River Trek

One of my favorite outdoor pastime is river trekking with my mountaineering group. Clad in cotton shirts, polyester shorts, all weather shoes, a wet proof daypack with some provisions and water in Nalgene (mountaineers are gung-ho about this container brand) we trooped to the Barangay Hall to inform the local authorities of our presence in the area. Since we wouldn’t want to go trekking in a flooded river, we check the latest weather bulletin and look up for any rain clouds.  If we got clear skies and sunshine, we are set and ready to go! For river trek aficionados, here are some hot tips: 

Watch your step

Have a leisurely pace, trek one step at a time. Stepping in between rocks instead of on them can be dangerous. One time I sandwiched my foot between two submerged rocks with a gap small enough to grip the bone in my ankle - this instantly shot pain to my brain! Take caution, what you don’t see can hurt you. When negotiating your way on rocks in the river, always get a secure foothold, more often than not they are slippery or loose. So don’t jump on rocks, chances are, you will slip and bang your head, or the rock tips, gets you off balance and you go splashing in the river.

Watch what you’re holding

Sometimes the water is deep or the current strong that you need to go up the banks or mountain passes and wade through bushes. When there’s a wayward branch on the path, hold it and look behind you before slowly releasing the branch. Don’t yank it. It will snap back at your face. And be careful with what you’re holding, it could be one of those thorny plants (touch-me-nots), or you could be mistaking a tree branch for a snake!

Give directions

When trekking in a group, the one who leads is called the assault, the one who stays last is called the sweeper and those in between are called pacers.  Feel like a pro by giving directions to those lagging behind: In diverging paths stack three rocks to mark the path taken.  If you have seen Blairwitch Project, you know what I mean, but do not stack rocks as high. It’s better to cross the river in pairs or more - It’s for balance and strength in withstanding the river’s rushing water. 

There. River trekking 101. See you in the rivers and streams of our dreams!