Adventure & Wildlife Magazine - Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 | Page 6

ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
Treks,day hikes and bush-craft:
Revisiting our lost skills
Sutirtha Sanyal
T
he allure of the mountains is difficult to overcome,
especially for those living on the coasts or the plains.
Some prefer to unwind in the salubrious confines of a
resort tucked far away on a mountain top amid a thick
forest of fir and spruce, away from all human contact
except for the tell-tale signs of luxury and comfort
– a fireplace, a king-size bed, a Jacuzzi, a fine rack of
the choicest of wines and brandy to sip through in
the evening amid the patter of raindrops or drifting
snowflakes, and windows and balconies that open to
views of lofty snow-clad peaks and sparkling blue rivers
– and any other opulence one would typically find in a
star-rated accommodation with a daily tariff running
into five digits.
Each has its own set of charms and connoisseurs. But we
are not here to debate on the merits or the demerits of
one over the other! We will simply decode the essence of
camping and trekking for a first timer and why and how
one could develop it as a serious hobby.
So, for a start, what does one mean by trekking?
To most, trekking would mean hiking across the hills
with a backpack and snuggling up in a warm sleeping bag
inside a tent as night comes calling. But there is more
than that.
Trekking is among the easiest of ways for an amateur to
explore the mountains in its purest and pristine form.
Some, on the other hand, prefer to experience the Add more layers of difficulty to your exploration, and
grandeur of the mountains in its rawest form by the your adventure would then qualify as mountaineering
way of camping, trekking or an expedition running into and/or a high-altitude trekking expedition, which in
turn would require considerable expertise on your part
weeks or months.
to accomplish it.
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Vol 1|Issue 5-6|Nov 16 - Jan 17