, and the stress on natural resources. To address this, awareness has to spread wider. Involving the youth and children is critical — they will carry these practices forward.

The road ahead is long, but the process has begun. And that in itself is a reason for hope.

What happened in Manali is not an isolated effort. Similar outreach initiatives are happening across Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Himachal. And we know this for certain — one-off clean-ups don’t create change. Sustainable change happens only when communities take ownership, when systems are built, and when behaviour slowly shifts. 

This is what we are working towards at Indiahikes. Because what we do off the trail is just as important as what we do on it.

Every green sweep we do is meant to push for something larger — awareness, systems, and lasting change.

Segregation, Composting, and a Push for Lasting Change: Indiahikes and Mahila Mandal Lead Manali Clean-Up

Manali clean-up, Clean-up drive, Forest clean-up, Waste management, Sustainability, Sustainable Trekking, Green Trails, Indiahikes Green Trails, Waste segregation, Composting, Green sweep, Indiahikes community engagement

Something powerful unfolded at the schools of Karchi and Regdi recently. For a few days, the slope team had been reflecting on a critical question—how do we take Green Trails work beyond our treks and deeper into the communities we work with? That led us to a small but significant collaboration with the Mahila Mandal and the local school.

The process began with groundwork. There were initial conversations with the school principal—hesitations, back-and-forth discussions. But the team held on with persistence and clarity of intent. Eventually, the school opened its doors, and with it came the opportunity to meaningfully engage with the children.

Once the green light was in, the slope team came together—brainstorming, planning, and designing the session. Everything was anchored in the three core Green Trails values: sustainability, empathy, and transformation.

On the day of the engagement, Nilang, Ranveer, and Kavinaya led the facilitation. Around 60 students had gathered, and they were divided into three groups.

The first interaction was simple. The team asked:

“What do you see around your village?”

The answers were vivid—trees, animals, rivers. But one thing was missing: no one mentioned waste.

That silence became the team's entry point into a deeper conversation.

The team shifted the dialogue toward waste awareness—what it means, where it hides in plain sight, and how it affects places like theirs. There were no lectures. The conversation stayed simple, relatable, and rooted in the children's everyday life.

Following the discussion, the group stepped outside for a clean-up drive. Together, the children and the slope team collected 15 kilograms of waste from around the village. This was followed by a hands-on segregation game—designed to help children learn how to identify and sort waste in real-world scenarios.

As the energy began to dip, aam panna was passed around, and the group gathered for reflection. That’s when a short but impactful video on Delhi’s dumping ground was played.

The reaction was immediate. The room went still.

One child said, “If we don’t take care of our waste, our village will become like that too.”
 Another added, “We won’t let this happen here.”

It was a raw moment of realisation—not just for the students, but for the team as well. It was a reminder of why Green Trails work matters, especially off the trail.

The session closed with a thank-you note to the school principal and the Mahila Mandal for their trust. The team also assured them that this was not a one-off event. This is a journey the slope team is committed to continuing alongside them.

This green sweep at Karchi is just a small part of something much bigger at Indiahikes. Similar community outreach efforts are happening across our slopes — in Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Himachal. Because we’ve seen this time and again — real change doesn’t come from one-off cleanups. It happens when local communities are involved, when they take the lead, and when there’s a slow but steady shift in behaviour and systems. That’s the kind of change we’re working towards.

Because what we do off the trail is just as important as what we do on it. And this day was a reminder of that.

Together, the children and the slope team collected 15 kilograms of waste from around the village. This was followed by a hands-on segregation game—designed to help children learn how to identify and sort waste in real-world scenarios.

15 Kgs of Waste Cleared with Children and Mahila Mandal — A Deeper Step into the Community at Karchi and Regdi

Indiahikes green trails, Green Trails, Sustainability, Waste awareness, Clean-up drive, Clean-up drive Karchi, Waste segregation, Community collaboration, Waste management, 

Last week, something significant unfolded at one of the dhabas on the Hampta Pass trek. A short video taken there made its way to our team in Bangalore.

And this one moment on the trail suddenly put the spotlight on something bigger we’ve been working on. A project we’ve been nurturing quietly, slope by slope.

And it’s time we told you about the thought behind it.

What is the Indiahikes Green Dhaba Project?

The Indiahikes Green Dhaba Project is an initiative we started this year, in the first quarter of 2025, as part of our Green Trails initiative.

How can we solve the problem of waste generated by dhabas on trails?

Because let’s face it — dhabas are an inevitable reality on any popular trail. 

