On the Track

HYOH, Injuries, Routines and Rituals, Distractions, Chronic Conditions, Embracing Suck, Gratefulness, Catastrophising, Rewards and Resourcefulness

So you’ve prepared as best you can, and have taken your first steps on the track. It’s an exciting moment, but will you last the distance? If this is your first long distance hike, you may be unsure. You don’t know whether you’ll enjoy it, or be sufficiently strong or determined. Hopefully, you’ll already understand why you’re on the track, and have prepared. Fortunately, there are plenty more tips and tricks to try when the going gets tough on the track itself.

Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH): Don’t Compare Yourself, and Hold Your Motivations Tight

Hike your Own Hike is a term you’ve likely heard, but what does it actually mean?

It’s deceptively easy to be seduced by other people’s motivations, and to make comparisons. But if by taking on their schedules and motivations you lose your own, you’re almost certain to fail. If your hike ends up a joyless imitation of someone else’s priorities, what is the point?

A few years ago, I flew in a hang-gliding competition in Victoria. I’d made about two thirds of the course and was thrilled. The views had been glorious. I’d flown better than I thought possible, made excellent, conservative decisions, and landed safely and well.

But, as I packed up the glider in the paddock, more and more pilots flew past overhead. Gradually my mood darkened. After a while, I was completely dissatisfied with the flight. The amazing views, forgotten. Those great decisions, forgotten. The textbook upslope landing, forgotten. With so many doing better, I was clearly a useless pilot; I should have taken more risks. I cried in furious self-pity.

Later that night, I realised that my flight had not changed. That fantastic flight, the one I’d been so proud of upon landing, was the exact same one about which I now felt so bad. I and I alone had spoiled a wonderful experience. It was a life-changing epiphany.

On a thru-hike, a slower hiker is always in the company of those who hike faster. Sometimes, everyone hikes faster! You’ll meet double- and triple-hutters, whereas you split single days in half! Do not compare yourself to those hikers. It’s not a race unless you decide to make it so! Don’t push yourself to go faster, unless it’s your motivation too. A long-distance trek done at any speed is a great achievement. For many people, a day hike is a great achievement.

Hike Your Own Hike.
Set your own goals.
Make time for what is important to you.

These are key to enjoying the hike and staying the distance. This website is all about validating you as a leisurely hiker, so that you are empowered to HYOH. Don’t be misled by what you see on social media: there are many, many more of us relaxed hikers out there than you think!

Manage Accidents and Injuries Well

Accidents happen, and often they are out of your control. Don’t beat yourself up if you need to be taken off the track. Understand that the emotional impact of being forced off the track is very different from choosing to leave, and be kind to yourself either way. The track will still be there next year.

Less serious injuries can be trickier to deal with because the course of action is unclear. Geoff and my personal protocol is determined by whether or not we think we’ll cause permanent damage by ‘pushing through’. If in doubt, we always err on the side of caution, but that’s personal preference, and other choices are valid too.

Ironically, it’s relatively minor injuries that most often take people off the track, rather than acute serious ones. Blisters, infections, ligament and joint pain can gradually worsen until they suck the joy from your walk. Stop in a track town and get medical help – even the local pharmacist may be sufficient. Know how to prevent or treat hotspots before they become blisters, and promptly manage any of your own fickle physical issues.

Stay flexible – spend an extra day or two in town if your timetable allows: that’s why adding a week for contingencies to your schedule is so useful. Ignoring injuries to meet a deadline makes the latter irrelevant if the injury ends up forcing you off the track.

On the other hand, a degree of discomfort is normal for thru-hikers because the task is a physically challenging one. Try to accept the minor aches and pains that come along.

Managing Chronic Conditions

I have a scarred tendon: ignoring inflammation exacerbates that, so ‘pushing through’ causes more damage that will further limit my ability to hike in future. If it flares even slightly, we slow down – literally. We split days in two, or spend an extra day in town. We usually ignore the other niggles that come with age, and deal with them by trigger point release and drugs (both herbal and sledgehammer!).

*Cold water, nature’s anti-inflammatory… helped along with a dab of sledgehammer chemicals!*

Your pain tolerance vs desire to hike determines the straw on your camel’s back. We met one amazing hiker whose physio had told them that they would never hike again. Although often in considerable pain, this impressive hiker successfully used a range of stretches, massage, medication, inserts and strapping to complete their thru-hike.

