Trekking post Covid -19

1. When will the trekking start?

Irrespective of the lockdown status of different states and the aircraft or trains starting services, trekking operations can be started as soon as the Government gives a nod for tourism activities. It also depends upon when governments of Himalayan states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kashmir, Ladakh, North Eastern States , or the Western Ghats States like Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra releases their individual advisories for trekking operation and start welcoming the trekkers.

2. Who will trek First?

Ideally, the one who can drive up to the trek start point in an own or private vehicle from their home would be the safer and first lot. Followed by the people who fly down and drive up to the trek start point in a private vehicle. Slowly and gradually when things get better and the COVID-19 contamination worry reduces, more people will be trekking on different slopes.

3. What are the precautions to be taken by the trekkers?

The trekkers need to take all the necessary precautions advised by the government and shared by the trek operator without any fail. Adding to that few important and general precautions suggested are

• Travel to the trek start point in an own or private vehicle rather than in public transport or shared vehicle

• Carry your own camping gears(Tent, Sleeping Bag, Sleeping Mat, Sleeping Liner, Water bottle, etc) and cutleries(Plate, Spoon, Mug, Fork)

• Sign up for private treks or the treks with small group sizes of 10 to 12 people.

• Priority to be given to the company’s quality in operating treks safely and following the SOPs rather than the pricing where safety could be jeopardized.

• Trekkers need to focus on quality rather than just only the price.

4. What will be the major precautionary steps taken by the companies?

The trekking companies must follow all the general measures advised by the respective governments and the specific trekking operation related measures advised by organizations like ATOAI(Adventure Tour Operators Association of India). The major measures are likely to be and not limited to what is mentioned below.

• The company must have all the transactions and paper works done online to minimize direct human contacts.

• The company should have the capacity to arrange sanitized private vehicles, for transfers from trek start point and endpoint.

• The company must be willing to operate treks for private groups of families or close friends rather than groups of unknown people.

• The treks must have small group sizes, ideally not more than 10 to 12 participants in each group.

• The company must check and record the temperature of every trekker and staff daily, using non-contact thermometers. The data must be made easily accessible to everybody in the team.

• The oxygen level of every trekker and the staff must be checked and recorded daily.

• An evacuation plan followed by a quarantine strategy must be in place in case any member of the team is found to have an abnormal temperature or oxygen levels.

• The company must ask the trekkers to bring their own tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag and cutleries. Sanitizing these gears everyday and every time after use may not be practically possible in the wilderness but at the same time mandatory in case used by different people on different days. By owning gears and using it personally reduces the chances of contamination.

• The company must provide adequate support and information to the trekkers regarding all the precautions to be taken and about the SOPs.

• The company must provide adequate support in selecting and purchase of equipment.

• The company should provide proper solutions to sanitize the cutlery after every use.

• The kitchen tent and dining area must be well sanitized before and after every use.