They’re always tucked along trails, where trekkers stop for quick snacks. They’re a good source of income for the local community. But increasingly, we began noticing how these little stalls were also becoming hubs of plastic waste. Not because the locals didn’t care — but because trekkers kept asking for chips, biscuits, and packaged food.

And when there’s demand, there’s supply.

but that supply comes at a cost to the very mountains we’re trekking in, with tonnes of unmanaged, non-recyclable plastic waste.

That’s where the Indiahikes Green Dhaba Project was born — from the hope that dhabas could change, they could stop adding to the mountain of waste, and instead, could enhance the experience of trekkers.

The Indiahikes Green Dhaba Project: A Small Idea, With a Larger Vision

This project is not a mere one-time campaign. It is trying to bring about a mental shift, one that comes from collaboration, not enforcement.

The Indiahikes Green Dhaba Project is a gentle shift — one that comes from collaboration, not enforcement. It’s about walking up to the dhaba owner and simply asking:

“Can we use steel plates instead of disposables?”

“Can we segregate our waste (for recyclable, non-recyclable and landfill)?”

“Can we keep this space clean — inside and out?”

“Can we deposit the waste at our base camp?”

Surprisingly, the answers are usually a yes for one (or more) of these questions.

Sometimes a hesitant yes, sometimes a proud one. 

There’s one more thought we’ve been sitting with — something that ties deeply into the larger vision we’re working towards.

We often think of a trek as just an escape into the mountains — a chance to be with nature. But it’s so much more than that.

A trek is also a deep cultural experience. Every trail carries stories — of people, of food, of history. Yet, we rarely pause to connect with that side of the journey. And local cuisine especially plays such a big role in that immersion. It tells us what grows there, what people eat every day, and what warmth tastes like in the mountains.

Because these dhabas don’t wrap up when our treks do.

They remain long after the trekkers leave. Long after the slope teams wind up for the season. That means if change takes root here, it’ll last.

Take Baldev, for instance — a shopkeeper on the Hampta Pass trail.

He now doesn’t sell packaged food to Indiahikes trekkers; his reason is simple:
“It spreads garbage.”

And that was reason enough for him to stop.

When someone makes even a 1% change, without being told — that’s not small. That’s transformational.

The beauty of this project is how simply it unfolds — in three levels:

Level 1 is where we begin.
The dhaba owner starts depositing waste with us at our basecamp. They’ve set up a basic segregation system — separating recyclable, non-recyclable, and landfill waste. And just as important, the area around the dhaba stays clean. It’s no longer a plastic hotspot.

Level 2 goes a step deeper.
Here, the dhaba begins to offer a slice of the region’s culture through its food to Indiahikes trekkers. 

Level 3 is where it all comes together.
At this stage, the dhaba becomes a place of pride — no packaged food, only local food, served to every trekker who stops by, not just Indiahikes. It’s no longer just a food stall. It’s a living part of the trek — rooted in sustainability and local culture.

When a dhaba aligns with a few simple, but important practices — like switching to reusables, avoiding packaged food, and managing waste responsibly — we recognise their efforts by certifying them as Green Dhabas.

And this isn’t just a title. It’s a commitment, both from their side and ours. Once certified, we actively direct our Indiahikes trekkers to these dhabas — making sure the right actions are encouraged, and their effort doesn’t go unnoticed — it gets rewarded, right there on the trail.

Waste segregation in action at a Hampta Pass dhaba. Photo by: Hemant Bisht

Like all other slopes, at Hampta Pass, our Trek Leaders and Guides have been nudging this forward — no instructions, no mandates. Just steady, honest conversations with the right intention. And that’s where the real change lies.

When someone asked why locals still sell packaged food, the answer was candid: 

It’s not that locals don’t want to serve their cuisine — they’d much rather. But when there’s a demand for chips and biscuits, what choice do they have? This is, after all, their livelihood.

And yet, people like Baldev are choosing differently. Choosing consciously.

That quiet shift? That’s the kind of change we dream of.

This project didn’t start overnight. It took root when Lakshmi, our Head of Green Trails, first asked:

“Can we turn our dhabas into models of sustainability?”

From there, our teams took that idea and made it real. 

And today, it’s showing. One dhaba at a time. One trek at a time.

So if you're trekking with us, you can be a proud participant in this project. Green dhaba owners do not serve Indiahikes trekkers in disposable cutlery. They offer local cuisine to our trekkers, and not the typical “pahaadon waali Maggi.” So if you're choosing a Green Dhaba, you can be proud that you're not adding to litter on trails.

The Green Dhaba Project is an initiative that began with a simple question: How can we solve the problem of waste generated by dhabas on trails?

