A Heavenly Setting For Trekking
The valleys amongst the immense Himalayas in Kashmir host many amazing and beautiful lakes. Separated by high passes they also offer challenging hiking to those eager to see them. The energetic locals offer supported hiking experiences that attract hikers of all levels to immerse themselves in the majestic beauty of the mountains and return feeling extremely accomplished.
It is heaven if you keep looking up and far away across. If you look down, it is trash.
The New Kashmiri Carpet
Traditional Kashmiri carpets have been prized throughout history for their beauty, their handiwork. Today the entire land of Kashmir is being carpeted by both Kashmiris and visitors most casually without any craftsmanship — with plastic.
The big tourist attractions of Gulmarg and Pahalgam are getting carpeted rapidly by millions of visitors. Looking down from the gondola at Gulmarg, one can see plastic colourfully overcoming Nature’s emerald green.
The five lakes on the Kashmir Great Lakes (KGL) trek are still mostly pure. But trekkers, not in millions, but in thousands, seem to be successful in lining the paths with plastic and fully carpeting the campsites with trash.
There are two types of trash any camper has to contend with — plastic and manure, the output of all the horses and sheep. Some campers are offended by both. Some, including the author, are mostly offended by the non-biodegradable plastic. And, amazingly, some are offended only by poop (plastic is seen as hygienic).
The enterprising Tariq Ahmed offers trekkers a break at 3,200 metres. Most amazingly, one can get fresh watermelon (you can see it in the picture) transported from the plains. And bananas that also do not grow in Kashmir. Also on sale are a multitude of plastic wrapped refreshments, none of which are made in Kashmir, but will leave their mark for a few centuries on this gorgeous land. While Tariq keeps the space around his tent clean and packs up plastic in large plastic bags to carry down, after a few meters the plastic trail begins again.
Man-made trash is about to completely overpower Nature’s beauty. This will result in the disappearance of hikers who will find other cleaner spots to hike (even abroad) or just resort to just viewing beauty on the screen.
Efforts That Will Never Be Enough
The problem is very visible and widely acknowledged. A few initiatives are being tried out.
The government agencies have put signs in many places. That is their limit of awareness-building and education.
A few people are collecting plastic waste. But then what to do with it remains a problem. Some is burnt at the camp site making the pristine air toxic. Some is carried back to the nearest town inside bigger plastic bags, which helps the lakes remain clean but shifts the problem elsewhere.
The army is now involved. They check groups to see if they are carrying garbage out in large transparent plastic bags. But they cannot see how much was left behind.
All these activities are bandaid solutions on fractures. Under a massive bombardment of advertising and products, these bandaid initiatives are used as an excuse to avoid restrictions, avoid enforcing laws. So not only is any cleanup futile, it helps actually increase the amount of plastic brought in.
The producers are only interested in rapidly increasing consumption of junk food in the most attractive of packaging. At the least cost to themselves. With the government and media in their deep pockets, there is no way to put any responsibility upon their shoulders. At the end of the day, all the blame is put on the consumer: Should not they put trash in its place? If they know junk food is bad, why are they eating it? And on helpless government bodies: Why don’t they provide trash bins?
Looking At Multiple Issues Together
We are unable to see our transformation into a species that threatens the planet, from, as shown in our earlier history, a species that enhances and enriches the earth.
The challenge is to stop believing we are helpless, we can only reduce harm, and to start believing that we can be good, but actually be a positive force. We are not born to be consumers, but creators. If we can deeply feel that we are meant to do good, it becomes easier to reverse our transformation.
Once we believe that we can be good, do good, we have to overcome today’s mindset. Specialized in our thinking, divided in our action, we need a new approach to see and tackle the problem.
The way out of this downward spiral is to not focus on the trash, the plastic, narrowly. We have been taught to focus on a small, single issue. And ignore complications. This has not resulted in solving of many problems dealing with humans and the environment. To solve the problem of plastic even in the small area of KGL, we have to bravely ignore all that has been learned, all that is taught. We need to widen our gaze and take in as many issues as possible. That means holding up issues together, some which be taboo or sensitive. And also including as many diverse participants as possible. Instead of trying to solve pieces one at a time (which has not worked), we should tackle as many of them together holistically.
Let us look at many of the issues in no particular order, and introduce the various players:
Climate Change. Kashmir is recording one of the hottest summers ever. On June 5, a sudden and massive downpour swept tents away near the army checkpost. Only luck and brave action prevented death. An event never seen by the folks who host the treks in the region. Never heard of from their parents and grandparents.
The Amarnath ice-ling melted in 7 days this year, not lasting the normal two months.
Inam Torwali says: “Climate change has caught mountainous communities unaware with no education to assess the enormity of the crisis and no strategy on how to cope with it.” But its not like educated city dwellers are more aware and coping better.
