Spotlight: Women on the trail!

If women are working shoulder to shoulder with men, they are not lagging when it comes to a tough sport like hiking. Hiking is a kind of sport in which people set a goal of wandering on foot for a long distance, generally not less than five kilometres. Specific paths with a starting point and an endpoint are pre-determined. Usually, the walking path ends with a prominent landmark like a fortress, a waterfall or a dam. This tough sport is not limited only to men, but a large number of women and young girls are also taking part in it. Several women hiking teams have spread in the Sultanate where they carry out weekly trips only for women. To ensure the safety of the participants, the team includes specialised personnel like a nurse, a nutritionist and a qualified leader, who all develop an appropriate plan for the proposed course and organise the entire trip. Huda Salem is fond of this sport. She loves hiking, so she is passionate about hiking. She loves adventure and exploration. Started just as a hobby, she is one of the leaders of hiking teams today. “My love for taking challenges introduced me to hiking. I love nature and have a passion for adventure. When I go on trips with family or with friends, it ends up with exploring some hidden places. Over the years that extended to admiring activities related to it, such as climbing, descending from the heights, swimming, jogging and others’’, she said. Huda says, “The most important characteristic of this sport is that it requires mastery in work and planning, as you need to work in planning the path, exploration, preparation for the trip and then implementation. Perhaps what makes this sport important is that it promotes the culture of walking with a group, just in case of any events or developments that may occur during the trip.” She also indicated that this sport is a sport of contemplation, linking the present with the past, identifying the efforts of ancestors and the paths they used to take, getting to know old buildings, archaeological villages and ancient monuments in the various governorates and states in the country. Since hiking is practised in places with difficult terrain in many cases, there are priorities that adventurers set while planning the path to have a pleasurable experience. Most notably, identifying the places from where the path passes, to know the nature of the terrain and weather in that area before starting. It is also necessary to develop a plan, determine places for rest and stop, clarify the rugged and difficult places for the participants so that they are aware of all the known and expected details of the path. “It is also important to determine the time duration of the path and divide it for the whole distance. Before all of this, there are essential items that must be taken on any hiking trip. Navigation tools, adequate water, food, safety items, first-aid kit, and sun protection, are important’’, quips Huda.