How the Indiahikes Green Dhaba Project is Changing the Trekking Landscape

Indiahikes Green Dhaba Project, Green Dhaba Project, Green Trails Initiative, Sustainability on treks, Trekking with responsibility, Waste management on trails, Hampta Pass, Local dhaba on trail, Waste segregation, Sustainability, Sustainable trekking

What is the Indiahikes Green Dhaba Project? A Real, On-Ground Example from the Hampta Pass Trail

On the 17th of July, something quietly unfolded at the Government Middle School in Sarsai.

Now, the idea had been brewing for a while. Just a day before, on the 16th, our slope team walked over to the school to meet the principal and share a plan. A simple one — to host a Green Trails session with the students. Not a lecture, not a formal session, but something more fun and meaningful. Something they’d remember.

The principal welcomed us in, listened patiently, and smiled. “Come tomorrow,” he said. And so, we went.

We had around 30 students from Classes 6 to 8 waiting for us. Curious, a little unsure, but very present.

We began with a skit — no stage, no props. Just our team acting out a story that felt all too familiar: a cow munching on plastic, wrappers being tossed onto the road, characters buying chips for no reason, and a shopkeeper casually saying, “Throw the waste outside.”

Indiahikes team members facilitating the Green Trails session at Government Middle School, Sarsai — guiding young minds through stories, skits, and simple actions. Photo by: Indiahikes Team

And then — small hands went up. “But cows should eat grass!” “They shouldn’t throw trash like that!” That’s when we knew — they were really watching. Really thinking.

In the second round of the skit, we changed things up. No plastic bottles, no wrappers. Reusable containers came in. The cow was now eating grass. The same shopkeeper was now offering a dustbin.

The shift was small, but the kids noticed every bit.

After the skit, Munna ji led a conversation. And I say conversation — not a session — because that’s exactly what it was. He spoke about the Green Trails practices we follow on our treks. And more importantly, why we follow them.

The students joined in almost immediately. “We don’t use steel boxes, but we want to now.” “We’ll stop throwing wrappers near the school.” “We’ll tell our families also.”

And then something special happened — Praveen stepped forward and led the Green Trails pledge. All 30 students stood up and promised to care. Not just about not littering, but about how their choices — even the smallest ones — affect the world around them.

I want to pause here and say this — this wasn’t just a school visit. It was something else.

It was that rare moment when a message doesn’t just land — it takes root. It wasn’t about ‘teaching sustainability.’ It was about feeling it. About seeing young minds light up, question things, suggest change, and take ownership.

The students picked up on sustainability so quickly — asking questions, sharing stories, and leaving us more hopeful than we came in. Photo by: Indiahikes Team

And that’s what Green Trails is about. Not quick fixes. But slow, quiet, steady change.

And on that morning in Sarsai, we saw it.

We had around 30 students from Classes 6 to 8 waiting for us. Curious, a little unsure, but very present. We began with a skit: a cow munching on plastic, wrappers being tossed onto the road, and a shopkeeper casually saying, “Throw the waste outside.”

A Skit, A Pledge, and 30 Young Changemakers — A Green Trails Session at Government Middle School, Sarsai

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A quiet but powerful shift unfolded in Yangpa, a small village from where we start the Pin Bhaba Pass trek. The mission was clear: to leave the mountains better than we found them. But what emerged from this one-day initiative was far more layered.

The day began with a sapling plantation drive at the Government Primary School in Yangpa. Children under the age of 10 arrived, accompanied by their mothers, teachers, Mahila Mandal members, and 13 Indiahikes team members. Village leaders — Mrs. Krishna Kumari (Pradhan of Yangpa) and Mrs. Tara Devi (Mahila Mandal Pradhan) — lent their support, making this a true community gathering.

The activities were thoughtful. Trek Leaders facilitated engaging sessions on the importance of trees. The hills echoed with slogans — “Swachh Yangpa, Sundar Yangpa” and “Vriksh Lagao, Gaon Bachao”. The sincerity in the children’s voices, matched by the warmth of their mothers’ smiles, set the tone for what felt like a festival of change.

But amid the cheer, the team stumbled upon a harsh reality — villagers were burning their trash. Everyone, from a six-year-old to the elderly, spoke of burning waste as the only known method. There was no disposal system. No segregation.

This shifted the tone of the day. The plantation drive became a springboard for deeper work. The team handed out Eco Bags and quickly initiated a cleanup drive. From the school to the village lanes, the entire community pitched in. Together, they collected seven large bags of waste.

That wasn’t all. Trek Leader Hrithik simplified waste segregation for the young audience. Abhishek Tiwari, our operations team member, coordinated the sorting into hard plastics, soft plastics, tetra packs, and glass. In total, 71.57 kgs of waste were segregated in just 15 minutes. What could’ve been a small demo turned into a turning point. Fifteen women from the Mahila Mandal committed, then and there, to begin waste segregation at home.

