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Journalism of Courage
8216;8216;It started in the late 1950s when I first discovered the fun of trekking. It was a relatively straightforward trek, travelling from Delhi to Kulu-Manali and then going to the Rohtang Pass. There was not a line of information for anyone those days, and I took notes. If I took a particular road, I would ask locals where the other roads went. So, on one trek, I discovered facts about four-five different treks. Those I covered the next time,8217;8217; says Bawa, now settled in Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh.
He hasn8217;t looked back since. He gave up his job as a commercial artist with the American Center in New Delhi to move full-time into cartography. 8216;8216;I have since drawn ten maps of the Himalayas, which have been published by a London firm. These are the definitive maps of the entire Himalayan range.8217;8217;
Bawa shows his maps; the 3ft/2ft sheets have the mountains marked in thick red lines, with dotted lines marking the trekking routes. 8216;8216;The most important thing is the altitude. I have also marked out camping grounds, tents, rest houses and cave shelters. That8217;s to help you plan your route according to your budget.8217;8217;
You would ordinarily think that charting trekking routes across the most complicated mountain range in the world is not possible in one lifetime. 8216;8216;Of course it8217;s not,8217;8217; says Bawa. But then he adds, 8216;8216;It is too, because you don8217;t have to go on every trek to be able to chart it. When you go on a trek, you find out about other treks. You ask questions, ask for details. My greatest achievement is in the altitudes I have marked. They are 99 per cent correct. Not 100, because the heights of mountains change constantly. So I update the maps every ten years.8217;8217;
His biggest clientele are the European backpackers, who he says buy his maps from select outlets in London. At present, Bawa is plotting his next big trip8212;to Kailash via Lhasa in Tibet. But he is saddened by the declining interest in trekking. 8216;8216;I only wish more people would hit the trail more often. It8217;s the greatest trip in the world.8217;8217;
