Kangra police advise trekkers in Himachal to avoid taking risks

As tourists from all over the country flock Himachal Pradesh, the Kangra police have advised hikers to avoid misadventures during trekking expeditions

As tourists from all over the country flock Himachal Pradesh, the Kangra police have advised hikers to avoid misadventures during trekking expeditions.

Kangra police have advised trekkers in Himachal to follow prescribed routes, avoid short-cuts and trek in the day time only. (Shutterstock)

“Tourist footfall in the famous hill destinations like McLeodganj, Palampur and Baijnath has gone up manifolds with the early onset of summers, especially on weekends,” said Kangra superintendent of police Khushal Chand Sharma. Many of them, the SP said, go hiking to the higher reaches like Triund, Snowline, Karer and Himani Chamunda, while some tend to cross over to the other side of Dhaudladhar towards Chamba and Bara-Bhangal.

He said, it has come to their notice that many trekkers don’t follow marked trails and instead take short-cuts to reach their destination early. This could be dangerous and put their lives in perils. “In the hills, the places which look closer from vantage could be far off. A misjudgment of the distance and deviation from the marked route can cause one to lose their way and get stranded at dangerous places,” said Sharma. There is also no cellular connectivity in most of these places. In many instances in the past, people have lost their lives as they got stranded and couldn’t call for rescue.

“So, we request the tourists intending to go trekking to avoid such misadventures. They should follow the prescribed routes, avoid short-cuts, trek in the day time only, check the weather forecast for the area before hitting the trail and hire experienced registered guides for risky trails,” said Sharma.

Kangra has around a dozen high-altitude mountain passes (above 3,000 metres) across the Dhauladhars, which are widely used by shepherds to cross over to either side with their herds. In recent years, trekking activities through these passes have increased.