Summers are back and so is the heat. For some it is the most cumbersome part of the year, which should pass as early as possible, and yet for others it is the time to beat the heat by doing something adventurous. From the time immemorial, man has always wanted to escape the extreme weather conditions may it be summers, winters or rainy seasons always wanting what is not! In my opinion going for a trekking holiday to some countryside location in the woods or to a hilly area would be the best way to beat the heat, enjoy the nature and to rejuvenate the mind and the body. As most of the popular land based adventure sports are mountain oriented and trekking is one of them. Therefore, if you want to enjoy the natural beauty of high mountains, dense forests, water bodies, wild life, flora and fauna, habitat of people living at high altitudes and other unseen natural beauties then become a trekker.
Trekking is generally associated with the journey across the forest treks or in the countryside that is still largely untouched by formal means of transportation. In India, trekking is very common with the students and the young. The number of trekking enthusiasts has been increasing all over the world as it gives most of the modern people an opportunity to get away from the crowds, noise, pollution and stress associated with thickly populated cities; in fact it is an enjoyable escape from the daily chores of life. It is a wonderful exercise, which should be taken on a regular basis. It not only helps to refresh the mind and the body but is also a learning experience. As somebody has rightly said, “wandering one gathers honey” which means the more a person travels the more he learns even more than what he learns from reading the books.
It is not very difficult to find out and reach a trekking route. You can easily reach the base camp or the starting point of most of the trekking routes with the help of any kind of transport available. As far as the information part is concerned, every state in our country has its own tourism departments, which provide all kinds of tourism related information including trekking. From these offices trekkers can get all the information regarding the hiring of the equipment, advice and suggestions on possible trekking routes and in case they plan to stay longer and need to hire porters, ponies, guides and camping equipment, that can also be arranged.
Surely, trekking holds different meanings for different people in fact purposes also. For some it is just like going to a picnic where they can sing, dance and laugh with friends around a campfire in the evening. For adventure lovers it acts as an adrenalin raiser where they can test their endurance and skills facing challenges, which the nature poses to them. For bird watchers it provides an opportunity to watch many species, which are normally not visible in the rush of the cities. For nature lovers and photographers it provides them an opportunity to capture the best of the sceneries and marvelous views in their cameras. For flower lovers there is always something new and exciting. Moreover, for those who have a sholaristic bent of mind there is lot to learn from the culture of various tribes and villages and from the norms and the values, which they follow. In short, by taking a walk you learn a lot.
Talking of Jammu, summer is the best time to go for trekking when almost all the routes are open. There are excellent camping sites in the wilderness and the detailed information is easily available from the adventure wing of the office of the Director Tourism, Jammu Province.
The Tourism Department has shops that hire out trekking equipment at Jammu and Kud where local and imported trekking gear is available at fixed rates. The equipment available includes 4-man tents, 2-man tents; sleeping bags; carry mat; jackets; Windcheaters (Indian); rucksack, and trekking boots.
The equipment is issued against a cash security deposit equivalent to the cost of the item or against a guarantee letter from any officer of the rank of Deputy Director, Tourism/Deputy Secretary of the State or Central Government. Some travel agencies in the city can also organise trekking expeditions in different parts of Jammu the details of which are available with the Tourist Office in the TRC.
Trekking and other adventure activities in Jammu are mainly being promoted by the Department of Tourism, Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports, Center for Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Jammu; Tawi-Trekkers and by some other private players and by the efforts of the tourism graduates, the entrepreneurs in this field and the ancillary industry.
Jammu has a vast potential for the propagation of the adventure tourism specially trekking but over a decade long militancy and turmoil has badly shattered the image of the place in front of those who were eager to visit this part of the world. Therefore, a lot needs to be done to make it a perfect place for trekking lovers.
