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How Ladakh’s Mountains Became a Sporting Economic Engine
Chewang Motup Goba grew up among Ladakh’s high mountains.
He later became a mountaineer and helped start a company that organizes difficult mountain trips.
He and Yangdu Tshering also helped bring better equipment and organized ice hockey to local children.
After floods hurt tourism in 2010, Motup helped launch the Ladakh Marathon in 2012.
Runners must arrive early to get used to the high altitude.
This means they stay longer, use hotels, taxis, restaurants and guides, and spend more money locally.
Motup says many thousands of livelihoods now depend directly or indirectly on outdoor activities.
However, changing glaciers, melting snow and extreme floods could damage the environment and the economy.
The challenge is to grow tourism while protecting Ladakh’s mountains.
Chewang Motup Goba and Yangdu Tshering founded Rimo Expeditions in 1992 to develop professional, community-focused adventure tourism in Ladakh.
Motup helped introduce organized ice hockey by securing 50 sets of professional equipment for local players in 2003.
The Ladakh Marathon launched in 2012 after devastating 2010 floods, helping revive tourism and extend the visitor season into September.
Motup estimates the marathon generates ₹40–47 crore in direct and indirect activity per edition, including an estimated 70,000–80,000 paid bed-nights.
The wider outdoor and adventure ecosystem is estimated by Motup to support 25,000–30,000 local livelihoods, but climate change threatens the landscape underpinning it.
- Who
- Chewang Motup Goba, Yangdu Tshering, local communities, athletes and businesses across Ladakh.
- What
- The development of an adventure-tourism and sporting economy centered on mountaineering, ice hockey, the Ladakh Marathon and ultra-endurance events.
- Where
- Ladakh, including Leh, Nubra, the Khardung La region and other Himalayan areas.
- When
- Rimo Expeditions was founded in 1992; ice hockey equipment arrived in 2003; the Ladakh Marathon began in 2012.
- Why
- To create local livelihoods, provide sporting opportunities, revive tourism after the 2010 floods and extend economic activity beyond the peak summer season.
Economic and Sporting Opportunity
Environmental and Sustainability Caution
Tourism and livelihoods
Economic and Sporting Opportunity
Adventure tourism and endurance events create work for guides, porters, race officials, transport operators, accommodation providers, restaurants and logistics crews while extending the tourism season.
Environmental and Sustainability Caution
The reported economic figures are estimates provided by Motup and are not independently audited; greater dependence on tourism also exposes communities to environmental and economic shocks.
Growing visitor numbers
Economic and Sporting Opportunity
Longer stays by runners and their families can spread spending across hotels, homestays, taxis, food businesses, guides and local retailers rather than relying only on short visits.
Environmental and Sustainability Caution
Ladakh’s natural environment imposes limits on how much tourism it can absorb, and unmanaged growth could damage the mountains and water systems that attract visitors.
Sporting development
Economic and Sporting Opportunity
Ice hockey, marathons and ultra-endurance races offer young Ladakhis structured activities, potential employment and opportunities to use their familiarity with high-altitude terrain.
Environmental and Sustainability Caution
Climate change, glacier loss, changing snow conditions and extreme rainfall threaten the terrain and natural systems required for mountain sport and tourism.
Key facts
- Adventure company
- Rimo Expeditions was co-founded by Chewang Motup Goba and Yangdu Tshering in 1992.
- Ice hockey initiative
- In 2003, Ladakh received 50 complete sets of professional ice hockey equipment through the NHL Players’ Association’s Goals & Dreams programme.
- Marathon launch
- The Ladakh Marathon began in September 2012 after the 2010 floods damaged tourism and infrastructure.
- Estimated marathon impact
- Motup estimates ₹40–47 crore, or $4.2 million–$4.9 million, in direct and indirect economic activity per edition.
- Estimated stays
- The event is estimated by Motup to generate 70,000–80,000 paid bed-nights in September.
- Estimated livelihoods
- Motup estimates that the wider outdoor and adventure ecosystem supports 25,000–30,000 livelihoods directly and indirectly.
- Environmental concern
- Motup observed that parts of the Siachen route that were covered by snow and ice in 1986 had become moraine, mud and rock by 2002.
Quotes
Chewang Motup Goba
Ladakhi mountaineer, entrepreneur and co-founder of Rimo Expeditions
“We set out to solve three fundamental problems: uplifting mountain staff and porters, encouraging ecological responsibility, and fostering community-centric tourism.”
financialexpress.com
“When you are nineteen, adventure is defined by the summit. It is all about the glory of standing on top, planting a flag, and proving yourself.”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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