‘Solo trekking is not for everyone’

How did a young woman end up going alone on a trail that is often attempted in groups This is one of the many questions that have arisen from the tragic death of Navi Mumbai law student Shreya PatilPatil had gone to Tiger Point in Lonavla for a solo trek on January 30 and then went missing On February 1 hours after her family registered a missing persons report her body was found in a 400foot gorgeThe tragedy has split the trekking community down the middle with many questioning if trekking alone is even advisableA solo trek is not everyonersquos cup of tealdquoThere is no need for a solo trek periodrdquo says Digvijay Rathore who runs his own trekking company Mischief Treks ldquoIrsquoll never trek without professional backup It is always advised to be with an experienced trek leader who is specifically trained to handle adverse conditions Do your research stay safe and think about the family you need to come back tordquo he addsShubrank Mukhiya cofounder of Hiker Information amp Knowledge Exchange aka HikeX believes solo treks are misunderstood Preparation he says can cut out a lot of the risk ldquoWe donrsquot stop driving cars when accidents happenrdquo he adds ldquoBut with freedom comes responsibility with adventure comes risks And risks require preparationrdquoThe basics he feels are often underestimated ldquoAssuming that hiking is simple and easy can be fatal as in this case When we run our Hiking Field Course we teach hikers all essential outdoor and safety skills so that incidents like this do not happenrdquo says MukhiyaManvendra Singh Shekhawat is currently on a solo 2000km Sahyadri trek PIC INSTAGRAMaskmanavPeople also underestimate the demands trekking makes on the body says Rathore ldquoYour fitness level needs to be beyond just gym fitness Trekking needs different muscle groups the muscles that you train in the gym are selective onesrdquo says Rathore ldquoIt has nothing to do with being lsquofatrsquo or lsquobulkyrsquo either A lot of people who might be considered fat sometimes are stronger and have more endurance than a gymgoing personrdquo he addsEqually important is to tell people back home where you are going ldquoWhether trekking solo or in a group one should always share their hike plan with someone back home so that they know where to look if you donrsquot return in timerdquo Mukhiya addsThis advice brings to mind the movie 127 Hours 2010 which portrayed the story of American trekker Aron Ralston who was trapped in a canyon for over five days after a boulder fell on his arm The chances of being rescued were bleak as he had not told anyone where he was going Eventually he had to cut off his arm to escapeManvendr Singh Shekhawat Shubrank Mukhija and Digvijay RathoreThe trekking community is already grappling with the waves of inexperienced trekkers who are inspired to try solo treks after watching social media videosRathore who has been in the field for almost 20 years says that social media has also sparked a worrisome trend of unverified trekking companies and groupsldquoI once met a person in a base village who called himself a trek leader and brought 50 participants with him It was shocking to know it was the first trek of his life and no one had bothered to check his background before booking This is why it is crucial to research the group you are going withrdquo he saysAt the end of the day even with all kinds of preparation there is no way to guarantee there wonrsquot be any accidents ldquoThere is no blanket answer to what mistakes a solo trekker should avoidrdquo says Mukhiya ldquoThe idea is to minimise unknowns and uncertainties in the planning phase Know the trail before you hit the trailrdquoWhat can one do if something does go wrong ldquoIn countries like the US you can simply click an SOS button to communicate with dedicated emergency device via small pocketsized satellite communication devices In India these are banned So if you are out of network coverage and there is an emergency only two things can help you other than hope First your skills and training and the second is a safety tool like lsquoEmergency Alertsrsquo available for free at appmanavinrdquo he addsThe app Mukhiya refers to is HikeXrsquos WhatsAppbased emergency service If hikers donrsquot return on time the app sends an alert to their emergency contacts with their trek details The app has been live for a year nowThe lsquoManavrsquo here hosting the app is Manvendra Singh Shekhawat cofounder of HikeX who is currently mapping the Epic Sahyadri Trail of 2000 km He hopes to document the entire trail much like the longdistance trails in New Zealand UK and US This will eventually help other trekkers plan their route Shekhawat is making this journey solo with short stops to exchange information with a a team member and replenish suppliesHe understands why there is so much resistance to solo treks from the community ldquoThese are people who have been hiking for 2040 years Theyrsquove seen accidents among groups as well as solo trekkersrdquo he says ldquoSolo trekking is definitely not for everyonerdquo adds Shekhawat who has been trekking for over a decade now ldquoIt requires a lot of skill and patience Once you have learned the skill and only after a few years of trekking experience one can maybe start with small and easy solo treksrdquoSafety firstgtgt thinspAlways opt for trek organisers with a limited batch size for an optimum experiencegtgt thinspthinspChoose an organiser that has a legitimate official website and provides email confirmations of bookingsgtgt thinspIf the payment is to be made to a personal account that is a huge red flaggtgt thinspCheck if the organiser is famous for ldquoreelsrdquo or ldquoreliabilityrdquo Look for reviews and how long they have been conducting treksDigvijay Rathore founder Mischief TreksNo guarantees with experience eitherNature can best even the most experienced trekker In 1999 Arun Samant mdash a trekker with over 30 years of experience known for his treks on Himalayan and Siachin glacier mdash died while descending from the summit of Gyasumpa or Gya III in Himachal Pradesh It was later found that the team was underprepared and did not carry food or other supplies to the summit causing Samantrsquos death due to exhaustion