DEAR Jasminda,
I HAVE been asked to go on a four-day overseas hike, which looks very challenging
There are lots of inclines and the trail is high-altitude.
How should I prepare?
Reagan G.
DEAR Reagan,
HOW you prepare depends very much on the person you are.
My son was invited to go on one of these hikes.
The way he prepared was to say, “Mum, I need to get organised for this hike.”
I then went on a shopping expedition, buying freeze-dried meals, sectioning off each day of his food requirements in individually labelled bags, researching videos on the hike to prepare for any potential catastrophe, organising a first aid kit including a whistle and emergency thermal blanket, devising a ‘getting hike-fit’ progressive plan, and catastrophising over every possible scenario, as mums do.
He, in comparison, watched some Rocky movies to get psyched up, bought some Hydralyte sachets and then, on the day before his hike, went mountain-bike riding on a drizzly day, miscalculated the final jump and ended up in hospital with two broken wrists before even taking one step on said hike.
What is the moral to this story?
There are a few I can think of, but I guess the main one is: plan as much as possible for things that may go wrong such as adverse conditions; get hike-fit – not by watching Rocky videos, but by doing some preparatory hikes carrying a similar packload; ensure you have comfortable hiking boots; make sure someone knows your hiking plans; and invest in a personal beacon locator.
Also, try to have a positive attitude towards the hike.
Many people would not have the opportunity to go on such an incredible adventure, so consider the journey, not the destination. Pace yourself and do the best you can.
And, finally, good travel insurance is imperative. You never know what might happen, even before the hike commences.
That old motto ‘be prepared’ cannot be overstated (my son stopped rolling his eyes when he was incapacitated for weeks after his misadventure).
Carpe diem, Jasminda.
You can help your local paper.
Make a small once-off, or (if you can) a regular donation.
We are an independent family owned business and our newspapers are free to collect and our news stories are free online.
Help support us into the future.