Dependence on Tourism. The Kashmiri economy has been shattered over the past three decades. The majority of income today comes from visitors during the summer months. This makes tourists the king and their wish becomes a command. If they desire glamour and junk, they will be served it with a smile.
Thus the dhabas along the hike provide imported junk instead of local food.
In hiking areas, accessed by walking and ponies, such as the Thajiwas glacier in Sonamarg, the young children are taught to beg. Especially for sugary treats in shiny plastic packets. Sharing nuts and fruits with them does not evoke the smiles that junk food brings.
Women Exclusion. Kashmiri women are unable to enjoy the beauty of their home: living in a heavenly corner of the world, they cannot taste heaven. On the trek routes, one can meet a range of Kashmiris — locals, students, merchants — all men. Local women cannot experience the immense Himalayas up close, they cannot walk thru the outdoors and feast their eyes on the lakes.
Wildlife Extinction. The vast valleys of Kashmir were thickly forested and teeming with wildlife. The forests are thin now and devoid of wildlife; the vast areas now grazing for sheep and cattle only. The thin layer of grass means that vital topsoil is being eroded every year.
Culture Dying. The native crafts that can bring in money are still alive. Other, greater parts of the culture are dying. The onslaught from the screen is changing all ways of life including clothing, music, dance, art, architecture, and more. It allows locals to desecrate their own home and allow it to be further trashed by guests.
Military Presence. The Indian Army maintains a strength of around 1.3 lakh personnel in the entire Jammu and Kashmir making the area one of the most militarized zones in the world especially during the Amarnath yatra. The army — the government’s answer to terrorism — has a very difficult role because it has to be alert and suspicious and therefore is unable to make allies and win friends.
Food and Addictions. Dr V. Mohan explains that a culture of overexposure to fast food, lack of sleep, reduced exercise, and stress has created an epidemic of non-communicable diseases. In the past four years, India has added substantially to its burden of diabetes (11.4%), hypertension (35.5%), abdominal obesity (40%), and female abdominal obesity (50%). While we see the damage junk food does to us, we ignore the news and plunge on ahead, completely addicted to junk food and the lifestyle. And while we do see hiking and the outdoors as a way to health, we do not see the need to change our food habits on the hike.
Other addictions such as tobacco (a big problem in Kashmir) and alcohol (more a problem with the visitors) are also made obvious in the outdoors.
Trekking Operators. Several companies put together hikes that include everything, starting with pickup at the airport. A range of luxury is provided, but all camping is done in the middle of a garbage field. While the owners of these companies live remotely and conduct everything thru the internet and phone, even they can feel the garbage problem intruding on their business.
The Winter. The season is most important to consider, because tourists are absent and the local people are sequestered indoors and most find the screen the only way to pass the time, while some do some weaving during isolation. This quiet time is normally the time for the earth to heal. The poop becomes fertile soil. However, the plastic that lies under the snow and ice, refuses to disappear in this season. And continues to build up, layer after toxic layer.
Government Agencies. The Indian temperament to siphon off taxpayer money while avoiding work and challenging the power structure is one reason for the insolvability of the trash problem. The government takes some superficial action, and yet does not want people to take action themselves. People are most happy to put blame on the government. And hope.
A Most Noble Mission Kashmir
Be noble gently ascending the sacred Himalayan heights.
Be humble descending alongside living waters into valleys.
Let us start with a great aspiration for KGL, a glorious purpose:
To become worthy children of the sacred Motherland.
To create verdant beauty, joyfully singing praises for the Mother’s creation.
We should aspire to create the greatest beauty: a necklace to adorn the highest heights of the planet, bangles for its most pristine waters to glitter through, and a stage on which we dance with joy.
That does mean that we have to start by stopping all plastic. A full stop. It is only when the flood of plastic ceases that we can clean up all that has accumulated in the valleys. Clean up as we would clean our own home, our mosque, our temple. Down to the last plastic corner tab.
We will now see what is necessary. It should look impossible — it is our role on the planet to do the impossible. Which means we have to roll our sleeves up and step forward most determinedly.
Our goal is nothing less than increasing the beauty and richness of the Himalayas and providing access to maximum people, especially the locals, women, and the poor.
We have to not just provide an outdoor experience that results in minimum damage, we have to provide an opportunity to contribute, to become part of this most noble endeavour.
Hiker Hosting Communities
Hikers need some infrastructure, some facilities. In other countries, there are rest areas, designated campgrounds, facilities such as bathrooms, and water. Currently the hiking companies carry all the necessary support, including cookstoves and gas cylinders.
We have an opportunity to go way beyond at KGL: provide hosting communities.
