The young toilers of Bangalore find the idea of a weekly getaway on what they call, “Adfun,” simply irresistable.
A liberal sprinkle of adventure activities thrown in livens things up. Adfun or a mix of adventure and fun helps them unwind and come back recharged for the rigours of city life—all for a reasonable cost.
Of late, it is also proving a matchmaker of sorts as Ramesh Chajjer and Reshmi, a UP-ite and Gujarati respectively, working with an MNC firm in EGL complex vouchsafe. They met on a moonlit cycle trip, the lunar magic having caught them firmly in its grip. After a few more trips, they decided to tie the knot despite resistance from Reshmi’s parents.
Adfun is one area the convulsing economy has not stung, say adventure club operators in Bangalore. All of them consider the going as good since there has been a steady march of students, corporate employees and individual fun lovers for the weekend getaways. The city is said to have nearly 1500 adventure clubs though many of them conduct only seasonal activities.
“There’s great economic sense in this too,” points out Rakesh Nayar , a regular adfun guy. “I must shell out Rs300-400 if I go for a film. For Rs700, I could go for a full day of adfun which also keeps me fit.” Suma Murthy, a techie who goes trekking every month, either alone or with her daughter agrees: “It’s a great feeling. And, the cost of Rs1000 or 1500 for a day and night is very reasonable.”
Madhusudhan Shukla of Woody Adventure Club, observes, “The trend among the young is soft adventure where they do not want to get too tired but at the same time will have fun.”
According to Shukla, lately, fun-filled treasure hunts and cycle treks on a full moon night are proving highly popular. “Young lovers particularly find the beaming moon extremely romantic. Similarly, the treasure hunt is an errant in the wilderness with a compass and a map to spot historically important spots.”
The “go to the country” trend also goes under the name “escape adventure.” An added feature today is that the getaway is woven into the lives of not only the young, but seniors too.
Mayuresh Kapote whose Indian Adventure Club is preferred by many escape adventurists, says he gets couples well past their prime for soft adventure trips. “The young want to grab a bit of everything, it seems,” says Balaji SR, an adventure consultant, “They need to escape from Friday night to Sunday night. So they go for a jab at rock climbing, parasailing, rafting or still water activities and night camping. Today, many working women go for trekking or camping, unlike in the past.”
Adfun starts hereNational Adventure Sports Academy
Woody Adventure
Axe Adventure Sports
Wild Wanderers
Nature Admire
Catapult Connect
TAG India
Thrillophilia Adventure Tours
