A way of living, working and travelling with greater care for the place around us.
The people of Baltistan have long lived closely with their surroundings. Life in Turtuk has traditionally been shaped by what the valley can provide: its farms and orchards, its water, its materials, its crafts and, above all, its community. Much of what is needed is grown, made, shared or sourced locally.
Sustainabalti grew from this way of life and the question of how hospitality can work within it.
At Virsa, it influences the choices we make every day. We grow organic produce on our own farm and source from local farmers and families wherever possible. We work with local artisans and businesses, use regional materials and traditional skills, and consider what we bring into Virsa, what we use, what we consume and what we leave behind.
Some of these choices are small. Others require more thought, time and collaboration. Together, they form an ongoing approach to how we live and operate at Virsa.
A Practice Rooted in Place
From the Valley
Turtuk has always been a farming village. Its fields and orchards follow the seasons, with fruit, vegetables, herbs and grains grown for homes and families across the valley.
At Virsa, much of our food is grown close to where it is served. Our own farm supplies the kitchen, while we also work with local farmers and families to bring seasonal produce to the table. In summer, the orchards fill with fruit, much of it eaten fresh, shared between families or preserved for the months ahead.
We have planted over 3,000 trees across Turtuk and continue to support local planting and cultivation. For us, looking after the valley also means keeping its farms, orchards and agricultural traditions part of everyday life.
Hill Tribe: Keeping the Harvest Moving
Hill Tribe grew from an interest in what Turtuk already produces.
The organic store brings together produce from the surrounding highlands and valleys, giving local harvests a place beyond the farm and the family home. Apricots, walnuts, herbs, flours and other products from the region find their way to people visiting Turtuk and beyond.
Farming in the valley is changing, as livelihoods change and younger generations look towards opportunities outside agriculture. Creating a market for local produce is one way of keeping farming connected to the present, while giving farmers and producers another reason to continue growing what has long been part of life here.
For us, Hill Tribe is part of the same thinking behind Sustainabalti: supporting the place begins with supporting the people, skills and livelihoods that make it what it is.
Working With the People of Turtuk
Virsa was built by the people around it. Local stone masons, woodcarvers, blacksmiths, weavers and craftsmen helped shape the property, using skills and knowledge passed down through generations.
That relationship continues beyond the building itself. Many of the people who helped create Virsa now share their crafts with guests through workshops, from traditional looms and weaving to brasswork and blacksmithing.
These experiences offer a closer look at the work behind the things we see around us, while keeping local skills in use and giving them a place within contemporary life.
For us, working locally is part of making thoughtful choices about what we build with, who we work with and what we help keep alive.
Walk Lightly: A New Earth Experiment
We travel because we are drawn to beautiful places. Walk Lightly began at Virsa with a simple thought: that being in a place can also mean taking care of it.
Guests, staff and friends of Virsa are invited to take a jute sack and reusable gloves when they go walking through Turtuk, collecting whatever waste they find along the way and bringing it back for segregation. Once a week, we also set aside three hours to walk together and care for the village and its surroundings.
It is a small practice, but one that encourages us to notice the place differently, and to think about what we leave behind.
The Things We Choose
We consider where the things we use come from, how they are made and what happens to them afterwards. In our rooms, this means refillable toiletries, biodegradable essentials, bamboo and recycled paper products, and drinking water served in glass bottles.
We work with Bamboo Bae for plastic-free, biodegradable essentials, Kheoni for naturally formulated body wash and shampoo in refillable containers, and BECO for toilet paper made from bamboo and recycled paper.
Our drinking water is Himalayan Stream Water, sourced from glacial snow naturally filtered through layers of mountain sand, silt and limestone over a twenty-year journey. Freshly placed in glass bottles every day for our stays, it is served throughout the property.
These are everyday choices, but they are part of a larger consideration of what hospitality brings into a place and what it leaves behind.
Sustainabalti is ultimately about the relationship between Virsa and the place around it.
It is in the food grown in the valley, the people who work with us, the artisans who keep traditional skills in use, the materials we choose, the trees we plant and the waste we learn to manage.
It is an ongoing effort to work with Turtuk rather than apart from it, and to keep tourism connected to the people, resources and way of life that make this place what it is.
We invite you to be part of this through simple, conscious actions and mindful consumption.