I am a Trekker and not a Tourist

Hello folks! My name is Nutan, I am a trekker and not a tourist. What a wonderful way to greet yourself, I just love it. No, I am not a Shah Rukh fan, I am just a  proud trekker. Although being a minority amongst tons of travelers, we trekkers have managed to create our mark. Yes, we want to travel the world. We want to see the world or to be precise we want to see every mountain in the world. We arrive at adventures in style, we walk in the mountains in swag, and we are different. Here's how we are different.

1. Start of the trek is our destination

We are enticed not by the destination but by the entire hiking experience from the base to the summit. We are thirsty of the quaint villages, serene lakes, furiously flowing rivers, chirping birds, grazing animals, the widespread blue sky, scary glaciers, overwhelming snowfall, and of course the magnificent mountains surrounding us throughout. Even if we do not reach the final summit, we are gratified with the amazing encounters with nature. Every day is like a blessing, we want to live to the fullest of each second of the day.

Unlike tourists who look forward to reaching a destination, we look forward to the start of the trek. The beginning of the trek is our destination, the real fun incepts henceforth.

2. No luxury is our luxury 

The only leisure we have is to choose our mountain. All the luxury follows with it. Carrying our backpacks, washing dishes in cold water, pitching tents, no shower, no toilets, all these give us happiness. We do not have the choice of calling an Uber or Ola or taking a vehicle, our legs are the biggest transport.

We enjoy staying in tents having no electricity, no wifi, no AC, no geyser, and no bed. The hardships of a nomad life give satisfaction, it allows us to stay away from materialistic things for a while. It is truly a break from the daily routine.

3. We arrive in style

Dry fit pants and t-shirts, fleece, a down jacket, a backpack, a trekking pole, ankle shoes with a thick sole, this is our style statement. We have developed our fashion sense. Our wardrobe is loaded with winter clothes. There is no scope for fancy clothes and accessories. The minimal and the required articles complete our look. We have our unique fashion and we always arrive in style!

4. Hard work is our homework

Living in the mountains demands sweat and blood. The delightful sights come after amazing efforts. We are physically prepared. We train ourselves hard to cope with the high altitude. The gear required for trekking is precise, any minor fault may lead to major mishaps in the mountains.

Unlike travelers, we do not believe in last-moment preparations or on-the-spot planning. There cannot be any last-moment diversions in our plan. If something goes wrong, returning is the only option. We do thorough homework before embarking on the excursion.

5. No use me, use us

We might not keep ourselves clean by bathing, but we keep our campsites and trail garbage free. We carry back the litter in our backpacks. We leave only our footprints not waste. There are no use-me boxes in those public places, we are the living dustbins. We use ourselves for waste carrying. We are like use-us!

6. Being human

Mountains treat everyone equally. There is no girl, boy, big, small, boss, or worker discrimination. We treat everybody equally. We give respect and take respect. We obey trek leaders, we are courteous to the local staff, we understand other trek members, we greet the villagers, and we work in a team. Not only that we are considerate of flora and fauna on the trail. We never pluck flowers, walk on the grasslands, tease animals, play loud music, light fires, break the ice walls, never smoke, in short, we cause no harm to mother Earth. We are biocentric, we are humans!

Having said all the above, yes, we are explorers, wanderers, and travelers, yet we are the typical trekkers. If you too believe the same, then boastfully say, "I am a trekker and not a tourist!"

7. Our only addiction is mountains

We might like alcohol or cigarettes but at home. So, we leave them at home when we are in the mountains. We are aware of the harmful side effects of drinking and smoking at high altitudes. We, therefore, do not want to do any addiction, not for us but for our team members and nature.

Unlike other tourist places that are loaded with pubs having amazing drinks offer, we love and admire the wonderful sights that the mountains offer. No addiction is our addiction!