How to choose the right partner or partners for a trekking vacation
How to choose the right partner or partners for a trekking vacation.
Trekking is an adventurous activity, and it can be memorable if the right trekking partner or partners accompany you. The right trekking partner can be an essential part of your trekking experience. It would be best if you had a reliable, competent, and trustworthy trekking partner in a risky situation in the mountain environment. Here are some of the ways to find the right trekking partner and have an excellent trekking partnership. Ideally, if you have someone with whom you have been on extended hiking trips before and have gotten along well in the past, fantastic! However, you could still meet a new person with matching thoughts and ideas and end up having a partner in adventure for life.
1. Knowing Yourself
The first step is to understand yourself:
You need to know what you intend to achieve, your expectations, and your trekking partner; complete compatibility is essential. Check if your personalities, expectations, preferred routes, and budget match. Get a feel for your trekking partner’s personality and ask yourself if you are comfortable with it. While doing so, put yourself in their shoes and see if you are an excellent trekking partner for them as well. This should help you understand what you want in a partnership while trekking in a serene mountain environment.
2. What you seek in your trekking partner
It is critical to know your partner/s before going on the trek with them. One suitable way is to look at their social media pages to learn more about their activities, personalities, likes, etcetera before embarking on a trekking vacation.
i) Age and fitness
Well, age should not be a critical criterion in deciding the compatibility of your trekking partnership. However, it would be best to consider their physical fitness, their hiking experience, and their expectations of the trekking pace. The partner’s speed and physical fitness can be a factor that determines the trekking route and the number of trekking days you choose. Having said this, trekking at your own comfortable pace alone can be a self-discovering experience. You can contemplate in silence while admiring the beauty of nature while hiking on your own. You could even do a meditative walk on your hiking vacation.
ii) Gender
Having the opposite sex as a trekking partner should not be too inconvenient, as long as you have mutual respect, personal space, and privacy to change clothes, etcetera in the room or tent. If you snore, inform your partner to invest in a pair of earplugs.
Group trek in Nepal
iii) Hiking Experience
If your trekking partner is experienced, it can be advantageous for you to guide trek preparation. Talk about each other’s experiences, strengths, and weaknesses.
d) Nature of your partner
What do you like doing, e.g., do you want to have a quiet read or listen to music in your free time while taking in the surrounding mountains’ beautiful scenery? What if your partner is a party animal and loves hanging out late every night during the trek? Everyone is different, and that should not be too much of a problem as long as they do not disturb you when they return to the room. Invest in earplugs, as some people tend to snore after a few drinks, and the walls of the lodges can be paper-thin.
e) Trekking Partner’s expectation
Ask and understand what they expect from you and check to see if it is compatible with your plans and expectations. If the expectations match, this could be the beginning of a great partnership in the adventure.
3. Communication
Excellent communication is an essential factor in all good alliances. Communicate your plans and expectations with your trekking partner before and during the trek. Get an understanding of what they expect from you – go on and see if it matches yours. Inform your partner in advance if you have an existing medical condition or ask if they have one and if they have life-threatening allergies and if they are on medication. It is good to meet your partner and go on hikes in your home country a few times before going for an extended trekking vacation overseas. Making some parties’ adjustments is expected, so be flexible and prepared for compromises.
4. Set up an understanding
It is always good to have clear, predetermined matters with your partner about various critical issues that can take place during the trek. Discuss things like,
How will you split your trek costs and have a plan of action in an emergency? Inform your partner where your insurance papers are, whom to call in case of an emergency, etcetera.
Share the responsibilities and appoint roles precisely, so you do not need to decide everything by yourself.
In conclusion
Once you have used the tips above, you have found your ideal trekking partner, and planning your extended trekking holiday as an essential part of choosing a partner is out of the way. All the best for a great trek and many more future adventures to follow with your newfound trekking partner or partners.