My best friend and I are actively travelling. This past weekend, we visited Tallulah Falls in northern Georgia. The view is spectacular and the experience is one I'll never forget—for more reasons than one.
The hike here is different than other mountainous regions I've been to. Instead of simply maneuvering through terrain, hikers climb roughly 1,100 steps down to the gorge—and then those same steps back up. Before you begin your hike, you see signs warning you of the strenuous trail ahead. My best friend and I ignored the warnings, left without bottled water and about a quarter of the way back up, we were in a bit of trouble. As we stopped to take a short break, we realized how stupid we had been—she passed out for a moment and I vomited.
After we finally finished our hike, we began thinking of what we should do to prepare our bodies for the future adventures.
1. Dehydration is not a joke.
There were signs reminding us to bring a bottle or two of water with us on the hike, but we unfortunately ignored them. Humans need to drink water on a regular basis, but especially when you're doing strenuous activity. Dehydration occurs easily when you're not properly taking care of your body or you're exerting yourself more than usual/on a harder level. Remember to drink water the day before and bring plenty with you.
2. Take a snack with you.
If you haven't eaten in a while, a snack can help to keep your blood sugar up and your energy. Many places sell snack bars with nuts and sometimes sugary ingredients, like carob and dried cranberries. If you don't like those you could always opt for the traditional trail mix. Just make sure you have some kind of snack for your body.
3. Always eat a good breakfast.
That morning, my best friend didn't eat anything and I had a chicken biscuit. Instead of not eating, because breakfast is the most important meal of the day, or eating something fried, which isn't ideal for exercise, try eating a light breakfast. Muffins or fruit are good, staple items for an easy and tasty breakfast-- one that will be good on your body.
4. Make sure you plan your hike carefully.
Neither of us had been to Tallulah before. We knew there were beautiful waterfalls and an amazing suspension bridge awaiting. However, we didn't know about the incredible stairs leading down to the bottom. Had we known how strenuous the trail was beforehand, we would have prepared differently. I, for one, would have worked my way up to being able to climb the stairs without being sore for days.
5. Never hike alone.
What happened to us was awful, but we're both fine. We were together. Imagine had we not had one another. She could've pushed herself harder and passed out while she was climbing the stairs, causing actual damage. We sat down to take a break together and that's when the trouble occurred. Thankfully, she was seated when she blacked out. Make sure you always have a buddy with you in case of an emergency.
