Trekking has become a very popular activity among the people. They decide to walk without thinking about the difficulties they may face on a walk. In general, new hikers find it difficult to complete the trails. Some even return with injuries and bad memories. This happens due to lack of fitness and physical ability.
With all the experience I have accumulated while trekking, here are some helpful tips for trekkers.
The first rule to follow is to walk at your own pace. This will give you ample time to adjust to changing weather conditions while climbing the mountains and will also maintain good endurance to the finish. Going at your own pace will keep you away from unnecessary exertion, general slowdown, illness, and of course accidents. So don’t rush.
Always keep drinking water or energy drink steadily throughout the hike. It is important to drink water or energy drink consistently and regularly when trekking in the mountains to avoid dehydration. Take a few sips of water or an energy drink after every fifteen to twenty minutes, even if you’re not thirsty. Drinking a lot of water at one time can also be harmful as it can create pain in the stomach and also make it uncomfortable. Eating fruit or light snacks on the go will also keep you energetic and fresh. Whatever the season, monsoon, summer or winter, proper food and water intake along the way can help you complete your journey successfully.
The third aspect, but very important, is to keep the body warm. Don’t stay too much in your way. You won’t be able to maintain your pace and endurance if you rest too much. To complete a walk with ease, you need to keep walking steadily and slowly. Resting for 5-10 minutes and then walking on the ground again is perfectly fine. But you can’t stop from time to time. This is important because when you’re hiking at high altitudes, weather conditions change quickly and can get you stuck. If you rest too much, your body will cool down. Your body will have to make extra efforts to warm up over and over again, which will exhaust you. When you are in the mountains, you also have to enjoy the scenic beauty around you. The mountains are beautiful and so is the setting. So when your body starts to get dehydrated and you feel too exhausted, don’t continue with the walk. This shows that you are not in a position to move on. You can rest for that day and then start over the next day. You can’t risk your health just to prove that you can complete the walk in a given amount of time. You can deal with acute mountain sickness if you walk beyond your physical ability.
When you go hiking, you obviously carry your own things in the backpack. Everyone has to carry their own luggage while climbing the mountains. But if you’re not up to weight-bearing, you should practice it before you start your hike. It takes two to three months of practice to be in good physical shape to carry the luggage on your own. In case of high altitude walks this practice is essential.
The next important step is to pack your bags to your destination. Whenever you are on a hike, you have to take all the essential things with you. Things like food, snacks, water bottles, energy drinks if needed, medications, an extra pair of clothes (depending on the number of days), shoes, socks, hat, sunglasses, sandals, flashlight, mat or bag to sleeping bag, walking sticks, camera, binoculars and much more as instructed by your mentor.
Once you’ve decided on a walk, start practicing for it. Practicing means that you should start walking daily for at least 3 to 4 kilometers. You can also go to the gym to strengthen your body muscles, especially your legs. If not, yoga is also a good option for flexibility and strength. Walking is a very important part of the practice. Along with that, you can opt for the gym or yoga, depending on your choice. Practice walking in the clothes, shoes, and socks that you will wear on the day of the walk. Also try to carry the backpack in which you are going to carry all the trekking material. This would help you on the actual day of the walk to carry the load without any difficulty.
