First of all, if you are freshly into hiking and not sure about where to start: do not overcomplicate it and just give it a go. Here are a few tips that we would have liked to know for our first hiking tour.
1. Bring enough water and stay hydrated
This point cannot be emphasized enough: bring enough water! It might sound too obvious to even be mentioned but staying hydrated throughout a hike is extremely important, especially when you hike in summer and or climb a lot. A widespread rule of thumb is to bring at least half a liter of additional water per hour of activity. Also make sure to not just drink when being thirsty – a sign that you already start to get dehydrated – but continuously throughout the day. You might find that a hydration pack can help for this.
2. Dress according to the onion principle
In the morning it’s still cold. Then the sun emerges from the clouds and it gets too warm. After 15 minutes of ascending the sweat starts to run so it becomes even hotter. Finally reaching the top, the wind starts blowing so you cool down a little too much… Sun, shadow, season, wind, rain, humidity and level of activity can change drastically throughout the day determining if you feel just right or to too hot or too warm. Having many layers gives you the flexibility to quickly adjust to the weather.
3. Choose your own speed
First and foremost hiking is an endurance sport. It is not about how quick you can make it up to the top, but about getting there at all and enjoying yourself and your surroundings while doing so. Thus, stuck to the pace at which you feel comfortable and will reach the top without losing your motivation.
4. Find a hiking buddy
While keeping true to your own pace is important, hiking becomes infinitely more fun when going with others. Not only does it offer quality time for good conversations, but it also feels more rewarding to share the accomplishment of reaching a peak or having an amazing view. Our tip: search for someone with a similar level and idea of what hikes should be about. You don’t necessarily have to know this person well already, just let yourself be surprised by the great conversations you will have during your adventure.
5. Where to start? Finding trails
Do you feel ready to go? Now comes the question: which mountain will you conquer first? Finding your hikes, especially your first ones, can be frustratingly time consuming as there are endless possibilities and it is difficult to estimate the right length and altimeters. As this topic is big enough on its own, there is a dedicated post on this. Genereally, try not to overcomplicate it and just give it a go.
Hopefully this gave you helpful insights in how to approach your first hikes, and that you will soon be planning your own adventures.