Eat Well

As we’ve discussed previously, a balanced diet makes a huge difference. Don’t hesitate to change things if you feel you’re running out of stamina or strength, as Geoff did. Buy extra food in towns if necessary, or protein or energy supplements online.

Create your Own Routines & Rituals

They may be fun, affirming and/or practical. Rather than hiking 1,000km, Geoff and I were simply going for a walk in our (rather large) back yard every day.

“What shall we do today?” one of us would ask the other each morning.

“Oh, I dunno – see a movie?”

“Nah. Don’t feel like that. Gardening? Abseiling? Shark Cage Diving?”

The suggestions would become ever more outlandish but always ended with, “I know, let’s go for a walk!”

This superficially silly ritual reinforced an important motivation for us both, emphasising journey rather than destination. It allowed us to value and anticipate each day for what it held, rather than becoming a means to an end. We were just… living, on the track. The tent or hut was our house for a time.

*A bit of fun on another long, rainy day*

Importantly, we did this every day.

If you’re not motivated by the challenge of speed, focussing on an endpoint can devalue the days that come before it. We met a number of people who, towards the end of their hike, just wanted it to be over and finished. The endpoint had overwhelmed everything else. We enjoyed every last day and were in no hurry to finish.

Sometimes routines are practical. But you can still incorporate a reward into them - it’s just how you frame it. When we arrive in camp, Geoff and I usually pitch the tent together, before he makes a rewarding cuppa while I organise bedding. We both enjoy our cuppas, but they are not essential, so we look forward to them as a reward, not just as a drink or as a part of dinner.

In the morning, I pack the sleeping gear and break down the tent while he starts breakfast. When it’s raining, we break down and set up together to keep everything as dry as possible: sharing tasks efficiently between two saves a lot of time. With a hot breakfast and cuppa, and without any hurry, we leisurely hikers normally take about 70 minutes from waking to being on the track. We’ve done it in significantly less time when we must.

Friends we met always had a ‘second breakfast’ on the track mid-morning, boiling tea. Some early starters headed off without breakfast but ate on the go, or stopped an hour or two in.

Other routines include stretches, yoga, reading, listening to music, or meditation. If you do regular relaxation exercises, meditation or yoga, practise them in different settings before you start, so that you are not tied to a specific space or routine – build capacity for flexibility so you can continue a modified version on the track.

A journal is worthwhile: on long hikes, you’ll forget many highlights, and journals are an excellent way of reinforcing the good parts of the day and downloading the the not so good bits.

A routine needn’t be forced: on the track, the one that develops will be exactly right for you. The important thing is to develop a simple, easy routine that includes rewards.

Podcasts, Audio books, Books, Music and Games

Many people, particularly solo hikers, find these invaluable in maintaining motivation and distracting them from discomforts and boredom whilst walking. However, if you’re on the trail to think and process difficult or painful situations, filling every moment with podcasts and audiobooks may be counterproductive.

Please use a headset or earbuds in camp and on the track: many folk prefer the sounds of the bush.

We took just one card game, Iota, for in camp. I didn’t bring my Kindle but probably will next time. Sometimes you’ll find books and magazines left in huts to read and, on one appropriately cold and rainy rest day, I read a fascinating tome about the Antarctic.

Embrace the Suck

Sometimes the different things the day brings are ones you wished it didn’t. I confess that I’m not very good at embracing suck. Rather, I’m lucky in that I have a rock (Geoff) who, after many decades’ worth of meditation, remains unruffled by pretty much anything. He also knows that, after a little dummy spit, I quickly calm down and am ready to go on after a small bribe of chocolate from the emergency stash, or a rest day in town with hot showers!

*I know there’s a track here somewhere…*
*yep, that’s it, the pool between the bushes!*

During one notoriously wet stretch of the Bibbulmun, on a drizzly, cold day, we lifted our spirits by counting all the wading sections deeper than the tops of our boots (38, to be precise!). Another two hikers regressed to childhood and splashed merrily through them.

Heat is the most difficult for many to deal with. I get nauseous, which is hard to embrace! But we stop for plenty of rests, and I remind myself that it will be cooler soon. Sometimes, I count steps to the hut! It’s all about destination on such days, not journey!

