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North India
by Jan Brelih
February 9, 2024 | Himalayas, North India
In March 2023, I made a journey into the heart of the Himalayas, a 45 million-year-old mountain range extending more than 2,400 km in length recognized for its unique diversity, a sense of mystery, and spiritual practices. These mountains provide a gateway back into time with their remarkable natural beauty and the traditional way of life that people have followed for centuries. Join me on a 3-month field recording expedition, uncovering the natural wonders of this region while documenting the sounds of the hidden, pristine natural habitats to create a world-first public nature sound collection of the Himalayas.
JOIN AN EXPEDITION 2024
Opportunity to travel with a sound recordist to the heart of Himalayas, experiencing pristine nature and traditional mountain life
It was my lifelong dreams to live the day when I got lost (and found) in the mystical world of the Himalayas. Often considered a spiritual place, it was going well with me, a boy seeking inner peace, spiritual growth, and adventure. Although ultimately, different reasons brought me here, such deeper elements were still present. I did not join ashrams, practice yoga, or stay with the monks, although often I did feel like one. One who prefers solitude and meditates in a hidden mountain cave. I began a sort of pilgrimage where recording sounds develops a profound connection to oneself and the natural world. Spending time in silence and paying close attention to every subtle sound of the natural world around me, becoming aware that I am here, alive. Having the ability to remain in the present moment and embrace the wonders of life here and now. This is a humble experience lived through the eyes of a field recordist.
In India, the adventure begins already by traveling on the roads. I truly experienced India’s vibrant and chaotic transportation system while driving on bumpy roads and exposed cliffs, where avalanches are part of life. The first part of the journey to the Himalayas took me from New Delhi, passing through Rishikesh, the yoga capital of the world, on the banks of the Ganga River. It was the first real touch with India at the very start of the mountains. After two days of stopping, I continued towards the north, following the Ganga. These trips to the remote mountain regions took me through several modes of transportation, including hitchhiking on trucks, local buses, and jeep taxis. At one point, I rented a self-driving car for some more comfort and freedom to reach specific areas. The rides were always thrilling, both in terms of the scenery and the dangers that lurked on these roads. I got to see why all the taxi drivers put prayer stickers in front of their windows, although it significantly reduced their already limited visibility of the road. Whatever fundamental driving norms and constraints exist in the Western world do not apply here. I ended up successfully covering approximately 2000km.
*Note: this soundtrack is part of the bigger Himalaya album available for download.
The Himalayas uncovering. North India, Sikkim.
The roads were taking me deeper into the mountains, following steep valleys and cliffs. The view of high peaks started uncovering itself amidst ever-smaller towns and villages. It was a long journey, but I was finally reaching these lands, which have been captivating my imagination for so long. The scenery has changed dramatically, as has the temperature, which has shifted from tropical hot to mountain fresh. Those were the moments of excitement and appreciation that I had there! After a full day of travelling from Rishikesh, I reached the region called Chamoli. By the evening, we had reached a small rural village located up the mountain valley near the family house of my friend Manoj. This will be a place where I will stay for the next two weeks to get slowly integrated into mountain life.
"A sight of towering peaks and the enchanting landscape views of snow-capped high peaks, huge valleys and forests below. The whole experience was pretty surreal; it was like gazing into a beautiful painting."
Staying in the village has truly introduced me to the authentic life here. My buddy Manoj took the time to show me around the area and introduce me to the locals, and so we participated in everyday activities that people here have been practicing for centuries. I also had the opportunity to record some very unique sounds of village life. The true sense of a local community is something we have greatly lost in our modern world. Their voice was so beautiful and natural. Engaging with the local communities has always been part of my expeditions, practicing a slow pace of travel and becoming familiar with the local lifestyle. In the long term, these remote mountain villages have also served as the only base and starting point for reaching the wild areas further inside the mountains.
*Note: soundtracks are cut down to 60-second samples from the full original length.
After spending two weeks in the village, it was now time for me to follow my instincts for the great outdoors. The people here are so kind and welcoming, but they do talk a lot. I truly appreciated their hospitality and energy, but after weeks of traveling, I was slowly coming to a point where I craved moments of solitude and silence. The weather was also just perfect, with the sun shining and temperatures pleasantly rising, suggesting the arrival of the ideal moment to finally venture deeper, reaching the isolated Himalayan wilderness.
Reaching such pristine sites simply required hard trekking on the steep mountain slopes. Enduring the physically demanding task of carrying a 25-kg rucksack filled with equipment for hours was a challenging endeavor. Moreover, the high altitude posed a further challenge, as the lack of oxygen was noticeably different. There were many instances of enduring hardship and pushing my body to its limits. Since leaving New Delhi, my diet has been pretty basic, consisting primarily of bread (chapatis) and green vegetables. Nevertheless, the whole excitement, the views of the mountains, and the fact that I was about to capture that beauty in sound in some very isolated, breathtaking location just kept me going.
Recording soundscape of an Alpine meadow at 3000 meters, with a rich bird chorus and occasional sheep sounds.
Congratulations! You made it to the section on what it is all about—the sounds. So now there have been weeks of international travel to remote villages and staying in local places. After all this time and some real trekking, the pure Himalayan isolated wilderness has begun to unveil itself in its purest form. Simply being present in such a majestic place was rewarding by itself. I was just overwhelmed and could not believe I made it here. I even have all my recording gear, and now I’m going to start documenting all the still unknown sounds of this magical place.
"At last, a moment of complete calm and tranquilly was experienced, "interrupted" only by the calming melodies of nature."
Library specs: Time: 326min (81 tracks) | Format: .wav 96khz / 24bit | Size: 14GB
Audio gear: Sound Devices MixPre II, Nevaton MC 59 omnidirectional, Audio Technica shotgun
There is a wide range of habitats and, therefore, sounds in the Himalayas, with each one holding its own experience. By capturing a wide array of their sounds, we can gain more insights into the complex ecological dynamics of this region. For example, the recordings from ancient forests provide a glimpse into the rare and pristine primaeval ecosystems that still exist at higher altitudes, showcasing the importance of preserving these ancient trees.
Spanning from Bhutan to Nepal and extending into the hills near Rishikesh and Darjeeling in India, the Himalayan Subtropical Broadleaf Forests are nourished by the southwest monsoon, receiving up to 2,000 mm of rainfall annually. Found between 500 and 1,000 m along the Himalayan foothills, these forests boast a diverse landscape ranging from mixed deciduous to subtropical wet hill forests.
Forest diversity varies with altitude, ranging from 500m to 4,000m allditude. At the higher altitude of 3300m, rare primeval forests still exist, consisting mostly of big pine and oak trees. These ancient forests have been found to support a rich collection of bird species and increase bird diversity. They are not only havens for wildlife but also lifelines for local communities. Rural livelihoods are intricately linked to the forests, providing essential resources such as firewood, fodder, and wild fruits. Despite ongoing conservation efforts, challenges loom large. Deforestation for agriculture and settlement poses a significant threat, exacerbated by the looming specter of forest fires intensified by climate change.
Alpine grasslands between 3,300 and 4,000 meters provide landscape views, habitat for numerous bird species. Bugyals as they are called are flat and sloping lands covered with green grass and seasonal flowers. They provide nutritious fodder for goats, sheep, cattle, and other animals. They were previously covered with birch and juniper.
4000m+ where the forests mostly cease and give way to open rock landscape terrain with very limited species of animals. Here, wind, snow, and avalanches are the main soundscapes to possibly find. The Great Himalayas or Greater Himalayas or Himadri is the highest mountain range of the Himalayan Range.
As the different regions and habitats are diverse, so are the sounds that they offer. There was an opportunity to capture various ambiences but also more focused sounds of elements.
Sound of the serene ambience of untouched valleys and primeval forests. Sounds have traveled through the valleys steep slopes, creating a unique spatial image and echo effect of certain birds.
Specific species of birds that are native to Himalayas. Captured during dawn, day, dusk and night time.
Luckily, most of the days were actually sunny. But some dark clouds still formed during my trip to the nearby peak from the village. Light raindrops hitting mossy branches in the cloud forest have produced some very interesting results.
Capturing the sounds of snow was among my top cravings, but because spring had already arrived, snowfall was not expected. Well, the first trip to the highlands was met by a major snowfall that persisted throughout the night. The abundance of it led me to be a bit worried about descending back into the village. However, I was running around like a happy child in the cold, carrying my recording setup and positioning it at different locations to capture the unique sounds of the snow.
Fresh, pure water creeks that come from the lakes and high mountains with melting snow and glaciers.
Rushing wind over the mountain peaks and ancient pine trees.
Authentic traditional life of people farming, talking, singing and herding.
Ancient mossy forest deep in the mountains of North India, Uttarakhand.
