hiking blog

Get Outdoors: 5 Tips For Beginner Hikers

April 28, 2016 by Marie 4 Comments

“Hiking” can be an extremely broad term. It can encompass leisurely strolls on a well-maintained path, pacing up and down rolling hills, and traversing rocky and uneven terrain with a constant uphill grade (though, perhaps that’s better put into the “scrambling” category).

I’ll admit that I used to greatly overestimate my own status as a hiker. I lived my first 23 years in Newfoundland — an island off Canada’s east coast with a high point of 814 metres. My hometown has points that are below sea level. When I did get into hiking in university, my biggest hikes were on the East Coast Trail. Now, these sections aren’t all strolls on boardwalks, but they aren’t exactly like climbing mountains in the Rockies. I thought I was getting pretty good at longer hikes, but my first big hike after moving to South Korea really put me in my place. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about being humble, preparing yourself, and how important it is to really push your own limits.

If you’re a beginner to hiking as a hobby, or just have never gotten past casual walks in the woods, then here are a few things that might help you get through some of your tougher hikes.

1. Keep a steady pace and take few breaks.

I have to start with this because it is probably the most common mistake I see hikers make. People push themselves to go fast, only to take constant breaks because their bodies can’t keep up.

On a recent hike in Peru at high elevation, a girl in my group, I call her the Sprinter, was constantly passing me, then taking a break so I’d pass her, and then passing me again — over and over and over again. I’m not exaggerating when I say this happened over 10 times in the first half of a 6-hour hike. The Sprinter was treating the trail like an opportunity for some high intensity interval training, meaning she was burning herself out to get there fast. And it was pretty irritating to have to constantly move to the side and interrupt my own pace to let her pass again and again. In the final two hours, she slowed dramatically and was one of the last of our group to finish the hike.

I go pretty slowly when I hike, but the number of breaks I take is low. I might stop to take off my outer layer or grab some water, but each time is less than a minute, and often more like 10-30 seconds. I’ll take a break of several minutes at a peak or halfway point to refuel, but other than that I go steady. This means that I finish faster overall.

2. Bring carbs.

Hypoglycemia (or low blood sugar) can occur when you perform strenuous activities. Even if you don’t feel hungry, you need to realize when your body needs fuel. Physical activity and altitude can both suppress your appetite, so the trick is bringing something that you will actively want to eat. I’m not a trail mix or granola person, but I’ll certainly eat some chocolate or a sandwich, so that’s what I bring. A couple chocolate-covered almonds or espresso beans can be a wonderful thing when you start to feel a little shaky or lightheaded.

3. Don’t underestimate the handiness of trekking poles.

Casual hikers never seem to bring trekking poles with them on hikes. And, sure, many times they aren’t particularly necessary. However, they can take a lot of weight off your joints and come in handy when you’re dealing with uneven terrain and early-season ice patches. As someone with pretty bad balance, I can attest to the usefulness of having extra points of contact with the ground.

4. Learn proper trail etiquette.

There are a few things that are common sense when it comes to etiquette on the trails. Here are a few points to remember:

Don’t make a ton of noise. Talking is fine, but roaring laughter or playing music loudly can really take away from the outdoor experience for fellow trail-goers.

Stay to the right on wider trails and pass people to the left (that’s the way it is here, maybe it’s the opposite in other parts of the world — let me know!). If you meet someone while you are going downhill and they are going uphill, let them make the call about who stops (they may want a break, or they may want to push through a tough section without being interrupted).

Don’t stop on the trail. If you need to take a break, try to move out of the way. If you meet someone you know and stop to chat, definitely move out of the way. It’s very frustrating for anyone who comes along and needs to maneuver around you.

If you are hiking in a group on a narrow or busy trail, always hike single file.

Let people know what to expect. If you come to a section where the trail has been closed off, is ice-covered, or is just generally hard to get past, be courteous and let anyone who comes behind you know as you head back.

Stay on the trail. Leave no trace.

These are just a few of the common points. If you are really keen on practicing pristine path politeness (please forgive me), try reading a few articles and blogs before you head out. A quick Google search will yield plenty of good resources.

5. Push through until you get your next wind.

I go through phases when hiking where I feel just drained. Luckily, I know that the endorphins will kick in again and give me another boost in a few minutes.

Pushing your body is hard, but that’s what it takes to build strength and endurance. So, the next time you are about to call it quits and turn back, give yourself a few minutes and see if you get a resurgence of energy and motivation. You are an athlete, and if you give yourself enough time, you can finish any hike. Remember that.

More on hiking? Try these:

My experiences with specific hikes:

Share your hiking tips with me in the comments!

