“The mountains are calling and I must go.” John Muir
So let’s get to the discussion at hand…. HIKING, a beginner’s guide – Step 1
What do you picture when you think of hiking? Do you imagine a bunch of Hippies with over-sized heavy backpacks hiking through some incredible epically tall mountains for long periods of time? Well if this is the case STOP right there… Just because you may, or may not, be able to do epically tall mountains or, you may, or may not, be in shape should not be a factor. So…
DO NOT LET THAT STOP YOU!!!
Although hiking can certainly be epic, it doesn’t have to be – it can be a fun outing around your local park or neighborhood trail for a few hours during the weekend.
Here’s the trick to hiking… Be willing to explore your surroundings while building strength and endurance in your legs and lungs, all while clearing your head and breathing in fresh air! It is that simple! The side effects are wonderful … fresh air, incredible nature views, exploring like when you were a kid and weight loss might just be a part of it too!
Don’t let the concept of time or weight get in your way because, I promise, it’s not a factor and your time and energy is worth it!
The best way to start:
Make the decision to get outside. This is the hardest thing about the whole idea of Hiking, well at least until you become that Hippie with an oversized heavy backpack hiking through incredible epically tall mountains for a long period of time, it’s worth the decision to go outside. Besides, who doesn’t like fresh air every once in a while.
Decide how long you have to hike. In the beginning, please don’t decide to hike the John Muir Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail right off the bat. There are plenty of trails that can be done in just a few hours (or less) until you are ready to go out longer! Pick a Hike based on how much time you have – do you have the entire day – or do you just have an hour or two on a Friday afternoon?
Determine your hiking level. Are you completely new to Hiking and possibly out of shape, are you new to hiking and in somewhat good shape or are you somewhere in between? This is key in determining whether you will be going out on an eight hour hike through in the wilderness or starting slow and picking a place close to home that you can turn around and get home without too much time. Remember Nature is not going anywhere the trail will be there for you to continue exploring…
Decide if you’ll be hiking alone or with a friend. I love hiking, so whether I am solo, with a group of friends, or with a hiking group I just joined, I love to just go! However, it’s also more dangerous being alone should something happen while you are out on the trail. So since this is a beginner’s guide, I would always recommend going with a friend and/or picking a well travelled trail! Also, ALWAYS tell someone (that is not with you) where you are going, what time you are starting and what time you think you will be done. That way someone knows where you will be and if something does happen they can find you.
Pick your hiking location. Go to AllTrails.com, Google or ask a friend to find a local hiking trail! The world is FULL of hiking trails and Nature you just need to want to explore it
I will be going over what to wear and the essential items in my next post!!
So there you have it folks, it’s pretty much as easy as deciding to get out there. The rest just follows!
Peace, Love and Nature
Wendy
Your local Hippie Hiking, Life Coaching #1 Fan!
P.S. Remember to always, Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate until you cannot Hydrate anymore… and then Hydrate some more!
[polldaddy poll=9016113]
