DIFFICULTIES IN HIKING
When preparing for a hike, it is important to realistically assess your strength and capabilities. Some hikes can be confidently attempted for the first time, while others require prior experience. Hikes are conditionally divided into "easy," "medium difficulty," and "difficult," with some hikes recommended for experienced participants, while others do not require experience—these ratings are indicated on each hike's page.
Having hiking experience means understanding the challenges you may encounter on the trail and how to deal with them, but what should you do if you lack experience? What should you prepare for? We hope this article helps newcomers choose the right hike and prepare for it.
WHAT FACTORS AFFECT THE DIFFICULTY OF A HIKE?
Factors can be objective and subjective.
OBJECTIVE DIFFICULTIES OF HIKING
Daily mileage – how far you will need to walk (bike, kayak, or catamaran). 10 km on a flat dirt road and 10 km on a trail uphill and then downhill is "two very different things." The average speed of hikers in mountainous terrain (considering all breaks) is 1.5 km/h (!!!) Therefore, if you need to cover 15 km and the group leaves camp at 10 AM, expect to reach the next campsite by 8 PM.
The nature of the road or trail – dirt forest, rocky, scree, grassy slope, or even the absence of a trail.
The nature of the river – calm or rapid, what the banks are like, the current. For biking trips: asphalt, good dirt roads, or pothole-ridden paths, field roads, or trails with roots, etc.
Elevation gains and losses – in a difficult hike, the elevation changes can be quite significant, requiring a lot of uphill and downhill walking, while in an easy hike, these challenges are fewer. BUT they still exist!
Weather – some areas have relatively stable weather, while others have very changeable conditions, where rain, snow, and hail can be expected in July. In Crimea, it definitely won't snow in summer, but in Altai, it very well might. Generally, the higher the mountains, the more capricious the weather. An important point: even an easy hike can turn into a difficult one if the weather doesn't cooperate.
Autonomy of the hike – whether you need to carry all your gear from the start or if there is a drop-off (the possibility of transporting part of the gear and food to a certain point on the route). This factor affects the variety and quantity of food (hikes with drop-offs allow for more food than fully autonomous hikes). A bit more about drop-offs and some other factors.
SUBJECTIVE DIFFICULTIES OF THE TOURIST APPROACH
There is also subjective difficulty – how the hike will feel personally for you. Many factors influence this difficulty:
Personal experience – hiking, military, student camps, nature outings, or simply engaging in sports—all of this adds to your experience "bank." For someone used to sleeping in a tent, it will be easier than for someone seeing a tent for the first time in their life. Athletic people accustomed to physical loads will find a backpack lighter than beginners, and so on.
If you lack experience, an easy hike is a great opportunity to gain some before "taking on" more challenging hikes.
Inflated expectations – this is a very important factor. Don't expect urban comfort, restaurant-quality food, good weather every day, or that it will be very easy. A hike is not a walk in the park, especially a mountain hike. One participant in a mountain hike was quite surprised to see a steep trail going up: "I thought we would be walking in valleys with mountains on either side." But in a mountain hike, you walk in the mountains, up and down! Inflated or incorrect expectations hinder coping with ordinary hiking difficulties. Even hikes marked as "easy" can become serious tests for newcomers!
Improperly selected gear – as our experienced instructor said: "The quality of your gear in relation to the chosen route determines whether this hike will be a great adventure or a survival experience in harsh weather conditions." Gear must not only match the route but also meet specific requirements listed for each hike. You don't hike in flip-flops in the mountains, and you don't ride a bike with a backpack on your back—of course, it will be very difficult in such cases.
Take the selection of gear for the hike seriously! Useful information about gear.
Establishing contact or lack thereof with the instructor and group is an important psychological component. The interests of the group must be considered, the instructor's decisions are law, and so on. People who find it difficult to work and be in a team may struggle in a hike. Everyone is tired and wet, but you need to find firewood, then set up a tarp over the fire, and then the duty team has to prepare dinner—all of this is very, very challenging, especially if it's your turn to be on duty that day.
And so on. There are many personal factors.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT "EASY" HIKES
Our coordinators occasionally encounter inflated expectations regarding hikes marked as "Easy" and "Medium difficulty." After such hikes, it turns out that some participants expected an easy stroll in the park and were completely unprepared for challenges. The difficulty ratings for hikes are based on our years of experience and the opinions of the majority of participants, but still, all people are different, and what is very easy for one may seem difficult to another.
If you have doubts about whether to join a particular hike, answer the following questions:
1. Do I have hiking experience?
2. Do I engage in any sports that involve endurance (yoga, Pilates, etc. do not count)?
3. Have I ever carried a backpack weighing at least 10 kg?
4. Have I ever climbed a hill for at least half an hour?
5. Have I ever walked at least 10 km in a day?
If the answers to all or almost all questions are "no," then an "easy" hike can be considered "difficult," "medium difficulty" can be seen as "very difficult," and attempting a "difficult" hike is strongly discouraged until you gain the necessary experience.
In an "Easy" hike, you will need to walk an average of 10 kilometers a day—when was the last time you walked such a distance, especially uphill, with a backpack on your back?
An "easy" backpack weighs 8-12 kilograms. How often does an urban (and especially office) person carry such weight on their back?
