Lighting The Himalayas - Season 2

Lighting The Himalayas: Picnic at 12,000 Feet

The volunteers rest, have tea brought to them and made by women of the Zanskar village. They loved the tea, relaxed for a while and chatted up, and thanked the women for their hospitality.

Lighting The Himalayas: Picnic at 12,000 Feet

The women from Zanskar Village were kind enough to serve homemade salty tea to the team. Its unique taste went well with the resting spot.

Lighting The Himalayas: Picnic at 12,000 Feet

Thick woolen carpets and hot food were laid out for the team after five straight hours of hiking. The team was overjoyed once they reached this transit spot.

Lighting The Himalayas: Picnic at 12,000 Feet

The women carried thermoses from their homes to bring tea for the team. Their adorable toddlers came along with them and played freely with everyone around.

Lighting The Himalayas: Picnic at 12,000 Feet

The team unwinds, indulges in light-hearted banter after lunch.

Lighting The Himalayas: Picnic at 12,000 Feet

The women of Zanskar wear satin jackets over their Goncha - red woolen robes. The jackets vary in colour and design, and are popular among younger women.

Lighting The Himalayas: Picnic at 12,000 Feet

A couple of Ladakhi porters perform a duet while women look at them in amusement.

Lighting The Himalayas: Picnic at 12,000 Feet

Zanskar women have luscious hair and are usually dressed in ornaments made from silver and the semi-precious stones found in Ladakh.

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About the Initiative

About the Initiative

The remote settlements of the Himalayas continue to struggle for basic amenities in the 21st century. The future of these communities is at stake. They live in extreme climatic conditions, without electricity, health care and education.

 

Lighting the Himalayas is a journalistic feature series, committed to procurement and documentation of the on ground installation of renewable powered electric grid systems with cost effective, sustainable and scalable designs.

 

The great Himalayan ranges continue to bear the effects of climate change in the most extreme weather and living conditions. Longer summers, heavy rainfall, floods, droughts and soaring temperatures are one of the more evident symptoms of this disease.

 

To add to the severity of climate change almost 3000 Himalayan villages are based above an altitude of 13,000 Ft, which ensures that they remain cut-off from the world for over half a year.

 

The Lyungnak valley of ladakh, which is also home to the 2500 Phugtal Monastery and the remotest village of Zanskar Shade, has witnessed several calamities due to climate change in the last few years.

 

This is the story of bringing light to one of the remotest and oldest villages in the world. At an altitude of 14,300 feet, a team of highly motivated change makers, from several corners of the world take on the task of installing sustainable and scalable solar power grids in this pristine hamlet.

 

This endearing challenge begins in Leh, only to be redeemed 750 kilo meters away in the heart of the steepest, most unhabitable mountain peaks.

 

Season 1 of Lighting the Himalayas witnessed the 2500 year old Phugtal Monastery’s transition from darkness to light. And Season 2 will see the illumination of the remotest village of Zanskar, called Shade.

About GHE

About GHE

The Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) is a social impact enterprise focused on creating tangible change in the remote Himalayan communities. Their approach includes, seeking of beauty and wisdom of the Himalayas and to share it with others through such expeditions. GHE aims to install sustainable & scalable solar power for the rural population of the Himalayan ranges. Their lives are pledged to the provision of green energy and education for the humble residents of this acute landscape.

In the past, GHE has held many other expeditions that involved successful installation of solar power in 10 off-grid Himalayan villages located above an altitude of 12000 Feet. In the near future, GHE will power up 30 more villages and bring light to them.

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