You may have heard about hiking and mountaineering, but what about trekking?<\/p>\n
Trekking is similar to that of hiking but a trek usually lasts for multiple days at a time. It is actually defined as a long, arduous journey by foot.<\/p>\n
It is a combination of hiking and walking through undeveloped areas (such as mountains, forests, etc.) and the beautiful thing about it is that if you have a will to adventure, you can trek.<\/p>\n
There is definitely some knowledge you should acquire before you get into your adventure so stick around and let us tell you everything you need to know about trekking!<\/p>\n
You need to assess your skill and plan accordingly.<\/strong><\/p>\n Have you ever gone trekking before? What about a long hike during the day? It is important to assess your skill and physical fitness before you plan your journey.<\/p>\n You don’t want to start a multi-day trek if you have never walked more than a couple miles or camped before.<\/p>\n This is not to discourage you, it is to prepare you. Always choose caution over risk when heading out into nature, it could potentially save your life.<\/p>\n If you are starting from scratch with very little to no experience,\u00a0look to the pros<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>for some expert advice. There are different levels of trekking including:<\/p>\n Find an easy trek in your area. This is for trekkers with little to no experience. In an easier trek, you won’t have to navigate difficult climbs and avoid higher altitudes.<\/p>\n It is also a good idea to prepare by taking day hikes to get your body acclimated to larger and longer walks.<\/p>\n REI<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is a trusted source for beginners to reference when learning to backpack, hike, and eventually trek.<\/p>\n Moderate treks are more demanding and require more energy and skill. In general, they can up to 10 days (so you will need to know how to camp, carry extra supplies, or have housing accommodations). You can expect higher altitudes and obviously, longer distance.<\/p>\n Trekkers without previous mountain experience should not attempt a strenuous (or medium-hard) trek.<\/p>\n You won’t need to use ropes, however, steep climbing is almost always required and high altitudes will be reached.<\/p>\n Difficult or hard treks are only recommended for those who have lots of trekking experience.<\/p>\n These treks can take up to 40 days and require a great deal of wilderness knowledge and stamina.<\/p>\n There are some skills you will want to have under your belt before you leave for your trip. Those are as follows:<\/p>\n If you are serious about trekking it is recommended that you take at least a basic mountaineering and first aid course.<\/p>\n You always want to be prepared to handle an emergency situation especially when out in nature, far away from a hospital, and with minimal people.<\/p>\n For hiking and potential areas to trek nearest to you, look to the\u00a0American Hiking Society<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and check out their trail finder.<\/p>\n This can be especially of use for the beginner who doesn’t know where to start or wishes to begin with day hikes.<\/p>\n Your gear list will vary greatly based on three things: the\u00a0climate of trekking location, length of the\u00a0trek, and difficulty level of the\u00a0trek.<\/p>\n For the sake of this post, we are going to assume that you are at more of a beginners level. At this level, your gear should include the following:<\/p>\n It can be of great use to print out a\u00a0check-list<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0so you can see exactly what you have and what you need to purchase (or borrow from others).<\/p>\n Always know your limitations and trek safely.<\/strong><\/p>\n Before we get into some of the best trekking locations in the world, we need to talk about safety. Nature is unpredictable.<\/p>\n It is important that you research as much as you can about the area you will be trekking before you leave.<\/p>\n Look at the most recent weather patterns, the wildlife, high-risk areas, degree of difficulty, the nearest hospital, all of it! Knowledge of your surroundings can save your or someone else’s life.<\/p>\n Know your limitations! If you are feeling like you need to stop, you probably should. You can always come back and trek again after gaining more experience and there is no failure in knowing when to call it quits.<\/p>\n If you don’t want to end your trek but need a rest, set up your campsite earlier on in the day and take a long rest.<\/p>\n The great thing about trekking is that it is spread across multiple days- you have the freedom (and owe it to your body) to rest when necessary.<\/p>\n If you are a beginner, look for\u00a0hiking organizations<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0in your area and bring others along!<\/p>\n For some visual inspiration look to\u00a0this video\u00a0that highlights 10 of the most beautiful places to trek in the world.<\/p>\nEasy<\/h3>\n
Moderate<\/h3>\n
Strenuous<\/h3>\n
Difficult<\/h3>\n
What knowledge do you need to acquire before trekking?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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What kind of gear do you need for trekking?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Where are the best locations for trekking?<\/span><\/h2>\n