It was during Aug-2015 that i saw for the first time people running barefoot & there was something in it so appealing to me that before i finished my run i had already decided to try out running barefoot. The inconvenience of shoes always bothered me inspite of changing the shoes innumerable times.
Fast forward Dec-2015 & i started walking 5kms on pebbled soil thrice a week. Taking advice from Dr Gladson- Physiotherapist - Barefoot runner - week on week i tested my feet on the bare soil getting used to the rocks poking me & allowing the blisters to heal before i ventured out for more. Thomas Bobby Philips ( amazing barefoot runner ) blogs gave an insight into what changes to expect on my sole.
Two months into this routine & barefoot started being normal. The calmness & the energy i got from the earth was unbelievable. Started reading a lot about barefoot research. Worked beautifully for me in practice.
Around this time my kailash group were making plans to do Adi Kailash in June 2016. A harsh terrain taking us to 15000ft to the abode of Shiv & Parvati in Uttarakhand district, India. This was a terrain i was familiar with since 80% of the route was similar to our trek during Kailash Manasarovar Trek in 2014.
The route map to Adi Kailash
Being a trekker first - my thoughts started moving towards ' Can i do this trek barefoot?'
Adi Kailash being a religious trek for most participants here - doing it barefoot signifies a vow taken by the participant. It my case it was not that. I started believing in Barefoot & wanted to experiment the possibilities. Read multiple blogs on the web about barefoot hiking clubs & their experiences gave me the confidence to work on this.
Without announcing it - i made the decision to try this trek barefoot. The tough terrain required the skin under the feet to get tougher. On March 12th 2016 made a decision to stop wearing footwear & allow the feet to toughen up. My preparation involved walking barefoot everyday for 10kms & climbing Nandi Hills in Bangalore barefoot almost 2 times a month.
On June 1st - 5 days before the actual journey started - i made the announcement to my group members, family & friends that i am doing Adi Kailash Barefoot. After a lot of if's & but's - on june 6th i packed my trekking shoes & my barefoot sandals as backup & reached Delhi for the trek.
The first 3 days of journey was in vehicles & did not create any hassles other than the weird stares i got for being barefoot. Being interviewed by the local news was even weirder
Day 1 of Trek - Mangti Naala to Gala
My first taste of the harsh terrain. We were climbing more height in less distance. The loose stones bothered me. Without shoes you cannot afford to have the skin under the feet have cuts because of loose stones. After 10minutes got the hang of staying on firm ground. Kept myself light on my feet to avoid staying too long on the mid-afternoon hot rocks. Brushed my toes against scorpion grass & the sting hurt me for the next 20minutes. Noted down mentally to stay away from this stingy herb. Overall a good & comfortable climb.
Day 2 of trek - Gala to Budhi
Big day today as we have to trek one of the toughest sections & it was day one of full day trek. Yesterday felt a little simple so increased the backpack weight to 5kgs & wanted to test my limits.
The terrain surprised me today. Lots of construction work going on & chiseled sharp stones & jelly was strewn all over the trek route. Something that was a complete surprise.
Started at 5.30. After an hr was able to pick up the rhythm. It was getting difficult to find neutral space to place my feet. My sole started hurting below the toes. Reached breakfast point at 9 & lunch point at 11. After a point it was my mental strength alone that kept me going. The old sore point under 2nd toe was hurting & every time I place on a small pebble it hurt even more. Hurt the toes 4/ 5 times on the rocks one toe bled a little.
Kept walking at very slow pace but at constant pace . A long tiresome painful 2hrs later reached camp at 4.30.
Fast forward Dec-2015 & i started walking 5kms on pebbled soil thrice a week. Taking advice from Dr Gladson- Physiotherapist - Barefoot runner - week on week i tested my feet on the bare soil getting used to the rocks poking me & allowing the blisters to heal before i ventured out for more. Thomas Bobby Philips ( amazing barefoot runner ) blogs gave an insight into what changes to expect on my sole.
Two months into this routine & barefoot started being normal. The calmness & the energy i got from the earth was unbelievable. Started reading a lot about barefoot research. Worked beautifully for me in practice.
Around this time my kailash group were making plans to do Adi Kailash in June 2016. A harsh terrain taking us to 15000ft to the abode of Shiv & Parvati in Uttarakhand district, India. This was a terrain i was familiar with since 80% of the route was similar to our trek during Kailash Manasarovar Trek in 2014.
The route map to Adi Kailash
Being a trekker first - my thoughts started moving towards ' Can i do this trek barefoot?'
Adi Kailash being a religious trek for most participants here - doing it barefoot signifies a vow taken by the participant. It my case it was not that. I started believing in Barefoot & wanted to experiment the possibilities. Read multiple blogs on the web about barefoot hiking clubs & their experiences gave me the confidence to work on this.
On June 1st - 5 days before the actual journey started - i made the announcement to my group members, family & friends that i am doing Adi Kailash Barefoot. After a lot of if's & but's - on june 6th i packed my trekking shoes & my barefoot sandals as backup & reached Delhi for the trek.
