You’ve just committed to a walking trip abroad, now the countdown begins and the excitement grows - We all love to go away and have something booked in the calendar to get excited about.
You’ll start telling all your friends, planning your hiking outfits and looking into any extras you can have organised for when the time finally arrives. You may also be thinking ‘How do you make the most of your hiking experience?’ You want to make the most of it and have the best time after all.
To make the most of your experience, there are a number of things that you can do. Start by working on your fitness levels - the fitter you are, the less strain it will put on your body and tired you will be. Make sure you have the right equipment with you - this can make a huge difference and pack all the essentials.
To get you ready for your walking holiday, we have put together our simple guide on making the most of your hiking experience.
Working on your fitness levels
It goes without saying that the fitter you are, the more fun a hiking experience will be. You want to challenge yourself, but there is nothing worse than taking on a challenge that you struggle with due to not having the right fitness level for it and failing in the process. Months before your trip, start to go on practice hikes as well as work on your physical fitness and cardiovascular system. Strength training on your legs will help and so will strengthening your core muscles.
Make sure you know your route
How well do you know the route you are taking? Do you know the terrains you will be walking on? Do you know the inclines you are going to face? And do you know what the weather conditions will be like? To make the most of your hiking experience, make sure you dedicate some time to learning the route, this way you are prepared to face whatever it may throw at you.
Pack all the essentials
Packing all the essentials is a good game as the challenge is to pack enough but not overpack as you will have to carry it all on your back. To make the most of your hiking experience, ensure you have items like sunscreen, baby wipes, a small first aid kit (this is very important) snacks, water and any extra layers you may require - be prepared for all weather conditions. A quick search online and you will find a plethora of essential packing lists which you can copy.
The more prepared you are for your hiking trip, the more fun you will have. Try to get organised as soon as possible as this can reduce the stress of any last-minute bits - you will have a great time hiking, we are sure of it!
What advice would you suggest to someone going on their first hike? Are there any tips that you think we should be adding to our above guide? What's your favourite thing about going on a walking holiday? Let us know in the comment box below.
