Backpacking with Hill Shepherds ; On a trek in the Garhwal Himalayas, BT's Anusha Subramanian comes back with lessons in micro-financing and community-owned tourism.

NOVEMBER 5, 2007

Lata Village, Niti Valley

It started off as my much-awaited trek in the Garhwal Himalayas and turned into an impressive first-hand account of a small, yet smart, initiative. The setting: Nanda Devi Sanctuary Trek against the backdrop of the spectacular 7,816-metre Nanda Devi peak.

But first, a peek into the history of this trek that has a direct bearing on the present. The Nanda Devi Sanctuary Trek retraces the pioneering steps of mountaineers Eric Shipton and H. W. Tilman through the Garhwal Himalayas in 1934. It's their exploration of the inner sanctuary that set the stage for ...