Hiking is undoubtedly both physically and mentally challenging. However, according to outdoorsman Allan Bacelon Gunben, the jaw-dropping beauty of the vista from the summit of the mountain you’ve climbed will make all of the difficulties and pain seem to simply vanish.
Conquer trails, admire the view, defeat stress
One of the most important advantages of hiking is the good it does for your heart. Hiking will raise your heart rate, and if you make it your exercise routine — it can decrease bad cholesterol, reduce hypertension which leads to high blood pressure, and even improve glucose tolerance.
Hiking can also improve our mood even more than a regular walk in the neighbourhood. Stanford University researcher Gregory Bratman assigned 60 people to either a 50-minute walk in the woods or a walk along paved roads, and the results showed that the nature-walkers experienced less anxiety and rumination (which are negative thought patterns that play over and over in our heads such as dwelling on embarrassing or disappointing moments or thinking about everything we think is wrong with our lives) as well as more positive emotions than the urban walkers.
Allan Bacelon Gunben, an outdoorsman, concurs with the assertion. He claimed that hiking has numerous advantages for both physical and mental health in addition to being an enjoyable hobby, which he has personally demonstrated.
“Personally, hiking is one of the finest outdoor activities for those with anxiety issues because it can flex our minds, increase our heart rates, and enhance our mood.
“I believe that nature is a good medicine — going for a hike reduces your blood pressure and cortisol levels, producing a calming effect only nature can offer, and it also naturally boosts endorphin levels, which are directly responsible for feelings of happiness and euphoria.
“Hiking was my stress-reliever, and I believe it could be yours as well — so every time you feel as if you’re not wanted or can’t find happiness like you used to, just pull on a pair of hiking boots, find the closest nature trail to you, and take a hike!
“It also makes me more mindful as all my senses are awakened when I spend time in nature. It also fosters a sense of duty in me to safeguard and maintain the sacredness of the Earth and increases my respect for nature,” he said.
Elaborating on the benefits, the 31-year-old said that hiking indirectly helps him to get to know more people as well as help him nurture relationships with his friends, family, and significant other.
According to him, as hiking can be physically and mentally challenging, it demands that we communicate with our hiking partner. For example, we should communicate with one another when we need to stop and ensure that the pace of the walk works for everyone in our group so that we can all stay healthy while on the trail.
At the same time, it also teaches us to work together as a team as we never know what we will encounter on the trail — he said this indirectly also teaches us how to use our problem-solving skills in a real-life situation apart from helping us get to know and understand our new friends better.
“The most important thing for me is that it teaches us about patience — just like what Miley Cyrus said in her song:
There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
It’s not about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb.
“On top of that, hiking also automatically helps me to become more disciplined, especially in terms of time management; setting a goal around an activity I love, which I’m intent on achieving, is forcing me to become disciplined in other areas of my life as well,” said Allan.
Commenting on where his passion for hiking first began, this Sekolah Kebangsaan Long Teru, Baram teacher said it all started with hiking activities to Sebako Waterfall with his classmates in 2012.
He added that it later evolved after he made the last-minute decision to climb Mount Kinabalu alone over the school holiday for the Chinese New Year in 2016.
Coincidentally, he said, at that time, he shared a room with a solo hiker from Japan who had conquered Mount Everest, and at the same time, he also met a Chinese lady from Penang, who shared her climbing adventures and tried to convince him to climb Mount Rinjani in Lombok, Indonesia.
“As if mesmerised by the woman’s description of Mount Rinjani’s magnificence, I instantly get all the information I need from her, and guess what? In July 2016, I succeeded in summiting the mountain!
“After my three-day, two-night journey to the mountain, I felt like I was done with hiking and wouldn’t be doing any more. However, it turned out to be empty talk because I was eager to discover more open hiking trips.
“In the following year (2017), I climbed Mount Semeru and Mount Bromo in Indonesia, Mount Santubong in Kuching, and Mount Doa and Lambir Hills in Miri, followed by Negeri Sembilan’s Mount Datuk, Sabah’s Maragang Hill, Murug Turug, and Bohey Dulang, Japan’s Mount Fuji, and Indonesia’s Mount Kerinci in 2018,” he said, adding that he also conquered the summit of Mount Kinabalu in 2017 and 2022, including via ferrata.
When asked on which trail he thought was the most difficult, Allan responded that the most challenging to him was Mount Rinjani due to its distance, extreme elevation increase, sandy, fine rocky, steep, and narrow path, as well as the cold weather when reaching the summit.
According to him, the sandy and fine rocky path and the strong wind that added extra burden to the trail almost caused him to give up during the hiking, but when he remembered the saying “alang-alang menyeluk pekasam, biar sampai ke pangkal lengan” (each work must be done until it is finished and successful), he continued to fortify himself.
“All of the difficulty and suffering seemed to just vanish after reaching the top — the view on top of Mount Rinjani was jaw-droppingly stunning; worth every pain (physically, mentally and emotionally),” he said.
Meanwhile, he laughingly recalled the experience of holding his poop while clutching the rope while ascending Mount Kinabalu via ferrata last year as the trekking memory he can’t forget the most.
He said that he had to untie the rope because he was unable to hold his poop any longer and search for a place to relieve himself. Fortunately, one of his hiking companions had a wet tissue.
In response to a query regarding the toughest difficulties he faced while hiking, Allan responded that when he initially started participating in outdoor sports, he used to get discouraged when he observed other people wearing branded and proper gear and attire.
However, he said, when he thought back to his primary reason for hiking, he started to feel glad and embrace the truth that what he had was also sufficient.
“Don’t let feeling down or low self-esteem (because we can’t have complete gears like other climbers) hinder our main goal — we must make up our minds that we will still reach the peak no matter what gear we wear,” he said, adding that he plans to climb the 2.4-kilometre Mulu Pinnacles, which he described as an extreme category climb that requires strong physical strength, possibly during the August school holiday this year.
In the meantime, when asked for advice for beginners who wanted to take up hiking as a hobby, Allan said do not underestimate mother nature; a short trail or a small mountain or hill does not guarantee an easy journey — always be prepared for any eventuality!
“Proper attire and gears including shoes are very important because they help support our physical stability and energy.
“Additionally, novice climbers should stretch before setting out on their hike. Most importantly, remember to breathe correctly and take your time while climbing — enjoy the views and journey; do not rush.
“Last but not least, have a meal high in carbs for breakfast as they can supply enough energy throughout the climb. Don’t forget to pack a supply of water (at least one litre) to ensure the body stays hydrated and also bring some energy bars,” he advised.
Come on, peeps, let’s include hiking in our daily or (at the very least) monthly activities so that it might benefit our physical and mental wellbeing. There is no need to travel far because Sarawak has many trails that we can attempt to complete.
