It is a huge relief when it's all over. The day after we finished we relished the opportunity to relax, sleep in, and reminisced about our trip. We spent two months preparing for it. No matter how many times you read the notes, maps, books, FaceBook pages, and watch YouTube videos, it is not the same as being there and experiencing it first-hand.
Here are some questions that you may ask?
1. Was it worth it? Absolutely! You can read and talk all you want but until you actually do it, you don't know what it feels like. Once you experience it, it's yours and you will never forget it. The pain, views, conversations, people you meet, etc, are embedded in your memories. It's a nice conversation starter and bragging point. Not many people have done this hike.
2. Was it as difficult as you think? Much more so. One of the TMB books and some tour companies refer to this as a "walk." Maybe the European definition of a walk is different from an American's. This is no "walk in the park." This is a serious hike with a lot of climbing. Some sections may have been easy walks but most days you are climbing up or down.
3. Is this more difficult than the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu or the hike to Everest Base Camp (EBC). Definitely. The Inca Trail has some steep climb to higher elevations, a little over 4,000m to Dead Woman's Pass, but it's only 3 days of tough hiking. EBC has several days of climbing to higher and higher altitudes, ending at almost 5,000m at Gorak Shepp. But at certain elevation you have 2 or 3 days to acclimatize. However, if your body can't adjust to the altitude, then you are finished. So, altitude is your worst enemy, follow by fatigue, which may or may be caused by altitude. On TMB altitude is not a big issue but fatigue is. Every day you are climbing and descending the cols (or passes) so every day you are hiking anywhere from 6 to even 10 hours. You legs get very very tired.
4. Is signing up with a Tour Company the best way to do it? I think so. Of course there were many hikers who simply relied on books. One of the most popular books I saw on the trail was actually published in 2015. That means it's a little outdated. Also the information in the books may have a lot of information but leave a lot to interpretations. Fortunately, TMB is very well marked and you run into a lot of other hikers on the trail so the chances of getting lost are very low. However, you still can get lost. Like we did on the first day.
You can also go with a guided tour but I think it limits your flexibility. The advantage is you don't have to consult anything; just follow the guide. Not only that, some tour companies don't actually do the entire circuit. They offer a 7 or 8 day hike, but only on selected sections of the route. Some of them are exorbitantly expensive! So, shop around if you prefer this method.
We like the self-guided tour. It gives us maximum flexibility, in terms of scheduling and how long we want to hike. If we want to take the bus, then, do it. It also makes it a little more challenging because we have to read and figure out some of the routes. Although the notes by Alpine Exploratory are very detailed, it is sometimes difficult to visualize what it said. Also, I think the notes were written for younger and faster hikers. The timing always seems to be faster than what we took. All in all, Alpine Exploratory was an excellent choice for us. They gave us very good support. A few weeks before our hike, we had a video conference call with our contact, Ollie, and asked him a lot of questions. He answered them all clearly and we felt so much better after that. While we were hiking they were working in the background ensuring that our accommodations are okay. That is another big part of what they bring to the table - booking the accommodations for us. With their contacts and relationships with the refuges, auberges and hotels, we get the best accommodations that are available.
5. Did you pack enough? We probably overpacked! Fortunately, we signed up to get our extra baggage transferred at the hotels and auberges that we stayed in, we didn't have to carry all the weight all the time. I also made a mistake of bring my big DSLR camera. I may have used it only once or twice throughout the whole TMB tour. However, you need to pack for all weather. We hike in September, which was cooler than in July or August. But there were days that were hot, probably almost 30C and we were down to our shorts and T-shirts. There were also days, when crossing the cols, that we ran into bad weather: clouds, snow, rain and temperatures down to freezing. Then you need rain jackets and warm clothes. If you can, sign up for baggage transfer.
6. How about water and liquids? We always have two 1-liter bottles each. Obviously, if the weather is hot you go through them quickly. We also find that there are many places where there are potable available to refill your bottles. They are usually mountain spring water. Luckily, tap water in all 3 countries are potable so you can refill them before you leave the hotel or auberges. But always carry enough water or liquid.
7. Did you have enough nutrition on the trails? There are few places where you can get food on the trail. Once in a while you come across a cafe or hut where you can buy food. Bring snacks, energy bags, energy candies, gatorade, beef jerky, etc. Anything that you will give you an energy boost while hiking. You'll be surprised how quickly your breakfast is depleted and you need more energy to get going.
8. Did we prepare enough physically? We trained in the gym after we signed up for the trip. It's not ideal but it helps. We trained in the gym because it was summer in Phoenix and temperatures get up to as high as 45C. We walked or ran on treadmills and did a lot of core exercises. This is important because climbing requires you to have a strong core. Otherwise, you will be using your knees and legs to carry yourself up the mountains. And that can cause some injury if most of your weight is on only a few parts of your body. Having a robust back also helps a lot. If you are not physically in shape you will not enjoy the hike. Train in higher altitudes if you live in a low-altitude area and do some real hiking in higher altitudes to get your body and lungs prepared for it.
9. How about sleep? Sleep is very important, especially if you are older. We are older than most hikers and therefore, we need as much sleep as possible. That's why we opted for the "comfy" option and tried to get our own rooms. Fortunately, Alpine Exploratory was able to get us our own room for most of the places except for the huts. Bring eye-mask, ear plugs, or whatever you need to shut off the noise and distractions, if you have to sleep in a dormitory-style room. If you can afford it, get your own private room.
