Trekking
I get a bit scared with people going on high altitude treks without careful planning.
I met a trekker going on a trek to Kailash Manasarovar. At first look, the person, though young, wasn't in great shape. I asked the person about preparation. The answer was that the individual was hoping on the age advantage and hadn't too much of training. This shocked me.
Mountains and trekking are to be taken seriously. High altitude trekking above 3000 m is serious stuff and not a stroll in the park. You have to be prepared physically. The remoteness of the location puts not only the individual but the group at risk. You need to look at the death statistics of Amarnath Yatra for reference.
I would identify risks in the following areas; AMS, ankle sprains, bruises/blisters and back pains
AMS (altitude mountain sickness) is not understood by most. As you climb higher, there is lesser oxygen available. The symptoms start with headache; stop and get to a lower altitude. Rest should be a good medicine. If after 4 / 5 hours the headache doesn't go down, you should consider moving to lower altitude. In the worst case, a person can die. Prevention is 2 fold; better fitness and better planning. Get yourselves fit and practice yoga and deep breathing exercise. Secondly plan your trek so that you are gradually climbing. Start climbing from a lower altitude and let your body slowly get used to the thinner air. My own rule is to make sure that for atleast 2 days you are trekking at below 3000m. Climb high and sleep low is another good rule.
Ankle sprains are a common injury. Most of us are used to walking in paved roads. Mountain trails are anything but paved. You have to be very careful with your steps for a twisted ankle is the end of the trek for you and some members of the team. Buy a good pair of hiking boots with ankle support, they can reduce the risk of ankle injury significantly. Many would suggest good running shoes are good for most trails; don't listen to them. I have had the horror of one of my group members soles coming off. Luckily, I had a good pair of hiking sandals and managed the last two days.
Blisters in your feet are a result of poor socks and shoes. Dirty and damp socks will cause blisters for certain. Carry plenty of clean socks and change a pair every day. Make sure that your shoes allow for vapor to escape. Spend on a goretex shoes; these are high performance stuff, but save you from sorrow.
Back pains are caused by poorly designed back packs. Your average school bag or laptop bag are not designed for carrying a load all day. An ideal backpack should have a hip belt. Lift the backpack on to your back, loosen all the belts and wrap the hip belt around your body so that the belt is cupping your hips. Clip the belt buckle on and tighten the straps evenly. However, you want to keep a 1 inch margin on both sides of the buckle. If it’s still too loose, you may want to try a different backpack or hip belt size. The goal is to have your hips hold 80%-90% of your backpack’s weight. Pull back and down on the shoulder straps to tighten them to fit close to your body and wrap around the shoulders. These shoulder straps are to simply hold the backpack against your body, not support its weight. You will find videos and instructions on the net about how to adjust your backpack
These tips will make your trekking more pleasurable and free of pain and heartache.
I met a trekker going on a trek to Kailash Manasarovar. At first look, the person, though young, wasn't in great shape. I asked the person about preparation. The answer was that the individual was hoping on the age advantage and hadn't too much of training. This shocked me.
Mountains and trekking are to be taken seriously. High altitude trekking above 3000 m is serious stuff and not a stroll in the park. You have to be prepared physically. The remoteness of the location puts not only the individual but the group at risk. You need to look at the death statistics of Amarnath Yatra for reference.
I would identify risks in the following areas; AMS, ankle sprains, bruises/blisters and back pains
AMS (altitude mountain sickness) is not understood by most. As you climb higher, there is lesser oxygen available. The symptoms start with headache; stop and get to a lower altitude. Rest should be a good medicine. If after 4 / 5 hours the headache doesn't go down, you should consider moving to lower altitude. In the worst case, a person can die. Prevention is 2 fold; better fitness and better planning. Get yourselves fit and practice yoga and deep breathing exercise. Secondly plan your trek so that you are gradually climbing. Start climbing from a lower altitude and let your body slowly get used to the thinner air. My own rule is to make sure that for atleast 2 days you are trekking at below 3000m. Climb high and sleep low is another good rule.
Ankle sprains are a common injury. Most of us are used to walking in paved roads. Mountain trails are anything but paved. You have to be very careful with your steps for a twisted ankle is the end of the trek for you and some members of the team. Buy a good pair of hiking boots with ankle support, they can reduce the risk of ankle injury significantly. Many would suggest good running shoes are good for most trails; don't listen to them. I have had the horror of one of my group members soles coming off. Luckily, I had a good pair of hiking sandals and managed the last two days.
Blisters in your feet are a result of poor socks and shoes. Dirty and damp socks will cause blisters for certain. Carry plenty of clean socks and change a pair every day. Make sure that your shoes allow for vapor to escape. Spend on a goretex shoes; these are high performance stuff, but save you from sorrow.
Back pains are caused by poorly designed back packs. Your average school bag or laptop bag are not designed for carrying a load all day. An ideal backpack should have a hip belt. Lift the backpack on to your back, loosen all the belts and wrap the hip belt around your body so that the belt is cupping your hips. Clip the belt buckle on and tighten the straps evenly. However, you want to keep a 1 inch margin on both sides of the buckle. If it’s still too loose, you may want to try a different backpack or hip belt size. The goal is to have your hips hold 80%-90% of your backpack’s weight. Pull back and down on the shoulder straps to tighten them to fit close to your body and wrap around the shoulders. These shoulder straps are to simply hold the backpack against your body, not support its weight. You will find videos and instructions on the net about how to adjust your backpack
These tips will make your trekking more pleasurable and free of pain and heartache.
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