If the gym gets a tad boring, take a hike to the wild side of life

The last couple of days, in the run up to a long anticipated break from work, have gone past like a blur in my mind. There have been plans to make, last-minute purchases of essential travel items and endless hours spent pouring over maps and guidebooks.

Both my wife and I have the unusual event of coinciding leave days this year, and we plan to use them doing something that both of us hold true and dear to our hearts — taking a series of long hikes out in the wild.

Sometimes I wonder why we do this, especially when we’re out hiking up and down steep hills and ravines — legs aching and lungs screaming, carrying back packs that seem to grow in weight every five minutes or so. It may sound miserable, but I love it!

The clean air, the vividness of colour, the smells, the vegetation and unrivalled scenery of this country are incentives enough for the pair of us to put up with the physical challenges of hiking and camping in sometimes very inhospitable places. It is so much better than sweating it out in the cardio theater in a gym somewhere in city.

But there are essentials you need to have if you want to join us in the self-induced torture up mounts and down vales. Things like:

1 Shoes: The essentials of hiking are quite similar to walking (it is simply walking taken off road) and that makes it cheap, easy and accessible to just about every last one of us. The only real investment you have to make is to buy a practical and comfortable pair of hiking boots.

These are usually very light in weight and are coated in Gore-Tex material that helps a great deal to keep your feet dry in the event of a sudden downpour, or if you have to trudge though marsh land, as you are certain to do when hiking Mount Kenya or the Aberdere’s Range — and other similar terrain.

Shoes with good traction are also a must, especially if you are going to clamber up or down steep hills.I personally find it helpful to have three categories of footwear on every hike. Hiking boots for the rain and mud, a comfortable pair of sneakers for the long walks and a pair of sandals to give my feet a break at the end of the day.

2 Snacks: Hiking may be a low intensity activity, but, trust me, you will be grateful for the fact that you brought along a couple of bananas in your back pack, or a sandwich perhaps, especially on long hikes.

On one such hike, I once walked from the summit of Mount Kenya to Chogoria town in Meru, a distance of some odd 30 kilometers or more. During such long hikes, you have to be particularly vigilant of your fluid intake.

Do not get so taken by the sights that you forget to drink enough water. Quite often, by the time you begin to feel thirsty, you will already be dehydrated, so it is particularly important to pre-empt this by taking regular sips out of a water bottle, even when the weather is cold. 

3 Safety First: One of the things I love most about hiking is that it really puts you in touch with nature. When you are struggling to light a campfire in the rain, using damp wood in the fading light of the setting sunset, you really appreciate just how much we are dependant on nature for our sustenance.

Nevertheless it is important to respect nature. If you are going to hike anywhere, do your research well and get some local advice on safety precautions. I make a point of taking with me on every hike a basic first aid kit that often comes in handy in dealing with cuts, bruises and blisters. Also, make sure to take a mobile phone with you and inform someone close to you about your whereabouts.

4 Ready, Set, Go! Hiking is a great activity to add to your existing fitness regimen. Not only will you add some spice and flavour to your routine, but it will also give you the benefit of cross-training. Challenging your muscles and your body in a brand new way — and, yes — if only for a moment, you will be able to get away from it all!