1. Start planning early
Before you get out there, get online and learn everything you can about the areas you’re intending to go to in the future. Ask any experienced climber or hiker what their golden rule is and most will tell you to know your location better than your own front yard. For instance, Alex Honnold (the professional adventure rock climber who is famous for his audacious free-solo ascents of America’s biggest cliffs), will drive to his climb location multiple times ahead of a climb and just study the rock face for hours and hours until he knows every last centimetre of it. That’s clever planning!
It’s not just about learning your location like the back of your hand though – it’s also about building excitement and setting goals. Read articles, forum posts, watch videos and research things about your adventure that most people wouldn’t usually know. The more you chuck yourself into the planning of an adventure, the more excited you’ll get and that’s how you build up that anticipation that ends up building amazing memories!
2. Gauge your limits but be open-minded
Before you set yourself any goals or challenges, you have to have ‘the chat’ with yourself about what you can realistically handle. You may have always wanted to go to the Blue Mountains. What activity is it that you want to do there? Is it a hike, a climb, or is it a new challenge like sport climbing? What is the level of difficulty for the area you have chosen? Are you experienced in exercising on different terrain? If you’re not, can you spend some time working on your physical or mental strengths until you are able to handle the challenge? It’s never a bad thing to push your limits and shoot for the stars, but rein in your expectations if you’re not there yet and make the preparation itself the adventure.
3. Don't forget the season
So you’ve decided on your destination and start prepping. Are you thinking of everything though? Have you ensured you’ll be going on your adventure at the right time of year when weather conditions are ideal? If you’ll be adventuring in the cold, a good shelter and thermal wear is a must!
4. Pack carefully
Packing for an awesome adventure can be way more difficult than what you might think. You won’t just need the usual hiking gear if you’re going climbing for the first time. You need to pack enough so that you’re suitably prepared for whatever life throws at you, but you shouldn’t pack too much, remember you still need to be able to carry it easily. With one of Mountain Designs amazing packs, you’ll be able to maximise your space and fit in much more than you think.
So, now you know the basics of setting goals and expectations for your next adventure, so what are you waiting for? You can do so much planning before a trip that this phase might take much longer than the trip itself, but the end result is very worth it ﹘ a fun and exciting, stress-free adventure. If you want the best products for your trip, head to Mountain Designs and they’ll help you reach new heights!