The ripple effect was immediate. The Pradhan requested every household to begin separating trash and assured that it would be handed over to Indiahikes. On our part, the Indiahikes team promised safe disposal through their new collaboration with Waste Warriors, Manali.

In a symbolic and practical move, the Pradhan added an Indiahikes representative to their community WhatsApp group. Plans for a mini waste collection centre near the basecamp were already underway.

Behind this impact was a deeply committed team — Abhishek Tiwari, Subhash Ji, Abhishek Bhan, Dhananjay, Abhishek Roy, Srijita, Charan, Hrithik, Saurabh, Pankaj Patwal Ji, Harsh Mohan Ji, Sourabh Ji and Mohit Bhai from Rupin Pass — each playing their part quietly, meaningfully.

What started as a simple school collaboration turned into something much larger. Yangpa didn’t just witness a one-day event. It felt like the start of a change. 

At Indiahikes, we have felt a strong need to include the local communities we work with. We notice that while everyone has the intention to protect the environment, it is often the lack of knowledge that holds them back from being able to do so. While we are seasonally present in these regions, our presence drives a lot of things forward. But with initiatives like these, where the members of the local community are involved, especially women and children, we believe and hope that the impact of it remains long after we pack-up for the season. 

The incident is just one small part of the larger efforts unfolding across our slopes — from Uttarakhand to Sikkim and beyond. At Indiahikes, we deeply believe that real, lasting change — both behavioural and systemic — can only happen when local communities are at the heart of it. Because protecting the environment isn’t a solo mission. It’s something we build together.

71.57 kgs of waste were segregated in just 15 minutes. What could’ve been a small demo turned into a turning point. Fifteen women from the Mahila Mandal committed, then and there, to begin waste segregation at home.

How Yangpa Sparked a Green Revolution in a Single Day

green trails, Indiahikes green trails, clean up, waste segregation, pin bhaba pass trek, community engagement, sustainability initiatives, waste management, local collaboration, 

71.57 kg Waste Segregated. How Yangpa Sparked a Green Revolution in a Single Day

The Indiahikes Manali slope team carried out its first on-ground community initiative of the season — a joint cleanup drive with the Mahila Mandal of the local village.

The idea for this initiative began a few weeks ago. When the slope team stepped out for a Green Sweep in the forest patch behind the campus, what they found was deeply concerning — large pockets of waste scattered across just a small area. It didn’t take long to realise that one-time cleanups weren’t going to help. Unless there was a shift in how waste was seen and handled, it would keep coming back.

That’s when the team decided to involve the community. They reached out to the Mahila Mandal — a group of women who clean the village every 10th of the month — and proposed a collaboration. With support from the Pradhan Ji, the plan was set in motion.

The team getting ready for the Green Sweep — all set to step out with a shared purpose.
Photo by: Indiahikes Team

The next morning, the slope team met the women near the Indiahikes campus. Siddharth from the team introduced Indiahikes, shared the plan for the day, and handed out eco-bags for the cleanup.

The group got to work, and in less than an hour, they had cleared 162 kilos of waste.

But the real success of the morning lay in what happened during the cleanup. Every slope team member took time to speak with the villagers — to share what Indiahikes stands for, what Green Trails means, and why sustainability is central to everything we do. 

After the cleanup, the Mahila Mandal was invited to the Indiahikes campus for tea and snacks. It was a simple gesture, but it opened space for a deeper conversation. The team shared more about:

And most importantly, how waste can be handled better at a village level

They have questions. Their concerns were practical, and all of them were valid. The team responded with suggestions and assured them of continued support. They also committed to working with the Pradhan Ji to co-create solutions that last.

For the slope team, this was more than a cleanup. It was a chance to build trust — to show up with clarity and purpose. 

This green sweep at Manali is just a small part of something much bigger at Indiahikes. Similar community outreach efforts are happening across our slopes — in Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Himachal. Because we’ve seen this time and again — real change doesn’t come from one-off cleanups. It happens when local communities are involved, when they take the lead, and when there’s a slow but steady shift in behaviour and systems. That’s the kind of change we’re working towards.

162 Kg of Waste Cleared. A Green Sweep With the Mahila Mandal - Ground Report from Manali

green trails, Sustainability, 162 kg of waste cleared, Green Sweep, Cleanup drive, community initiative, Waste management, Village-level waste management, Community collaboration, Waste segregation

Early this month I was on a hike with Indiahikes doing the Dayara Bugyal trail. For me to get to Dehradun, to meet the rest of the team, was a journey in itself. On the day of my fight, cyclone Fengal made a landfall in Chennai, where I live. All flights were cancelled, with some maneuvering, took a flight out of Bengaluru. 

