“Only mountains can be better than mountains!” It is simply impossible not to disagree with these words of Vysotsky. And that is why, from year to year, millions of tourists go on mountain trips who want to enjoy the beauty and grandeur of these places. However, it is very important to remember that such tourism requires certain skills and knowledge, therefore, before you go to the mountains, you should be thoroughly prepared so that then there are no unforeseen complications, and you could just enjoy the trip.
Hiking difference: mountains and plains
Some tourists believe that once they went to the forest a couple of times, they can safely go to the mountains. However, this is an extremely dangerous misconception, because hiking on the flat and mountainous terrain is very different from each other. Traveling through forests, fields and valleys, you can walk at a calm measured pace, without rushing, with a walking step, which is why the difference from a regular walk here is only the presence of a backpack with provisions behind.
In the mountains, everything is different! Here, due to constant rises, high atmospheric pressure and a lack of oxygen, many begin to experience problems with the heart and respiratory system, and also suffer from pain in the legs and back, since the muscular system can not cope with a sudden load.
Therefore, so that the trip does not become torture, you need to prepare for physical exertion in advance - a month in 1.5-2. To do this, you need to start running at least 40 minutes a day, climb stairs every day and perform squats and lunges. This way you can increase your physical stamina, and the trip will not be a serious test for you.
Mass trekking mountain conquerors
The most important point of preparation for the trip is the choice of company for such a trip. Even the most experienced tourists should not go to the mountains alone, and it is strictly forbidden for beginners to do this. The ideal number of tourists for such trips is 4-8 people, so that no one is overloaded with tourist equipment, but at the same time everything necessary was taken.
At the same time, a mass campaign of 10 conquerors of mountain peaks or more is also not the best option, since the company of tourists should be selected as close-knit and friendly as possible so that there is no strife and conflict during the trip.
But the most important thing is that among tourists who decide to travel to the mountains, there must be one person who has already made such an ascent and will be able to organize beginners. This person should become the leader of the group, and all his instructions will need to be followed as clearly as possible.
Trip planning
After a tourist group has been recruited and its leader selected, you can begin to plan a mountain trip. First of all, you will need to determine the number of days for which the trip is planned, because depending on this you will need to collect food and get directions. The longer the trip will be, the more food reserves should be, and, accordingly, each tourist will have to carry more cargo. In addition, the longer the mountain hike lasts, the more difficult it will be to compose its route. So for beginners, short-term trips are best, a maximum of five days.
Mountain travel route
One of the most important aspects of preparing for a trip to the mountains is route planning. It doesn’t matter what kind of mountain peaks you are going to conquer, most importantly, when compiling a route for beginner tourists, take into account all the necessary aspects of the path.
- It is better to choose an easy marked route with paths laid by many tourists.
- The distance that a beginner tourist can walk in the mountains in a day is about 5 km, so based on this fact, you should choose mountain hiking routes that would allow you to find a great place for a halt every five kilometers.
- On the route must meet sources of fresh water, which will replenish its reserves.
- Along the route there should be places for overnight stays, where a source of water must be.
- Near the path that you will follow, there should be some settlement where you can turn in case of an unforeseen situation: like injuring a tourist or bad weather.
So, in the Carpathians, you can go from the village of Yasinya along the ridge of Montenegro, to the Kakaraza valley and climb the mountains of Petros and Goverla, turning onto Lake Neistovoye.
In Crimea, you can once look at a diverse landscape and start the journey from the cave of Emine Bair Hassan, visiting the Valley of the Ghosts, Mount Demerdzhi, the Jur-Jur waterfall and the Karabi plateau. And you can go there over the sea, starting the journey with a visit to the Wuchang Su waterfall and glancing at the Taraktash trail, visiting the Ai-Petri mountain, the pit Besh Tekne, Laspi and Cape Aya.
In the Caucasus, the most popular route is Thirty, which stretches from Hadzhokh to Dagomys and allows you to fully enjoy the beauty of the Western Caucasus.
Equipment for a tourist group
If you are going on a mass hike of conquerors of mountain peaks, it is very important to take everything you need with you. And first of all, this concerns the general equipment for the whole group, which will then be divided equally among all participants, taking into account that the backpacks of the fair sex should be 20-30% lighter than men's bags. So, you should definitely take:
- products that are enough for daily snacks and a full breakfast, lunch and dinner for each participant in the trip;
- cauldron or pot for 5-7 liters, in which it will be possible to cook hot food on the hike;
- first-aid kit, which must necessarily contain painkillers, but in no case antispasmodics, antibiotics, diarrhea and diuretics, which will not allow suffering from mountain sickness and help to remove excess fluid from the body;
- bandages and adhesive plasters, which will need to be applied in case of injury or injury;
- a tent for two or more people with the expectation that each tourist has his own berth;
- matches, lighters and briquettes for a bonfire;
- GPS-navigator that will not let you stray.