Imagine creating hiking support infrastructure: designated camping areas with toilets. But populating them with living communities to provide an amazing array of services to hikers and hiking companies, while providing livelihoods.
A few families could play the role of hiker hosts at each campsite and offer services such as gas cylinders and cooking stoves. Hiking groups pay for the rental and consumption and thus do not have to carry them along their route. The hosts responsibilities include keeping the camping area clean, and keeping animals away. They could maintain a bio-fence to keep grazers away and create no-poop campsite.
Food and Water
Can we see local fresh food as a gift, a sign of hospitality? A chance to move away from junk food, packaged food? If food is medicine and hiking is healthy, a new KGL trek can heal in many more unexpected ways.
The host communities could offer a range of food options. All provisions such as flour, rice, eggs, oil, sugar, salt, honey, apples, nuts, … even utensils can be offered. Of course, it should be the best local, organic produce supplemented by ‘exotics’ such as watermelon and bananas.
Thus the hiking groups need not carry much. If a trekking operator wants to offer special items, such as pasta, they can store them at these places, pay for their storage space, and not carry them.
And for hikers who did not bring a cook with them, meals could be offered.
The clear rivulets of water offer a chance at drinking living water. Removing bacteria and offering crystal clear water as a treat to hikers should be a must at every campground.
Architecture and Construction
The community buildings need to be built, of course. They need to be designed well to survive a summer of use and a winter of non-use. The transient shepherd communities provide an example; but let us go beyond into beauty. Traditional Kashmiri buildings are not only earthquake proof but made of locally available materials. And involve craftsmanship and stand in noble beauty.
We can use one more locally available resource — plastic waste. With the ability to compress and melt, we could add plastic bricks, doors, and other fittings to the buildings. This is not to be seen as an invitation to bring in more plastic. It is to be seen as a temporary, convenient resource, the disappearing of which makes for a truly joyous occassion.
This project then invites all eco-friendly, mountain-aware architects. Kashmiri locals and friends from Ladakh get priority.
The coming winter is a good time to design and plan and start building early next year so that some of the hiking season can avail of the infrastructure.
Friendly Maintainable Toilets
The biggest need for hikers is toilets. Hiking companies set up a toilet tent first, which is a tent around a hole in the ground. They often carry toilet seats.
A most wonderful and welcome offering would be the provision of good, clean toilets. Dry, urine-diverting toilets would be the best and require education and cooperation of all hikers.
A most important consideration for women is that of menstrual pads. The heavily advertised plastic, gel offerings in cities have no place in the Himalayas. Reusable cloth offerings have to be made mandatory and made available for women hikers.
One can project that in the future, hot-water bathing facilities and laundry would be offered and finally the ‘gl’ in glamping would carry some weight.
Plastic-Free Camping
Trekking and camping today is 99% plastic-enabled. Tents are plastic, sleeping bags are plastic, mattress pads are plastic, backpacks are plastic, clothes are plastic, rain-gear is plastic, shoes are plastic, …
Lets us bravely start tackling this impossibility.
The first item is sleeping pads. All sorts of foam pads can be seen on the hiking trails. They do provide a softer, insulating sleep experience. But they also break and tear into pieces that clog up the environment. Here Kashmiris can offer a most unique solution — the Kashmiri carpet. A stock of woollen carpets can be stored at the camping sites which people can rent for their stay.
No plastic wrapping. We start by ensuring that nothing with plastic wrapping is brought in. This is easy to check for, as there are army checkposts along the route. A partnership between the locals and the army would be an amazing outcome in addition to the plastic-free outcome.
This is an invitation for people to come forward with non-plastic solutions. An opportunity to restore the use of materials such as rubber, leather, jute, and hemp.
The removal of plastic should not be seen as inconvenience. It has to be seen as a fantastic opportunity for design and creation of new products, skills, and jobs.
A Full Reuse Eco-system
Let us first review the needs of hikers. They need good footwear and layers, including protection from the rain. Most hikers get equipment that cannot be used in daily wear. So the equipment is stored, often for years. And it is expensive.
KGL has an opportunity to create a hiking library, a place to rent good quality equipment for the short duration of the hike.
The KGL trek route is situated nicely between two towns: Sonamarg (usually the starting point of the full trek) and Naranag (the starting point for shorter treks to the twin lakes). These two towns are connected by a road external to the hike.
It will be easy to create two libraries for hiking equipment. One can borrow in Sonamarg and return in Naranag. This is the way to allow people from all levels to participate in the beautiful outdoors.
Unlike book libraries, the hiking libraries would also thoroughly clean the returns, before they go out again. The hiking libraries can expand to silk inner layers, wool layers, leather, …
A Cashless Accounting System
The best part of hiking is that one is away from the world of money and phones. This proposal does not involve any hi-tech or the need to have cell-phone towers.
But a simple system to manage accounts is necessary. We need to create a cashless system that serves both the hikers and the service providers. One that can work without connectivity and only the barest minimum when required.
A library card system could work with a paper system. One can start the trek by depositing money into a KGL card. This is used to procure any services along the trek. At the end the balance is returned. There will be people shuttling daily bringing fresh supplies: they can carry updates on their phones if a mobile system is put in place.
There are plenty of solutions available to choose from. The decision-makers need to be able to resist the lure of technology and demand the simplest.
One has to also design in an incentive system. People caught smuggling in plastic would be fined. And those caught tossing plastic would attract a hefty fine. Rewards for good behaviour to individuals and groups would be instituted. One can start ranking trekking operators by how plastic free they are.
A New Role For The Army
The army can play a new role. If the motherland’s enemy is seen as plastic, it can adopt a strategy of allying with both the locals and hikers to eliminate this enemy from Kashmir.
Health reports have been raising the alarm for years about the trends in the citizenry. The government has taken no action, but maybe the army sees its role to protect the citizens of India from all attacks. Then another enemy is the contents inside plastic packaging that end up in the bodies of the citizens causing more suffering and untimely deaths — the cause of 66% of all deaths in India, more than all the bullets and bombs used against the people. Another chance for the army to be a protective ally of the people.
A Special Nod To Women
Women sustain the culture and it is important to nourish that important role to avoid cultural death. And to honour their position as a culture regrows and evolves.
Since the hosting communities consist of families, chosen from villages like Naranag, they will include women and girls.
This will make the trek more inviting and acceptable to women hikers, especially the women of Kashmir. One can visualize an all-women’s trek that starts a few weeks earlier in their homes with fitness exercises and training.
A Place To Regrow Culture
The new campsites can include a stage. An invitation for artists to come and reside for a week or so. Local artists can lead the way and further the invitation to artists from across the Himalayas: from Ladakh to Manipur. And beyond.
Hikers get entertainment in the evenings, and local hikers reconnect more deeply with their culture. It is common to hear mainstream music on the hiking trails thanks to portable speakers. It is important to give a space to live, non-mainstream, local culture to allow it to stay alive, to evolve.
Other arts such as painting and clothing can also find a space to showcase themselves and invite people to participate. One can have artist treks which stay longer in one spot for a deep art experience.
Rewilding — Hiking With Purpose
We can and need to go beyond reforestation into rewilding. Not just planting trees, but inviting Nature in all its glory back to Kashmir.
We can identify large areas for rewilding, which means to plant trees and protect them from the grazers. One side of the valley could be left for grazing and the other side for Nature.
Hiking can be a great opportunity for learning. School groups, and budding environmentalists of all ages can join hikes with a naturalist to learn. And participate.
Hikers can play a special role: from cleaning, planting, fencing, recording.
Rewilding will see the return of deer and wild mountain goats and bears. And we can hope for predators such as the tiger and snow leopard.
The idea of KGL fighting climate change is not to encourage others to continue their climate heating ways. But to be a light in the world for a new direction.
The Winter
The time of bitter cold has a big role in defining the culture. In the mountain communities, it is a time of isolation, of suppression. The blanket under which they live in their homes allows a bit of contact, but without a common space to meet, to tunnel towards, it is a harsh period.
Some light can shine in this time. A new hiking regime would mean that there would be many things to prepare. Carpet weaving would be a natural activity. With the addition of making and repair of many other supplies. Experimenting with the food offerings. Selecting the families that would be the hosts and those that would shuttle. And there would be time to work on song and dance.
From passively watching the screen all winter, it can change to active creation, helping the culture evolve into something that glitters like diamonds in the snow.
Creating The Opening
The trash has created an opening. To do far more than clean it up, an opening for today’s man to evolve into a superior being. A being more aware of themselves and the world, more aligned with their natural purpose, and ready to work on a noble mission.
Blocking this way are masculine forces. Our society is now hyper-masculine and clearly toxic to our humanity, our environment, and our planet. The male dominance is across all aspects: culture, education, economics, medicine, politics, governance, and religion. The forces have much momentum and are penetrating the last few remaining corners of the planet.
For anything new to emerge, these forces have to give room. If the socio-political-religious powers do not yield, then KGL will be carpeted in plastic — a shroud. A new beginning will come after a complete collapse. Without us.
But if the super-machoistic can even hold their breath for a bit, something new can emerge. A beginning of a new phase in the yin-yang circle. Something miraculous. It is likely to be feminine. Could it be the devi of Kashmir? Inviting her children back to joyfully dance on sanctified land?
