Winter Walking

Happy New Year! And an exciting year especially for those going on expedition this summer!

Amidst the Terry's Chocolate Oranges, Monopoly and numerous BBC 'specials' this holiday, I also managed to fit in some winter walking- which reminded me of a few kit and trekking tips which are really useful for expedition.

Stick together!

Pacing: If you've done the Duke of Edinburgh Award, or any trekking with a group, you've probably heard of walking "at the pace of slowest person". This means that you are able to keep altogether- very important for safety reasons (if the Expedition Leader can't see you they can't warn you of potential risks) as well as team morale, it's much more fun to keep together! Also the 'slowest person' can change day to day on expedition; although you may be the fittest in the team a bout of 'Delhi Belly' or a bad night's sleep in the tent can change things round- so work together and help each other out!

Walking Poles: These are completely a matter of preference; when we were trekking in the Cairngorms I found that they were really useful when going uphill (especially on steep and slippy terrain), but they can also get in the way when you're walking on the flat. If you do choose to take them on expedition make sure you practice with them first so you know what length they should be and how to walk with them.

Walking poles- if you decide to take
them- practice first!

Clothing/Layers: Rather than a t-shirt and a thick coat it's best to wear lots of layers when you're trekking so that it's easier to control your temperature. Usually this consists of a 'base layer' (made of 'wicking material'- to wick sweat away), a fleece or jumper and then a rainjacket/windproof. If it's cold you can also add t-shirts and extra layers which you can take off or add depending on the weather.

Take lots of layers to
keep warm!

Boots: Make sure you wear them in! This means walking around in them before you go away; it will make them more comfortable and reduce the risk of blisters. If you are taking older boots with you remember to 're-waterproof' them before you go...there's nothing worse than wet wrinkly feet.

So just a few tips and pictures from my winter adventures- let me know if you have any more!

For more advice about expeditions, visit our website http://www.world-challenge-expeditions.co.uk/page70/expedition_advice.html