Perched on a knife-like ridge at an altitude of 6,500 meters, 23-year Karishma Rana looked longingly at the summit of Mount Satopanth, standing 7,000 meters high, fast disappearing behind a thick veil of clouds.

After a 20-day expedition battling snow, strong winds and low oxygen, the weather had once again taken a turn for the worse, and Karishma’s ambition of reaching the summit would have to wait. Disappointed but not disheartened, Karishma and her team retraced their steps back to the base camp.

The Himalayas are a hotspot of mountaineering, drawing climbers from all parts of the world. Garhwal region in the state of Uttarakhand has some of the highest and most challenging peaks in the Indian Himalayan region. Mountaineering and associated adventure tourism activities like trekking and skiing are also an important economic activity for people living in high-altitude areas, providing income opportunities for climbing guides, porters, muleteers, and cooks among others.

However, the industry has traditionally been male dominated. While women in the mountains undertake a lot of physical activity like farming, livestock, forest produce collection and pastoralism, socio-cultural barriers have prevented them from adventure tourism sector. 

This is where young women like Karishma are breaking gender stereotypes. Hailing from a small village called Suwakholi near Mussoorie, she has been into mountaineering since the age of 18. In the last five years, she has successfully done over fifteen treks and led an expedition to Draupadi-ka-Danda peak at 5,600 meters.

In a society where many girls and women often face restrictions on free movement, Karishma feels grateful that her family is supportive. ‘While mountaineering is what gave me the opportunity to venture out of the village, it is the support of my family in pursuing my passion that keeps me going’, she says.

Empowered women like Karishma are also catalysts for climate action. In her various expeditions, she has witnessed how the problem of waste is severely impacting the wildlife and ecology of these pristine areas. Since 2019, she has been participating in cleanliness drives along popular trekking trails.

As a part of the SECURE Himalaya initiative by UNDP India, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Government of Uttarakhand, Karishma along with 20 other youths were enrolled in a 2-month training programme on nature guiding and interpretation. The programme equipped them with the knowledge of basic ecology, flora, and fauna of the region. 

It was here that Karishma came to know about snow leopards and their importance in maintaining the health of high-altitude ecosystems. ‘While I had heard about snow leopards, I didn’t know much about them as a species since anyone hardly sees them. Having spent many days at high altitudes, I find it remarkable that they can survive in such tough conditions. I now want to spread more awareness on snow leopards and their conservation’.

The SECURE Himalaya project is undertaking several initiatives to mainstream participation of women in conservation by promoting nature-based livelihood avenues like mountaineering, nature guiding and para-taxonomy. This ensures their socio-economic empowerment, and also creates a strong sense of environmental stewardship among local communities.

Karishma is aware that the field of mountaineering is male dominated. But she believes that the mountains are for everyone and is determined to break gender stereotypes. ‘With the right guidance and training, a woman can also do anything and everything that a man does. When one woman attempts something that is traditionally considered a man’s job, four men jump up to criticise her. The key is to not be afraid and be confident. Self-confidence is very important’.

For determined young women like Karishma, no mountain is too high.