Are you preparing for a big mountain expedition?
It takes approximately weeks, or even months to complete an arduous journey. You’ll be feeling constantly hungry while you are in the midst of it. But as mountaineers who are prepping for the challenge, you need to be trained on how to survive. Experts may already have given you all the information you need. They would have told you that the best strategy is to ensure that you eat as much as you can to combat the setbacks. But, the most important rule is that you must not choose to eat foods that are hard to digest. This will make the body’s work much more challenging, as it prioritises giving energy to essential organs in survival mode. Don't worry, it’s not the end. Here are some things that will help when you feel weak.
Here’s what you can eat —
Nuts
Nuts are a source of fats, but they are one of the best ways to fuel up! As cooking becomes harder as you climb higher, experts will tell you to eat as many nuts as you can.
Dehydrated fruits
Photo: Rumeth Thathsilu Wijesinghe
While fruits make a good choice for swimmers, football players and runners — unfortunately, mountaineers may not be able to carry them. Even though ice acts as a refrigerator for fruits, there is no guarantee that they will be in good condition for weeks on end to gorge upon. But don’t worry! You can opt for dehydrated fruits, as they aren’t likely to go stale. You can stuff your bag pack to the brim with packets of dehydrated fruits.
Coffee
Mountaineers get very used to loving coffee. Even if you decide to carry boiling water in your backpack to make yourself a lot of coffee rounds, don’t underestimate how fast it’ll be over. As it is impossible to find boiling water until you reach the base camp, it is important to take smaller sips of coffee.
Chocolate
Photo: Tamas Pap
Chocolate has always been associated with a lot of health benefits. One of them being that it raises energy levels. While chocolate also faces a lot of criticism for being really bad, the fact remains that mountaineers cannot do without it. It does have a really positive effect, whilst they move. Besides, who can say no to chocolate?
Whisky
Drinking a shot of whisky every couple of hours will ensure that you are not freezing every single minute. Though mountaineers take all the precautions necessary to remain warm, do not compromise here. Carry that whisky!
Remember to be safe and keep yourself fed! We hope you make it all the way to the top.