Interview with Ladakh Trekking Guide Thinlas Chorol

Ladakh's Only Female Trekking Guide Shares Her Motivation & Experiences

Thinlas Chorol is the only trained female Ladakhi trekking guide. She's followed her passion for being a guide and sharing the mountains with people, despite facing discouragement and disapproval from society for this work because she's a woman. In this interview, Thinlas shares with us her motivation, as well as the most popular trekking experiences for visitors to Ladakh.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your qualifications, and experience.

I'm Thinlas Chorol from the village of Takmachik, in the Sham region of Ladakh. I'm 27 years old. I did a basic mountaineering course at Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Utterkashi, India, in 2007. In 2008, I did a spring semester at NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) India. This included backpacking, wilderness first aid, home stays, and white water rafting. I've been a guide since 2003. First, I worked for Around Ladakh (a travel agency, specializing in student groups) with students for two years. Now, I'm a freelance guide in Ladakh. I worked as an instructor aide for a NOLS mountaineering course in the autumn, for one month, in 2008. I'll do so again in spring for two months.

You are pursuing your dream of being out in the mountains amongst nature, despite the fact that such independent work is discouraged in your society. What motivated you to do this?

It was difficult for me in the beginning, because this field is very male dominated. I asked the travel agencies in Leh to hire me as guide. However, they told me you are a woman and in our society it is considered bad. Now, tourists demand women guides. I was born in a village in the Himalaya, so I used to go to the mountain with goats and sheep. I liked it because it's peaceful and nice. I stayed in the village until 10th class. After 10th, I came to SECMOL (Student's Educational Culture Movement of Ladakh) where I met a lot of volunteers who liked trekking, so I also went with them. At that time, I had met only non-local guides and they organized luxury things like chairs and lots of plastic, which is not suitable for the mountain. I was upset to see garbage and that it did not benefit the local people.

Do you have a favorite place that you like to trek to? What do you consider to be the most amazing sights around Leh and Ladakh?

I like Romchey to Tso Moriri. These places are in the wilderness with high altitude, and there are two very beautiful lakes to see.

What services do you offer people?

I do mostly trekking, cultural and monastery guiding.

You organize a wide range of treks, including treks up Ladakh's Himalayan mountain peaks, and village to village home stay treks where people can stay with local families. What are your most popular treks?

Home stay treks.

The village to village home stay treks sound fascinating. What are some of the highlights of these treks?

To meet the local people in each village and to see the village life.

What kind of treks do you recommend for inexperienced people visiting Ladakh for the first time?

Home stay treks are best, because tourists will get to know the real Ladakhi lifestyle, food and culture. It benefits the local villagers, and it's also eco-friendly. Mostly, tourists come to see the Ladakhi culture.

What kind of treks do you recommend for experienced trekkers?

Romchey to Tso Moriri. I also hear that there are some trekking routes in Zanskar, but I've never been there. However, I've done courses to become more professional in these fields.

Are there any health requirements for your treks? What kind of health and fitness levels do people need to go trekking with you?

General good health and no illnesses like asthma is all.