Mountaineering is also referred to as trekking. The term trekking, on the other hand, has come to refer to a type of walking that takes you along trails that wind up, down, across, and around mountains. Trekking is a way to get a closer look at a mountain, its history, people, and natural surroundings.
Trekking has many advantages, one of which is that it greatly enhances your physical wellbeing. Spending several hours on the trail, scrambling around boulders, rock hopping, and ascending hills works your whole body, enhancing stamina, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness.
Physical health, patience, hiking experience, camping skills, and long expeditions are the key characteristics of trekking. Hiking, camping, cycling, and travelling to unknown adventurous locations are all part of trekking. It is an exciting practice because it puts a person’s physical abilities to the test.
List of Best Trekking Courses [Online & Offline] in India
1. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute – Adventure Mountaineering (Trekking) Course (AMC)
The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) was founded in 1954. HMI rapidly developed itself as a premier mountaineering destination. Tenzing Norgay’s hometown and one of the most beautiful places in the Himalayas, Darjeeling (West Bengal), was chosen as the site for the Institute.
It takes 28 days to complete the Advanced Mountaineering course. Trainees who earned an ‘A’ in the basic course are eligible for this course. It includes advanced training and a self-planned expedition under the supervision of an instructor. Various rescue operations are taught in various mountain terrains. As part of the course, the trainees will spend 21 days in the mountains. Every year in March, May, and September, it is available.
Eligibility: Trainees who received an “A” in the basic course are eligible.
Course Fee: INR 16940/-
Duration: 28 days
2. Bangalore Adventure School – Wilderness Trekking Course
The mission of Bangalore Adventure School is to prepare you to be the next generation of explorers. Have you ever wondered if you could rappel down those beautiful waterfalls or walk through those lush green forests just to see what it’s like to be in the wild and take in all that nature has to offer after reading a Nat Geo magazine? If that’s the case, they’d like to hear from you.
Bangalore Adventure School (BASCool) offers a rigorous training programme for those interested in trekking called the Wilderness Trekking Course (WTC). This course is intended for all outdoor enthusiasts, from those who have never hiked before to those who have completed challenging Himalayan treks.
Eligibility:
- You are welcome to join this course whether you are 10 years old or 80 years old.
- You’re new to hiking and don’t know where or how to begin. You’re looking for expert advice from a group of highly trained outdoor professionals.
- You’ve done a lot of hiking but want to learn the proper techniques from a team of highly trained outdoor professionals.
Duration: 4 – 6 Months
Mode: Offline
Course Objective:
Travel strategies, map and compass navigation, gear, weather, nutrition and hydration, back-country emergency, flash-flood and avalanche awareness, Leave No Trace, and more are among the topics addressed.
3. Trekking Course from Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports
The Himachal Pradesh government’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering is India’s largest adventure sports training centre. The institute is situated on a forested 20-acre plot of land on the banks of the Beas River in Manali. The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering has nine sub-centres across Himachal Pradesh, with over 40,000 people trained so far.
While short treks of a day or two are available in Kullu and Manali, the majority of treks are much longer. One can go on a variety of two, three, or four day walks from Kullu or Manali, but most treks in the Kullu valley, which stretch up to Lahul, Spiti, Mandi, and Kangra, take at least a week.
Course Duration:
- A Beginner’s Guide To Mountaineering ( 26 DAYS )
- Course For Experienced Mountaineering ( 28 DAYS )
- Instruction Methods Course ( 26 DAYS )
- Course For Search and Rescue (14 days)
Requirements:
- Basic and Advanced Mountaineering Courses require matriculation or higher (except for Service/Armed Forces personnel). It is necessary to be fluent in both English and Hindi.
- For Methods of Instruction Courses in Paragliding, Mountaineering, Skiing & Water Sports, a minimum 10+2 pass is required.
4. Aquaterra – India Mountaineering (Trekking) Course
Alpine Ascents’ twelve-day programme, which has been the staple of their education programmes for over 20 years, is well-known among climbing colleges. Using Aquaterra’s services in India, they have access to one of India’s best glacier training areas, which in many ways rivals their programmes in the US.
During this course, students get hands-on climbing and climber safety training in Uttarakhand’s Himalayan regions. Beginners and experienced climbers who want to learn the basics of snow and glacier climbing, as well as rock climbing, will benefit from this programme.
Duration: 12 days
Course Fee: USD 2235 + 5% GST
Course Objective:
This course has been used to train professional climbers, rangers, law enforcement, police, military, stunt people, and many others who need climbing skills as part of their job.
5. Nehru Institute of Mountaineering – Basic Mountaineering (Trekking) Course
Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) is one of India’s largest and most prestigious mountaineering colleges.
This school offers the best climbing instruction available. It was established in 1965 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and is India’s only climbing and mountaineering institute that is accredited by the International Federation for Climbing and Mountaineering – UIAA.
It aims to introduce young women, men, and even schoolchildren to the concept of adventure and nature. They also want to ensure that they are environmentally aware and conserve resources. The Basic Mountaineering Course is an introductory course to mountaineering for both men and women.
