From weekend warriors challenged by ‘rock blocks' (scary trail sections where you can only scramble) to hardened souls who become 'trail mermaids' when it pelts down with rain and they don't bother to put on any raingear; instead, they trust that their hiking apparel will dry out quickly when the downpour stops, hiking is a passionate pursuit for many in search of that elusive 'outdoorgasm’—a sight that takes your breath away.
From taking a long walk to hiking a trail, trekking for days to doing the Nordic Walk—you need to have walking sticks to qualify; rambling in the wild countryside can take many forms. For some, it involves doing a pilgrimage over a long distance, such as the Kumano Kodo in Japan or the Camino de Santiago in Spain, to challenge the mind and body or for a personal reason close to the heart. You don't have to be uber-athletic to put on hiking boots and get out into a wild landscape—it could be as close as your neighbor's backyard if you live on acreage.
If you are an outdoorsy creature or not, there are plenty of benefits to be had to stretch those legs, but you will have to learn some of the lingo before heading out with a trail buddy who has no aversion to bug bites, laughs when you unwittingly step into animal poo, knows to scruff up the dirt before peeing on the ground to prevent splash-back, and is willing to forgo a comfy night’s sleep for maybe a leaky tent.
Some of the more flippant, comic, and sarcastic terms include:
Snack bandit—your best friend who doesn’t bring enough food to keep their stomachs from rumbling, preferring to eat everyone else’s supplies on the hike.
Phantom Spice—you know that leftover flavor loitering in the camp dish from the meal the night before because it wasn't washed properly.
Mountain money—toilet paper.
Slackpacking—the luxury form of hiking when you only carry the minimum of your gear, and there are support vehicles meeting you each night at a designated area, heavily laden porters, or even mules following behind.
Trail candy—a super attractive hiker you come across on a trail.
Dirt Bag—on long hikes covering days when there has been no chance of showering or swimming to get rid of the dirt and sweat, you definitely become a ‘dirt bag’.
Sporking—when you wake up in the morning cuddling your hiking partner because the tent has been pitched on a slope.
Death march—that uninteresting part of a hike undertaken to get to the good parts.
Blowout—not the kind we all know to do with tires on a car. This is when your hiking boots miserably fail and need repairing with duct tape or string to hold them together.
Bear burrito—another name for a hammock when in bear country.
Trail angels—hikers along the trail who do nice things for other hikers.
Hiking is an activity that people can enjoy almost anywhere in the world, provided you are equipped for the trail. Hikers worldwide have their favorite memories or treks to embark on for differing reasons: the scenery, the endurance factor, and/or the destination at the end with a sense of achievement. From Nepal's mountains to the jungles of Ciudad Perdida in Columbia, you will create good and bad travel tales to last a lifetime.
Hike to the dizzy heights along the Inca Trail, Peru, or slog along the rough terrain of the GR20 in Corsica, filling water bottles from crystal clear springs and sleeping in rough refuges in the mountains. The United States is home to some of the most amazing trails: the rim of the Grand Canyon or sleep in bliss on a Hawaiian beach after following the steep and harsh Kalalau trail, Kauai. In the Indian Himalayas, you will find breathtaking scenery that rivals the tracks of Pakistan or Tibet. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania begs to be scaled while wild African animals roam the dusty plains at your feet. And the Torres del Paine Circuit in Patagonia Chile will send shivers up your spine both literally and figuratively with its icy trails, snowy peaks and old forests that fall into deep other-worldly blue lakes.
Whether hiking for a day or days, it will give you the chance to disconnect from your everyday world. Anxious thoughts and feelings dissipate with each deep breath of fresh air and the natural world becomes a fascinating journey of discovery.
Gail Palethorpe, a self proclaimed Australian gypsy, is a freelance writer, photographer and eternal traveller. Check out her website Gail Palethorpe Photography and her Shutterstock profile.
