Leave No Trace on a busy trail
When thousands of people walk the same path each season, small habits add up. A wrapper here, a shortcut across a switchback there, and within a few years the trail looks tired. The good news is that the fix is just as cumulative.
- Plan ahead so you are never forced off the trail
- Walk on durable surfaces and stay on the path, even when it is muddy
- Pack out everything, including fruit peel
- Leave what you find: stones, flowers, prayer flags
- Use stoves, not fires
- Give wildlife and pack animals space
- Keep voices and music down near villages and camps
Every Ridgeline group carries a rubbish bag and a small trowel. It is the least glamorous gear on the trek and some of the most important.