Smart Skills
Venture into adventure
Usha Albuquerque

It’s holiday time — and not just you, but many of the young people today want a different kind of a holiday. One that might include trekking and hiking, camping, white water rafting or even parasailing. The varied topography in India, from snow- capped mountains and fast-flowing rivers to deserts, thick forests and a long coastline offers immense possibilities for all kinds of adventure sports. The varied terrain and climatic conditions provides scope for developing a number of diverse sporting activities according to geographical conditions in different parts of the country.

Moreover, today with increasing urbanisation and disposable incomes, people want to get back in touch with nature and have the financial means to do so. And no longer are holidays just spent with dada-dadi or nana-nani, holidays also mean fun and enjoyment, and risk-taking thrills. Even corporate organisations and educational institutions use adventure sports as a training activity to broaden horizons, build up team spirit and confidence, as also interpersonal and leadership skills.

The increasing demand for these adventure sports has, therefore, taken it out of the realm of hobby activities, or an annual break, but one that can be pursued as a satisfying career.

There are a variety of sports that can be included in the large bouquet of adventure sports characterised by the topography in which they are undertaken.

Mountain sports include mountaineering, trekking and hiking, camping and rock climbing. Depending on the terrain, height and altitude, it is also possible to do skiing, sledging, heli-skiing and tobogganing on snow and ice, or parasailing, parachuting, or gliding off the top of high mountains. The vast mountain areas of the Himalayas along the northern periphery and the foothills offer ample challenges to all those looking for adventure. The hills of the Kumaon and Garhwal regions, as well as the Chamba, Kulu-Manali and Kashmir valleys and the rugged terrain of Ladakh are ideal for such activities. Rock climbing specially around the Aravalli hills near Delhi and in the Western Ghats have been popular outdoor activities for training of corporates and students.

In several parts of the country, a variety of water sports are also being developed. In the mountain areas where there are fast flowing rivers, water sports like river rafting, kayaking and canoeing are popular. Along the coastline, sea sports such as water skiing, surfing, sailing, wind surfing, yachting and scuba diving can be taken up. The western coast offers many possibilities for such activities, particularly off the beaches of Goa, Gujarat and Kerala.

Organising adventure sports

There are jungle and tropical forest related adventures too. Camping and wildlife safaris, bird watching are other pursuits that are gaining importance, and while the number of tigers may be fast dwindling, some of the wildlife parks such as Corbett along the foothills of the Himalayas, Kanha and Ranthambore in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and others in the south offer a variety of wildlife and birds worth seeing. The desert safaris have also attracted a number of foreign tourist and adventurers soaking in the colours and exotica of Rajasthan and the camel safaris around Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur. Of late, sports such as scuba diving in the Andamans and Lakshwadeep, and bungee jumping in Goa have also taken off and become popular.

Whatever the activity, the work in this field would be as a trainer or organiser of such activities. A combination of sporting talent and managerial ability is required for this career. Much of the love for the outdoors comes from years of holiday experiences where you may have acquired some skills and a spirit of adventure. Trainers try and spread that love of adventure, and need to be able to handle any crisis that may arise.

So, you would need to have good physical and mental health, courage, ability to stay calm under critical situations and leadership qualities. A knowledge and training in the sport one is pursuing is essential to instill confidence. Although a basic education is sufficient to get you into this field, a bachelor’s degree in any subject is an advantage should you wish to move into managerial, or publicity areas of work.

Course clues

The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling, the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, and the Western Himalayan Institute of Moutaineering and Allied Sports at Manali provide training at different levels of the skill. There are also other institutes that provide training in other sports such as the National Institute of Water Sports in Goa, the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam in Uttaranchal and others like the Indian Institute of Skiing and Moutaineering for skiing and paragliding in Gulmarg and Auli.

The Sports Authority of India conducts a variety of courses and training schemes for the promotion of a range of different sports. There are also degree and diploma courses in physical education and in different sports at the SAI institutes around the country. In addition, there are professional sports associations, such as the kayaking and canoeing Association of India, the Yachting Association of India, the Cycling Federation of India and so on, that coordinate and promote training in various sports disciplines.

Adventure sports has also caught the attention of young kids, many of whom spend their summer holidays on adventure oriented trips. There are today several organisations that specialise in catering to adventure travel needs for different age groups, combining camping out in the wilderness with some adventure sporting activities likes trekking, rock climbing, river rafting, star-gazing, bird watching and the like. Such experiences teach children a lot of values such as discipline, responsibility, co-operation inter-dependence and confidence. Not surprising that there are also increasing numbers of corporates that are using adventure sports for motivating and training their personnel.

For tourists, India’s many adventure sporting activities and locations are ideal for the sporting inclined. The white water rafting on the fast flowing rivers in the Garhwal region offer tremendous potential for enhancing tourism, so also the ski slopes in Manali and Uttaranchal where the sheer height and length of the slopes put them on a par with international winter sports sites.

Trek into future

India has immense potential for developing adventure sporting activities of all kinds and with the fillip being given to such sports, this is probably the best time to make this a career. You can join an organisation specializing in any particular sport, or work with tourist groups that indulge in the sports. With some years of experience you may even be able to start out with your own adventure sporting service. So, if you are the sporting kind, love the outdoors and the thrill of adventure, this is the time to make your hobby into a challenging career.

Training talk

• Some of the training institutes in adventure sports are:

• Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling

• Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi

• Western Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering & Allied Sports, Manali

• Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, Dept of Tourism, Gulmarg, J & K.

• Indian Mountaineering Foundation, Benito Juarz Marg, New Delhi

• National Institute of Water Sports, Goa

• Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior

• Himalayan River Runners, Haus Khas Enclave, New Delhi

• Laccadives Dive Centre, Mumbai