Comments on: Underestimating a Hike

By: Swank

Swank — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:34:08 +0000

Underestimating a hike is a scary thing for two reasons mentally beyond all the physical ramifications that have been discussed. The first mental dissappointment is knowing that you have not planned correctly or researched the trail, hike, accomodations (water spots, camping sites, and what not) which is easy to do when you let the manly careless attitude get a little out of control. Remember it is manly to collect data, create the plan off input and then execute the plan . The second reason is finding your own limits were less than what you had anticipated and hoped they would be. As men it is great to push our limits and to metephorically put another notch on the man belt, but what we do after realizing our own failures really define what kind of man we are.
Two friends and myself just completed the Grand Canyon one day rim-to-rim 24 mile hike in ten hours this past Saturday. I really had not put in the time and training this expedition requires but I am active and was able finish. I was well prepared having hiked the South Rim and camped at the bottom several times I knew the best plan was to finish with the South Rim since I knew that trail. 20 miles into this adventure my legs were now letting me know that they were at their limits with every step bringing that uncomfortable about to cramp feeling. This is of course all uphill since we went down the North Rim and now are hiking up the South Rim. I had two things happen to me during this difficult and a little painful 4 mile trek with my legs feeling like daggers were stabbed into them. The first was I was amazed at what we can push our bodies to do with mental strength and second I was inspired to get into better shape so this would be an easier venture so to not think I could take on more than my body is ready for. The trip was a succes with all of us completing this Man-goal we have had for a couple years and the accomplishment was well worth every bit of pain endured.

By: Chad Ritchie

Chad Ritchie — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 20:56:42 +0000

@bagman

Practice. Before any long trek you should know exactly how far you can hike with full gear and how much elevation gain you can handle. The big climb is not the time to find your limitations. Build up to your goal distance and goal elevation gain for any given day.

@Thomas

Good idea :) Packing on calories before a big trip can be helpful. A tip for everyone else: Drink plenty of fluids though, as our bodies pull a lot of water from our system to digest larger meals.

And either having a WFR certificate, or having someone in your group be certified as a Wilderness First Responder is excellent.

By: bagman

bagman — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:21:38 +0000

Any tips for getting in shape before tackling a climb?

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 18:58:43 +0000

When I was younger the first scramble I did with my father was Mount Rae (In Alberta)….the book called in a moderate scramble but everybody on the mountain was amazed that it was our first scramble and told us that it was closer to a difficult than moderate.

We turned around part way up the ridge, 20 minutes from the top because the exposure was a little too much for us to handle. We returned a couple years later and knocked off the whole thing and have been scrambling our way up mountains ever since.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 21:08:30 +0000

@Chad

If I ever again do something as hard core as that, I will first find an all-you-want buffet so I know where to go for dinner. I don’t expect the food to be very good, but as they say, “Hunger is the best sauce.”

I would also recommend taking along someone with a Wilderness First Responder certification, if you happen to know one, particularly for multi-day hikes. WFR is a step up from first aid, teaching you how to treat some medical emergencies or at least keep a patient alive until you get back to civilization.

By: Chris Kavanaugh

Chris Kavanaugh — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:37:37 +0000

I recommend THE 2 OZ BACKPACER from 10 SPEED PRESS in Berkeley as a superb guide to hiking. It explains a lot of psychological mistakes and has practical kit suggestions ( except for vapor barrier liners ) and simple tricks to make the experience a good one.
My gripe are people who pull out G.I. Joe pace counting beads and think a walk is a Fort Zinderneuf march or die contest.
The new Zealand kyaking club once gave a superb piece of advise ” Buy the very best equippment you can, but never undertake a trip based solely on having it.”
The local blue hair ladies of our local sierra club hate me. I’m always dawdling on the trail looking at salamanders or gulping from my twin glass bottles of Perrier water ( I hate the taste of iodine tablets.) I’m also the one who spotted a young mountain lion stalking our Fellowship of the Ring. A hike can be right outside your cabin door if you slow down to look.

By: Ryan Stefani

Ryan Stefani — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:54:58 +0000

If you plan on hiking for more than a day you should learn orienteering first. Learning how to orient a map and use bearings are very important skills. While using a GPS is fun and easy, a compass is more accurate when your hiking in less than fair weather, heavy woods, or mountains. Once you get really good at orienteering you can compete in races, which is really fun with friends or family.

By: Chad Ritchie

Chad Ritchie — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:30:39 +0000

There are some great stories here. I wonder if any of you would mind sharing what you have changed since your experiences? What precautions do you take now that you may not have before?

By: Thomas

Thomas — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 01:45:19 +0000

I wouldn’t say I underestimated the hike, but I was caught off guard by some of the things that happened to me because of a hike up a 12,000 foot mountain in Arizona. I was in shape for the hike, but the lunch I brought was too small to fill me up and I didn’t fully hydrate myself. When I got down from the mountain, all I wanted to do was eat and drink. I never saw that side-effect coming. For two days, nothing would fill me up; I probably could have done one of those “Man vs Food” challenges with time to spare. It was crazy.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:32:09 +0000

I did just this when I decided to go hiking by myself in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I had my eyes fixed on reaching the summit of Mt. Laffayette. The summit was at 5249ft and I figured no problem. I woke up that morning and headed for the parking lot and that’s when I noticed there were going to be a few problems. Problem 1: the weather. It was very cloudy and beginning to rain. Problem 2: improper clothing. I was wearing a t-shirt and khaki pants. With my young adventurous spirit I decided to forgo these challenges and headed up the mountain. During the climb I realized I was way out of shape… but I kept going. I finally reached Greenleaf Hut, about a mile from the summit after two and a half hours of hiking. During that time, I had become light headed and my ability to maintain a steady footing was severely compromised. I stuck around the hut for a good hour so my clothes would have a chance to dry and I could get something warm to drink. Some hikers were just coming back from the peak and they talked about how the weather was terrible; frigid temperatures and sleet. With this news, I decided to put my pride aside and head back down the mountain. Better to live to fight another day than not live at all. I had driven from ohio to connecticut to visit friends, than from connecticut to new hampshire to climb a mountain; spent hundreds of dollars on gas and lodging only to be turned back by the weather a mile from my goal. A lesson in humility? Maybe. But it was one hell of an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything