Bengaluru: With the Western Ghats trekking season at its peak, trekkers and organisers say the demand for permits has surged this year after delayed monsoon pushed the start of the season from May to June.Popular trails, including Netravathi, Kudremukh, Kurinjal, and Gangadikal, have been witnessing overwhelming demand, with weekend permits getting exhausted within minutes of the booking window opening.To regulate the growing footfall and protect ecosystems, the forest department introduced the Aranya Vihara online portal a few years ago, making it mandatory for trekkers to register online before paying the permit fee at forest checkposts near their destinations.According to trekkers and organisers, permits are released 15 days in advance, with bookings opening around midnight. While weekend slots have always been in high demand, permits this year are getting exhausted much faster, with some destinations selling out within seconds. They also flagged repeated technical glitches, including OTP delays, payment failures, and confirmed payments not translating into valid permits. They alleged that the system needs to be strengthened to ensure fair access and prevent possible misuse through bulk or automated bookings.Shrinidha, a 30-year-old trekker from Banashankari, said, “For the past four weeks, booking trek permits has become extremely frustrating. Slots disappear within 5-8 minutes, OTP verification gets delayed, and even after payment, the portal often fails to confirm the ticket. We are later told the booking has failed and refunds will take 30 days. The govt needs to make the portal more reliable and also look into allegations of bulk bookings and black marketing. I’ve been trekking for 3-4 years, but this is the first time I’ve faced such persistent problems.”Jaideep Zukti, founder of Pathika Trek Club, said, “The season began on June 1 and bookings were normal initially. But soon, all 300 Netravathi permits were getting sold out within 40 seconds, while Kudremukh, Gangadikal, and Kurinjal were filling up within 15-20 minutes. We also faced cases where payments were successful but tickets were not generated. The forest department later informed us the portal had technical issues and temporarily shut it for upgrades.”Mohana Beeregowda, founder of Karavan Trek Club, said, “Many organisers believe a few users may be securing permits through faster or automated methods, making it difficult for others. The permit fee has also increased sharply from around Rs 50 in 2016 to Rs 600 now, which we feel is excessive.”Pent-up demandForest officials said the delayed rainfall and favourable monsoon weather have prompted more people to go trekking, increasing the demand and rush for popular trekking trails.A senior forest department official said, “After the death of a Kerala student who had gone missing near one of the waterfalls, along with a few other incidents, the department decided to suspend trekking activities. This created pent-up demand. Since there was a delay in rainfall, coupled with ideal monsoon weather, trekking permits were selling out within seconds. More and more people are showing interest in trekking.”Asked about the glitches in the booking system and complaints about black marketing of trekking slots, the official said the department wasn’t aware of the issue but would look into the complaints.
