Veteran photographer and mountain guide Sujoy Das, founder of South Col Expeditions, has spent a lifetime documenting and leading treks through the Himalayas and other high-altitude regions of the world. Speaking at the Adventure Tourism Meet in Shillong, Das shared his experiences of balancing adventure, photography, and conservation in an increasingly fragile mountain ecosystem. “I run treks, climbs, and photography workshops in the Himalayas and other high places of the world,” he said. “But the way the mountains are changing now makes every expedition a challenge.”
For Das, the meet was a welcome platform for dialogue between government, operators, and adventurers. “It was excellent,” he said. “You had a tremendous presentation and a very good audience. It was informative and useful, and I think more governments should try to replicate your model.” His comments underscored the importance of such forums in connecting the adventure tourism community and discussing the environmental and operational realities of the trade.
Das believes climate change has emerged as the single biggest challenge for mountain-based tourism. “Earlier, we had predictable good and bad seasons,” he explained. “But now, every season is different—weather patterns are erratic, and climate change issues have become extremely difficult to tackle.” He added that unregulated road-building and construction have disrupted trekking routes, shrinking the adventure footprint and making it harder to maintain safety and client satisfaction.
Having spent much of his life in Sikkim, Das retains a deep attachment to the eastern Himalayas. “I did a book called Sikkim: A Traveller’s Guide, and it’s still one of my favourite places,” he said. “But I also love the starkness of Ladakh, and Nepal will always remain a perennial favourite.” Over the years, he’s seen the profile of trekkers change as well, with a rising number of Indian travellers and older adventure enthusiasts joining his expeditions. “Many of them are in their 50s or 60s—retired from corporate jobs, fit, and finally pursuing the adventures they once put off,” he said.
Looking ahead, Das urges the government to focus less on infrastructure expansion and more on ecological preservation. “If they could just stop building dams, tunnels, and bridges indiscriminately, the mountains would be much better off,” he warned. “We need to find a balance between development and protection, or the Himalayas as we know them won’t survive.”
Through South Col Expeditions, Das continues to champion responsible adventure travel—where the journey is not only about reaching summits, but also about understanding and safeguarding the landscapes that make them possible.