3. Lessons Learnt
Two is better than one, especially in longer walks. The maximum distance of solo walks I have done is around 20 KM. For longer walks I prefer to have company, often two, but never beyond four. The initial few hours on the first day, we tend to talk, but later it is rare that we speak without a specific message. Company gives me the confidence to walk across unknow terrains, especially with stray dogs around. Having been bitten twice over the years, it is mentally comforting to have company especially with the dogs sniffing around.
Enjoy the journey don’t be too focused on destination is an advice we often hear. Our daily schedule of eight to nine hours of walk, with three tea breaks around every two hours gave me a chance to practice it. I must say it is quite difficult to focus on the journey especially as I was reaching the destination, both interim and final for the day. There is solace in countdown to the destination that helped me especially during noon when the sun was shining at its peak testing our resolve. I realized having interim destination and focusing on them helped me overcome the most tedious part of our journey.
Like in every human effort, planning is vital for successful execution. A fortnight before our walk, we did a motorbike recce of the route we would take and choose the hotels to stay for the night. In the recce we realized the difference between website photos and the real room condition. Another key learning was the need to have a restaurant below our hotel to minimize our walk for coffee and dinner.
You can read more of my blogs in my website www.shankarjagansworld.com
