The Reality and True Spirit of Trekking

With the ever-growing love for travel in our country, or the urge to show-off your travels if I must say, we have a whole lot of enthusiasts who have major misconceptions and apparently disappointments when they come down for a trek. And they can't even blame themselves for this, because they have been influenced by the misleading facts, visuals.

What should you expect?

Least. To say the least. As I said, we are influenced by the misleading facts and visuals (read movies) and hence we start expecting more. During my last trek, I remember a fellow trekker asking me while we were on way to our base camp, if there would be a charging point in the tents. Interesting part is, he had previously done treks. Sadly, these are the people who carry certain expectations from their previous experiences where they were never told about the true spirit of trekking.

To list a few, don't expect

1. Luxury

2. Comfort

3. Commode

4. Charging points

5. Heaters in tents

6. Bon fires

7. Internet connectivity

8. ATMs

9. Warm water baths

10. Love stories

Of course, you will have provisions for toilet and the sleeping bags are really cozy too.

True spirit of trekking

Leave the trek trails in its pristine form. Carry your waste. If you can't litter your own house, you don't litter someone else's too. Non disposables thrown on the trek trails may prove fatal for the animals besides spoiling the natural beauty of the place.

Avoid bonfires. Though banned in a lot of places by the forest department, people still go ahead and light bonfires. Know the reason behind the ban - we're talking about fire and jungle, one wrong move and you could end up lighting a forest. Other than that, the wood used for your bonfire is sometimes the only source of fuel for the local inhabitants. Their survival is dependent on it.

Carry your luggage. Trek is not a luxury trip. If you're fit, be compassionate enough towards the horses/mules/porters and relieve them from carrying your stuff. Believe me, you'll have the feeling of accomplishment when you scale the summit with your luggage. Just make sure you don't carry unnecessary stuff.

Prepare for your fitness and enjoy your trek

I have seen people give up at different stages of the trek and it is disheartening to see them come so close to the summit and not complete it. Prepare yourself depending on the difficulty level of the trek and assessing your own fitness levels. When you're in good health, you'll have the time of your life on the trek!

Hope this puts you in a better position to make decisions for your trek trips. Here are some pictures from my latest trek to Bhrigu Lake with IndiaHikes. Stay tuned for more blogs. Follow me on Instagram for more pictures and latest updates on my treks.