The Adventure Travel 101 series is designed to provide helpful information for veteran and beginner travelers alike. These posts are intended to inspire readers to pursue their adventurous dreams, while providing them helpful tips and skills to make traveling easier and more enjoyable along the way.
Unlike most other forms of travel, adventure travel often requires participants to be proficient in a certain set of skills before they ever embark on their journeys.
Those skills are usually not hard to acquire ahead of time, and having them will ensure that a trip will go off much more smoothly and safely. In fact, because adventure travelers are also typically avid outdoor enthusiasts, they often have at least some experience in these areas already. But if not, here are some typical skills that I would recommend having in your repertoire before setting out on your first adventurous itinerary.
Hiking/Trekking
Now I know what you're thinking. Is hiking really a skill? While it is true that it is fairly easy to walk a trail just about anywhere, being able to do so while carrying a fully-loaded backpack on your back does require a bit of experience. If you're accustomed to hiking your local trail without having to carry much gear, you could be in for a rude awakening when you hit the Inca Trail or try to climb Kilimanjaro.
The solution? Start training for a strenuous trek by carrying a pack filled with the same gear you'll be taking with you. This will allow your body to get use to the weight, and allow you to learn how to balance properly. Also, learn to use trekking poles before setting out.
You'll be glad you did once you're actually on the trail.
Cycling
Cycling tours have continued to grow in popularity in recent years, and it has now gotten to the point that you can explore just about every region of the world from the back of a bike. Most of us learn to ride as children, and it is true that that skill will stay with you for a lifetime.
But if it has been awhile since you last rode, you'll definitely want to get back in the saddle before embarking on any trip the involves riding a bike. And if you're not use to longer distance, slowly start adding mileage to your regular rides to help improve stamina and recovery time. After all, you don't want to be the one riding in the "sag wagon" every day.
Mountain Biking
Mountain biking is far more technical than road cycling, and the opportunities to potentially injure yourself go up dramatically as a result. If you're planning on taking a mountain biking trip to a remote corner of the world, you owe it to yourself to brush up on your riding skills ahead of time. There are distinct techniques that riders must learn in order to climb hills, navigate tricky single track, and descending properly. Those techniques can only be gained through experience on the trail. Start with easy trail riding at first, and work yourself up to the more challenging, technical routes as you feel more comfortable. Crashes are a part of the sport of course but with some practice and experience, you should be able to avoid minimize the dangers and ride more confidently in difficult terrain.
Horseback Riding
Traveling by horseback is not uncommon in some parts of the world, but becoming comfortable in the saddle takes a bit of getting use to. Unlike when riding a bike, and you have complete control over your method of transportation, a horse has a mind of its own, sometimes going where it wants to go, rather than where the rider direct it. Learning to work with the animal is a valuable skill to have, and will allow you to be more comfortable on its back. This will also lead to increased confidence in general, and greater enjoyment of any trip that involves horseback riding.
Paddling
Paddle sports continue to grow in popularity, and as a result are common activities on an adventure travel itinerary. It is not unusual to undertake a trip that includes kayaking, rafting, or canoeing – sometimes on turbulent waters. Getting familiar with how to efficiently paddle a river, lake, or ocean can come in handy, allowing you to feel more comfortable in your boat. It will also help you to learn the proper form, preventing you from tiring out on longer excursions.
Additionally, stand-up paddleboarding has grown dramatically in popularity over the past few years as well, and it has started to become a common activity on adventure trips too. That sport requires a different set of skills than kayaking for instance, as balance plays more of a role and the paddle is longer too. If you are embarking on a trip that involves paddleboarding, you'll definitely want to have at least a minimal amount of skill and experience ahead of time.
Skiing/Snowshoeing
If you enjoy traveling during the winter months, or your adventures take you to the arctic regions of our planet, knowing how to move over ice and snow can be very valuable. Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are two such methods of travel. Walking in snowshoes takes very little time to get comfortable with, and it'll only be a matter of minutes before you'll feel right at home. In a sense, it is just like hiking, but with some assistance to keep you above the snow. But traveling on skis requires a bit more skill and balance, which only comes with more time on the trail. There is nothing quite like gliding along a wooded path while fresh powder falls all around you. It can take a bit of practice before you feel comfortable and efficient on your skis, but if you are reasonably fit, and have good coordination, you'll soon get the hang of it.
Climbing
Easily the most technically demanding of all of the activities on this list, climbing is a sport that requires a lot of experience and skill to safely undertake. Of all of the items listed here, it is one that I'd recommend paying for a class or two to ensure that you truly know what you're doing. Depending on the nature of the climb, it could mean the difference between injury or even death. But then again, if you're a beginner climber you probably should embark on a climbing trip unless it is specifically geared for your experience level. Learning to work with ropes, harnesses, and cams takes time, not to mention gaining the ability to safely belay another climber. But with a little experience and guidance, you'll quickly learn the ropes. (Pun fully intended!)
Knowing the fundamentals of these basic sports and activities will give you the core skills that you need to participate comfortably and safely in the vast majority of adventure travel excursions. Of course, having a solid level of physical fitness doesn't hurt either, which you can also attain by participating in these sports while at home too. These are the building blocks for enjoying adventure travel more fully, and just having a solid understanding of these common activities will open up more opportunities for you too.
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