We were only in their wilderness for a little over 24 hours, but we went such a far distance! It was so fun looking across the valley at the mountains we had come from to the mountains we were now on top of. We traverse paths local villagers use to bring goods to market. Paths with steep incline and declines that made it feel like the path was out to get us! Plus the heat in the afternoon made it a struggle to stay hydrated enough for the whole group. Yet it was still a very rewarding experience! We were treated with breathtaking views the whole way, passed by a few small villages, and learned a lot through the experience.

One of the largest things I learned from the shakedown trek was the importance of pacing ourselves. Walking for hours straight on difficult terrain with heavy bags is a recipe for extreme fatigue. In the past I’ve gone on very long hikes while taking far too few breaks and by the time I got back I could barely hold myself upright. That scenario is not an option for our 10-day trek as we will be in the wilderness for 10 days and have to get to where we’re going. It’s also important to pace our eating schedule. After breakfast in the morning, we don’t really have a specific lunch time but instead eat throughout the day. Even though our bodies are going through high stress from all the exertion and maybe don’t want to eat, it is crucial that we do to fuel ourselves and stave off fatigue. This became obvious when one member of my team ate very little over the lunch period and ended up in the dumps while others who ate and drank a lot more managed comparatively better. Given all this, I will make it a personal goal to stick to a consistent break, food, and water schedule throughout the long trek in an attempt to best best maintain my physical and mental well-being.

I also noticed some great leadership skills/abilities displayed by some of my group members during the shakedown trek. For example, Madan was the sweeper for the first day, meaning he made sure we didn’t leave anything behind, didn’t lose anyone, and generally checked on the group’s condition. With him as our rock in the back, we went the whole trip without leaving anything or anyone behind! He was also able to alert the group leader when it looked like the group needed a break to keep us in good condition. I also saw several people step up to help out with tasks once we made it to camp including Owen fetching extra water. At camp, the cooking was a good team effort from at least my cook group. One person was always manning the stove while directing others on how to best assist them in cooking. When one of us got tired, we would ask or signal one of the other two members of the cook group to step in and we manage that very fluidly which I think was great.

Personally, I offered leadership on the shakedown trek by keeping us on a consistent timeline. Before starting the hike, our mentors recommended having a long break every 45 minutes and I made sure we stuck to that recommendation. Every 45 minutes like clockwork, we’d find a nice shady spot and took a bags down break for roughly 15 minutes. Luckily, this also happened to coincide with our sunscreen reapply schedule every 2 hours so I was able to ensure the group stayed well protected from fatigue as well as the sun. At one point on the trip, some of the members in our group started feeling bad. I was going to take us a bit further up the hill to some shade to take a break, but a different team member mentioned that they saw a nice grassy spot just below us, so I listened to their input and directed us to go down the nice grassy shaded area to rest up until we all felt we could move on.

Overall, although it was a very strenuous shakedown, I think it gave us a good glimpse at what the 10-day hike will be like so we can prepare our minds, bodies, and bags to best prepare us for what’s to come. But first we need to cover wilderness first aid! I’ll let you know how that’s going in a few days 🙂