Duration: 28 days
Course Fee: INR 16940/-
Course Objectives:
- This lesson aims to teach the fundamentals of rock, snow, and ice movement.
- Theoretically and technically, mountaineering and related topics such as map reading, navigation, weather, medicine, and mountain hygiene are covered.
- To instil the proper mentality in the trainees, enabling them to view mountaineering as an art form rather than just a physical or adventure activity.
- To motivate people from all walks of life to strive for greater success.
- To provide the trainees with suitable and relevant mountaineering literature and reading content.
- To show them how to remain relaxed and maintain their health in a mountain environment.
- To instil in them the value of safeguarding the Himalayan ecosystem.
- Increase their ability to withstand cold, hunger, and fatigue.
6. Aspiring Guides – Mountaineering (Trekking) Skills Course
Aspiring Guides’ globally recognised reputation for delivering a reliable and personalised service is built on their high level of experience, robust logistics support, and upbeat personalities. They also have globally experienced, skilled, and trained guides who work hard behind the scenes to ensure that each trip runs as smoothly as possible and treat each person individually.
These seven- to ten-day mountaineering skills courses cover all facets of mountaineering and alpine climbing. The focus is on mountaineering students learning to be self-sufficient in the alpine environment, starting with the basics of ice axe, crampon, and glacier travel and progressing to more advanced alpine climbing techniques.
Mode: Online
Duration:
7 to 10 days
Certification:
A globally recognised certificate will be provided.
7. Coursera – Mountains 101 Trekking Course
Mountains 101 is a comprehensive guide to the world of mountains. In an interdisciplinary area of study, this 12-lesson course focuses on the geological, biological, and human aspects of mountain places in Alberta, Canada, and around the world. We’ll investigate the geological past of mountains, as well as how they are shaped and worn down over time; We’ll hear about their importance to biodiversity and water cycles on a global and local scale, as well as their cultural significance to societies around the world and how that relationship has developed.
Duration: 18 hours
Mode: Online
Skills That You Will Learn:
- The Evolution of Climate
- The environment
- Earth science
- Biodiversity
Certification:
You will get a globally recognised certificate after completion of this course.
8. Altus – Advanced Mountaineering / Trekking Course
Altus Mountain Guides is a group of highly motivated people dedicated to delivering excellent service in the mountains while also providing safe and adventurous trips to their clients. From their base in Squamish and Whistler, British Columbia, they provide access to the most spectacular mountain experiences the West Coast has to offer. Their exciting itineraries include visits to the Coast Range, the Selkirks and Purcells interior ranges, and the Rockies. We offer trips all over the world, from the ancient and classic European Alps to the windswept wilds of Patagonia.
This course aims to expand on our successful introduction to mountaineering and prepare participants to tackle difficult mixed alpine routes. After completing the course, several students attempt glaciated peaks such as Mount Tantalus, Wedge, Joffre, Mount Victoria, and Mount Fay.
Duration:
Four days (2 nights camping)
What You Will Learn:
- Mountain Hazards: A Quick Guide
- Ice climbing in the Alps
- Short roping and pitching on technical rock
- Descents into the Alps improvised
- Quick and light-footed tactics
Fee: $1125/-
9. Udemy – How to Trek Manaslu Mountains in Nepal
Have you ever fantasised about walking from village to village in Nepal’s magnificent and breathtaking mountains?
Did you want to learn about Nepali culture and immerse yourself in it?
Was it a dream you’d had since you were a kid, or was it something else entirely?
Whatever your motivation, I’m sure you’re both excited and nervous about your first trek in Nepal.
You have every right to be ecstatic! Trekking provides you with a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you will remember for a lifetime. Nature and the people you meet will humble you on this amazing journey. You can also learn more about yourself!
Duration:
2.5 hours of video on demand
What you’ll learn:
Trekking in Nepal’s Manaslu Mountains
Requirements:
Nothing
Who this course is for:
Those looking for information on how to trek the Manaslu Mountains in Nepal.
Certification:
You will get a globally recognised certificate after completion of this course.
10. Trekking Course from Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports
The Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports (JIM & WS), Nunwan, Pahalgam (J&K), is a joint venture between the Government of India’s Ministry of Defence and the Government of J&K’s Department of Tourism. It has a long history of organising adventure events for students from all over India, including mountaineering, hiking, trekking, rescue operations, water rafting, paragliding, and expeditions.
The institute also offers basic, intermediate, and advanced skiing courses in addition to the ever-popular basic and advanced mountaineering courses. It also offers exclusive outdoor activities such as river rafting and paragliding. The Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering’s primary site, or headquarters, is in Nunwan, near Pahalgam Market. The student hostel, the dining hall/lecture hall, the staff quarters, and the office and principal residence are all housed in this facility. There are also several small canteens and souvenir shops on-site, as well as tennis, football, and badminton courts.
Requirements:
All students selected to attend a course at JIM & WS must be capable of covering 3 kilometres per day, including 300 metres of ascent, in one hour while carrying a weight of 10 kilogrammes.
Duration: 6 Months (May to October)
Mode: Offline in Pahalgam