Mountain Trekking

People often confuse mountain trekking with mountain climbing. The truth is they are far from the same. Mountain trekking is when we do non-technical climbs i.e. mountain climbing equipment is not required.

Mountain trekking is generally a lot easier than mountain climbing. All you need is a pair of strong legs, a good pair of lungs, a lot of stamina and a “never say die” attitude, and of course, the persistence to walk or trek up steep inclines continuously for a couple of hours a day. Generally, you would also need to be able to rough it out in tents or in the simplest of accommodations with au natural toilet service, and very basic nourishments. It would also make life a lot easier if you are not prone to AMS (acute mountain sickness). And finally of course, you should be armed with a good pair of hiking/ trekking boots, enough warm clothing and sweat proof clothes (if possible, so that you don’t catch a chill) and sufficient drinking water to prevent dehydration. Now, you are set to be a mountain trekker. Sounds easy and doable so far? If yes, read on.

Why mountain trekking? Why not just sit at home and watch discovery channel? Why not pay the money and fly over the mountains for a view? A friend once described mountain trekking as a very boring event and couldn’t fathom my passion for it. My boss often tells me that I am paying money to suffer when I could just sit in front of the idiot box with all comforts of life within reach. I couldn’t disagree more with both of them. However, I think the reasons one choose to go mountain trekking is very personal. For me, there are two prevailing reasons. One, the pleasure to witness the majestic mountain ranges at such close proximity and with my own eyes is very different from sitting at home and seeing it through the idiot box. Two, the sense of satisfaction and achievement is so incredibly heady. You could be on a high for several days and at that very moment when you conquered the mountain, you feel that nothing is impossible; nothing is beyond your reach.

Actually my first encounter with mountain trekking was in fact as recent as 2002. A friend and I decided to trek up Table Mountain in Capetown (which is all of 1000m high ~ don’t laugh la, we have to start easy first ma), instead of taking the cable car to the top. We managed to reach the top in 3 hours plus but could have done it in lesser amount of time if we had not gotten lost. That inspired us to try Mount Kinabalu (4,095m) and Annapurna Base Camp or more popularly known as ABC (4,237m) in Nepal the following year. Mount Kinabalu was a testing ground for my friends and me, before we attempted ABC. As history would have it, we came through with flying colours! We were definitely on an adrenaline high when we reached Low’s Peak and witness the incredible sunrise on Mount Kinabalu. That spurred us on to trek ABC.

Our expectations of ABC trek were similar to that of Mount Kinabalu. How wrong we were! ABC turned out to be a 10-day continuous trek as opposed to the 2-day trek at Mount Kinabalu. I think by the time we finished the trek, we have walked about 100 kms up and down the mountains. But instead of merely trekking and scenery watching, we experienced a whole new culture ~ that of the Nepalese people and the life they lead living in the isolated villages in the Himalayan Mountains. It was such an amazing adventure that it spurred us onwards to attempt Mount Kilimanjaro (5,896m) in Tanzania last year.

Kilimanjaro was a different ballgame altogether. We were totally unprepared when we were told we could not bathe during the entire trek. Secondly, although it is only a 5-day trek, the distances and inclines covered each day were tremendous. The trek was not very difficult but the altitude was playing havoc with our heads and tummies. Once again, the trek to Kilimanjaro was beyond our expectations. The sights were incredible, the cold was nasty and the AMS hit us badly. Despite all that and in spite of it, we had a grand time and a fantastic adventure.

And yes, we would attempt another mountain soon. We are already eyeing the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia or we could do the Annapurna Circuit or the Everest Base Camp. There is really no short of mountains to trek in this world.

I will leave you with these wise words.

“You don’t have to be a Sherpa to be a Himalayan climber; you don’t have to be an Inuit or a Norwegian to be a polar skier. What you need is the audacity to conceive the dream, the passion to fuel it and the tenacity to go the distance.”
~ Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund Hillary

“I am still attracted by what seems at first glance to be impossible. To me, the ultimate in adventure is to convert this impossibility into the feasible …”
~ Sir Chris Bonington, one of the most successful expedition leaders in the history of mountaineering

“Some plan their entire life and achieve nothing. Others achieve amazing things without a plan.”
~ Khoo Swee Chiow, 1st Southeast Asian and 4th in the world to complete the “Adventure Grand Slam”: the North and South poles and the Seven Summits