Every once in a while, you need to experience the fresh air outside of the busy city centre of Nairobi. To do so, you might just want to start with the outskirts of the city. You will discover the beauty of Kenya, and through this, you will feel refreshed and rejuvenated. It’s also a really productive way to spend your time because you are exercising but having fun while doing so. It awakens the inner child in you as you cross and swim in rivers, play with sticks, and drink water from freshwater springs.
As someone who is just getting into it, however, you may not know your way or around or how to get started. Here are a few hacks that can help you with this amazing hiking journey:
- Invest in proper gear
You’ve probably heard people say that your hike is as good as your hiking gear. If you show up to a hike in jeans, sandals, and a leather jacket, you will definitely not enjoy your experience. That’s on the end, but really, you should consider purchasing proper hiking boots, sports bras, and tights. It doesn’t have to be expensive. You can thrift these from Gikomba, Toi, or even Ngara. Alternatively, there are Instagram pages like Temboh Mountain Gear or Outdoorer KE that can help you with this. Whatever you do, don’t go hiking with an old pair of runners that have worn-out treads. Trust me, you will not like it.
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- Carry the right foods with you
When going hiking you don’t want to overload on heavy meals. You may end up nauseated. So, eat a proper breakfast, then during the hike, you can snack on fruits, seeds, nuts, wholemeal products such as biscuits and mandazi, and warm drinks. These will give you energy without necessarily making you feel like your stomach is full, which can make you get tired easily.
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- Find ways to make it affordable
Your hike doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t even need a car. You can use public transport or hire transport as a group. If it’s not too far, you can even consider using an Uber to the main stage, and then you start to hike from there.
- Do not litter!
I cannot emphasize this enough. Most places where you go hiking remain conserved by the beautiful nature and environment. So, try and leave them that way. This will give generations to come a chance to explore the beauty of nature. If you carry a pack of biscuits with you or any other food for that matter, then carefully fold the wrapper back into your bag and dispose of it once you get access to a proper trashcan.
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- Be friendly to the people who live around
In some of the places where you go hiking, you will find that there may be people who have built houses and settled on the farms and inside the forests. You have to be friendly. Greet them, smile, and if possible, engage in a short conversation with them. If you get lost, these people will save you. When you’re friendly, you build trust with them and are therefore safer as you hike.
- Realize that hiking is not a race.
If you recall the story of the hare and the tortoise, you remember that the tortoise used the mantra ‘Slow but steady’ to win the race. This is the attitude you should take with you when you go hiking. It’s not about who gets to the end before the other. If you choose to go with other people, hiking should be a team effort. Encourage one another and wait for those who seem slower than the rest. Never let anyone get left behind on their own. Don’t go too fast because just like the hare, you might get lost.
- Find a hiking group
Hiking may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it sure has its target audience. For most hiking lovers, the discovery of one beautiful scene makes you curious to see how many more you can find. So, since you may not have all the knowledge to go by yourself, find a hiking group. You will find that it’s very refreshing to hang out with strangers who are excited by the same things that excite you. You can check out Let’s Drift or Just Rioba’s pages to find out some more information.
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