Tips for Long Distance Walking Holidays
There is something very special about ditching the car and getting somewhere under your own steam. Walking anywhere may take longer but you get to see the country you are travelling through far better than you would do on a road trip or by taking a bus or train. When you are down, actually in the countryside you can become far more intimate with it, come to understand its rhythms and patterns and cherish it all the more, making you want to go on more ecologically sensitive holidays of the same sort. But if you are thinking of taking a walking holiday and are going to be covering some distance then there are certain things you need to do to make sure you avoid some of the most common pitfalls that could turn your trip into a dreary trudge or outright disaster:
Do Your Research
You don't need to be a planning maniac and schedule everything right down to the last tea break, but when you set off on your walk you should know the route from beginning to end. You should know not just the trajectory it follows on a map but also what sort of terrain you will be going through at each stage, whether the route is way-marked and what geographical obstacles you may encounter. You should know what the temperature range will be, what sort of weather you might be likely to expect and what that will mean for the trail/path you are walking on. Will it become boggy, or slippery, or very dry and dusty? You should know how much of the terrain you are likely to be able to cover each day, where you will sleep and where any provisioning stops will be. Can you carry the amount of water and food you will require for each stage without weighing yourself down too much?
Be Prepared
Being prepared is not just about knowing your route and planning and timing your route, it is also about making sure that you have all the equipment, clothing and footwear that you need and also making sure that your body is fit and healthy enough to undertake what you have planned. It is all well and good planning to scale a mountain a day for ten days, but is your fitness level really up to it? If you are taking on an arduous hike then it is a bad plan to go from sedentary to full action. Rather, you should build up from your everyday routine more gradually, taking long rambles to prepare your body for the more intensive regime that you will have on your walking holiday.
Pack with Intelligence
The demands of your walking plans will dictate your pack size and your destination will determine what exactly you will need to bring. But whether you are doing some regular backpacking or packing light or ultralight, it is important to pack with intelligence. Shoving things in with little thought will inevitably lead to frustration and probably back ache too. Many backpackers will tell you that the more they travel, the less they pack. Carefully think about the absolute necessities for your trip. Look at each item and thing how you could possibly do without it. Your body will definitely thank you for reducing the strain. But at the same time you should be sure not to leave out anything vital. You can never be prepared for absolutely every eventuality but you can certainly be prepared for every scenario you recognise as being one you could potentially encounter. It makes sense to pack lightweight items specifically designed for long-distance walking – learn from all the people who have done this before, take advice, read reviews, just think.
Expect the Unexpected
Yes, no matter how much you have prepared and no matter how well you have packed, however much you have poured over the maps and no matter how well you know the route and the terrain, you always have to expect the unexpected. Perhaps there is a freak weather event. Perhaps you reach a way point later than expected and nowhere is open so you can't get any food. Perhaps you posted yourself some kit along the route and it has got lost along the way. Perhaps you have a slight injury, or blisters are hampering your progress. These things happen. To a certain extent, on a walking holiday, you have to roll with the punches, take things stoically and calmly keep on going. But remember, you should also know when to cut your losses and give up. Don't focus on getting to a specific destination. Instead, you should stay in the moment and enjoy the journey. That is what walking holidays are really all about, not getting from A to B. With all the planning out of the way, you should feel free to abandon elements of them and learn from your experiences as you go along, changing them when they are revealed to be difficult ot impossible to achieve. Be prepared, but also be flexible when you encounter real life scenarios that may not mesh up with what you expected during your planning stage.
Engage All Your Senses
Don't get hung up on the action of walking. Don't get hung up on reaching a destination. Be present, engaged and fully aware at all times. This is important not just from a safety point of view but it is also the best way to be in life – for which long-distance walking holidays are an obvious metaphor. It is vitally important that your head is not back home, or rushing ahead, or there is no way that you will be able to relax and enjoy the journey. You will undoubtedly have chosen a walk which takes you through some spectacular scenery with amazing views – do you take the time to really appreciate it or are you tramping along staring at your boots and wondering when you should stop for some lunch in order to be able to get to your desired waypoint before nightfall? Wake up! Use all your senses and fully immerse yourself in the natural world of our beautiful planet.
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