*Cooling off with a mixture of sweat and water from the waterbottle whilst hiking in steep and hot Mediterranean Cinque Terra, Italy*

On a long hike, you’ll experience Type 1 Fun (fun while you’re doing it, fun when you remember). You might experience a few Type 3 Fun days (hairy close calls that aren’t fun during or after).

The season was late, and we had taken the wrong high track. We had to traverse a treacherous snow-covered boulder field to the track proper, and I still remember the relief when we reached it. Type 3 Fun!

But there will also be Type 2 Fun. A lot of it. The type where it’s tough and challenging. You’re not having fun. But strangely, as the days pass, you remember it more fondly. You remember that you succeeded, and that the challenge was what made it fun. Surprisingly, it’s often the Type 2 Fun Days that we recall with the most satisfaction and clarity. While you’re actually experiencing them, remind yourself just how amazing you are for not giving up, and how proud you will be afterwards.

*Another entire day of bucketing rain. The joy of finding a tiny, leaky shelter where we made hot soup for lunch still sticks with us both.*

A thru-hike, more than any other, is as much about creating rich memories as it is about the time you spend on the track. For many, it is life-changing. It will certainly be something you remember for the rest of your life: that sense of living on the track is completely different from other kinds of hiking. Relish this, the good days and the bad. The bad days always make the best stories, and they’re going to happen, regardless of your wishes. Accept them, knowing the next day will be different.

Solo hikers need more mental strength to deal with setbacks than those who hike in pairs or groups. Accept that you have a bigger challenge, and be kind to yourself. It’s okay to have a bad day. You’ll likely feel like giving up sometimes, but just postponing the decision – “I won’t decide now, I’ll give it x more days, or until after my next rest day,” is often enough to get you over the hump.

*A combination of endless wading plus brush and timber deadfall, often in combination, made this one of our most exhausting days on the Bibbulmun Track*

Sometimes you can find ‘tramily’ – a like-minded trail family for support, often other solo hikers with whom you can team up. You may end up walking with them, or only meet up in camp at the end of the day but, either way, long distance thru-hiking engenders a wonderful sense of shared purpose, support and intimacy.

Be Consciously Grateful

Feeling gratitude releases chemicals that contribute to a sense of well-being and positivity. When your motivation slips, remember that thru-hiking is an enormously privileged thing to do. You have the time, finances, health and freedom from responsibilities, to simply walk for a few months. The vast majority of people are not so lucky. Remind yourself of this when the going gets tough. Remind yourself that this was your choice. Say aloud every morning, and at every special moment, “I’m so lucky to be here/experience this/see this.”

Be grateful that, whatever its shape or aches and pains, your body is carrying you these vast distances: it is amazing. Many of us have past injuries or parts of our body that we need to manage through a hike. For Geoff it’s his knees. Try to be respectful of your body and its strengths and weaknesses. Praise it for getting you through the day and allowing you to see or experience new things. One hiker we came across thanked her feet each and every day. They were hurting, but they got her through.

Be grateful for each beautiful vista you see. Be grateful for the sunsets and sunrises, the wildlife, that hilarity around the campfire. Look at the people around you and be deeply grateful for their presence in your life. Be grateful for the memories you are creating.

Avoid Catastrophising

Often it is challenges ahead about which we are uncertain that create anxiety and fear. It’s a very common response and I’m afraid I’m guilty of this failing, too!

What usually happens is that a tricky section of track is coming up. It may be a river crossing, a high pass, or an exposed spine. In preceding days, the challenge looms ever larger. It doesn’t help talking to another person with the same tendency, because we amplify each other’s fears. Talk instead to someone you know is calm and level-headed.

A hike in Iceland included a river crossing on an isolated trail. Before starting the hike, I’d watched a Youtube video of the crossing and the couple made it look horrendously difficult. For days I researched the crap out of river crossing techniques.

On the morning of that crossing, I was already worried when I woke. The worry grew like a pumpkin inside my ribcage as we walked. What if we got drenched (it was cold and we had just one set of clothes each)? What if we lost our packs? What if we were swept downstream? What if, what if, what if?

