The Hiking Experience that Tested My Limits

As I struggled to keep warm, hydrate my lips, catch my breath, and summon the energy to keep climbing, I kept asking myself, why did I decide to come here? 

I was already deep into the hike. I felt like crying; my feet were freezing, my knees numb, and the cold was unbearable. 

Despite finding beautiful views along the way, it was hard to fully appreciate them when my body was aching, my feet exhausted, and my head so cold. 

You’re probably wondering how I ended up here in the first place. 

When I came to France, I discovered that one of the things I enjoyed doing was hiking. Luckily, the area I was in had lots of stunning mountains, which always motivated me to go on more hikes. 

So, one Sunday, when I got invited to hike Les Trois Becs in department de Drôme, a hike that takes roughly five hours, I didn’t hesitate to accept the offer. 

I had done shorter hikes before, one hour, two hours, so I figured, what’s the worst that could happen with this? 

Armed with my jacket, headband, gloves, regular shoes that weren’t really suitable for such a long hike, and pants that weren’t warm enough, I set off. 

The start of the hike wasn’t that bad. It felt adventurous, and I was enjoying it. I psyched myself and geared up, which helped keep me warm. We were cruising through bushes and trees, and it felt peaceful, breathing in the fresh air. 

Just when we came out of the trees, I stood in awe. Right in front of us was a long, steep mountain trail with mini stairs. From where I stood, I couldn’t see the end of it.  

How were we ever going to navigate such a rather dull stretch?

I filled my mind with comforting thoughts, pushing myself to take one step after another. Surely, there had to be an end, even if it wasn’t visible yet.

Then as if nature was retaliating against some unknown force, the wind began to pick up. The higher we went up, the more I wished I was back in my cozy, warm bed at home. 

Weighing barely 60kg, I was climbing against a massive wind force. Imagine a eulogy reading; cause of death, carried away by the wind. I had to hold onto sacks filled with rocks along the trail.

My hiking partner had done this trail before, he knew what to expect. He comfortably marched ahead while I struggled to breathe, fight the wind, keep climbing, and stay warm.

It took what felt like an eternity to get to the top of the first peak.  

Once again, the beauty of nature blew me away. It completely erased the frustrations that had nearly brought me to tears.

Looking down at everything beneath us felt so calming, and I felt proud that I had not given up when my body offered every excuse to. 

We sat down, had some warm coffee and snacks, and got ready for the second peak.

This next trail was a bit easier. It led through open land with bushes and thickets, short hills, and the trees around us had lovely, vibrant colors. 

I didn’t complain or frown much. But with every second of the trail having no end, I kept asking myself, when will this end?  

When the body gets tired, it is no longer attractive to see the beautiful sights. I blamed my hiking partner for walking too fast, for bringing me here, for the wind, for how far we had come, anything that felt annoying.

Just before the descent, we had to move past three beautiful green hills that resembled a downward three. I wanted to lie down, close my eyes, and daydream of being back home, sipping hot chocolate.

However, darkness was fast approaching, and the worst thing would be to be out here with temperatures below freezing, navigating through bushes and rocks.

It was exhausting moving one leg after the other. I felt famished, weak, and overwhelmed.  

Finally, on the descent, I let the wind push me to the end of the trail. 

Seeing the car felt like the ultimate reward for the hike. I was elated. We had made it.

It took me about a month to even think about hiking again. But I keep coming back to it. It brings muscle pain and fatigue, yet it also lifts my spirit because it’s my passion. After all, passions can be frustrating at times, but that’s part of it.