Trekking is a hobby for all nature lovers who are tired of their routine life. This article aims at clearing all the doubts about how to start the hobby of trekking or how to plan a trek for hobby. It also lists few trekking places in India along with physical and mental benefits of the hobby of trekking.
Are you tired of routine boring life? The same old waking up early in morning, gulping down that sandwich and a glassful of juice, rushing to work, then slogging for 6 to 8 endless hours either burying your head in files or yawning in front of computer screen cursing your fate for being caught in this rather dull cycle of life. Are you waiting for your boss to yell at you, "Hey man, enough of work, stop that work and take a break!", well that's not going to happen (unless you are a boss reading this), you yourself need to break this cycle and enjoy your life. Can't you hear Mother Nature calling you to experience the beauty of dense green forests, deep blue sea, eerie silence of night, chirping birds, gushing rivers, colorful flora or tall mountain peaks kissing the sky? Some of you have already heard this call and answered it by embarking on this magnificent journey called "trekking". So, you ready to be cuddled by Mother Nature in her own lap? Then read on to know more about this hobby of trekking.
How to start trekking as hobby?
You might have heard of trekking as a hobby but wondered where to start. So, now let us get started. There are no hard and fast rules to start trekking, but it's good to fulfil the following pre-requisites:
Convince your boss and get a break: First and foremost, the most important and difficult thing for some is getting a holiday. But, you must remember that your mind deserves a break after all the hard work it puts in day in and day out. Take a compulsory break after every few weeks. You can even trek on weekends but you need to choose outings in the vicinity or faraway treks can be too exhausting for a beginner.
Little exercise for healthy body and trek: So, you think you get those elusive holidays from work and start packing your bags? Wait. You can't just wake up and wander on endless jungle trails or along the foothills of mountains; you need to start little cardio and strength exercises daily. A daily 30 minutes of walk for at least couple of weeks before starting the hobby of trekking is absolutely essential to build up stamina and train those lazy legs habituated to comfortable daily travel to workplace (I can see few metro city travellers swearing at me, but believe me guys, trekking as a hobby is little different from travelling in those packed buses and railways!). Don't see exercises as just pre-requisites to the hobby of trekking but also as an investment in your future health. Now, you can safely start packing bags.
These are pre-requisites to start trekking, which are pretty easy to fulfil. (Ok guys, you can choose weekends over convincing boss for a holiday, to pursue trekking)
How to plan your hobby of trekking?
Once you have made up your mind to pursue the hobby of trekking, it's important to plan your trek. An old adage goes "Failing to plan is planning to fail" and we don't want our trek to fail, do we? So we need to consider a few important aspects of planning a trek:
Trekking Destination: Choosing a place for trekking is first step in planning a trek. If you are an absolute beginner, you can't attempt dense deciduous forests (unless you befriend Tarzan or Mowgli on the trek!) or steep gorges and valleys where one mistake and you freefall in to oblivion. As a beginner, you can try forts/ castles, remotely located temples, trudging along river banks or a wildlife or bird sanctuary. For your initial treks always choose a destination connected to at least one main road. Also, the season you choose for your trek influences your choice of destination. Something like waterfalls or national parks during monsoons is a good idea but a trek in Himalayas in winter season is not such a good idea! You just need to search around your hometown, there are numerous places waiting to be explored.
Schedule your trek timings: Decision regarding departure time for treks is dependent on number of factors. First is obviously your destination, enquire and collect information about how to reach you trekking destination from your home. You must have prior information regarding all possible modes of travel to reach the destination. If you are a weekend trekker and want to cover a trek in a day itself, you better depart before the break of dawn. Knowing scheduled arrival and departure timings of buses or trains to your destination really helps to plan the trek. Sometimes, you even need to start on the night before the actual trek if your destination is little faraway or there is no mode of transport early in morning. It's better to trek in a group if you are considering departure at nights. Also its advisable not to venture in to unknown territories in the dark if there are ladies in your group (Beware, there can be wild animals roaming in the dark and one animal called "man" can be particularly very dangerous at times!)
Route for the trek: It is better to chalk out detailed route for your trek in advance. You can search various routes to same destination from an experienced trekker or your best online friend - "Google" ! As a beginner you do not want to be walking on strenuous slopes of hills or a rocky patch without the mercy of single tree on the way. If you are an intermediate level trekker, then you can afford the 'luxury' of trekking through marshlands or confusing dense forests. The route should be planned considering the weakest member of the trekking group. Sometimes, the route described as pleasing by someone can actually turn out to be an endurance test for others, so be careful!
Food and water availability: You can't expect to be served a full-fledged meal on a trek or if you are born and brought up on burgers or cokes, sorry they don't deliver McDs at most trekking destinations. You have to carry your own food with you preferably light snacks like biscuits or chips. If you are trekking for more than a day, then nothing better than 2 minutes noodles at your disposal. Noodles taste extra-delicious amidst the natural settings. Also, you need to carry your own water, ideally a 2L bottle would suffice a normal day but summers can be particularly harsh. Water sources available on trek like rivers, lakes or wells may not be safe to drink (You can find mineral water at some places but that may not be packaged in a sealed bottle!)
Plan your trek budget: You need to estimate your trek budget before you set out to pursue this hobby of trekking. Don't worry, you need not be an Economics major, you just need to calculate the rough estimates of various expenditure you do on travelling, accommodation, food, etc. An unplanned trek can burn a big hole in your pocket!
Keep plan-B ready: How often do we plan to top an examination at school/ college or plan to meet deadlines at work and our plans get perfectly executed? The point is we are not living in an ideal world and anything can go wrong at any moment. When you are trekking, you are at the mercy of nature and so you must have alternate plans ready for those 'not so perfect' moments. For eg. find out different routes heading up to your chosen destination, alternate modes of transport, check if any accommodation or medical facility is available nearby, etc. I might sound very grave to many newbies but such calamities seldom arise and trekking in general is very safe hobby.