Individual tourist equipment
In addition to general equipment, each tourist should have:
- sports shoes for mountain trips with a strong sole, which tightly fit the leg, do not press and do not rub;
- winter sleeping bag, in which you can withstand even severe frost, and which will allow you to sleep in any conditions;
- trekking sticks that will not allow the traveler to stumble and fall;
- KLMN complex, i.e. iron mug, spoon, bowl and knife;
- raincoat made of durable cellophane, which will not let you get wet under a sudden rain and catch pneumonia;
- Sunglasses;
- an inflatable rug or karemat, which everyone will lay under the sleeping bag to make it warmer to sleep;
- a tight case in which it will be possible to hide documents and a mobile phone from water and dust;
- headlamp or hand-held flashlight, which will be indispensable at night.
Camping Food
It is also extremely important before the trip to think over your menu for the whole trip, deciding what you will eat at each meal. After that, it will be necessary to describe what products are needed to prepare each dish, write them out on a separate sheet, calculate the number of products that is enough for all tourists, and only then go to the store for shopping.
At the same time, you should not think that only canned food can be taken to the mountains in order to bother less with cooking. The fact is that at a high altitude people can start a mountain sickness, so it’s better to facilitate the work of the stomach in digesting food and take with it more cereals, jerky and fresh vegetables. In addition, you must take lemons with you to help deal with mountain sickness and nausea: you just have to drink tea with them or try a slice of this citrus.
Children and dogs camping
If children or animals are taken on a mass campaign of mountain climbers, then the organization of such a trip should be approached with even greater attention.
First of all, it should be understood that you can take a child from 6-7 years old, who can already walk himself, or a baby who does not know how to walk and which parents can carry with them in special backpacks.
The trekking route itself should be calculated taking into account the mandatory two-hour break for children's daytime sleep, during which the child will gain strength. A mountain trail that leads from one village to another is best suited.
Almost the same advice applies to dogs, which you can also take with you on a hike. It can be a small dog, which, in extreme cases, can be put in a backpack or picked up, or a large dog that can easily cover a long distance. The main thing is to keep it near you or lead on a leash so that it does not accidentally stumble upon a snake, poisonous plant or insect. Well, the food, of course, will have to be taken separately for the dog, and, to eat, she needs to be given the kind of food she used to eat at home.
Summer mountain hiking
Separately, it should be mentioned that you need to take with you to the mountains, going there in the summer - in a hot, hot time when the air temperature is too high and can negatively affect the mood of tourists. Therefore, in order to cope with the heat at mountain heights, you must take with you:
- a large tent under which it will be possible to take refuge in the halt from the scorching sun;
- sunscreen, which will definitely need to smear all skin areas accessible to the sun every couple of hours;
- 1.5 liters of fresh water for the campaign participant, which everyone carries himself;
- lightweight synthetic sweatpants that dry quickly if you suddenly fall in the rain and who can't bite mosquitoes;
- a hat that will protect your head from the sun - it can be a panama hat, hat or cap.
Winter hiking
It is also important to consider preparing a hiking trip in the highlands, which is very different from traveling in the mountains in the summer. Therefore, going to conquer the mountain heights in winter, you need to take with you:
- shoe covers that will protect the shoes from snow on them (can be replaced with galoshes);
- a windbreaker with a polar for daytime crossings and a puff for halts, which will help you escape from the frost;
- two pairs of warm gloves, without which it will simply be impossible to hold trekking poles in hand;
- a thermos with hot tea, which will warm you on a trip and give strength and energy;
- a fleece scarf, buff or balaclava that will save your face from frostbite.
And most importantly, during winter trips, which are much harder than summer ones, to plan a route so that halts are arranged as often as possible.
Tourist note
In addition, if you want your mountain trip to be completely successful, it is very important to remember several important points when traveling.
- Before the start of the hike, you should check in so that your group will be searched if you don’t return to a certain time, and if you don’t check out, it’s worth it to tell relatives or friends about it, telling them about the route of their ascent.
- The transition on the chosen route should be carried out only during the day in clear weather, since at night, in the rain and during fog in the mountains it is too dangerous.
- At the beginning of each day of the trip, you should dress warmer, and during the transition you can already take off your warm clothes and put them in a backpack.
- During the hike, the breath of all tourists should be even, if someone breathes too often, the pace of walking should be reduced.
- When climbing mountains, it’s better to relax the lacing on the boots, and tie it down harder on the slopes.
- Wandering in the mountains, it is very important to drink plenty of water and warm tea and not to touch soda or too sweet drinks.