For "rehearsal," you can fill a backpack with books and climb the stairs to the 10th floor and back a few times. If after that you still want to go hiking, then prepare for challenges and pack your backpack! :)
Note! Climbing one floor in a typical urban building is an elevation gain of about 3 meters. In mountain hikes, you will be climbing 500-1000 meters a day. Considering that walking up stairs is much easier than on uneven trails, the load in a hike will be equivalent to climbing 300-500 floors up every day!
To adequately assess the difficulties of a water hike, you can do the following (experiment from May to September).
Put on your rafting gear. Stand under a cold shower for a few minutes. Now go outside for an hour, preferably in windy weather. It will be about the same on the rafting trip!
To test a wetsuit: fill a bathtub with cold water and try to lie in it for 3-5 minutes. If you still feel comfortable, feel free to join any water hike! :)
WHAT CHALLENGES MIGHT TOURISTS ENCOUNTER ON A HIKE?
A heavy backpack – it may seem so in the first days of the hike, especially if you packed a lot of unnecessary items not on the list. But even if everything is packed correctly and there is nothing extra, and it's your first hike—it's still going to be tough.
It's also incorrect to think that experienced hikers never struggle—it can be quite difficult for them too! The difference is that seasoned hikers know what to expect, while newcomers do not.
Fatigue – is common in every hike. Fatigue from physical exertion is very different from fatigue from hours of sitting in an office. Legs ache, shoulders are tired, back hurts—your body is adjusting to a new rhythm, which is normal. During breaks, you can give each other massages. The first 2-3 days will be the hardest in terms of load and fatigue, but then it will get easier.
Cold – even in summer hikes, it can be very cool in the evenings, and in some regions, there can be frost at night during summer. If you pack only for heat and don’t take warm clothes from the list—you will end up quite cold.
Lack of familiar comfort – sleeping on a foam pad in a tent is not as soft as in your own bed, and you can't stretch out in a sleeping bag as you would under your favorite blanket. But you can't take your bed with you on a hike; if you want to see hard-to-reach places, you will have to endure some discomfort.
Simple food – there are no yogurts, vegetables, or fruits on a hike, and even your favorite scrambled eggs for breakfast may be missing. Lunch can be replaced with a high-calorie snack if the hiking day is long. However, upon returning to civilization, you can enjoy the long-forgotten taste of your favorite food.
No place to wash – on a hike, you start to realize that all of humanity's achievements, such as hot water, toilets, and the like, are real miracles. But you will be amazed at the lengths tourists will go to wash while hiking—you wouldn't have dreamed of it before! :) Instructors and more experienced companions will teach you a thousand and one ways to wash while hiking (see the article - Hygiene in Hiking)
Insects and animals – mosquitoes, ants, ticks, snakes, mountain goats in the Caucasus, bears in Kamchatka—there's no telling who you might encounter on a hike. But if you follow basic safety rules, there will be no problems.
Unfamiliar people in the group – at first, it may feel strange to hike with a large group of unfamiliar people, but by the second or third day of the hike, it feels like you have known each other for a long time, and after the hike, it can be very sad to part ways.
No cell service, no internet – you may want to call your beloved boyfriend (girlfriend), complain, or, on the contrary, share joy—but the phone doesn't have a signal. You might want to post a couple of photos on "VKontakte," but there's no network. For some, this is a way to escape the world of electronics, while for others, it may be unusual. In some hikes, cell service works for a few days along the route, while in others, it doesn't work at all. Before heading out, be sure to call your loved ones and let them know when you will be in touch, and ask them not to worry until then.
No stores – this isn't such a big difficulty, but if you think you can't survive a week without your favorite chocolate bar—you can bring some along (if you don't mind carrying it).
Blisters from shoes – this is a fairly common problem on hikes. It can be avoided by hiking only in well-worn shoes and "proper" socks. If you feel a rub starting somewhere—you need to quickly cover that spot with a band-aid to prevent further rubbing.
TIPS FOR PREPARING FOR A HIKE
1. Carefully read the route description, look at photos, and read reviews. Make sure you really want to go there. If you have doubts about whether you can handle the hike—choose an easier one or go on a weekend hike to test your strength. A great choice is also a hike without backpacks.
2. Understand your expectations (if any), talk to the coordinator of the chosen hike, and ask all your questions, even those that seem "silly." It is essential to ensure that your expectations are not inflated. Ask what the food will be like, whether rain is expected, how cold it will be at night, etc.
3. Think through your gear and pack it strictly according to the list. No "I thought it wouldn't rain."
4. Be prepared for any weather, and if you are going on a long hike—accept as a given that rain (or snow) will occur. Trust me, if it doesn’t happen, you won’t be too upset. Checking the weather forecast 1-2 days before departure is useful, but forecasts can be wrong; in the mountains, there can be a thunderstorm in one valley and sunshine in another, and the weather is constantly changing.
5. Consider personal hygiene, and stock up on useful items. Useful article on hygiene in hiking.
6. Be prepared for physical exertion, and expect that the first few days will be tough. And when this "tough" time comes—it won't be perceived as a catastrophe.
7. Be ready to follow the instructor's requests and consider the group's interests.
It turns into something like "Be prepared!" – "Always ready!"
Most difficulties in hiking are solely related to inflated expectations—find out in advance what to expect, prepare for challenges, and think about how to cope with them—and then everything will be fine! Everyone started somewhere!
Happy hiking!
Source: Adventure Club
Miscellaneous