Hiking
is one of the best ways to experience nature, and admire the
quality it holds. Although hiking is a sport which beginners
seem to find simple and easy, yet there are some tips to be
kept in mind in order to enjoy the hike along with the scenery.
You may find the following lines useful if correctly applied.
|
| |
| On
Flat ground |
| |
Walk
like a Bedouin not like a city man, keep your feet
parallel to one another rather than making a "V"
shape, this will help you walk for longer periods without
getting tired |
| |
Keep
your head up high and keep your eyes looking forward,
looking down to your foot prevents you from enjoying the surrounding
scene. You may want to glimpse down on the trail every now
and then according to the Terran. |
| |
Keep
you back upright, bending you backbone forwards is
likely to cause you back pain. |
| |
Go
in straight line whenever possible, as curves make
you tend to loose orientation. |
| |
Landmarks
are a very good and important way to make you familiar with
the trail, always acquaint your eyes with the surrounding
landmarks so that next time you hike the same route you can
feel at home. |
| |
| The
downhill |
Walking
up steep mountain trails is strenuous, but it's the descents
that really take a toll on your body, especially knees and
ankles.
Here are a few ways to lessen the unpleasantness of a downhill
section of trail: |
| |
When
trekking downhill, your feet will tend to slip around
inside your boots, increasing the possibility of blisters.
Before you begin a long downhill hike, then, tighten up your
bootlaces and put moleskin on any "hotspots" you
may have on your feet. |
| |
Take
a breather more often than usual. Treat any new hotspots
on your feet as soon as you feel them. |
| |
Use
a hiking stick or a lightweight, extendible trekking
pole to support your descent. Use this "third leg"
to lessen the impact on your legs by shifting weight to the
stick with each step (hikers with a history of knee problems
should consider use a pole or stick in each hand). |
| |
On
steep descents, slow your pace to allow each step
to fully land, and don't lock your leg on the down step. Instead,
flex your knee to absorb the weight of the step, using your
legs as shock absorbers. |
| |
On
rocky trail, follow the route that gives you the shortest
practical steps. Try to avoid lunging or jumping. It may take
extra steps to reach the bottom of the mountain, but time
saved now by hurrying will be lost in recuperation later. |
| |
Running
down is considered one of the most dangerous thing
to do, Because when you gain momentum it is very hard to slow
down, and if you try to you are putting a very high risk of
slipping or loosing traction. |
| |
|
| Make
it up these steep trails |
| |
|
| |
Keep
your cool like the champion marathoner in the early miles
of a race. Others may blow by you on the trail, but just block
out their hardy "hellos" and focus on consistent,
steady movement. |
| |
Learn
the "rest step." On particularly steep pitches,
the rest step can keep you moving steadily, though it may
seem like a turtle's pace at first. Here's how: 1.
Start by putting all your weight on the downhill leg, which
is kept straight. Lock your knee to transfer the weight
from your straining muscles to your bones.
2. Pause momentarily on the downhill leg. This gives the
uphill leg a momentary rest.
3. Step up, placing all of your weight on the other leg,
which then becomes the downhill leg. Pause again, giving
your other leg the same chance to rest.
4. Slightly increase or decrease the length of the "rest"
or pause depending on how spunky you feel. |
| |
On
an easy Uphill take wide and slow steps |
| |
Never
Look back while moving forward ,if you need to take a look
behind you make a complete stop then turn to look. |
| |
Offering
a helping hand to others is done only after you are sure that
you are standing on firm ground. Always secure your steps
first. |
| |
Rest
some time before you are totally out of breath. |
| |
|
|
Can I estimate how long
it is till sunset? |
|
For a close estimate of the time
remaining until sunset, extend your arm toward the sun. Hold
your fingers perpendicular to your arm. Each finger that fits
between the sun and horizon represents about 15 minutes of
daylight until sunset. For example, if three and a half hand
widths measure the distance from the sun to the horizon, then
approximately three and a half hours are left until sunset.
|
| |
|
|
Preparing for the first
multi-day hike |
Planning that first long hike
is not as easy as it might seem.
Think you can rack up 25 to 30 Km a day? Think again. Only
the perfect combination of weather, terrain, physical conditions
~ and long days ~ bring those kind of Kilos a day.
Until you learn your own capabilities, take these simple steps:
|
| |
Select
a hike that's on the short side of what you believe your abilities
to be. If you feel certain that you can hike 40 Km on a weekend
trip, go for the 30-Km trip. Until you put a pack on your
back and hike ten miles, you do not know how that extra weight
will affect you. |
| |
Select
a hike that's easy to moderate in difficulty rather than going
for the strenuous trip your first time out. Once again, gaining
and loosing elevation put remarkable stress on a body carrying
15 Kg or more on its back and hips. |
| |
Add one hour hiking time for each 300 meter gain or loss in
elevation. This information can be found in any good hiking
guide and from some maps. For example, a ten-Km hike that
includes 900 meter in elevation gain and/or loss will take
about eight hours ~ five hours for the distance plus three
hours for the elevation gain. |
| |
|
|
Hiking solo |
The short answer is, no... as
long as you're not well prepared. In fact there are several
advantages to going backpacking alone. Since you don't have
to compromise with a hiking partner, you can go wherever and
whenever you want. You will have added solitude, giving you
valuable time to read and think. Without a hiking partner
to talk to, you will be making less noise and are more likely
to encounter wildlife. Lastly, there is the added boost of
self-confidence that comes from being able to take care of
yourself in the backcountry.
Solo hikes, however, are not for everyone, and certainly not
for inexperienced backpackers. Follow these guidelines to
help make your solo journey safe and enjoyable: |
| |
·
For your first few solo jaunts, hike on trails that you've
visited before and know are frequently used. You'll know what
to expect and you'll be assured of having other hikers around
if problems arise. |
| |
As
on any hike, you should leave a detailed trip itinerary with
someone at home, and stick to it once you're on the trail. |
| |
Let
the local land managers know where you'll be hiking, when
you expect to hike out, and where you're parking your car.
Be sure to give them your auto license number, car model and
year. |
| |
Don't
travel into remote wilderness areas unless you have a map
and compass and know how to navigate cross-country. |
| |
Remember
that other people, not wildlife, pose the most significant
threat to hikers. When you meet up with others at the trailhead
or during the hike, be vague about your plans and don't tell
them where you'll be camping that night. |
| |
Follow
your intuition. If you get a bad feeling about other people
camped at a site, push on to a new campsite. |
| |
Enjoy
yourself. You're much safer walking remote backcountry trails
than trekking down the sidewalk in a big city. |
| |
|
|
Improve the quality of
the trail as you hike. |
| |
Keep
a trash bag handy and pick up even the smallest bits of trash
-- cigarette butts ,food wrappers, etc. |
| |
Move
loose rocks to the side of the trail. |
| |
Report
poor trail conditions to the land management agency or trail
club that takes care of the path. The people responsible for
maintaining the trail need to know about large downed trees,
washed out bridges and other significant problems. |
| |
|
| |
|
| References: |
 |
Sahara
Safaris |
| |
|
