This festival by a mountaineering institution focuses on responsible adventure

If you had any thoughts of a Himalayan expedition being an extended version of Ranbir KapoorDeepika Padukonersquos fluffy romance in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani 2013 Divyesh Muni president of The Himalayan Club is quick to dampen it ldquoYou spend six months before the expedition studying and then a couple of months after writing reportsrdquo Muni chuckles Academic it might sound but this is the soul of exploration that the mountaineer and his colleagues at The Himalayan Club seek to advocate with their Himalayan Adventure Festival 2025 in Dadar tomorrowHistorical originsldquoThe club is not a commercial mountaineering group It is about exploring new valleys finding smaller or technical peaks discovering routes in the Himalayas Above all else we are a knowledge baserdquo shares Nandini Purandare vicepresident of the club and editor of the annual periodical The Himalayan JournalMembers of the expedition pose Pics CourtesyThe Himalayan ClubIn 1928 four years after the historic and fatal attempt by George Mallory and Andrew Irvinersquos to summit Mount Everest The Himalayan Club was founded in Calcutta Purandarersquos point emphasises the objectives laid down then mdash to assist exploration of the Himalayas extend the knowledge of the Himalayan ranges through science art literature and sportNandini Purandare at Sangla Himachal PradeshWith centres in Bengaluru Pune Mumbai and Kolkata the club often holds workshops sessions and camps for avid explorers But Purandare points out that the clubrsquos outreach extends beyond exploration ldquoWe are also involved in discussions on policy making with the Indian Mountaineering Federation IMF efforts to educate operators who undertake expeditions to the mountains as well as highlighting culture botany geology and geographyrdquoHeart for adventureThere is a difference between heading to the mountains and exploring them The latter is an academic and logistical campaign Muni points out Yet things can go bad just as quickly ldquoTherein lies the adventurerdquo he laughsDivyesh MuniThe results though can be aweinducing In 2024 the club led by Muni attempted an expedition to the unexplored Thangman Lungpa valley in East Karakoram north of Leh ldquoWe were the first mountaineers to ever walk that path We made three ascents mdash Dhashez Kangri Manlung Kangri and Laknak Kangri mdash that could lay the roadmap for the futurerdquo he saysYet Purandare who began trekking the Himalayas as a 20yearold observes that there is a disconnect with the current generation In the age of Instagram FOMO Feeling of Missing Out the mountains have become easily accessible ldquoThere is a risk of spoiling its pristine nature due to overtourismrdquo she notesUrgency of conservationThis in addition to climate change and modernisation poses a risk Some of the keynote addresses at the festival seek to emphasise this point Among the speakers is Dr Sonam Wangchok founder Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation Like his nearnamesake Dr Wangchok has spent the last two decades documenting and crusading for the conservation of tangible and intangible heritage of LadakhSonam Wangchok at a conservation site in LadakhHaving documented over 400 sites of rare petroglyphs and rock art that are proof of civilisation in the mountains dating back to the Bronze Age he says ldquoWe face multiple challenges from modernisation and climate change to rising tourism We have documented over 400 sites in Ladakh along the Indus and Shyok River We have already lost many owing to road widening and construction projectsrdquo Even though exploration is inevitable an understanding and appreciation of the culture nature and its surroundings is necessary Wangchok addsA petroglyph Pics courtesySonam WangchokOn their Karakoram expedition Muni observed bare glaciers bereft of snow cover and deep open crevasses ldquoThese are glaciers no one has set foot on before us Mountaineers like us bring back feedback of what the visible effect of global warming is Otherwise it is felt only when you step out of your AC roomsrdquo he says This is where the festival seeks to lend a hand As part of an outreach to a newer generation the festival will also host several short films that offer a glimpse of the mountains and its wonders Purandare shares ldquoEverybody needs to go to the mountains But there is a way of doing it Slowly with respect and a curiosity for its treasuresrdquo she addsA climber at Thangman LungpaOn March 23 1030 am onwardsAT BN Vaidya Auditorium Hindu Colony Dadar EastEMAIL officehimalayancluborgCALL 02249730738COST Rs 350 nonmembers inclusive of lunch and high tea Free membersDonrsquot missgtgt Heritage conservation and challenges in Ladakh Sonam WangchokTIME 11 amgtgt Unfinished business Thangman Lungpa exploration Divyesh MuniTIME 1130 amTalk by Kaamya KarthikeyanTIME 215 pmgtgt The Sherpa Trail bookNandini Purandare and Deepa BalsavarTIME 3 pmFILMS post teagtgt Dirt NuggetsVinay Menongtgt Ganga GirlsPrashant Bhattgtgt Gaddi The Himalayan ShepherdAkshat Jain