Throughout the expedition, I encountered various challenges that tested my determination and adaptability. One of the main aspects to consider was the financial side as being self-supported meant that I had to carefully manage my resources and make strategic decisions to ensure the success of the project. Additionally, the sheerly remote and rugged nature of the Himalayas presented logistical and other challenges, putting my limits to the test.
The mountains are vast and remote, but the population is still pretty high actually. There are many small villages deep in the mountains, under the peaks and steep slopes, where you would never expect to find a human living. Finding true wild areas without any human interference is not so straightforward. Surely, once you surpass the vegetation area and go even higher (3500 m+), the habitat will be no more populated, but there are also not many sounds to exist there except for wind and some avalanches. Applying years of experience in map reading and planning, I independently identify and designate the most suitable spots for sound recording.
Coming to even the starting point of interesting areas, the expedition included days of travel over dangerous mountain roads.
Needless to say, the Himalayas contain incredibly high and steep terrain that requires great fitness levels and readiness while carrying many kilograms of supplies such as food, additional clothes, camping gear, and audio equipment.
It takes many days to reach the actual wilderness and capture the sounds of different times of day. Wild camping in the wild is the only possibility and necessary part that allows you to fully connect with the environment and spend extended time in it rather than just passing through it. Carefully chosen camping gear and many years of field experience are put into practice here.
Once you leave the bigger towns and reach the remote villages, the local food can have very limited and scarce nutritional value. Even more so for us foreigners, as we are used to different foods. People in these villages eat mostly chapati bread, rice, greens, and sometimes eggs. After a prolonged time there and doing demanding physical activities, the lack of more nutritional food has certainly affected my energy and fitness levels.
Staying for 3+ months in such remote areas of the country away from the comfort and environment we are used to.
The Himalayas, in general, are a very quiet place. Amazingly, there aren’t any planes passing through this region. Not hearing the constant, disturbing noise of passing aeroplanes is a pleasure and a very rare occurrence today. However, even in the remote mountain solitude, there are still disruptions that add noise to the quiet natural soundscape.
Even in the most remote villages, trucks use roads that cut through the mountains to deliver goods. There is also lots of construction work going on as avalanches and other natural disasters frequently damage the infrastructure. Apart from that, the construction of dams or other industrial infrastructure can be detected. All these types of heavy noises can travel long distances up mountain peaks and reach any open areas that face that direction or are unsheltered by the terrain.
There were a large number of dogs barking loudly throughout the night, even in the remote mountain settlements. I don't know if it is because of the cold, but honestly, when staying in village homestays, the tranquilly of the mountains was pretty disturbed, and I also had some trouble sleeping because of that. When reaching deeper into the mountains, dog barking could sometimes still be heard and picked up by microphones from a mountain town across the valley, even though it was a large distance away. Overall, it was my most unpleasant sound to hear, as for me, it disturbed the mountain serenity.
Under the peaks, there are many beautiful Alpine pastures bordered by old forests. I've always noticed the most diverse bird activity there. Most of them are used for cattle grazing from villages located lower down; therefore, cows mooing, sheep bells, and shepherds making funny and impressive voices were frequently present. On a positive note, I've discovered that they've contributed to creating a pleasant, relaxing, and, ultimately, authentic local soundscape. Not to mention having a break on those open pastures with breathtaking landscape views and calm animals pasturing around.
Sometimes villagers go deeper into the mountains, spending a whole day or even a few days there. You can find shepherds guiding sheep on very steep mountain slopes, old grandmas still chopping and carrying wood, guys collecting pine resin, and such. It is a beautiful way to see their daily lives and get in touch with them.
Wild camping in the untouched pine forest at 3130m in a very remote location far from civilization. I was joined by my field recording buddy, Gregor Vida.
Months after the expedition, countless hours were spent in the studio, carefully listening to all the recordings and creating an extensive audio library of the Himalayas. As I am writing this article and remembering all the times spent in the Himalayas, I get goosebumps. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity and the health to be able to reach these special places. Speaking nature-wise, as the people say, it is just a very unique and powerful place to be. I am carrying all the experiences I had, but at the same time, another expedition is in development. Stay tuned for more updates.
Himalayan ranges in detail:
https://www.pmfias.com/himalayas-himalayan-ranges-shiwaliks-outer-himalayas-lesser-himalayas-greater-himalayas-trans-himalayas-purvanchal/
Forests of Uttarakhand:
https://shorturl.at/yDS25
