This document defines key terms related to adventure activities and safety guidelines. It defines adventure activities as activities involving greater than normal risk that take place in remote areas requiring self-reliance. It defines various types of land-based adventure activities like trekking, hiking, rock climbing, bouldering, rappelling, camps and expeditions. It also defines terms like service providers, hazards, risk potential, critical incidents, and components of the social, historical and ecological environment. The document aims to provide clarity on terminology used in safety guidelines for adventure activities.

1. Safety Guidelines
Section 2
Definitions
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Adventure activity: an activity that involves greater than normal risk which may include a)
travel into a relatively undeveloped area of the country in which vehicle contact is difficult
and/or uncertain or b) confrontation with natural environmental challenges requiring greater
reliance upon personal resources than would normally be required in day-to-day life.
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Land based adventure activity: An adventure activity which is primarily conducted at the
various geological features like hills, mountains, rock faces, pinnacles, valleys etc. on the
earth’s surface
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Service Provider: An individual or organization which provides service/s to the adventure
program of a contracting organization which service/s it wishes to outsource.
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Service: Service could be in the form of an activity associated with the adventure part of the
program or an activity which complements the adventure part (e.g., transport to the
adventure site, boarding and lodging, etc.).
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Scrambling: strenuous walks, right up to easy (but sometimes exposed) climbs that don't
necessarily need ropes. Another way to describe it is a gradual introduction to outdoor rock
climbing, and usually less intimidating than actual climbing.
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Trekking (short treks) – walking on different terrain for short period of time, i.e. one (1) hour to
one (1) day;
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Hiking /Backpacking (Multi-day treks) - walking on mountain and wilderness trails over an
extended period of time, i.e. two (2) or more days;
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Rock climbing: process of ascending a rock face requiring the use of naturally formed
handholds and footholds and uses specialized equipment as a backup safety system.
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Lead climbing: Lead climbing involves a climber ascending a rock face, safeguarded by the
ongoing placement of protection while belayed from below.
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Bouldering: Bouldering is an activity in its own right requiring the same techniques found in rock
climbing; however, these techniques are usually applied no higher than two meters off the
ground.
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Rappelling (sometimes referred as Abseiling) is an activity in which a person descends a rope
in a controlled manner with the use of a friction device or descender. Abseiling may be used
to descend a cliff face as part of a rock-climbing program or it may be practiced as a
separate activity.
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Rappelling (Abseiling) Camps and or Events including Waterfall Rappelling Camps and or
Events: Camps or Events which include rappelling from a rock surface or a waterfall as the
focused activity and also may introduce participants to the basic skills and techniques used in
the activity.
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2. Safety Guidelines
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Adventure Camps for Kids and or Adults: Camp includes any day camp, family camp, resident
camp, trek camp, specialty-adventure camp, high-adventure camp, rope course, climbing,
rappelling and orienteering etc. program introducing participants to skills and techniques in
the outdoors.
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Rock Climbing Courses: Rock climbing course (camps) are single or multiday courses teaching
techniques and skills of rock climbing and allied activity like bouldering, sport climbing,
traditional climbing, rappelling and risk management.
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Rock Climbing Expeditions: This involves rock climbing in the outdoors over a period of days.
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Valley Crossing Expeditions / camps: This is the technique used to cross a void using the
method of Tyrolean Traverse, which involves a person slung on a rope tied across the void.
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Experiential Learning based Programme: This is a programme designed using the methodology
of experiential learning which uses a series of activities each one of which is followed by a
review session where participants derive learnings through reflection in their experiences.
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High altitude Adventure Camps for adults / kids: Camp includes any day camp, family camp,
resident camp, trek camp, specialty-adventure camp, high-adventure camp, rope course,
climbing, rappelling and orienteering etc. program introducing participants to skills and
techniques in the Himalaya.
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High Altitude Trek: shall mean walking on mountain and wilderness trails over an extended
period of time, i.e. two (2) or more days at higher elevations.
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Mountaineering Expeditions: A multi-day activity for climbing peaks in the Himalaya.
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Exploratory Treks / Expeditions: shall mean walking on unexplored mountain and wilderness
trails over an extended period of time, i.e. two (2) or more days at higher elevations.
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Desert Trekking: walking in a desert.
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Coastal Trekking: walking along the coasts.
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Social Environment: That part of the environment that comprises of local populations and their
cultures.
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Historical: the component of the adventurer’s environment that comprises of archaeological
structures.
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Ecological: the natural environment of an adventurer
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Organisation: individual or group of individuals, commercial or non-commercial entities
organising any adventure activity
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Management: The top management in any Organisation, responsible for policy-making, and
direction to the rest of the organisation
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Hazard: is something that can potentially cause harm; objective hazards are largely natural
phenomena, and subjective hazards are largely related to human factors.
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Risk Potential: arises when subjective a hazard comes into contact with an objective hazard
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3. Safety Guidelines
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Critical Incident: Any significant incident that demands medication and/or first aid and/or
extended care and/or conflict management and/or evacuation of person
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