The Effort
Manuel Andrack is a passionate hiker. In our blog, he gives us special insights into his experiences, his favorite routes, offers tips, and inspires us to go hiking.
In 2005, he wrote his first book on the subject, “You Must Hike.” Today, he reflects on how his view of the effort involved in hiking has changed over the past few years. In the following article, Manuel Andrack describes how rewarding exertion can be and how inspiring it is to discover the right level of challenge for yourself.
Manuel Andrack: The Effort
In my book “You Must Hike,” I put forward the extremely bold thesis that hiking was a form of high-performance sport, complete with sweating and blisters on your feet. In plain English: Any day hike under 30 kilometers was really no great challenge. Well, that was fifteen years ago, after all—you write things like that at the time. In recent years, I have increasingly become a fanatical pleasure hiker. There were a few exceptions, such as a fifty-kilometer march and a hiking marathon. But that really wasn’t my thing.
Yet the more often I walked short and very short trails, the more I found myself longing for a proper, vigorous hike. Because despite all the hiking wellness, leisurely strolls along premium trails, and days spent bathing in the forest, I realized that sometimes it is simply fun to really push yourself on a hike, feel your body, and sweat while climbing. Without effort, a summit view is simply not worth much—you could just take the cable car to the top.
I paid a little attention to how it affects me and my body. The start of a demanding hike is usually tough, especially when it begins with a sharp climb. I like it when my body switches into hiking mode; it is a little strenuous at first, but liberating.
Especially during the first few kilometers, I feel my legs intensely, particularly my thighs. It is probably because I start almost every hike too quickly; then my muscles build up lactic acid, and that hurts. But when your legs hurt during a climb, is that really so bad?
No, that is my body accomplishing something: carrying me up the mountain. And I think it is perfectly fine to feel the effort. Is it already masochism if you even enjoy it from time to time? Before a hike, I always told my children, “Don’t come telling me that your legs hurt—that happens to your parents too.” But at the latest during the first reward break, according to my fatherly advice, all of that is forgotten.
I also think it is great, especially on winter hikes, when I sweat from the effort. I don’t need an elaborate sauna session; a little exertion during the hike is enough to get me sweating and panting. Of course, after a really strenuous hike, my back sometimes hurts too. But that’s a good thing! It simply means that I hadn’t strengthened my back muscles sufficiently beforehand. That is what is so wonderful about the effort involved in hiking: When I really push myself, it is not nearly as difficult on the next hike because I am simply fitter!
And always remember: #it’s BÄRGAUF!
BÄR-TIP: With the right and properly fitting hiking shoes or boots, a strenuous hike is twice as much fun.
Yours, Manuel Andrack
