Adventure tourism in Meghalaya may be in a nascent stage but is on the rise. Road biking, mountain biking, flat-water paddling are popular outdoor activities among people. With the growing interest in tougher adventure sports, bouldering and rock climbing have more takers.
Meghalaya is known for its caves and spelunking is a tremendous hit with the people. Zorba Laloo, one of the founders of Campfire Trails says the activity continues to capture the imaginations of locals and tourists alike.
He adds how white-water paddling is not easily accessible and yet people have shown an interest in it.
The Shillong White Water Village on the banks of river Umtrew, Ri-Bhoi district is run by Australian white-water kayaker and slalom kayak competition athlete, Ian Vincent. He was once third in the global rankings.
How it Began
Zorba worked as an independent documentary filmmaker for almost a decade.
“One of the last projects we worked on was in 2009. It was a Royal Television Society, UK award-winning film called ‘Darjeeling Himalayan Railway’ for BBC4 directed by Tarun Bhartiya. During that shoot, I met Apal Singh, a well-known camera person, who invited me to handle logistics for the Ganges River expedition in the same year. The renowned Swiss expedition leader Andy Leemann and Apal Singh led this expedition. It was my first-time being part of such a grand trip,” he recalls.
Apart from Edmund Hillary in 1977, theirs was the only crew to travel the entire Ganges from source to sea, followed by the Brahmaputra, Gomti and Kaladan river expeditions. These experiences instilled a passion for exploration and documentation in nature which he wanted to bring home to Meghalaya and the North East.
There has been no looking back for him since. He invested his energy in adventure activities and Campfire Trails was born in 2011.
Stories from the Campfire
The Campfire Trails website lists a few outdoor activities.
Apart from kayaking at Umiam Lake and mountain biking, they offer rappelling, zip-lining, rock climbing, trekking, river tubes and bird watching.
Emboldened by his explorations, in particular, river expeditions all over the country, Zorba wanted to do something for adventure enthusiasts in Meghalaya.
Post-brainstorming with his cousin, Aaron Laloo, they hit upon a realisation that the youth had little to no experience in outdoor activities.
“The present generation is hooked on their smartphones and disconnected from reality. They are sucked into a dopamine circle of self-gratifying virtual existence on the plethora of social media platforms,” he says.
Towards Discovery
One of their several explorations was a river canyon that was half a kilometre long, and had granite rocks, rising 60 feet above the water.
“These walls are individual boulders that are each the size of houses and buildings. Nightmarish monsoon deluges polish each of these mammoth rocks smooth and they are all coloured differently,” Zorba states.
Another one involved a six-hour-long drive on a 12-kilometre road, which led them to an amazing cave system. The underground water itself was 4-kilometres long. Along the way, they witnessed multiple waterfalls and cathedral-like chambers.
They came across another river surrounded by forests on both sides. They saw wild animals, birds and incredible flora and orchids. Sections of this river have a perfect pH level of 7.
To Plan or Not to Plan
A day in the life of an adventure enthusiast involves watching the weather carefully.
When it rains, the river enthusiasts imagine their favourite spots with just the right water level. The cavers dream of the cave they have not been able to explore yet during the dry season.
What unites the different enthusiasts is the planning and discussing logistics and trip plans.
It’s spontaneity versus careful planning, Zorba says: “Spontaneity is fine for recce trips or simply checking out a place. But for expeditions, an unsurprising amount of planning has to be done.”
Before river exploration, they study them on maps and measure the length of the river. Research goes into calculating a particular river’s gradient and studying satellite images for hidden waterfalls or canyons.
For a layperson, safety is a concern. To counter this, the team researches potential exit points in case of a medical emergency.
In addition, they pack food and equipment, check service and figure out how to keep electronics and navigational gear dry. Keeping in mind that outdoor sports push the boundaries of risk, they share a rough schedule with relatives and friends.
They also work closely with the locals in any area to be aware of weather patterns and river levels. Team members have skills in first aid, rope skills and cooking. Further, they have to be pragmatic regarding logistics. For multi-day/week river explorations, they follow what they call, “military-style planning”.
If they have scant information, they load up on equipment, food, gear and supply.
The Age of Sustainability
For Campfire Trails, it is important to distinguish between commercial and non-commercial trips. Zorba says, “Commercial centric areas under increased footfall naturally have greater impact.”
Practical issues concerning vehicle and human movement, availability of proper toilet, and waste management and disposal remain. What also needs to be taken into account is construction work for lodging and cafes/eateries. It is not easy when one considers the support systems that help sustain tourism. For sustainable eco-tourism, one needs to know whether a place has adequate carrying capacity.
Lessons from the pre-pandemic time are important as they show some living root bridges overladen with tourists or minor roads to popular spots overcrowded with vehicles and people with little to no concern towards environmental degradation.
He further says it is easy to blame so-called “outsiders” and that the locals need to shoulder responsibility too. Sustainable tourism will redefine the meaning of responsibility.
Beyond Adventure Sports
With time, Campfire Trails has transformed into other tourism-related fields. Now, they focus on eco-tourism and sustainable developmental work. Their commercial guiding interests have become secondary now.
Zorba adds, “We now lay our work on the bedrock of conservation and community-owned community-operated activities. Our projects were across Meghalaya. We’re thankful that many continue to be successful destinations and gaining year on year increases in footfall. Campfire Trails was never a one-shop idea.”
As a team, they have gradually diversified into interfacing with the rural communities in meaningful ways while continuing to explore the rich heritage of Meghalaya.
The Scene in the Future
Adventure tourism is glamorous. In the digital age, there is the hype surrounding outdoor sports.
The scene is growing. Some note that countries with established adventure tourism have exploration and adventure steeped in their culture. It has to be a way of life and handed down to future generations.
“It runs deeper than a few short-term training programs and a handful of passionate individuals,” Zorba says.
Further, a robust system involving locals, Government, social organisations and traditional institutions, along with effective and clean funding will ensure sustainable adventure tourism in Meghalaya.