How to prepare for a hike when you are a beginner?
The most important tips to take into consideration before hiking.
When the weather gets warmer, we tend to go out more and try to spend more time outside. Those who want to be more active and those that live close to mountains start a season of hikes discovering new view points and accomplishing challenging hiking routes.
But before going for an adventure, make sure you are aware of the points below.
1. Sleep well
As simple as it may sound you want to make sure that you have slept 8 hours and preferably you went to bed before 12 am.
Why?
Because it is proven that the restorative part of sleep comes to the time before midnight. It is a period of time when we have a lower rate of stress hormone cortisol and a decrease in sympathetic nervous system activity. Therefore, to fully rest your body needs to go into a phase of deep sleep before 12 am.
Moreover, considering morning getting ready routine, traveling to the hiking spot — one should make sure that there was enough of sleep to recover and be ready to conquer the mountain!
2. Have a good breakfast
Last time I went for a hike I had coffee and “nussschnecke” in the train thinking that it is enough to cover up the way up the mountain because there are enough nutrients to keep me full. But after 30 mins of a steep route up I realised how hungry I am and that it is just the beginning of the journey.
So you don’t want to end up with the same problem. That is why have a breakfast rich in fats and carbs. Ideally it can be a bowl of yogurt with nuts, oats, fruits, some honey, OR a toast with avocado cream, peanut butter, tomato cherries, and etc. It will make you happy first of all, and as a side effect will keep you full for a longer period of time.
3. Make sure you are well equipped
Hiking shoes — you can not avoid having them, especially if you are hiking more than 1 km up. You will feel a big difference first time you put on hiking shoes. It will give you safety and confidence every step you take.
4. Take a bottle of water
This is crucial. Being hydrated means a lot. You are spending a lot of energy, sweating, and as a result you need to make sure you constantly refill your body with water. The longer the hike, the more water you need. But don’t go below 1 litre.
5. Have a snack with you
As I gave an example of my last hike when I got very hungry though I ate before going up, I also realised that having something with me to snack is very important. Usually, I am carrying nuts or dried fruits in my bag. But that day I didn’t have anything so I experienced stomachache from hunger, spinning head, overall weakness, and to be honest I was thinking that if I die, somewhere there, then it is good that there are people who can see me laying there and help carry my body back. Yes, that extreme.
As a result, I recommend having something small but energising enough to make it till the end. It can be as I mentioned nuts, protein bar, dried fruits, and etc.
6. Carry warm clothes with you
Especially, when you are hiking in summer time you may argue saying that it is very hot, you are sweating all the way up and it is ridiculous to carry warm clothes with you.
The reason why you want to reconsider your opinion is that in the top of the mountain it is always colder than at the point you have started. You may not feel it right after you reach there but when you cool down it is going to be the first thing that you will regret.
So don’t exaggerate the weight of 200g of a sweater or a scarf that will make you happy at the moment of bliss.
7. Don’t use your phone, if only to take a picture
If you want to really enjoy the hike and remember it, instead of taking pictures and filming yourself try to stop every 10–15 minutes at least for 30–40 seconds to acknowledge the beauty around you. A lot of people hike with their heads down. That is a big mistake — you may lose so many beautiful moments of complete amusement from what is around you.
Hiking is one of the most exciting and mind-blowing activities that you can imagine. To make the experience even more memorable, make sure you planned your hike and took cafe of the points mentioned above.
