Reflections from a Weekend Hike in Hong Kong
At its foot, I clasped my hands in gratitude towards the mountain
A few weekends ago, a friend and I went hiking in Hong Kong. We confidently picked a trail rated four out of five stars in difficulty. Little did we know, our casual hiking trip was about to turn into a full-day expedition!
Despite being amateur hikers, our overly optimistic assessment of our abilities, insufficient research on the trail, and the harsh weather conditions nearly led us to spend the night on the mountain and enjoy dining al fresco. Eventually, we managed to navigate our way back to civilization, employing both hands and feet, over a grueling seven-hour ordeal. At the mountain's base, I offered my sincere thanks to the mountain.
Over the course of the seven-hour hiking, I witnessed the breathtaking beauty of nature, encountered a "survival crisis", and experienced the cycle of comfort, hardship, despair, and hope. This journey, undertaken to escape urban life and commune with nature, not only achieved its intended purpose but also prompted deeper reflections on facing challenges, cooperation, and self-discovery.
I hope to share some of my learnings from this experience with you.
Before Starting:
Pick your challenge: Evaluate your abilities, then tactfully select your challenge. Overestimating oneself is a common mistake at this stage. It's best to reach for heights that are just within reach on tiptoes.
Be prepared: Adequately prepare to confront difficulties, leaving enough margin of safety. For instance, when hiking, ensure you have enough water, food, power, and sunlight (checking the sunset time beforehand unless you want to hike in starlight).
During the Journey:
In the darkness (difficulties and the unknown in life), having someone walking alongside is immensely helpful. Even strangers can provide warmth to each other. I still vividly recall the warmth I felt when encountering other hikers for the first time after nightfall. Humans are inherently social beings.
When encountering difficulties, if they cannot be avoided, encourage each other and find joy amidst hardship. Self-motivation can also lead to better performance when confronting challenges.
One benefit of facing difficulties together with another person (or more) is that you can take turns leading each other. I lead for a while, then when tired, you take over, and so on. The collective can achieve greater distances than an individual alone.
Continuously monitor yourself and adapt to environmental changes (Investment follows a similar principle). For example, paths which are close to mountain springs are more slippery, visibility may deteriorate as night falls.
After Completion:
Difficulties might also provide unique experiences, such as witnessing breathtaking views at the endpoint.
Shared adversity can nurture deeper relationships in a relatively short period of time.
Finally, I included a video I recorded on the mountain ridge. I suggest turning up the volume to experience the strong winds we encountered that day. Upon reflection, I realized that with only one path ahead, your focus naturally sharpens on the immediate challenge right in front of you, making life actually easier!
As always, thanks for your reading and I hope you enjoy it. Stay safe and see you next time.