Last year I had the opportunity of doing the Hamta Pass trek in the Indian Himalayan region. It was a great 5-day trekking experience that took me to amazing mountain landscapes, with a little more introduction to the beauty that the Himalayas has to offer. The experience was undoubtedly refreshing and, to be honest, slightly educating too. During those 5-days I saw at least a few dozen tourist groups — of nearly 10-15 people — all wanting to take back home the memories of their lifetime. Where it was indeed a great feeling to see so many people, especially the young urban ones, now taking to mountain outdoors, wanting to enjoy the thrill that comes from trekking the mountains, the fact that the pressure that over-tourism is bringing on the fragile mountain environments was quite disturbing. During those 5 days, I saw more plastic trash struggling to decompose and become nature again than I saw in big towns like Manali or Shimla put together. Though I understand that curbing tourist inflow can be an effective …