Trekking gurus share safety tips for outdoor adventurers

Earlier this month a 24yearold man lost his life and his friend was severely injured while jumping from a height of 120 ft into a plunge pool in Dabhosa in Palghar district The inspectorincharge at the nearby police station where the incident was reported said that the water levels were low in the plunge pool and that this could have been a possible factor for the death With the monsoon expected to arrive next month and the trekking season in Maharashtra all set to pick up it is important to adhere to basic safety guidelines and ask the right questions before you set out on your next adventureAccess management systemsldquoIndia has no access management systems No matter how long or short the duration of a trek is operators must have the correct permits This becomes a form of access management While guidelines are in place in certain places there are still many gaps in the system We must first acknowledge the gap and then work on it If they donrsquot have registration operators should not be allowed to conduct any commercial adventure travel activityrdquo says Vaibhav Kala vicepresident Adventure Tour Operators Association of India ATOAI ldquoIf itrsquos an established picnic spot or a trail that the government knows is witnessing traffic is there nobody to tell trekkers what the code of conduct needs to be In the case of plunge pools for example a risk assessment has to be done to record what the water levels are and whether it is safe to dive or not Every activity must have risk assessment and a system to authenticate authorise and audit access which is largely missingrdquo Kala explainsVaibhav KalaThe ATOAI works closely with the industry and the governments at the central and state levels to advocate policies study trends and create a safe environment for participants in adventure activities across 31 verticals They have worked with the Central Ministry of Tourism to help formulate a national strategy for adventure tourism which will hopefully encompass access management for commercial operations and this will hopefully be implemented soonPlanning aheadJaya Balakrishna exIndiahikes trek leader and a passionate hiker believes that risk management and preparing ahead is key to avoid unhappy accidents ldquoAssessing hazards and developing situational awareness is the first and foremost thing to do when outdoors Most times safety doesnrsquot surface in conversations regarding a trek This doesnrsquot mean that safety isnrsquot important But safety means ldquofreedom from harmrdquomdash it implies a guarantee that no one can undertake especially in the wilderness Instead of focusing solely on safety we should focus on the idea that while we canrsquot guarantee safety in the wilderness we can learn to manage risk and minimise the likelihood of a serious incident You can prepare yourself to respond to these types of events by having a solid trip plan before you gordquo Balakrishna points out ldquoCourses like Wilderness First Responder help bring awareness and the handson experience with mock accidents and the first aid training imparted help to those in the outdoors to survive the wildernessrdquo she addsThe social media trapAccording to Yogesh Umbre a professional rock climber mountaineer and part of the rescue operation team at Shivdurga Mitra Lonavala since 2008 many accidents these days have been caused because trekkers are trying to impress their social media followers ldquoIn the recent past we have seen incidents where trekkers deliberately take more risks to get more viewership and likes on their social media content They also seem to lose concentration and focus all their attention on getting the perfect selfies If the same attention was paid to safety many accidents could have been avoided Some trekkers follow other lsquoinfluencersrsquo and set off on a trek without much knowledge about the place They head to a destination without preparation because it looks good and pay no attention to detailsrdquo Umbre warnsSeasoned trekkers and expert guides share their safety checklistsYou come firstKnow yourself Itrsquos always good to fairly assess your capabilities before signing up for an adventure This includes checking with your doctor about medical conditions Donrsquot push yourself to do something that you are not prepared for physically or mentallygtgt Answer some vital questions does the trek require preparation beforehand Whatrsquos the best packing list for that terrainweather Have you been in that environment before and if not what is the best way to adaptgtgt ldquoThere is no such thing as bad weather only bad gearrdquo is a motto I swear