The first 3 days of journey was in vehicles & did not create any hassles other than the weird stares i got for being barefoot. Being interviewed by the local news was even weirder
Day 1 of Trek - Mangti Naala to Gala
My first taste of the harsh terrain. We were climbing more height in less distance. The loose stones bothered me. Without shoes you cannot afford to have the skin under the feet have cuts because of loose stones. After 10minutes got the hang of staying on firm ground. Kept myself light on my feet to avoid staying too long on the mid-afternoon hot rocks. Brushed my toes against scorpion grass & the sting hurt me for the next 20minutes. Noted down mentally to stay away from this stingy herb. Overall a good & comfortable climb.
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| End of Day 1 |
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| At the start of the trek |
Day 2 of trek - Gala to Budhi
Big day today as we have to trek one of the toughest sections & it was day one of full day trek. Yesterday felt a little simple so increased the backpack weight to 5kgs & wanted to test my limits.
The terrain surprised me today. Lots of construction work going on & chiseled sharp stones & jelly was strewn all over the trek route. Something that was a complete surprise.
Started at 5.30. After an hr was able to pick up the rhythm. It was getting difficult to find neutral space to place my feet. My sole started hurting below the toes. Reached breakfast point at 9 & lunch point at 11. After a point it was my mental strength alone that kept me going. The old sore point under 2nd toe was hurting & every time I place on a small pebble it hurt even more. Hurt the toes 4/ 5 times on the rocks one toe bled a little.
Kept walking at very slow pace but at constant pace . A long tiresome painful 2hrs later reached camp at 4.30.
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| End of day 2 |
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| Kept cooling the feet wherever i found cold water |
Day 3 of trek - Budhi to Gunji
Put cotton under the 2nd toe area & taped it to reduce pressure
Started the day at 5 as usual.
Plan is to increase the pace today after Chialekh & see how well I walk. With the toughest section over i was a little relaxed.
As the ascent started the others slowed down I continued at my regular pace. It's quit a ascent to Chialekh. Didn't want to burn out. It was pretty much an even pace. Just kept my mind on having fun. Didn't worry too much about increasing pace. Terrain was simpler today with only animal poo bothering me. After a point it didn't matter
Reached breakfast place by 8.30. After which it was beautiful sights all around & i was beginning to be comfortable & normal with the barefoot walk
I know the feet look scary here - but they weren't bothering me. The corns you see on the big toe are something that i carried since my teenage. During this trek most of the excess skin came off by itself or I had to use nail cutter to trim it. Did not bleed - didn't hurt either . Yes my feet were sore - the marks of which was visible in the later part of the trek
Day 5 of trek - Kutti to Jolingkong
Today we would get the first sighting of Adi Kailash & everyone was very excited. Left a little early today. Because of the low temperatures my feet felt numb in the morning. Started my walk wearing warm thick socks. After about 15 minutes into the trek the feet had warmed up & then pulled out the socks. The next 5 hours were awesome views & a comfortable trek.
There were boulder mountains to cross, Jelly filled makeshift bridges, river streams with shaky boulders - all part of an exciting trek
Late afternoon is when i started to struggle - i was losing momentum - every step was an effort. Very soon realized that the oxygen levels were down. We were trekking at 14000ft & this particular section of 3kms took me 4hours. I was at my lowest point. Not sure if wearing shoes would have made a difference. My good friend Dr. Arora later mentioned that i was losing more energy as my feet had to do extra work to maintain body temperature.
At this point i just had to keep moving - one painful step at a time.
I laughed I cried I screamed but did not stop.
My trek buddies who were family now were there beside me - kept motivating. The last hour was excruciating pain & struggle.
But finally i made it - the first view of Adi Kailash was foggy as my eyes were filled with tears. 10 minutes & multiple hugs later - there i was - feeling a sense of achievement on being able to fulfill a dream that this trek can be done barefoot.
At Jolingkong hot soup & fellow trek mates helped recovery. Some of us were hit hard by the low oxygen levels. But the achievement of reaching till here kept all of us elated.
At this junction my fellow trek mates asked me to wear my shoes & trek as i had achieved what i had set out to prove. Lovingly i was threatened that they wouldn't wear warm clothing if i didn't wear footwear. I did agree to them though hesitatingly. The remaining part of the trek i did in barefoot sandals.
Left picture is at Delhi & right picture at Bangalore
Going barefoot takes time whether running or trekking or any other activity - as long as the transition is done slowly we wont be injuring our body. I believe today that with proper conditioning most terrains can be trekked barefoot. I am yet to experiment other terrains.
Anyone attempting going barefoot - please use caution & judgement for your own personal safety. This blog is a story of my personal experience & not be used as a benchmark. There are many many more who have done this trek barefoot & i do not claim to be the first or the last person to do it.