A Day in the Mountains: Chiaksan in South Korea

December 10, 2014 by Marie 6 Comments

This is the story of two attempts on Chiaksan, the 1,288-metre tall mountain that resides about an hour’s ride by bus from my former home in Wonju, South Korea. Once upon a time, Chiaksan was known as Jeokakasan. Then, based on a myth about a man who saved a pheasant from a snake, the mountain became “Chiaksan” and the meaning became “Pheasant Peak Mountain.” You’ll find Chiaksan National Park in Gangwon-do, central and north within South Korea’s borders.

My first experience in Chiaksan was in September of 2012, just one month after I’d arrived in South Korea. Meeting up with several other English teachers, strangers to me, Tim and I caught the No. 41 bus for 1,100 won (about $1.14 CAD). The air was still muggy with the humidity of a Korean summer, but nothing compared to the 40-degree heat wave that had thankfully passed.

Arriving at the park, the Americans who accompanied us proceeded to perform exaggerated stretching routines–to the delight of the locals around.

The start of our walk

A leisurely hike along a relatively flat path took us to Guryongsa Temple, an area we spent around an hour exploring. After leaving, we approached Seryeom Waterfall. Here is where the real hike would begin.

The Guryongsa Temple area

There are two routes to Birobong peak, one expert and one advanced in name. The truth is that both have pros and cons that are all their own. The expert path is steep, lined with steps most of the way. One would think that these lengthy staircases would make the path easier, but climbing stairs gets hard after a couple of hours. The advanced path is, of course, also quite steep. However, it is a rugged and less-maintained path, that does have moments of dips and flat path between steep climbs.

On this day in September, we would take the expert path, climbing up and up with speed but stiff joints. I found myself lagging behind, aware for the first time that my level of fitness was not as great as I’d thought. Here is where we would find the hour spent in the temple area would come back to haunt us. The views from the mountain were spectacular, afternoon sun cascading in patterns through greenery that would soon turn yellow, orange, and red. The day was getting late, we were out of time. We headed back with a sense of disappointment, but feasted on the best mountain bibimbap (rice, vegetables, chili paste, and an egg), dotorimuk (acorn jelly salad), memiljeon (Korean buckwheat pancake), and fresh makgeolli (sort of a low-alcohol rice wine). The day was salvaged.

The second attempt on Chiaksan

In May of 2013, I was desperate to find my way to Chiaksan’s Birobong Peak. By this point, we’d done a lot more hiking in South Korea, and Tim and I decided to go it alone to set our own pace. We left Wonju early, arriving in the park in the morning. We skipped through the first hour towards the temple quickly, and decided to take a wager and make for the previously unexplored (to us) advanced route.

Tim, in the beginning

As we gained altitude, snow and ice made more frequent appearances. Fatigue set it. We’d brought food to eat, but felt determined to make a steady trek to the peak (not advisable, but tempting in the mountains). Finally, the top was in sight. A last set of staircases help us gain momentum and reach the peak. The stone pagodas appeared as we ascended, greeting us in our arrival.

The top is in sight

At the peak, groups of Korean hikers lit up propane stoves and shared in shots of soju (the famous rice liquor, tasting like a slightly weak vodka–to me at least). The weather would have been nicer that day in September, but we rejoiced in the views of Korean hills, mystical in the haze. After a few quick photos and time to revel in success, we headed back down the expert path. Two things came to my mind: chocolate and soda. I’m not usually that big of a sugar person, but at this point, my body was pretty depleted.

Our celebratory photo together

We arrived at the shops near the entrance to the park just minutes before the next bus back to Wonju would pull up. We quickly bought a few snacks and jumped on the crowded bus, luckily making our way to two empty seats at the very back. Tim ate an ice cream cone as a young Korean boy laughed at us and gestured his jealously for our snacks. Tired and content, we were on our way back home.

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Hike in NZ: The Ben Lomond Track

November 26, 2014 by Marie 14 Comments

I groggily approached the gondola area at the head of the Ben Lomond Track in Queenstown. Today, the gondola wouldn’t run, meaning the potential to shave an hour off our hike was gone. But, this was at a time when my motivation was high, and I approached the several-hour hike to the peak with a fair amount of optimism.

The southern New Zealand spring still held a chill in the air, and I began my hike in layers–too many, as I would soon realize. The steep trek upward, through forest opening sporadically to intensifying sun, quickly extinguished any sense of cold I’d felt. I was left with a constant layer of uncomfortable sweat on my skin for the rest of the day. After the first hour, the trail truly opened up. Forest behind us, sky surrounding us, and Queenstown spread out to my left.

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