As we know it, trekking positively impacts everyone who does it. But the question is, do you leave a good impact on nature when leaving the trekking site? As you lace up your boots and embark on your next adventure, consider how your actions impact the environment. Being an eco-friendly trekker means making choices that help preserve the beautiful landscapes you love. Here’s a guide to help you embrace the role of an eco-friendly trekker and enjoy nature while keeping it pristine for others.
This guide shows you how you can merge adventure with environmental responsibility, ensuring that your trek not only invigorates the soul but also safeguards the earth for future explorers.
Avoid Plastic at all costs
Plastic is everywhere. We are surrounded by it and all it does is harm the environment. And if you ask us, plastic pollution one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. You can avoid contributing to the pollution by not bringing packaged food to the mountains. This is anyway not good for your health, especially when your body needs so much energy. What you can rather do is eat fruits and veggies. You may think that you can segregate the waste, but not bringing them to the mountains is the best option.
Carry re-usable Products
Not carrying packaged food to the mountains is not enough. You should also not carry non-biodegradable cutlery with yourself as well. Disposable items are the worst of their kind. All they do is pollute the environment as soon as you dispose them. You’d see a lot of them up there as many people take them along. This waste generally takes tens if not hundreds of years to decompose.
Do not Contaminate the Water
Water is one of the most important needs of humankind and its common sense to preserve it. What flows from the Himalayan glaciers is used in many parts of the country for its daily needs including drinking. In fact, those who live near those valleys drink it directly; without filtering. While you may be tempted to bath and clean in the gushing streams, you should not do it. If you need to wash your clothes or the utensils, make sure to fill up your bottles and do it at some distance from the stream. As for the toilet, that should be at least a hundred meters away from the water sources.
Make No Noise Please
You might not like when the guests at your home make loud noises. You may even want to kick them out if they do so. Now, remember this while in the valleys. You are a guest there, and the wildlife is your host. The animals and birds don’t like it noisy. No matter how much we are used to loud noises in the city, the nature likes peace. As a trekker, it is your duty to keep the nature and the wildlife happy. And please don’t turn your music system on as you won’t find any tranquility on the trail if you make noises up there. And if you still want to listen to the music, just keep your earphones along and use them any time you want.
Pack the trash and take it back
Careful with the word “the trash” here. It’s not just your trash. The mountains are already filled with trash left behind by the irresponsible trekkers and there’s no way for them to get rid of it all. If you happen to leave your trash there, it will only add to the problem. Instead, be an eco-friendly trekker and make it a habit to clean the campsites of any unwanted litter. And ladies, if you use sanitary napkins, please take them back. The bacterial presence at such low temperatures is almost negligible, which means the rate of decomposition is dismal up there. What you can do to avoid the odor is to wrap it in newspaper and put it in the zip lock.
Conclusion
Being an eco-friendly trekker is not a tough task. All it takes is some effort and a little bit of research to find the eco-friendly alternatives of the most commonly used products. And if you happen to be a beginner, you might just want to read this guide to be able to hike with no hassles.
Very nice information sir.
Making noise can also disturb the mountains and they can start to fall.