It is not the mountains we conquer…

  

 

It is common for hikers to say they have conquered this and that mountain and the saying, ‘it is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves’ by New Zealand mountaineer and explorer, Sir Edmund Hillary - the first man to reach the top of Mt Everest (Wikipedia) - rings true in many ways for me. People often ask why I keep going back when some hikes are so demanding physically and emotionally, and my question to them is whether they quit doing life because it sometimes gets so difficult and demanding. This is often met with suggestions that I cannot compare life to a hike. I’m going to share how I see hiking as a depiction of the journey of life.

Facing your fears

I still remember how I had sworn that the Otter Trail, magnificent as it is (it is in almost every hiker’s bucket list), is one trail I will never attempt. This because of how rough the trail is, plus river crossings and my relationship with bodies of water. Then I hiked the Fish River Canyon where I faced all the fears I had and then some, and I decided it was time to face the mighty Otter Trail. It was to become one amazing hike albeit with its own emotional and physical challenges. Hiking the two trails saw me climbing the real mountains while at the same time dealing with some serious internal work which can be equated to climbing a mountain. And that, in many ways, drove the conquering the self home for me. I had to dig deeper and deeper each day to find the strength to go on at the Fish River Canyon. The Otter Trail has several river crossings, with the Bloukrans River being the one I dreaded the most. What with the stories you hear of people being washed away into sea and one of the tallest guys I know sharing that during their crossing, water came up to his chest. That is way above my head! 

Relying on yourself but knowing when to ask for help

For our group to reach Bloukrans at low tide, we had to start hiking at 4 am to cover the 10 km distance. There was a point I found myself walking alone with other people way ahead and others far behind. I walked for about 5 km alone. It was scary, but I knew I had to do it. And in life, there will be moments where you must do it on your own! Although being independent and self-reliant is necessary, some trails will humble you and teach you to ask for help and trust other people with your life. And you also need to know to extend a hand when someone needs it. Sometimes they may need an actual hand or you may need to share your food or medical supplies; they may also need you to just sit with them as they need to rest.

It is important to know when high tide is expected to avoid such situations. (A heartfelt thank you to the hikers' photographer, Tony Sibanda)

I cannot forget holding on to a man I couldn’t even see (it was dark) during Moshoeshoe Walk in Lesotho. And even with the Otter trail, after the Bloukrans crossing, there is a scary steep climb on a rock ledge. Climbing there was not easy, but having people around me gave me some comfort. And they were patient with me as I had to compose myself and gently plead with my leg to stop trembling so I can climb.

Doing life without expectations

My hope for you, as a beginner hiker, is that you will open yourself to absorbing the life lessons that trails have to offer. That you will allow yourself to be comfortable with not knowing what to expect at the next turn and accept that trails, just like life, have both their ups and downs. That you will accept that there will be times when you’ll think you’ll catch your breath, only to realise there is still an unforgiving uphill beckoning.  That you will be comfortable knowing that you may think that you’ve reached the peak, only  to realise that you still must go down into a valley and that on the other side of that valley, another mountain climb awaits you. That you will be comfortable knowing that you may sometimes need to go off the trail to experience some beautiful views. Sometimes in our life journeys, we must go through unexpected detours, and those may at times bring us the good we never imagined. I hope you will appreciate that you will not always be in control of situations, and that you don’t have to obsess with what you cannot control.

And when you come across a wobbly bridge, you choose how to deal with it.

Perseverance

I am reminded of my moment of denial, in Drakensberg, the day before we reached Mafadi peak - the highest in the country at 3,446 m. It had been a long day, and I was exhausted. I was walking with one lady I share a birthday with, so we call each other twin. As we turned a corner, we heard someone calling from somewhere up a mountain that seemed too high to be reached by anyone, let alone me. I could barely make out who the person was. Given our location, it didn’t make sense that he was one of us. I argued with the lady that the man was probably one of the Lesotho cattle herders and where he was, could be the peak we will be reaching the following day. I could not believe that I still had to climb up a scary gully to reach where he was. I remember saying, ‘there’s no way I’m going there, in fact, I don’t want to go there.’ I can still hear her voice: ‘Shee, Twin! A wa tsenwa (are you mad)? We are going there!’

And indeed, we had to go through that horrible pass, employing every ounce of our mental and physical strength because going back to where we started, was not an option. We reached the escarpment and found that we still had to walk further to the campsite.  A reminder that you don’t give up on your dream of reaching your goals just because it seems impossible; just because the road seems never ending with so many obstacles. And when it feels that your feet can no longer trudge, you don’t give up. You take a rest if necessary, or you just slow down, breathe and take it one step at a time, all the while still listening to your body - something we often neglect in our lives, until the body gives in to dis-ease. And sometimes, all you need do is ask for help.

Not only did I climb up that terrifying terrain, it was waiting for me again on the way down. 

 Being present

I have been asked why I say hiking is healing when it can be so dangerous. That possibility of danger demands your presence and an awareness of your surroundings. Our hectic lives with all the noise and multitasking do not allow for that presence and awareness. We don’t even get to taste and appreciate the food we eat as we just throw it into our mouths mindlessly. When you hike, you follow a trail, which, if you’re not observant, you may lose. You must follow markings as not all the paths will lead you to your destination. A terrain may be slippery, rocky, have grass or exposed roots or even require you to cross a wobbly bridge. All these require your full presence, leaving no space for you to think about your debts, stressful job, relationships or your pending timelines.

Lastly

There are still more life lessons to be taken from hikes, but I will stop here. Just remember, life is like a long hike with winding paths, ups and downs, uneven terrain, storms, rivers to cross, mountains to climb and more. Learning to go through it while breathing and gently putting one foot in front of another, and being grateful for the simple blessings, can make the journey memorable and pleasurable. While we are forced to do a lot ourselves, we also need each other. Be kind to those who need help and grateful to those who assist you.

 At the end of it all, the beautiful views make it all worth going back to, again and again.

 

Td