Trekking soon? Don't let your guard down

Following the rescue at Tadiandamol peak, experts share tips for safe outdoor experiences.

Preparedness is non-negotiable on any forest trail, however simple or familiar it may seem, say trekking experts. Their advice follows a recent incident in which a woman from Kerala went missing while descending Tadiandamol, the highest peak of Kodagu and a popular trekking destination.

After four days of intensive search, G S Sharanya, the 36-year-old woman, was found safe by members of the Kudiya community. She had survived on water from a stream, as she had carried no food and her phone had run out of battery.

Naresh Raju of Outdoors Beckon says there is always some risk in being out in nature. “A forest trail can look different under different weather conditions. And once you stray from the main trail and look back, everything starts to look the same, making it confusing,” he explains. His advice: be mindful of the weather, avoid going solo on unfamiliar trails, and stay aware of your route both on the way up and down.

To stay prepared always, he suggests carrying a whistle, a headlamp, and a fully charged power bank.

Offline maps

Upayan Chatterjee of Indiahikes urges trekkers to download offline maps before hitting the trail. He believes this simple step can prevent 95 per cent of trekking mishaps. “Keep apps like Gaia GPS or OsmAnd handy to access maps without the internet. Next, download the map of your specific trail. The maps of Karnataka trails are available for free on websites like aranyavihaara.karnataka.gov.in, and indiahikes.com (under the ‘Documented Treks’ tab). For Himalayan trails, hiking.waymarkedtrails.org is a great resource,” he says. Offline maps may help you find your way back if you veer off, he adds.

No matter how short the trail, Chatterjee also advises carrying water and dry fruits. “Appetite usually crashes in stressful situations, but a kilo of dry fruits could be enough to survive a night or two,” he explains. He strongly advises against eating from the wild, as one can never be sure what is edible. Focus on staying hydrated and look out for streams.

Regular headcounts

Even in groups, trekkers can lose their way. “This can happen when a dense forest opens into a clearing and trekkers are unsure which direction to take,” says Chatterjee. He recommends taking headcounts at regular intervals, especially when a group emerges into a clearing. Raju adds that staying close to the group is particularly important during descents.

The golden rule: always keep visual contact with another trekker or the group leader.

Survival tips

If you get lost, do not panic or move haphazardly, as it may take you farther from the main trail, says Raju. Instead, stay close to where you are and keep calling out for help.
If it starts getting dark, look for safe shelter such as a large rock face, a small cave, or a tree with a wide canopy. While there is daylight, move to a higher point, such as a rocky outcrop, and call for help at regular intervals. This increases your chances of being spotted and helps you get a sense of your surroundings, say the experts.

Vasumathi Srinivasan of the Karnataka Mountaineering Association advises heading towards possible signs of human presence. Listen for the sound of a stream or follow patches of grass, as they may indicate a water source nearby.

She recalls a trek to Kudremukh where her group got separated from another and had to spend the night in the open. While her group was carrying food rations and a stove, the other group had kerosene. The next day, both groups followed the “blades of grass” and the “trickle of water” they saw from their respective locations and began descending. They found each other near a pond. “We immediately made upma and coffee!” she shares.

Similarly, following electric poles may lead you to a settlement or a main road. Vasumathi learnt this tip from an army guide, and it once helped her expedition reach Khardung La Pass in Ladakh.

She sums up the dangers of throwing caution to the wind in nature with a common saying popular in trekking circles: “Don’t be a Gama in the land of Lama”. Gama was a famous wrestler, she explains. The saying suggests that muscle, arrogance, or recklessness does not work in nature. “And never go solo,” she emphasises.