When adventurism takes a dangerous turn

On June 26, 2026, what would have been an otherwise ordinary day took an unsettling turn as dusk fell over Valook, a scenic village located about 85 km from Kozhikode town. Local residents were jolted to attention by loud calls that echoed and the flashlights that beamed across the hilly region that leads to Nadapuram Mudi, a nearby hillock.The unusual movements, along with the sighting of two motorbikes parked some 200 metres off the hill, stirred alarm. The residents realised that a group of adventurers might be trapped on the hill, located within the forest.“Soon, a search party, including residents, was ready to move into the forest to track the missing persons,” recalls Bipin Thomas, a resident.A dangerous stuntT.P. Pavithran, a former local body head, remembers that the youngsters had pulled a dangerous stunt by venturing into the unfamiliar forest terrain in fading light.“The lights and loud calls fell silent after a while as fear gripped the village. Wild animals, including elephants, roam the area. Apparently, three youngsters had entered the forest in the evening. Since one of them couldn’t climb further, he decided to wait midway, while the others went ahead. On their return, the duo couldn’t find their friend and started shouting and searching for him,” recalls Pavithran.Shortly, a 35-member-strong rescue team led by the officials of the Kerala Forest department ventured into the forest at night on a risky mission. The biggest challenge before the team was the absence of specific information about the location where the youth had gone missing and the heavy blanket of darkness that fell over the region.Spotted and bookedAfter the tedious rescue mission that lasted several hours, the missing youth was spotted, frightened and exhausted. After rescuing him, the Forest officials dutifully booked all three for trespassing on the forest. Section 27 of the Kerala Forest Act, 1961, prescribes a punishment of five years for the offence, warn Forest officials.The growing trend among youth to carry out impulsive adventurous acts and throw themselves into uncharted territories has been troubling authorities no end. Exploring forest terrains, copying risky social media trends, acting out stunt scenes or taking dangerous vehicle rides, and stepping into unknown waters have cost many their lives. Doing daring stunts on roads, usually performed by professionals with safety precautions, has left many a youth injured, while endangering the lives of others.The recent 'trekking misadventure' of G.S. Saranya, a Nadapuram native, had pinned two neighbouring States, Kerala and Karnataka, in a state of concern for almost four days. Saranya, who got lost in the forest, was rescued in the Tadiandamol forests after a joint search operation.When in doubt...Weeks after her return, Saranya maintains that she didn’t trespass on the forest and had followed all rules. “I got lost in the wild because I took a different trail. What I have learned from my experience is that when in doubt while trekking downhill, never descend. Instead, one should go uphill and find fellow trekkers,” says Saranya. The incident prompted the Karnataka Forest department to release a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for trekking trails in the State.People venturing into restricted forest areas and endangering themselves as well as the wildlife is a matter of concern for forest officials. “The three riders who got lost in Nadapuram Mudi had asked the residents of Valook for the route to climb the hill. The residents should have advised them that it was illegal to trek there and dissuaded them from entering the terrain,” says M. Joshil, Kozhikode Divisional Forest Officer (DFO).Pavithran notes that instances of unauthorised entry have increased in the region. “There is another hill called Koranappara, where people have gotten stranded and had to be rescued,” he recalls.“Trekking is regulated in Keralam forests, and the trekkers are always accompanied by trained guides," says Muhammed Anvar, Assistant Conservator of Forests (Biodiversity Cell). However, Keralam is yet to come up with a guideline or SOP for trekking in forest terrains. “Such a document will be helpful for trekkers,” says Muhammed, considering the increasing fad among the youth for trekking.The rescue missions also come with a heavy price tag as mobilising teams with all the required equipment is expensive. Keralam had to shell out ₹78 lakh to rescue Babu, a youth who got stuck in a rock cleft after he slipped while trekking the Cherad hill in Malampuzha in 2022, according to officials involved in the operation.He was stuck on the hill for nearly two days, putting the whole government machinery into a state of overdrive. After his rescue, several people attempted to climb the hill, adding to the Forest department’s troubles, they say.The lucky woman Rani B. Menon, a trekker for the past 20 years, stresses the need to go by the rule book in adverse conditions. | Photo Credit: SPECAIL ARRANGEMENT Rani B. Menon, a trekker for the past 20 years, once lost her way while trekking downhill after the Kailash Mansarovar trek. “It had started snowing, and I continued walking without noticing that my fellow trekkers had taken refuge from the snow. Suddenly, I realised that I was walking alone. Perhaps I was absent-minded. Realising the folly, I immediately walked back. Had I not, it could not have ended well. What one needs to understand is that these are not situations for you to become adventurous, but to go by the rule book,” says Rani, retired scientific officer, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.Wheeling bikes, lifting the rear wheel off the ground, standing on the seat or gas tank with both arms extended and drifting the vehicle in circles with the rider leaning from it are some of the popular acts performed by both professionals as well as amateurs.The daring acts performed by youths on roads and campuses, where they tend to turn the stretches into Le Mans circuits, have added to the workload of enforcement officials of the Road Transport department while exposing the performers to huge risks.“When youngsters attempt to modify their vehicles to a dangerous and unrecognisable extent, it endangers their lives as well as others’,” notes Biju Isaac, Enforcement RTO, Ernakulam.“It must be the adrenaline rush or the urge to get noticed that pushes the youth, mostly those between the ages of 18 and 22, into daring stunts. They would have just gotten their licence, and suddenly there is a yearning to prove something, get noticed. They are aware of the risks involved, yet they modify their motorbikes and do these stunts,” notes Biju.“There is a disciplined way to experience the thrill and adrenaline of biking,” feels Callmevenom, a biker known for freestyle stunts. Performing stunts while dressed as the comic-book character Venom, Callmevenom says the rush of executing the manoeuvres is exhilarating. “One needs to know the techniques well and follow proper discipline and safety measures while performing stunts. Public spaces such as roads are not places to perform stunts,” warns the biker, who performs at colleges and private events.What eco-tourism is all aboutRaju Francis, Managing Director, Kerala Forest Development Corporation, lays stress on keeping decorum following instructions issued by authorities while visiting eco-tourism centres. “Most people now travel to record reels, create online content, or to have a good time. However, eco-tourism is all about understanding the ecology and observing nature with minimum intervention. One should remember that a forest is an unpredictable terrain. So is the behaviour of a wild animal,” cautions Raju, who had earlier headed the eco-tourism wing of the Kerala Forest department. “Your rights are reserved and limited in a reserve forest. What is not prescribed cannot be done,” he asserts.Adventurous acts may give one an adrenaline rush, instant gratification. Yet, it pays to keep an eye open for their flip side too, say officials.