But of course, the crossing was completely uneventful, not least because of my research. The Youtube couple had, in fact, done everything wrong: they’d crossed at the narrowest (deepest, fastest flowing) spot, with a steep bank on the opposite side. They hadn’t linked, and crossed separately. They had no poles. The boyfriend was tall, but his partner was short and he had not allowed for that.

On the Bibbulmun, there was a notorious estuary crossing. You can guess what I imagined:

And this is what it was:

Fear and anxiety can be paralysing emotions, and very hard to deal with once they take hold. So try to recognise when these emotions begin to emerge. Don’t fight them, but instead acknowledge and manage them.

Solo hikers often team up with other parties for risky sections of track; one waited for us at a significantly deeper estuary and the three of us crossed linked together. This is a sensible and appropriate solution and there are almost always other hikers around to help.

It’s also worth reminding yourself that hundreds, if not thousands, of hikers have previously navigated the section of concern without incident.

Either way, if you’ve researched the crap out of whatever scares you before your hike, you’ll have empowered yourself. And remember, the actual challenge is rarely as bad as your imagination makes it out to be!

Reward yourself Every Day

Incorporate a celebration of the day into your daily routine. This is about accumulating spare mental resilience by making small regular deposits to be drawn upon when the need arises. The fantastic thing about this approach is the deposits can be very simple things that you do every day. They shouldn’t take much effort – you don’t want to make them a chore. So build them into your regular daily routine as rewards or other forms of positive reinforcement.

Share or recount the highlights of the day, even if they are few and far between. This could include a simple verbal acknowledgment that you’ve made it through a tough section of track, or recounting a special view, a treat, a quiet five minutes – whatever the ritual, it’s a reward, and promotes positive thinking. It can act as a switch/circuit breaker to transition from the trudge to a new headspace if needed. We simply congratulated each other on making the next hut upon arrival with a high-five and, “We made it! Good job!” That was our initial switch.

We also made sure we had a cuppa and, if it was a particularly long day, some chocolate before dinner as a treat - not essential, but we both enjoy our tea and chocolate so it became a simple reward as part of our routine.

Building rewards into your daily routine makes it easier to do every day. Ideally that means every day, but it doesn’t matter if you skip one here and there. It’s numerous regular, simple, small rewarding deposits that you’re aiming for, and that’s the beauty of the process.

‘Luxury’ Items

Consider what luxury items you think will really make the hike more enjoyable. Which ones are important, which are nice? If any fall into the important category, then consider taking them. If you’re honest with yourself, however, most if not all will fall into the nice category.

Geoff has issues with his right shoulder (a legacy of past fun sporting activities). It troubles him at night, interrupting sleep. He uses a soft pillow at home to manage it. We decided to take the pillow on the Bibbulmun thru-hike rather than use a blow-up one or stuff sack as we would on shorter hikes. It was worth the extra 400g in weight as he slept well and pain-free most nights.

Another hiker took a lightweight foldup chair. We all looked at her with envy at the end of the day as she sat in her chair but, even so, the 500g wasn’t worth the effort for us. It’s one hundred percent a personal choice.

Nor are you locked into the decision for the whole hike. You may take a luxury item in the early stages to help ease into track life, before posting it home. Alternatively, you can always pick up an item later if you really want it.

Embrace your Success and Resourcefulness

Whether you’re a seasoned day or multiday hiker or relatively new to hiking, once you’ve been on the track for a few weeks you will have had unexpected challenges, and you will have dealt with them. Just as in life elsewhere, problems arise and we solve them. Take strength from these track or life experiences, and your pre-hike research.

Build acceptance that things will go wrong; don’t waste mental energy trying to avoid them. Instead, acknowledge that you most likely already have the skills, knowledge and resourcefulness to solve any challenges that arise.

This is often easier said than done! If you find your mind spinning, take a moment to regroup: this is absolutely the most valuable use of your time. Then problem solve. Even solving an immediate danger benefits from a moment’s thought to best reach safety.

*Our last morning on the Bibbulmun, bittersweet joy and sadness that we are nearly finished.*

Thru-hiking is challenging, but thousands of people do it successfully every year. You can too! Do you have a tip that will help others to stay motivated on long distance treks? Please share them in the comments to inspire other leisurely hikers!

How to Stay Motivated on a Long Distance Hike: Part Two