CAMPING SAHIB-STYLE

During the British Raj, English civil servants, merchants and adventurers regularly fled the heat of the plains for the hills on fishing or shooting expeditions. The ‘bandobast’ for these trips was phenomenal: shikara to track animals, skinners, gun bearers A couple of khansamas to prepare the mulligatawny soups, pot roasts and puddings, bearers to serve, porters, mules and muleteers, sleeping tents, dining tents, camp cots, books and painting material, chairs and tables. The holiday-maker’s personal trunk consisted of necessities that ranged from silver shaving kits, cases of wine and cigars to dinner jackets.
Believe it or not, it is possible to replicate the experience – for price of course. If you decide to go on a trek sahib-style, just decide where you want to go, call a trekking agency and let them tailor-make a trip to suit you. It can be an all-frills attached trip – I which case, just pack your toothbrush, camera and cheque book – or it could be one where you have a cook and guide rolled into one and a couple of ponies and pony wallahs. Everything can be discussed and finalized before the trek, including your daily menu. In Ladakh, I’ve seen a veritable caravan of ponies and horsemen, carrying fresh vegetables and fruits, trailed by a few sad looking goats. These were to be slaughtered en route to provide fresh meat for four French trekkers who had about them all the airs of 19th century explorers in the Taklamakan Desert.

Costs of camping sahib style
An organized trek can cost anywhere between $20 and $2000 per person per day. Your trekking agent will take care of all the little details, but if you want to know why you are paying so much, below is a list of factors your agent will consider when quoting you a price:
Location of trek How far from civilization is the trek? The more remote, the more expensive it is. If you are trekking in remote Arunachal Pradesh or Ladakh, petrol and diesel are much more expensive in these parts, so transporting food, equipment and hired hands to the starting point of the trek and back will be that much more expensive.
Size of the group a trekking group of four to eight people works best in terms of cost – effectiveness. You will need a guide and a cook and at least two to three ponies or mules on the trek, even if you are one or two people. So, if you can increase your group’s number to four, the cost per person comes down and the trek becomes effectively cheaper.

Backpack or daypack People traveling sahib-style don’t carry their backpacks, which can weigh unto 20 kg but just a daypack with the bare minimum; camera, water bottle and parka. If you are traveling this way, a porter or a pony/ mule will carry your luggage. The more you take; the number of porters of ponies will increase. A friend actually takes an extra porter for camera equipment!
Ponies or porters where possible, try and opt for ponies to carry supplies. They are a better bet than porters as they are able to carry more weight and you don’t have to share your rations with them. The more porters you have, the more extra porters you will need to carry their share of food and supplies.
Ponies and mules are turned out loose in the late afternoons to graze. In some parts of Ladakh, especially if the winter snows have been less than normal, the grass may be of poor quality and extra ponies may be needed to carry fodder, making your trip more expensive. If you are traveling with children, ensure you have an extra riding pony for each child. When they get tired of walking they can simply hop on.
Hired hands Ponies and porters can cost $10-$15 per porter/ pony per day, depending on your location guides and cooks can cost $5 to $10 per day plus food. You also need to factor in costs of transporting them to the start of your trek and back to their town/village. Don’t forget to tip them at the end of the trek.