It's been awhile since I last travelled & trekked.
I used to travel at least thrice a year when I was still
a full-time student, be it with my parents, with my trekking buddies, or my BFF
whom I do almost everything with. Now that I've started my full-time job with
my dad (which I kinda dread about it because I CANNOT stand desk-bound work,
also explains why am I here composing this post), I do not have the luxury to
travel as and when I would like to.
Trekking is a hobby (not exactly a cheap one) that aids
you in gaining insightful experiences which definitely, cannot be learnt from
books or in school at all.
I only started trekking with friends when I was still
studying for my diploma, that was the period where I made a group of awesome
and steady friends and I was not residing with my parents due to the long hours
of travelling. I was slightly more independent...
We (I) started travelling to Malaysia for treks in a
big group for our CCA activities, which somehow made me think that, if
everything is well-prepared, problem can always be minimized. Of course,
you gotta have the right mentality, and at least, physically trained for a
higher mountain to be conquered.
Progressively, after the cross-the-border treks in the
neighbouring country, a group of us would fly to somewhere a tad further for
higher mountains, for instance, Taiwan, Indonesia, etc...
All these overseas trekking trips taught me invaluable
lessons, like from the basic, how should we prep ourselves for such trips:-
1. Planning & Research
2. Budgeting
3. Itinerary
4. Safety Issues
5. Fitness
6. Equipment List
Something to admit, I really have a bunch of indispensable friends, they are the ones who would do all the planning and itinerary for overseas trekking trips. Without them, I could not have been to mountains/summits to view the breathtaking scenery, sunrises, experiencing the morning coldness with them, staying cosy together in the tent, having breakfast/lunch/dinner in the mountains, going all-commando style when having to relieve ourselves, etc...
There are always bound to have paperwork to be done before any trips, and it might sound boring but as you are preparing for it, the information found online, from the forums, from anywhere will definitely help you in climbs as such. This is something that you will gain from organizing a trip. The more you organize, the more you know how to budget for a trekking trip, all the required docs to prepare, the packing-list, so on and so forth.
Trekking trips have made me into an even more organized person. The way I pack my backpack, I would make sure my clothes are rolled up nicely (to save space), chucking smaller items into a mass tin or containers to fully-utilize the space, AND COMING UP WITH AN EQUIPMENT-LIST is a must for me. I would share them with my friends so we know, the issue of forgetting certain items can be minimized (I actually do it for all the trips, not just for trekking ones).
Trekking with friends also allow you to know more about
one another, their characters, temper, personalities, which could help to bond
and forge a strong friendship. No matter what, the effort we have to put in
prior to the treks, in this case, I am talking about the time spent for
trainings (some are the shitty ones whereby we will feel that our legs are gone
after a day of training) will always leave a positive mark. There are also
occasions where each and
everyone in the team will always give out their helping hands to pull you up
during the ascending or descending of the mountains.
I have no idea if you can understand the feeling of going
through all the craps with fellow friends, and finally, everyone makes it to
the end, TOGETHER. This is probably one of the best feelings in the world and
something you will get in return from preparing or going for trekking trips.
Not to forget, the events whereby we have to endure the icy cold water for our
showers in the guesthouse, or waterfalls together. The feeling of coldness is
out of the world, never once I had to shout in the bathroom for each shower.
These dumb and funny memories will definitely be etched in our minds, and it is
really something you are not gonna get while staying put at home.
Trekking trips really allow us (or at least me) to see
things in different perspective. Not every time, we have to go by SOP. There
are always situations whereby you have to alter your course to make things more
favourable in due time. Following SOP might be a safe bet but it would not
always be the best bet. Though, one must always know how to react to
situations.
Keep Calm & Think.
Keep Calm & Carry On.
If everything else fails, just be glad that you are still
alive.
Nothing is as bad as being dead.
Oh hello, there!
