Careers

Living on the edge

Offbeat careers like those in adventure sports are beckoning young people to prove their mettle. By Andrea Lopez

Adventure tourism is climbing popularity charts with both domestic and international tourists, especially with the rugged Himalayan terrain that offers excellent opportunities for trekking, white water rafting and mountain climbing. With more visitors expressing interest in adventure sports, the need for instructors to oversee arrangements is quite pivotal. According to Ajeeb Bajaj, president of Adventure Tourism Association of India (ATAOI), that promotes adventure and eco-tourism within the country, adventure tourism both on the inbound and outbound front is developing. "On the inbound front, states like Maharashtra, Kerala and the Himalayan region are the hotspots," he said.

India has a decent number of adventure training institutes, although they remain concentrated in the northern region of the country. Ideally the profession is suited for people who enjoy taking risks and have a sports background. Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttaranchal, one of Travel the foremost mountaineering institutes in the country, offers a number of courses ranging from basic to advanced mountaineering, rescue and life saving and a mountain guide course. Its principal, Colonel MM Masur, says that NIM's courses are designed to enable students to muster the strength and determination to scale the tallest peaks.

NIM's Search & Rescue course is the only one of its kind in Asia. "We at NIM inculcate in our students the absolute need to make split-second decisions, the importance of facilitating team spirit and the courage to climb a mountain at temperatures of -21 degrees," he says. The duration of the courses span 15-28 days. Apart from training students in the basics of mountain climbing and safety, the Mountain Guide course sensitises students to ecology concerns.

On completion of the courses, students find employment in government or private sectors. "With adventure tourism catching up in the country, we want to update our curriculum and plan to introduce courses in white-water rafting and skiing," says Masur. An 'A' grade for a basic course entitles a student the opportunity to pursue the advanced course. It takes years for one to become a seasoned mountain guide; it involves studying mountain trails and tracks so that travellers can be herded without the aid of a map. Keeping in mind the risk involved, rock climbers and mountaineers may earn between Rs 500-700 per day.

Another institute, the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS), Goa set up by the ministry of tourism, offers courses specifically designed for students aspiring for careers in water sports. Nodal officer, who heads the institute, Dr Sutheeshna Babu, says, "With growing water-based tourism, there is an increasing demand for skilled trainers." NIWS offers 22 certified five to 20-day courses ranging from powerboat handling, kayaking, and scuba diving to water park management. The minimum academic requirement is a matriculation.

All candidates should be able to swim 100 metres in three minutes. The courses are custom-made keeping in mind the requirements of the recruiting agencies. Employment avenues include trainers or instructors with state tourism departments, private boat operators and river cruise liners. Training takes place partly on campus and partly in different parts of the country like Kerala and Andhra Pradesh to give students 'the feel' of the job. The institute also plans to introduce longer duration courses in adventure and sports within the next two years.

Evidently, the number and quality of institutes for adventure sports leaves something to be desired. However, Bajaj states that ATAOI has appealed to the government to invest in HRD institutes to train adventure guides and instructors. He adds, "We have also appealed to the government to open new peaks in north India to provide added momentum to develop adventure tourism in the country."