Is it safe for Kids/Children to trek in Sahyadri a.k.a. Western Ghats of Maharashtra?
Age is no longer a barrier. We are in an era where kids are accomplishing great things at a very young age. When it comes to trekking and adventure, Kids have been scaling peaks of difficult grade treks too. Bhagat Singh was 14 year old "Man" when he joined the Young Revolutionary Movement advocating the violent overthrow of the British Empire in India. Age is never a criteria to define capability of a person.
On the other hand, My cousin Aarav, is 24 years old and gets completely exhausted if my Aunt tells him to get milk from nearby grocery store. He goes to gym, but he is completely unfit for an easiest trek.
Kids and Trekking Adventures: Things to Consider
Kids Participating in general treks
If you are planning to take your kids to trek along with you, there are a few extremely important points to consider before you hop in.
- To begin with, We need to UNDERSTAND what is Trekking and the difference between a PICNIC, a TOUR, and a TREK. (Click here)
- The first eligibility criteria is to check if the Parent is an experienced trekker and has done at least one trek in the past 12 months without any problems or getting tired. (we are not referring to picnic or tour)
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If the parent is NOT-FIT enough, it will be a horrifying experience for the kid as well as the parent, in case the kid needs support from the parent who is himself/herself Unfit.
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Check if the Kid is fit enough to trek and be out in Nature. Some parents raise their kids in the most comfortable and delicate manner. This makes the kid incapable of normally existing in nature even for a few hours without the comfort of city life. If this applies to your kid, you need to wait a few years until the kid turns 18.
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Check if the kid gels up with people easily, some kids get cranky around other people and this is a red flag.
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As mentioned earlier, age is not a barrier anymore, We have trekked with teenagers/people in their 20's (Whom everyone might consider being fit enough to trek) But, at times even they cannot complete even 20% of the Trek and get completely exhausted. Whereas once we had a 5-year-old kid trek to Kalsubai - the highest peak of Maharashtra. Surprisingly the kid completed the entire trek successfully (almost without any help from the parent).
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You as a parent need to think about all the possible things that might go wrong during the trek and be ready for all situations.
For Example:
1. If your kid gets tired and cannot walk further, what would you do in such situation?
2. What if your kid gets cranky and is not ready to complete the trek? Are you physically fit enough to handle the situation? -
As parent its important to understand that the possibility of finding any comfortable restaurant or hotel on the path while trekking is almost nil. Once we leave the base village, you'll be walking through a trail probably covered with dense forest, crossing river streams, climbing rock patches and few narrow trails too. Although we'll always be there to help you out but you need to be prepared to help your kids if they get tired, or don't wish to walk further etc.
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Parents need to be prepared to take care of their kids incase they get few scratches, when you are out in the nature you can expect few scratches and bruises. This is pretty normal.
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Kids are brave and mostly aren't scared of trying new things, they tend to get scared when they see their parents worrying. They look upon their parents and follow them, if the parents be brave and complete the trek, the kids will follow them without any hesitation.
Treks recommended for Kids/Children
If you want to provide a nature experience and want your kids to indulge in trekking at an early age, we have few recommendations for you to consider. Children love these treks as they are easy and are pretty raw. (Click trek names below to get details)
Let your kids fall in Love with Nature !
Author: Jahnvi Mehta
Updated: August 12, 2023
Copyright: Mischief Treks
Mischief Treks - Kids Trek and Activities ( Click here )
We have created a separate section for Kids Activities which includes Treks, Camping, Cycling etc. Once in a while we line up a public batch for Kids Treks any kid can join in with parents. Public batches are open to all and even a single kid can participate. These are more relevant for kids below 12 years of age.
On the other hand these events are available for private batch booking, wherein if you have a group of 20 or more kids we can get a batch scheduled for any date of your choice.
If you are looking for Best One-Day treks around Mumbai - Click HERE
If you are looking for Kids Activities and Treks - Click HERE
If you are looking for Marketing Tricks and Discounts - Don't click anywhere, just get some other trek Organiser.