by Itrsquos always good to have highquality gear that will protect you in adverse weather and terraingtgt Learn basic outdoor skills mdash consuming enough energy by ensuring enough carbs and protein intake going slow and steady navigation skills and setting up camp before sunset are some of the key skillsShikha Tripathi travel writer and founder Snowfox EscapesAttention to detailgtgt Do thorough research about the place you are heading to Secure details about water resources camping spots and cliffs Be aware of the entry and exit pointsgtgt Avoid venturing alone taking a local guide is helpfulgtgt Keep track of the time Begin and end earlygtgt Download offline maps if available Gaia Wikiloc Strava are some good apps to installgtgt For forest and jungle trails learn about its wildlife and their movement beforehand Also forest permissionspermits are a mustMeghna Kushalappa founder Treks n TalesGroup decisionsgtgt If yoursquore climbing high peaks be aware of the timing of afternoon thunderstorms If yoursquore heading for a hike study trail conditions so you can plan ahead for a route thatrsquos muddy or slipperygtgt Discuss expectations as a team Itrsquos easy to assume that you and your friends have similar expectations and training or that you think about risk in the same way In reality you are likely to find important differences that you may need to considergtgt In group treks check if everyone understands the plan and can implement it If only one person has firstaid training and that person gets injured whatrsquos your backup It is also a great time to check your firstaid kit to make sure your supplies are wellstockedJaya Balakrishna professional trekker and group leaderWhen it rainsgtgt Itrsquos a common sight in the monsoon to see people wearing sandals and rubber chappals while trekking in the Sahyadris This can be dangerous Proper clothing and shoes play an important role in ensuring safety on treksgtgt Avoid the selfie obsession while trekking Take photos while resting or camping but keep both hands free while climbing gtgt Carry a small laminated note with emergency contact detailsDuring day treks share your live location with a friend or family member who isnrsquot on the trek with you gtgt Almost all lakes especially near Pune and Mumbai are strictly noswimming zones because most of them are backwaters of dams and hence have undercurrents Do not swim in any water body in the monsoongtgt Donrsquot disturb wildlife especially snakes during forest trails Most people arenrsquot aware of the difference between a nonvenomous rat snake and a highly venomous Russellrsquos vipergtgt Most forts have a main route with a staircase leading up many donrsquot and those are best avoidedgtgt Carry at least 4 litres of water in the summerSaptarishi Bhattacharya seasoned trekking and wildlife enthusiastLocal knowledge is keyMembers of the Shivdurga Mitra Lonavala participate in a rescue training session at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagargtgt Study weather conditionspredictions before a trip Trained climbers avoid summertime in Maharashtra due to severe heat Honeybees are more active and aggressive in summer especially during treks around fortsgtgt Carry a firstaid kit but also have knowledge of how to use itgtgt Seek help of local villagers as they are familiar with the terrain can warn you of risks and help during rescues Carry contact details of rescue teamsgtgt Always carry a working SIM card be sure of which network works best in that regiongtgt For waterbodies one must know basic swimming Nonswimmers should strictly avoid diving and swimming Collect data about water depth currents and tides Yogesh Umbre professional climber and rescue expertSign up for these treksgtgt Wander the nightTake a trip through the magical fort of Harihar and its history on this night and day trekON May 18 930 pmMEETING POINT CSMT StationLOG ON TO bhataknacomCOST Rs 499 onwardsgtgt Delight in natureA nature loverrsquos favourite the Bhimashankar sanctuary is filled with majestic hikesON June 15MEETING POINT Neral stationLOG ON TO hikerwolfcomCOST Rs 1999 onwardsgtgt Walk in the cloudsEnd the weekend amidst the clouds with a trek to Kalsubai the highest point in the SahyadrisON May 18 and 25MEETING POINT Kasara Railway StationCALL 8799856476LOG ON TO maharashtragadkillecomCOST Rs 1299 includes transport and accommodationgtgt Dive in for funJoin experienced trekkers as they set off for an adventure to the Kal Mandavi water fall to bring the summer to a closeON May 19 Meeting Point Pritam Dhaba Dadar EastLOG ON TO adventuregeekinCALL 9004675388COST Rs 1199 onwardsCompiled by Shriram Iyengar and Devashish Kamble