At the basecamp in Raital (the picture with alpen glow - orange tinted mountain top), the locals, guides and seasoned trekkers, all of them individually mentioned how the snow coverage on the mountains have been deceasing over the years - not like from 20 years back, but as recently as 5 years back. 

I left behind a climate event to experience nature, where one can witness once again impact of climate change. The warming planet, rapid snow melts has directly increased the frequency and intensity of cyclones impacting Chennai. 

Mercifully, Indiahikes makes sustainable trekking as one of its core philosophy. We picked up trash we found on the mountains, carried no packaged food, had cooks with us to make fresh food at every camp site, used bio toilets and followed ingenious water saving methods(all of it needs a separate post). 

All of us, specially those of us working on sustainability and climate risks, need to explore some nature related activity. It will add to the urgency of our work. 

Collective action to keep global warming contained below 1.5 degree - complex. Choices at personal level, organizational level - doable. How much waste do we all generate - how many of your offices serve bottled water / use disposable plates and cups? 

Read the complete LinkedIn post here.

PS: In the picture with me is Ankur Roy, our lovely trek leader, without who I could not have finished the trek. The last two pictures are of Chennai metro and Chennai airport the day Fengal made landfall.

Early this month I was on a hike with Indiahikes doing the Dayara Bugyal trail. For me to get to Dehradun, to meet the rest of the team, was a journey in itself.

Why Nature Connection Matters for Sustainability Professionals

At Indiahikes, our commitment to the environment is unwavering. We don’t just encourage responsible trekking; we insist on it. That’s why our Green Trails principles are non-negotiable.  Our no-compromise promise to the environment is:

1. We promise to leave the trails better than we find them. We carry Eco Bags to clean trails. Using eco bags, our trek leaders, staff, and trekkers go beyond leaving no trace—they leave the mountains in a better state.

2. We promise to keep waste out of landfills. We segregate waste at the source. We refuse to let our waste add to landfills. By segregating all waste at its origin, we transform it into valuable resources. 

3. We promise to compost all food waste directly at its source. We compost our food waste. Food waste accounts for a significant portion of the waste generated during the trek. We ensure that all food waste is composted at its source.

4. We promise to conserve water by minimising usage per trekker. Every drop of water matters, and we conserve it through water-saving nozzles, washing contraptions, our three-sink systems, and rainwater harvesting methods.

5. We promise to compost human waste sustainably. We compost our human waste through our Bio-Toilets. Our specially designed bio-toilets turn human waste into nutrient-rich compost.  

6. We promise to leave every campsite cleaner than we find them. We conduct green sweeps while vacating campsites. Our teams clean every camp of litter before moving forward, leaving the camp better than we found it.

7. We promise to increase the use of renewable energy on our treks. We are innovating energy usage on our treks. By lighting our camps with solar energy and optimising the usage of LPG, we reduce the burden on the environment. 

8. We promise to conserve the forest we trek on. We ban campfires and provide other alternatives for heat (or even sacrifice it). Deadwood is essential for the regrowth of the forests. It cannot be used for our comfort. 

9. We promise to eliminate disposable cutlery. We do not allow the use of disposable cutlery. To cut down on disposable cutlery and minimise our footprint, our trekkers bring their own cutlery. 

10. We promise not to allow wet wipes. We do not allow wet wipes on our treks. They have a lasting negative impact on the environment through chemical leaching, and even the biodegradable ones do not decompose. 

11. We promise to maintain a dustbin-free campus. Our trekkers take back their litter for disposal in their home cities, where the infrastructure can handle it responsibly.
12. We promise to promote sustainable menstruation practices. Our wrap-pack-take-it-back policy requires women trekkers to take sanitary waste back to cities for safe disposal.

We don’t merely promote responsible trekking; we require it. That’s why our Green Trails principles are set in stone. Take a look at our uncompromising Green Trails promise.

The Indiahikes No-Compromise Green Trails Promise 

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. 

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

Say no to disposables on mountains

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. 

Don’t buy anything wrapped in plastic before, during or after 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.

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: 

How just one person can change the mountains in a week

Maggi or the mountains? What do you choose? See our waste audit here

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. 

Here are 3 easy steps that will completely change the way you trek and help you leave the mountains better.

 3 Easy Steps To Protect The Mountains

3 ways in which you can help to preserve our mountains, conservation of mountains, how to protect mountains

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) 

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

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