Costs of Earlier Trips

Cost of my early trips were very low. First of all all services and travel was very less at that time. Porters we paid Rs 5 or something. And we as students travelled by III Class reserved with concession – many many stories of that experience and how we fought and enjoyed and suffered alternately! Local buses were cheap and stay for a day or so somewhere was very cheap. Not great accommodation but good for young students.

Few things kept our costs down. Even today. First we planned in such a way that no night is spent anywhere in travel. That saved most money- hotels and hotel food etc. Once we set up tents it was very economic and routine.

Secondly we built up equipment for us. Initially it was Second World war discards that we had to use- no rucksack was available except steel framed ones from Chor Bazar, same poor hunter shoes- sometime we had to carry two pairs for a two month trip. But these things were cheap- say hunter shoes were Rs 30 a pair. Later we gathered foreign equipment which lasted for few years and many trips. Thus not hiring equipment was a great saver and made us comfortable.

We developed to take home food even for a Himalaya treks. No chocolates and cheese like the British books said. We tried but did not like it. So Rice etc was cheap and great. Made many good Gujarati items at home- our ladies were experts at that. So food buying was only Sugar-tea- Milk Powder (in great scarcity then) That was fulfilling and cost effective.

Last was porters. I have a set or porters from Kumauni one village who I met in 1964- my first Himalayan trek in great circumstance- stories to hear! They stayed with me till now and anywhere I go they come now too. We paid them far less than local porters but they travelled with us and we treated them like members. Moreover they were not professional porters- they were villagers with fields and farming. So they came to different areas to see the place and were travellers like us. They did not care much what we paid- though we were always just in paying them.

All these works even today though in inflated currency figures. Moreover we are Gujaratis- excellent in budgeting and money!! So took great care and even bargained well where required. Again being from trading families money was not at great crunch. So it was comfortable too with so much economizing.