Ancient routes running through the mountains of the Indian subcontinent are today corridors of adventure and sport. But they are as much corridors of history, commerce, culture and religion.
How these routes came to be
Originating as far back as the Indus Valley civilization, merchants created overland and sea routes to trade goods with Mesopatamia. These early commercial routes evolved into an extensive network of trade routes that connected the goods originating in the Indian subcontinent with various global trading centres in Rome, the Middle East and the Far East.
The Northern Route also called the Grand Trunk Road stretched more than 2000 km from modern day Peshawar to Tamralipti in present day West Bengal. A part of this route called Himavatpatha passed through mountains and valleys of the Himalayas connecting the subcontinent to various points on the Silk Route.
The Southern Route connected the Indian peninsula from north to south connecting the Gangetic Plains to the southern regions. From these routes branched an extensive feeder network linking inland trade to ports along the eastern and western coasts. Routes like the Spice Route connected the spice growing regions of the Western Ghats to ports along the coast.
These overland routes created the evolution of major trade networks across the Indian subcontinent that moved people, goods, ideas, culture and religion.
The key shift in the 15th century
Till the late 15th century, trade was both by land and by sea. But the discovery of the sea route navigating around Africa to reach India by the Portuguese diverted the bulk of the east-west trade. The arrival of the Portuguese and subsequently other European nations and the advent of the European Age of Discovery created a new world order where maritime trade dominated commerce. As oceanic trade grew, it became significantly cheaper and safer way to transport goods for European trade and thus overland networks diminished in importance and were restricted to trade with Central Asia and Russia.
The 19th century explorers who mapped the land
A small enterprise of British merchants looking to trade in Asia and the Pacific founded The East India Company in 1600. Over the next 150 years the company transitioned from a trading outfit to establishing military supremacy culminating in administering and colonising large parts of the Indian subcontinent. With increasing colonised land, the company focussed on geographical exploration to aid in military and administrative purpose as well as land revenue collection.
In 1767, The Survey of India was established to create a detailed physical map of the Indian subcontinent. Different parts of India were mapped with accuracy and scale that was not previously attempted anywhere in the world at the time. To map India a team of surveyors connected Madras and Calcutta on the east coast with Mangalore and Bombay on the west coast and then began to foray northwards.
It wasn’t until 1802 when the Great Trigonometrical Survey was founded for cartographic mapping using complex mathematical triangulation methods. These surveys greatly contributed to early mountain exploration in the Indian subcontinent mapping areas that locals had been navigating for generations. Early explorers like Major James Rennell, William Lambton, George Everest and Andrew Scott Waugh as well as a number of Indian explorers like Pundit Nain Singh, Pundit Kishen Singh, Kalyan Singh, Kinthup, Rinzin Namgyal and Sarat Chandra Das were intrepid wanderers who spent many months travelling entirely on foot to map the unchartered routes leading from the northern India into Central Asia and Tibet.
The greatest of these pioneering explorers was Pundit Nain Singh. At the time, Tibet maintained a strict isolationist policy and was not open to outsiders, so Pundit Nain Singh and his party set forth dressed as pilgrims in Tibetan robes, speaking the Tibetan language and carrying their instruments hidden within their clothes. These journeys were difficult as the terrain was unknown and the team was ill equipped to face any hardship that came their way. Since foreigners were not welcome in these lands, their presence and actions aroused suspicion and hostility wherever they went. Despite the risks involved, their courage and the urge to complete the mission is what saw them through. In this manner, Nain Singh made three trips over a period of nine years covering a distance of 4500 km to connect northern India to the unknown, unchartered parts of Tibet for the outside world.
From surveyors to mountaineers in the 20th century
In the early 20th century, mountain exploration shifted from survey and reconnaissance activities to adventure and mountaineering pursuits.
The mountains of the Deccan plateau were explored for their historical and cultural footprint, from rock-cut Buddhist and Hindu caves to forts on hill tops to ancient trade routes used by Roman and early Indian traders to connect the interiors to the port towns. Botanists and geologists also catalogued the natural landforms and the unique biodiversity of these areas.
In 1852, the Indian mathematician Radhanath Sikdar determined that Peak XV (later named Mt. Everest) was the highest point of the world. By turn of the century The Himalayan Range had sparked the interest of explorers from the European Alpine Clubs. German, Swiss, Italian and British teams were able push the limits of human endurance and showcase their technological prowess by summitting various peaks in the Karakoram Range, the Kumaon Range, the Garhwal Range and the Eastern Himalayas. At the same time, mountaineers like Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman showed the world alpinism in a new style that involved a lightweight approach to mountaineering.
Independent India and new dawn of mountaineering
In the newly independent India, The Himalayan Range took on a symbol of national identity and mountaineering took on a new dimension. In 1953, Tenzing Norgay’s summit of Everest was a momentous occasion and gave an impetus to mountaineering as a sport in India. Large scale expeditions were conducted by the army to climb major peaks. Also, smaller Indian groups started undertaking expeditions. High-altitude exploration was conducted in many areas to identify and climb peaks above 6000 m. The 70’s witnessed further exploration as Ladakh was opened for exploration and Sikkim became a part of India.
In the 80’s, outdoor activities truly began to democratize. Outdoor activities that were once the bastion of the army and a handful of people were now open to all. Private operators entered the adventure tourism space offering curated experiences in the mountain and rivers of the Himalayas. Youth hostels and trekking clubs also promoted outdoor adventure at the grassroot level.
At the same time, the Western Ghats became popular due to the exploration and documentation by two veterans Harish Kapadia and Anand Palande. The duo wrote numerous books highlighting trekking routes, pinnacles and climbing walls. These books became a source of information for the next generation of mountain lovers.
Environmental issues also gained prominence and with issues like climate change and the degradation of fragile ecosystems due to increased human activity. This called for more environment-friendly outdoor initiatives.
The birth of a new outdoor culture
At the turn of the century, mountain sports took on many forms propelled by the rise of a new kind of outdoor adventurer. Going into the outdoors was no longer just an escape from the urban lifestyle or to reconnect with nature. Mountain sports today sit at the intersection of geography, history, thrill, competition and community. It brings together the joy of exploration, the heritage and cultural immersion of the destination as well as the physical challenge and thrill of competition. Activities like high altitude trekking, trail running, river rafting, mountain biking, skiing and yoga retreats are seeing increased participation and success.
Yet, even as this new outdoor adventurer is evolving, an older one still remains. The ancient Indian outdoor adventurer, the pilgrim, for whom the mountains, rivers, forests and the wilderness have been sacred for longer than recorded history.
The pilgrim knew something the modern world is only beginning to realise. For centuries people have gone into India’s outdoors for every possible reason; survival, trade, religion, empire, nationhood. The routes and trails have witnessed all of it and have remained unchanged through it all.
When you step into the outdoors your footprints join all those who have been there before. And your story of adventure becomes the thread that connects those before you to everyone who will follow.
Further reading:
The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan
Mapping the Great Game by Riaz Dean
A Forgotten Empire by Robert Sewell
The Great Arc by John Keay