10. Would you do it again? Maybe....and not for a while. Memories of pain and fatigue are too recent. Also, age is catching up and it gets harder and harder every year.
Here are some questions that you may ask?
1. Was it worth it? Absolutely! You can read and talk all you want but until you actually do it, you don't know what it feels like. Once you experience it, it's yours and you will never forget it. The pain, views, conversations, people you meet, etc, are embedded in your memories. It's a nice conversation starter and bragging point. Not many people have done this hike.
2. Was it as difficult as you think? Much more so. One of the TMB books and some tour companies refer to this as a "walk." Maybe the European definition of a walk is different from an American's. This is no "walk in the park." This is a serious hike with a lot of climbing. Some sections may have been easy walks but most days you are climbing up or down.
3. Is this more difficult than the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu or the hike to Everest Base Camp (EBC). Definitely. The Inca Trail has some steep climb to higher elevations, a little over 4,000m to Dead Woman's Pass, but it's only 3 days of tough hiking. EBC has several days of climbing to higher and higher altitudes, ending at almost 5,000m at Gorak Shepp. But at certain elevation you have 2 or 3 days to acclimatize. However, if your body can't adjust to the altitude, then you are finished. So, altitude is your worst enemy, follow by fatigue, which may or may be caused by altitude. On TMB altitude is not a big issue but fatigue is. Every day you are climbing and descending the cols (or passes) so every day you are hiking anywhere from 6 to even 10 hours. You legs get very very tired.
4. Is signing up with a Tour Company the best way to do it? I think so. Of course there were many hikers who simply relied on books. One of the most popular books I saw on the trail was actually published in 2015. That means it's a little outdated. Also the information in the books may have a lot of information but leave a lot to interpretations. Fortunately, TMB is very well marked and you run into a lot of other hikers on the trail so the chances of getting lost are very low. However, you still can get lost. Like we did on the first day.
You can also go with a guided tour but I think it limits your flexibility. The advantage is you don't have to consult anything; just follow the guide. Not only that, some tour companies don't actually do the entire circuit. They offer a 7 or 8 day hike, but only on selected sections of the route. Some of them are exorbitantly expensive! So, shop around if you prefer this method.
We like the self-guided tour. It gives us maximum flexibility, in terms of scheduling and how long we want to hike. If we want to take the bus, then, do it. It also makes it a little more challenging because we have to read and figure out some of the routes. Although the notes by Alpine Exploratory are very detailed, it is sometimes difficult to visualize what it said. Also, I think the notes were written for younger and faster hikers. The timing always seems to be faster than what we took. All in all, Alpine Exploratory was an excellent choice for us. They gave us very good support. A few weeks before our hike, we had a video conference call with our contact, Ollie, and asked him a lot of questions. He answered them all clearly and we felt so much better after that. While we were hiking they were working in the background ensuring that our accommodations are okay. That is another big part of what they bring to the table - booking the accommodations for us. With their contacts and relationships with the refuges, auberges and hotels, we get the best accommodations that are available.
5. Did you pack enough? We probably overpacked! Fortunately, we signed up to get our extra baggage transferred at the hotels and auberges that we stayed in, we didn't have to carry all the weight all the time. I also made a mistake of bring my big DSLR camera. I may have used it only once or twice throughout the whole TMB tour. However, you need to pack for all weather. We hike in September, which was cooler than in July or August. But there were days that were hot, probably almost 30C and we were down to our shorts and T-shirts. There were also days, when crossing the cols, that we ran into bad weather: clouds, snow, rain and temperatures down to freezing. Then you need rain jackets and warm clothes. If you can, sign up for baggage transfer.
6. How about water and liquids? We always have two 1-liter bottles each. Obviously, if the weather is hot you go through them quickly. We also find that there are many places where there are potable available to refill your bottles. They are usually mountain spring water. Luckily, tap water in all 3 countries are potable so you can refill them before you leave the hotel or auberges. But always carry enough water or liquid.
7. Did you have enough nutrition on the trails? There are few places where you can get food on the trail. Once in a while you come across a cafe or hut where you can buy food. Bring snacks, energy bags, energy candies, gatorade, beef jerky, etc. Anything that you will give you an energy boost while hiking. You'll be surprised how quickly your breakfast is depleted and you need more energy to get going.
8. Did we prepare enough physically? We trained in the gym after we signed up for the trip. It's not ideal but it helps. We trained in the gym because it was summer in Phoenix and temperatures get up to as high as 45C. We walked or ran on treadmills and did a lot of core exercises. This is important because climbing requires you to have a strong core. Otherwise, you will be using your knees and legs to carry yourself up the mountains. And that can cause some injury if most of your weight is on only a few parts of your body. Having a robust back also helps a lot. If you are not physically in shape you will not enjoy the hike. Train in higher altitudes if you live in a low-altitude area and do some real hiking in higher altitudes to get your body and lungs prepared for it.
9. How about sleep? Sleep is very important, especially if you are older. We are older than most hikers and therefore, we need as much sleep as possible. That's why we opted for the "comfy" option and tried to get our own rooms. Fortunately, Alpine Exploratory was able to get us our own room for most of the places except for the huts. Bring eye-mask, ear plugs, or whatever you need to shut off the noise and distractions, if you have to sleep in a dormitory-style room. If you can afford it, get your own private room.
10. Would you do it again? Maybe....and not for a while. Memories of pain and fatigue are too recent. Also, age is catching up and it gets harder and harder every year.
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