I would like to use this occasion to thank my family & friends who have become my extended family for always being supportive of my journeys & craziness - Love you all :)
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| Beginning of Day 3 - Note the injured 2nd rt toe |
Plan is to increase the pace today after Chialekh & see how well I walk. With the toughest section over i was a little relaxed.
As the ascent started the others slowed down I continued at my regular pace. It's quit a ascent to Chialekh. Didn't want to burn out. It was pretty much an even pace. Just kept my mind on having fun. Didn't worry too much about increasing pace. Terrain was simpler today with only animal poo bothering me. After a point it didn't matter
Reached breakfast place by 8.30. After which it was beautiful sights all around & i was beginning to be comfortable & normal with the barefoot walk
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| Terrain on Day3 |
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| End of Day 3 - Got used to the animal poop |
Day 4 of Trek - Gunji to Kutti
Today's trek is into the unknown - till today i knew the route & was surprised by the change in terrain due to the construction work going on. From today onwards the terrain is completely new to me. I was excited.
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| Slush on my feet |
We walked past the Gunji village in slush - it had poured last night. My feet were enjoying the slush today while everyone else were worried about wet shoes. The advantages of being barefoot :)
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| Terrain on Day 4 |
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| Terrain - Day 4 |
We stopped by the Kutti river - some amazing views by the cold water stream
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| By the Kutti River |
Pretty much an comfortable trek today - was mostly alone - enjoyed the solitude. Reached the 200 year old heritage home stay. Here i got hot water dish to soak my sore feet - Bliss !!
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| Soaking my feet in warm water with salt |
I know the feet look scary here - but they weren't bothering me. The corns you see on the big toe are something that i carried since my teenage. During this trek most of the excess skin came off by itself or I had to use nail cutter to trim it. Did not bleed - didn't hurt either . Yes my feet were sore - the marks of which was visible in the later part of the trek
Day 5 of trek - Kutti to Jolingkong
There were boulder mountains to cross, Jelly filled makeshift bridges, river streams with shaky boulders - all part of an exciting trek
Late afternoon is when i started to struggle - i was losing momentum - every step was an effort. Very soon realized that the oxygen levels were down. We were trekking at 14000ft & this particular section of 3kms took me 4hours. I was at my lowest point. Not sure if wearing shoes would have made a difference. My good friend Dr. Arora later mentioned that i was losing more energy as my feet had to do extra work to maintain body temperature.
 |
| At Jolingkong |
At this point i just had to keep moving - one painful step at a time.
I laughed I cried I screamed but did not stop.
My trek buddies who were family now were there beside me - kept motivating. The last hour was excruciating pain & struggle.
But finally i made it - the first view of Adi Kailash was foggy as my eyes were filled with tears. 10 minutes & multiple hugs later - there i was - feeling a sense of achievement on being able to fulfill a dream that this trek can be done barefoot.
That feeling - PRICELESS !!!
At Jolingkong hot soup & fellow trek mates helped recovery. Some of us were hit hard by the low oxygen levels. But the achievement of reaching till here kept all of us elated.
At this junction my fellow trek mates asked me to wear my shoes & trek as i had achieved what i had set out to prove. Lovingly i was threatened that they wouldn't wear warm clothing if i didn't wear footwear. I did agree to them though hesitatingly. The remaining part of the trek i did in barefoot sandals.
The remaining part of the journey was pretty simple - now that i have a layer of protection under my feet. I am not elaborating much of the remaining journey as the idea was to share the barefoot experience. Those interested in the entire trek story can check my facebook album
https://www.facebook.com/anitha.reddyyesh/media_set?set=a.10208304354280596.1073741861.1656105478&type=3
With lesser pressure on the sole my feet started to heal a lot faster than expected. Below are some pictures showing the transformation. You can see the red sore marks under the big toe.
I had 3 small injuries during this trek - First one at the tip of left big toe - second on my 2nd right toe & third on my left heel - all 3 healed by the time i reached Bangalore.
And a barefoot trekker is born :)
Below is the journey of my feet through the trek - notice the change in the shape of my feet
- Will i recommend barefoot treks - YES - Absolutely - With caution though
Going barefoot takes time whether running or trekking or any other activity - as long as the transition is done slowly we wont be injuring our body. I believe today that with proper conditioning most terrains can be trekked barefoot. I am yet to experiment other terrains.
- Will i wear shoes again - Maybe - Nothing is more important than safety
If i am in a terrain or journey where being barefoot is causing me problems - Yes i would put on my shoes/ sandals
I would like to use this occasion to thank my family & friends who have become my extended family for always being supportive of my journeys & craziness - Love you all :)
OM NAMAH SHIVAY
Finally u did something good mom😘😘😘
ReplyDeleteLove you my Prince !!
DeleteWell done.. superb.. In the list :-) Inspired
ReplyDeleteYou must Kamlesh - lovely trek. Let me know when you want to do it
DeleteAn awesome journey .. please be like this and do things as you think are true to your heart.
ReplyDelete