Trekking- Do’s and Dont’s

Trekking in mountains can be fun and challenging at the same time. If you have the right preparation, right mindset, right knowledge and right equipment, it can prove to be a fruitful experience. Here are a few points which if followed, can provide a pleasing trekking experience.

Things to do before and during trek:

Exercise regularly for about a week before your trek. This way your stamina will start increasing and your body will also adapt to the sudden changes, it will experience while trekking.
Eat only healthy food, avoid oily and junk food for about a week before your trek and get good sleep.
Buy good quality trekking shoes which should have good grip. It is also advised to carry extra pair of socks.
Invest in comfortable and warm clothes for e.g. – good quality track suit and wind-proof jacket.
Also do carry cap, sunglasses, odomos, Torch with an extra set of batteries with you.
Keep on drinking/sipping water at regular intervals in small amounts.
Carry Glucose, ORS/electrol and basic medication for emergency purpose.
Respect faith of locals especially at a religious site.
Don’t forget to carry a good camera preferably DSLR with you to take good quality pictures.
Always listen to the guide and follow his/her instructions, as he knows the area and the climate much better than us.

Check Weather conditions before you start –

In the mountains, you can’t be sure of the weather. At one point the weather might be sunny and in the next few minutes there would be rain. So always carry a raincoat and a waterproof backpack with you.

Carry Your Own

Backpack/Rucksack – Practice carrying your own backpack as porters and ponies sometimes ask for huge sum of money, which in turn will increase your travelling budget. So it is always wise to carry your own luggage. Also keep in mind the weight limit. As a heavy backpack can make you slow and tired frequently, so carry less weight. Another benefit is that it will increase your physical stamina.

Walking –

Always try to walk at a steady pace, maintain a steady rhythm and don’t be either too fast or too slow. Walking in the mountains needs a different mindset. Try to inhale at one step while exhale at other to make proper rhythm. As while trekking, moving too fast will make one tired easily and if one is too slow, you might be left behind. Another thing worth mentioning is to avoid jerky movements like jumping as it might hurt you joints and your trip will be affected. Try to move in zigzag manner. Try maintaining safe distance from fellow trekkers as when one might fall it will result in falling of the other trekkers behind him/her..

Shoes-

Wear good quality shoes which should provide you good grip. You can get trekking specific shoes easily nowadays. Investing in such a pair of shoes will prove to be fruitful in the long run.

Clothes –

Choose right clothes for trekking purpose as it is a very important aspect. Carry warm clothes and avoid body hugging tight clothes or lose fitting clothes. Wear clothes in layers. Avoid from getting overheated. After trekking for around 30 minutes of trekking, remove first layer of clothing if you are sweating a lot. It is also mandatory to maintain body temperature, so taking short breaks is necessary and when resting, rest with rucksack/backpack on your back. Don’t put it aside.

Drinking/sipping water at regular intervals –

It is a good thing to keep drinking/sipping water at regular intervals as it will keep the body hydrated. Don’t drink water while walking. While resting, take a sip, keep it in mouth for a while and then gulp it down. Don’t drink too much water at one go. It is also wise to carry a packet of glucose or an electrolyte while trekking as it will further boost your energy level.

Do not litter and ‘Respect Mother Nature’-

Maintain cleanliness at camp site and the trek area. Put all the dry garbage in trash bags provided or the dustbin at campsite. Carry back your own garbage and dump it safely.

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