DRAKENSBERG
KwaZulu-Natal
South Africa
Mountain of the Dragons
South Africa’s mightiest
mountain range with its spear-like peaks – reminiscent of the saw-toothed spine
of a gigantic dragon.
Where Adventure
beckons..........
DRAKENSBERG WILDERNESS PHOTOS ©
WILLEM PELSER
“TRAILS ARE NOT DUST AND PEBBLES ON A HILL
NOR EVEN GRASS AND WILD BUDS BY A LAKE
TRAILS ARE ADVENTURE AND A HAND TO STILL THE RESTLESS PULSE OF LIFE”
WALKING SKILLS IN THE
WILDERNESS
How hard can it be to put one foot in front of another until you get to the top of the hill? And then reverse the process on the way down? Well, that might be the case if we were climbing to the 19th floor, but in the wilderness country the terrain, the exposure and the altitude can all conspire to make your journey a little more taxing. With a bit of thought though, you can prepare your body and mind to deal with the conditions that you are likely to encounter in the wilderness.
Make efficient ascents
However fit you are, the speed of your summit bid is dictated by how out of puff you get. Teach yourself to breathe efficiently and your performance on the hill will improve.
Mastering the correct technique then training the right muscles is straightforward, but the results are impressive: a fit athlete trained to breathe efficiently will be capable of breathing a maximum 350 liters of air per minute; the average couch potato mages a maximum level of just 50 to 60 liters per minute. So if you only act on one snip of advice, choose this one: it’ll make walking uphill a whole lot easier.
One
First, you need to understand how you breathe. Lie on the ground and place one hand flat on your stomach and the other across your chest. Relax and breathe normally. Now, which hand moves most? Most of us find that the chest hand wins the contest. This means that you are contracting and expanding your rib cage muscles to pump air in and out of your lungs. These muscles are just like most other muscles in your body: work them hard and they will get tired.
Two
Try the exercise again, taking deeper breaths so your chest hand stays still and the hand on your stomach moves up and down. Breathing like this also uses your diaphragm. This muscle is unique: it contains an almost equal level of fast-twitch fibers (for short duration power) and slow-twitch fibers (for endurance). This means it’s more resistant to fatigue: take deep breaths using your diaphragm when you are walking uphill and you can breathe harder for longer. The result? Far fewer rest-stops to catch your breath.
Three
But we’re not finished yet. Lie down again, relax and think about what takes the most effort: inhaling or exhaling. Average humans among you will report that breathing in requires the most energy. So try this: take a deep breath and concentrate on exhaling instead, emptying all air from your lungs. You’ll find that your body now automatically triggers another breath: go with the flow and let your lungs be filled with air – it requires much less effort.
Four
Try breathing in through your nose: this warms the air before it hits your lungs, so it’s less likely to trigger an asthma attack. Now breathe out through pursed lips. This creates a level of back pressure, which keep the alveoli open as you exhale, enabling them to continue extracting oxygen for a fraction longer.
Five
The muscles you use to breathe are just like the others in your body: train them and they’ll get stronger. Now you won’t master this technique overnight – after all, you’ve some pretty ingrained breathing habits to break – but the more that you practice, the more natural it will seem and the stronger those muscles will become. Any exercise requiring you to breathe hard will help your performance in the wilderness.
Stand straight, Walk further
If your hands are free, keep them that way. On the hill, arms are for balance: and if your posture is correct, they will swing freely at your side and do this job just fine. Holding on to your backpack straps, clasped behind your back and in your pockets are unnatural positions that impede circulation, resulting in swelling or uncomfortable pins and needles. Your arms should be bent at a 90-degree angle when walking, but in practice 50-60 degrees is fine.
Many boot manufacturers design their soles to reflect the expected foot movement: the Scarpa SL for instance, has a markedly curved sole to role the foot heel-to-toe as you walk; the smoother your step, the less wear on your shins and ankles, so aim to hit the ground with your heel, roll forwards onto the ball of your foot, then push off from there.
Avoid looking at the floor unless you are on dangerous ground. Keep your head up and towards the horizon at its natural angle; allowing the strong vertebrae to absorb impact and bear the weight of your head which, averaging about 8 per cent of your bodyweight is a deceptively hefty burden. If you want proof, relax your neck muscles and gently let your head slump forwards – feel the back of your neck burning? That’s muscle being stretched by the weight of your head.
‘Sway-back’ is an unnatural arch in the in the lower back; it’s common when descending, compounded by a heavy pack, and truly agonizing over long distances. Tense your abdominal muscles, pull in your stomach and clench your buttocks – this puts your pelvis into a more ‘neutral’ position and places your back into a strong posture. Apply this technique on the hill and feel the difference.
The first thing to remember is to stick to shorter, comfortable strides – overstretching can strain your quads, hamstring tendons and calves, and you will feel pulling in the back of the leg and calf if your strides are too long.
When descending a rocky path, be careful to keep descent steps small so as to not overstretch. Try to position your knee in line with your second toe as you step.
We as hikers, explorers,
and adventurers have the absolute duty to respect and protect our Wildernesses.
Nobody else will do it for us. Take ownership!
The End.
Safe Hiking.
References and Acknowledgements
Photos – W Pelser – Injasuthi Wilderness - Drakensberg
Compiled by - W Pelser – Information – The Ultimate Hiking Skills by A Hinkes & C Bagshaw
