ER ... HIKING........ AN ACTIVITY WHERE YOU SET OFF STRONGLY AND END
SMELLING STRONGLY BUT COULDN'T CARE LESS. (Robin MacDonald) |
What is hiking? Wait, wait….there I hear it. Ah Duh!! It's putting one foot in front of the other. How difficult can that be? |
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Well, let me tell you. It can be very difficult. I mean some of us can only put one foot in front of another for a certain period and then………they rebel. Ever hear of feet rebelling. Ask me, they most certainly do. That is the time you need to talk to them nicely, maybe rest them up a bit, massage them if necessary and if they feel like they are going to burst into flames anytime soon, dip them in a nice cold stream, providing there is one. If not, then you will just have to suffer for a little while. |
| The one thing I have come to realise about hiking is that you need perseverance. It does not matter how fit you are, how well adjusted you are, whether all your muscles are sitting in the right place, whether they are the right size, or whether the muscle and the fat are having a fight over who is the most dominant, if you don’t have perseverance or a sense of humour, you won’t make it. |
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Hiking is not like tennis where you can put your racket down halfway in a game because you are tired, or like soccer where you can just walk off the field. If you start hiking, you might start getting tired at the half way mark. Tough. Nobody is going to carry you. You have to persevere. You have to put one foot in front of the other for the next half of the trail.
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You have to grind your teeth in agony when you have a blister the size of a ping pong ball, you have to walk on your heels when your toes feel like they are being smashed against a wall, you have to walk on your toes when your heels feel like marshmallows and if necessary, you have to crawl when your feet rebel totally. (Ha-ha. Only joking). |
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BUT, (now comes the good part), hiking can be absolutely awesome. The feeling one gets once you have completed your first hike, besides the pain, is that absolutely awesome feeling of ‘I accomplished it’ and let me tell you something – there is no other feeling like that in the world, unless................ you are kloofing, or rafting down a river or abseiling or jumping out of planes.
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Hiking is not a race against other hikers or against time (unless there is a helleva storm coming up). It is a pleasurable, after the initial “breaking in” phase, pastime to get away from the rat race, to be in nature, meet like minded people and have a great time. |
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A person never knows whether they will enjoy hiking or not, and some people don’t know whether they do have the perseverance to complete a hike. But it is like anything else in life. You never know until you try it. Be selective. Find out which day hikes are relatively easy, (for Pete’s sake, just don’t ask somebody that has been hiking for 3 years – everything is easy to them, even the Amatola.), preferably one that is not too great a distance about 5km’s or so, (just in case somebody does have to carry you back.), and one that is being done by a hiking club. |
| With the majority of hiking clubs you don't have to be a member to join in on one of their hikes which is a good idea because you might love the hike but don’ get on too well with the people. I generally find that 50% of the enjoyment of any hike, are the people you are hiking with. So if you didn't enjoy the hike, but you managed it, it is definitely worth giving it another shot but with a different hiking club. |
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What are the requirements. Until you know whether it is a worthy enough pastime for you and whether it is something that you will continue doing, it is not really worth going out to buy 1001 items. Tackies – actually I think they call them trainers now - are not ideal, but initially they are fine. Just be careful when walking over rough terrain as your ankles should be supported.
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| Although most hikers wear shorts and t-shirts, long sleeved shirts and long pants is advocated because of the scratching from the brush and also the sun. That is very much a personal preference. If you don’t mind looking like you have just come back from the wars, and you are not too worried about being suntanned, then by all means, wear shorts and t-shirts but make sure you lather yourself with sunblock. |
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Hat is also a good idea, stops your brains from broiling. You will then also require a day pack. Your day pack should consist of the following: 2 litres of water. Lunch – sandwich, bun, roll, provitas, etc. Energy bars, granola bars, sweets, etc. Small first aid kit – to treat that ping pong sized blister. Jacket/Jersey – in case the weather turns foul.
No guns, knives, machetes, whips allowed – just in case you turn it against the hike leader - a feeling that often overcomes me, especially when they tell me 'It's not far now'.
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| The arrangements for the hike will depend on which hiking club you have selected to introduce you to this wonderful pastime of pleasure and agony, of contentment and pain, of fulfilment and throbbing. Some clubs meet at a particular place and travel together (I think they do that in case you change your mind, then they can give chase) or they arrange to meet at the hike itself (they feel that if you are going to run away then it is better that you don't hike). Some of them will organise transport so that as many people can travel together and some of them just leave you to make your own way there. |
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Be as selective when choosing your hiking club. These are people that you will be spending some time with and it helps if you like them. You might not always get it right the first time, but this is where perseverance comes in. Some of the clubs have a braai afterwards, great way to get to know your fellow hikers/sufferers. |
So you had a great time. You feel you are now ready to go for the BIG ONE. A weekend day hike or maybe even a……..a back pack hike. Now you need to find out what other things are required. Your best bet is to ask. Ask the experienced hikers you are hiking with. There are lots of gimmicks on the market, ask me I know, I love gimmicks.
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But you don’t need all these gimmicks. So find out what you need, what is the best type, how often will you require it, what are you going to use it for, then you go out and buy the 1001 things you think you’ll need. Somewhere on these pages is a list of gear. But remember, you don’t need all of them immediately and some of them, not at all. |
TAKE THE PLUNGE, GO HIKING. IT WILL GIVE YOU A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE.
(And you will enjoy it if you allow yourself to). |
