I hosted a group of first-timers to hike Guadalupe. There were 7 in the group. We had 2 meetings prior to us departing. I had to give them a heads up on preparation and fitness levels required to complete the hike. Preparation is such an integral part of hiking. I could not stress enough and insisting on their being prepared for the unexpected. As luck would have it, Paul gets a case of the blisters on the first leg of the hike. Fortunately, we are prepared to remedy this situation. He is able to continue. He gets a second blister attack on the 3rd leg of the hike. Once again prep saves the day. Two hikers become fatigued and one hiker runs short on water. However prep saves the day again. For the most part this is a typical Guadalupe peak hike. The hike begins climbing from the outset. These first-timers are quite taken back by the ruggedness of the area. Several are quite surprised by the fitness level that ones needs for this hike. For all of them, this is their first real hiking challenge. They were quite thankful for all the prep we did. We summitted 3.5 hours after we started. The weather was perfect! Lots of ladybugs on the summit. I owe the success of this trip to preparation. I am looking forward to hosting another group in October. Images
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Guadalupe Mountains National Park
