Trekking

Everest will require me to spend roughly 5 to 7 hours a day walking, and mostly walking uphill. That meant one thing: I needed to start training.

I've always been an avid walker. Walking for hours has never really been a problem for me. But there is a difference between casually wandering around and intentionally spending hours on your feet, day after day, while tackling elevation. I also had to start doing proper hikes instead of my usual circular walks around the apartment complex or endless laps around the local oval, where I typically loiter in circles with my headphones on, blaring music. More often than not, it's old Pakistani classics from Junoon, Ali Haider, and that era. My fellow Pakistanis who grew up listening to those songs will know exactly what I mean.

Enter my lovely friend Marina, whom I met through my Thursday philosophy course. Marina, being a very experienced hiker, took me under her wing and introduced me to my first proper hike at Bobbin Head. While she expertly navigated trails, inclines, and every possible obstacle with ease, I spent a good portion of the hike huffing and puffing behind her. But hey, I made it to the end, and that felt like a victory.

From there, Marina generously introduced me to a whole range of other hiking routes. She patiently guided me through everything from hiking boots and poles to gear choices. One day, I introduced her to the Cascades Walk in St Ives near my place, and off we went for three hours of ups, downs, and plenty of interesting conversation.

When Marina left for a well-deserved holiday, I kept going. Sometimes I hiked with others, and sometimes I set off on my own. I have still not been able to convince my daughter, Iza, to accompany me on my walks. According to her, she is not really a "walking kind of person"; she is more of a "car person." Which is fair enough as I don’t think I can listen to "Are we there yet?" a hundred times. My dear sister Rida also keeps saying she'll join me "one day."

On one occasion, I walked for so long without seeing another person that when I finally spotted a fire truck and a group of firefighters, we were all genuinely excited to see each other. There was an enthusiastic exchange of waves that probably looked ridiculous to anyone watching, but after hours alone on a trail, human interaction suddenly feels like a luxury.

On another hike, I stopped to take a photo and became so focused on getting the perfect shot that I nearly stepped straight into the path of an oncoming cyclist. The cyclist very loudly informed me of my mistake, and I very quickly got out of the way. Lesson learned.

I later sent a video to my dear friend Farva, who was understandably concerned for my wellbeing. Her reaction was very similar to my sister Amna's, who remains convinced that if I venture out alone often enough, a serial killer will eventually appear from behind a tree and cross my path. So far, I have only encountered cyclists, firefighters, and an alarming number of hills.

After completing the Cascades Walk a few times, I decided it was time to make things harder and headed up towards the Upper Cambourne Track. It was much shorter but significantly steeper. There was one section where I was convinced my lungs were about to make a dramatic exit from my body. But I made it. Then I did it again. And again. Eventually, I had gone up and down that trail so many times that anyone watching would probably have assumed I'd completely lost my mind. But I suppose that's how progress works. You keep showing up, keep climbing, and at some point what once felt impossible simply becomes part of the routine.

Funnily enough, every time I come back from a long hike completely exhausted, one of my cats is also stretched out at home looking equally drained. I have no idea what strenuous activities they have been undertaking in my absence, but they always seem determined to convince me that they too have had a very challenging day. Judging by the dramatic expression on their face, they have clearly been working much harder than I have. Cats, after all, are such copycats 😄