Social Norms

SOCIAL NORMS FOR TREKKERS

 

As part of the principles of the Leave no Trace policy, we should practice the following:

1. Disposing waste properly. Retain all wrappers and non-biodegradable material in your backpack and dispose it in the trash can

2. No littering anywhere

3. Leave rocks, cultural and historical structures as you find them

4. Avoid campfires

5. Follow the Leave no Trace policies https://lnt.org/learn/7-principles

 

Consumption of Alcohol, Beer or intoxicants are prohibited on the trek. Incase we are to travel to or from a trek spot, the rule applies right from start point to end point.

 

Smoking is banned on the trek. The risk of forest fires are high and

the penalty for smoking on a trek in a forest or protected area is punishable by law.

 

 

Being on a trek is never easy, it is meant to be tough and you have to be prepared to rough it out. Also a trek is not an organised Tour and very often things will not go as planned. In such cases Trekkers should try and make the best of the situation instead of complaining or expecting any luxurious treatment. Many come with an intention to either enjoy nature, stay away from work stress, tensions at home and family etc and the last thing that they need is a fellow trekker who is complaining or has attitude problems.  

 

  Any decision during the Trek will be taken by the Trek Guide and Group Leader and communicated to the group. Decisions will not be taken based on majority opinion .No arguments with the Trek Guide or Group Leader. Their decision is final.

While travelling to and fro in vans etc it's not possible to give everybody a front seat. Those who are in the last row seats are entitled to ask anybody seated in the front for a rotation of seat.

Taking selfies in extremely dangerous places is banned. Similarly asking others to take your individual pics is Ok if it's a few pics, but this issue is now becoming a real nuisance to photographers. Such requests are not to be entertained, since People would prefer to capture the beauty of nature and not necessarily your mug shots.  

 

In most treks single males outnumber the number of women. This disparity makes women face challenges on a Trek.

Common Issues are:

• Not used to staying outdoors with no toilet etc
  

• Travelling, Trekking and staying with unknown persons

• Physical difficulty of doing treks and exposure to elements

• Teasing or harassment by members in the group

Single men and women socially interact on treks, but knowing the person's comfort level and where to draw the line is a gray area. In case you are not sure when you might cross the line its best that you restrain yourself.

Some simple guidelines for all male trekkers to follow with respect to women:

• Avoid teasing and passing derogatory comments

• Treks should not be used an opportunity to flirt, date or get friendly with women.

• Do not try and find some reason to stay close to them or hang around with them or try and get them to be alone with you or not giving them their privacy

• Civil and courteous behavior is expected from you

• Avoid any topic that pertains to sex, dating, marriage, physical attributes, dress sense, make-up, and other topics of personal nature.

• Avoid phone contact, sending whatsapp messages, facebook requests without their permission

• Avoid sending them gifts or trying to meet them after the trek without the knowledge of their family

If any women trekker has any issue to report, they can email us at thetrichytrekkers@gmail.com and your issues will be dealt with by Women in our Core team. You can also call Dr.Tamilselvi 9786021686 or Anitha Ramesh 8220121025.  Suitable action will be taken against any male Trekker who does not follow the code of conduct. Our core team women will also assist women in getting permission for treks from your family, general queries and personal problems of women including health, hygiene, fitness etc.  

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