Travel responsibly in Ladakh and Spiti

• Carry a refillable bottle. Water is scarce, and plastic bottles are hard to dispose of in remote valleys.
• Carry every wrapper, bottle and tissue back to a town bin. Nothing is left at lakes, passes or camps.
• Use water carefully at homestays and camps. Short showers are normal at altitude.

• Ask before photographing people, homes or prayer rooms.
• Eat and buy locally where you can. Homestays and village shops are part of how the route supports the people who live on it.
• Dress modestly in villages and monasteries.

• Remove your shoes and hat where asked, and walk clockwise around stupas and prayer wheels.
• Keep voices low and flash off inside prayer halls.
• Pay the small entry fees. They help maintain the monasteries.

• Stay on existing tracks and roads. Fragile ground takes years to recover.
• Keep your distance from wildlife, and never feed animals.
• Do not move stones, mani walls or prayer flags, and take no fossils or plants as souvenirs.

• Ascend slowly and tell your captain early if you feel unwell. Pushing on makes altitude sickness worse and puts the group at risk.
• Ride or drive at a steady pace and give way on narrow mountain roads.
• Respect quiet hours at camps.

Our crew is based in Bhuntar, Himachal Pradesh, and works the routes we sell. We plan stops so the group does not crowd one place, brief every group on these points, and ask for feedback after each trip. If you see something that should be done better, tell us.