Need horizon and stretch your legs? You are not the only ones! Hiking is one of the favorite activities in this time of pandemic. We explain to you why it is made for you, with the added bonus of a few tips for leaving light and well equipped.
Hiking is one of the sports that requires the least amount of equipment: a good pair of sneakers can be enough for a walk on fairly uneven ground and in good weather. Infinitely adaptable according to the sporting profile, the desire, the geographical sector, the climate, the number of walkers or even their age, hiking has the advantage of never getting tired , simply because it there are always new paths to discover. And it is an ideal activity to practice with the family.
A form of meditation
In the current context of health crisis, it offers a real escape from the anxiety-provoking atmosphere , by reconnecting with nature. On the sides of a mountain, near a lake, we forget all the anxieties of the moment, at least for a few hours. A real break for the brain.
Going for a walk can even be likened to a form of outdoor meditation. A whole literature on its philosophical scope has been born in recent years (Praise of walking, David Le Breton; Little philosophy of the walker, Christophe Lamoure, etc.), and attests to the renewed interest in this activity , which could, in the public opinion of the past, being associated with a sometimes extreme way of life, like that of the pilgrim or the backpacker.
Today, we leave for two hours, two days or two weeks, like a deep breath before returning to work or to the worries of everyday life Enjoy your journey by lots of best things to do in Spain .
Walk light to better enjoy
It goes without saying that a hike cannot be improvised, even for a few hours, and especially if you are going to the mountains or with children. The advice to follow calls for common sense: check the weather forecast, inform a trusted person of your itinerary, especially if you are going alone, take a charged mobile phone. Download, before leaving, a map of your route that can be consulted offline. In the backpack: a raincoat, a basic medicine kit, and water, at a minimum.
On the shoe side, the trap is to opt for shoes with high uppers that give you the feeling of being perfectly protected. But by feeling “held,” you take more risk and do less work on your ankles, and ultimately sprains and strains are more common . In summer, trail shoes (low upper) have the advantage of being solid, breathable and light.
Lightness is precisely the watchword of a community of hikers, baptized the MUL, for “ultra light walking”. For them, carrying too heavy a weight prevents them from enjoying their outing and increases the risk of injury, due to the fatigue caused. On their website (www.randdonner-leger.org) and their forum, they compare and exchange tips and tricks to lighten up as much as possible. An example: a very small cube of Marseille soap should be enough for personal hygiene, washing up and any laundry. The gain is not only in the relief of the backpack, but also financial. The most experienced even offer patterns to make their own tents. Likewise, rather than investing in expensive bowls,the cheapest and lightest container is made with the stroke of a chisel , by cutting into an empty milk bottle and using the lower part as a container. Smart!
Eat well.
We drop the cans , of course! The important thing is to eat according to your needs, and to listen to your body . You can very well be satisfied with snacking on dried fruit and a few biscuits throughout your day’s walk, if in the evening you treat yourself to a real complete and balanced meal.
Also favor rich and compact food , such as sausage and certain cheeses that can be easily stored in the bag, such as Comté. You can prepare sachets of dehydrated food, for example with a mixture of powdered milk and flake puree (all organic version of course). All you need to do is add hot water to prepare your dish. Ditto for the morning, a mixture of powdered milk and muesli is an ideal breakfast.
Finally, going on a hike is also enjoying a territory as a whole , more than just landscapes. And its inhabitants are part of it: treat yourself to a good meal in a refuge (but remember to book before you leave), it may also be an opportunity to meet some great people.