So, these were vital aspects of planning a trek which I know some beginners would easily ignore. But, they would realize the benefits of planning a trek after few initial treks (Don't know why people love to learn from their own mistakes when they could have easily learnt the same from others' mistake!)
Places in India where you can pursue your hobby of trekking :
Now, we have seen the planning aspect of trekking. India is a nation of variety and this variety is pretty evident in trekking spots in India. There are thousands of places where you can enjoy hobby of trekking. I would like to list a few of these places where you can start off trekking:
Trekking spots in North India: If you are seeking trekking places in North India, there are plenty of options to galore. Northern India is home to the one the world's most prominent mountain ranges called Himalayas. While only experienced trekkers or mountaineers dare to scale the peaks, the amateur trekkers or beginner hobbyists can wander amidst the foothills and valleys in Himalayas. Trekking in Leh and Ladakh region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir can be a good experience in high altitude trekking offering panoramic views of Himalayas and an insight into the local traditions and culture. The region around Simla, Manali , Kullu, Kufri in Himachal Pradesh is hot favourite with tourists as well as trekkers. Some of the treks in this region require you to be fairly experienced trekker. The best trek for beginners would be in the regions of Kumaon and Garwhal in the state of Uttaranchal, where the nature is at its very best and climate is pleasant for most of the year. The valley of flowers trek in this region is an absolutely must see especially in spring season for the magnificent views of thousands of colorful flowers blossoming at around same period.
Trekking spots in South India: There are many choices available for budding trekkers in South India. The state of Karnataka is blessed with some magical trekking spots in the Western Ghats. Noteworthy among them being Kemmannugundi, the beautiful hill station in Chikkamagaluru district, Kodachadri peak in Shimoga surrounded by forests, Kudremukha or the horse-faced peak in the region of Chikkamagaluru or Thadiandamol, the highest peak in Coorg. Intermediate or advanced trekkers can enjoy a slightly tougher trek of Kumara Parvatha in Sullia taluka. Equally beautiful trekking spots are available in the state of Kerala, some of them being, Periyar Tiger reserve where you can occasionally spot the big cat on your trek, Pythal Mala trek in Kannur district, Agastyarkoodam Peak where you could witness rare sight of blooming of Neelakurinji flowers. Experienced trekkers can indulge in the hobby of trekking at Chembra Peak in Wayanad district. Similarly, the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu also has its own trekking destinations near Ooty, Kodaikanal or in the hills of Annamalai and Elagiri.
Trekking spots in Western India: The Indian states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa have their own share of beautiful trekking spots. Maharashtra in particular has many good trekking spots for both amateur and professional trekkers. The Sahyadri mountain ranges are home to numerous forts and hill temples which can be an ideal trek for beginners with minimum of risks. There are also many wildlife sanctuaries and national parks to attract trekkers. Gujarat has fewer trekking places namely, Saputara hill station, region near Junagadh, Gir forests and holy trail of Girnar mountain.
Trekking spots in Eastern India: The northern Eastern states of Asom, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya among others are home to many trekking destinations in the hills. The north eastern region is slowly emerging as hot tourist destination. While, traditional trekking spots include Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Siliguri region of West Bengal. The state of Sikkim can be easily referred to as trekker's delight as it has to offer range of trekking options for all levels of trekkers. Many tall peaks in Himalayas grace the state of Sikkim.
How can you benefit from the hobby of trekking?
Never judge or choose a hobby based on its benefits, choose a hobby which can please your soul the most. But for those used to weigh everything for its advantages/ disadvantages, here is a ready reckoner of benefits of pursuing trekking as a hobby:
Physical benefits of trekking: Regular trekking can build a lot of stamina which you need in your daily life. Trekking along steep slopes or hilly regions can strengthen your leg muscles. While trekking amidst the forests, hills and other such regions away from cities, you are exposed to clean air and obviously your lungs would prefer such high quality oxygen over dangerous mixture of chlorides and fluorides present in the city air. Apart from these, your body gets slowly immuned to natural factors like wind, cold or heat; this means lesser trips to your doctor and more trips to trekking spots!
Mental benefits of trekking: An old adage goes, "Healthy mind in healthy body", so when you stay physically fit by indulging in this great hobby of trekking, its bound to have positive effects on your mind. When you marvel at natural wonders while trekking there is no time to wonder over your worries or tensions. After a few treks, you will notice that you go into the trek as a severely over-burdened employee (or student), highly tensed husband (or wife) but return very fresh, rejuvenated. (No escaping from the fact that you are still employed and married!). Thus, regular trekking can act as a stress buster in this daily life full of stress.
Other benefits of trekking: Along with physical and mental benefits, trekking also adds a few more dimensions to your personality. Remember, trekking in group is considered very safe and so involves team work. Trekking makes you a better team member who can actively contribute towards team's success. Leading a trekking group develops your leadership qualities. Besides, trekking is an opportunity to make new friends (young trekkers seem to relish this opportunity more!) Also, trekking in remote and diverse regions gets you acquainted with varied culture and folk.
Considering all these factors, trekking is really one the best hobbies you can pursue.
To follow the hobby of trekking, one need not be young or possess physique that of an athlete; trekking requires one to be young at heart and have enthusiasm of a child. Also there is no specific time you require to indulge in this hobby; the best time for trekking is when your heart feels like doing it. So, let us pack our bags and embark in pursuit of this wonderful hobby of trekking! But if you are looking for something indoor then the hobby of coin collection is one of the best options for you.
