Malaysian authorities are introducing stricter requirements for hikers after a rise in search and rescue missions associated with social media-driven trends.

The measures include compulsory guides at 189 high-risk sites nationwide, along with screening procedures before hikers begin their climbs, state media agency Bernama reported Wednesday.

Hiking is becoming increasingly popular in Malaysia, even though tropical forest covers roughly half of the country’s land. These environments are often hot and humid, while dense vegetation can make it easy for hikers to lose their way after leaving designated paths.

Well-known routes include the climb to the summit of Mount Kinabalu, a 4,095-meter (13,435-foot) peak on Borneo, and week-long journeys through the forests of Gunung Tahan, which contains Peninsular Malaysia’s highest point, the 2,187-meter (7,175-foot) Mount Tahan.

There are also options for people who prefer to remain near urban areas, including Penang Hill in George Town and KL Forest Eco Park in Kuala Lumpur.

The rules, announced by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), are intended to lower accident risks and reduce the need for costly search and rescue (SAR) missions.

NRES Deputy Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh told Bernama that some hikers begin their journeys without adequate preparation or choose routes that have not been authorized.

“The government’s main objective is to lower the likelihood of hikers becoming lost and to prevent accidents, reducing reliance on SAR missions that demand considerable funding and personnel,” Noh said, according to the report.

“Our strategy focuses on stopping incidents before they happen by limiting the dangers of severe exhaustion, confusion and other emergencies,” he added.

Noh said pre-climb checks now cover health declarations, reviews of medical history and proof of insurance.

“These requirements make it possible to identify high-risk climbers before they receive permission to take part in climbing activities,” he added.

Additionally, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks and the forestry department in Perak state, where a 34-year-old hiker died last year, have introduced restrictions on “compressed hike” activities in dangerous locations, Noh said.

The phrase describes an approach in which hikers attempt to complete a route in far less time than would normally be recommended.

Perak Forestry mountain guide Muzafar Mohamad warned that such hikes involve substantial dangers.

“The growing trend of compressed or short-duration hiking requires significantly more careful preparation because the journey is reduced to around one-third of the standard schedule,” Mohamad told Bernama in an article published in late May.

“When the available hiking time is shortened, there is also less room for mistakes. This means logistics, physical conditioning and risk management must be planned in much greater depth,” he added.

A rising number of so-called “express hikers,” motivated by the goal of completing as many mountains as possible in a short period, are also adding to the issue. Experts told Bernama in a separate late-May report that some hikers take only limited equipment so they can appear like experienced trail runners in social media posts.

“Some hikers are so focused on producing engaging content that they accept unnecessary risks and overlook their personal safety,” mountain guide Norimah Abd Karim said.