5 reasons why it’s a good idea to be a swimmer on a trek

You never know when your swimming skills might come in handy.

Swimming is an aerobic sport that’s good for the heart, while going easy on your joints and muscles. It’s one of the few sports that can be used to recover from other forms of intense exercise. It’s always a good idea to have this life saving skill handy, whether you’re a trekker or a water sports enthusiast. It’s especially beneficial to trekkers. Here’s why:

1. You are one less person to worry about: The first reason is from an organizers perspective, but it still matters. When you’ve successfully proven to the organizers that you can swim effortlessly in the deep pools of the forest, you are one less person they have to watch over. With more than enough on their hands to take care of, not having to watch over another person in the water can come as a blessing. Additionally, you could also volunteer to help them watch over the rest of the non-swimmers, of course while enjoying yourself as well. This significantly lightens their load, and also creates a bigger safety net for the entire group.
2. You’ll get across tricky sections easily: We come across many tricky technical sections on stream beds, where big boulders intersect with each other over small streams and vast pools. Sometimes, it does make one a bit shaky while crossing sections, where the gap between two boulders is too huge, and there is a stream in between. However, if you happen to be a swimmer, half the fear of crossing is already gone, as you are then only afraid of falling, instead of falling into the water, and drowning. This happens to reinforce point 1, as again, you are one less person to worry about for the organizers, and they can better direct their attention towards other participants.
3. You’ll have more fun: You might come across a natural slide, an over-the-water rope tree swing, or a diving spot at deep pools inside the forest. Such activities are better undertaken by swimmers due to the inherent risk involved. You’ll have more fun as you can easily get into such fun activities, without the fear of drowning. You can also access certain waterfalls that can only be reached by swimming, stand under the curtain of water, and enjoy the hydrotherapy. You can even get into some underwater exploration of your own. It’s right at those very moments, that you’ll be thankful for all the swimming classes you’ve taken.
4. It’s a great way to relax at the end of the day: What better way to rest your tired and aching muscles, after a long day of strenuous trekking, than by swimming laps at the campsite pool! This doesn’t necessarily mean you should camp next to a pool. But you are much better off going for a swim, as the last activity for the day. It helps not only in muscle recovery, but also gets your body tired enough, so that you can easily settle into a good nights rest after dinner. On occasion, it does happen that we might not feel sufficiently worn out with the day’s trek, and find it hard to fall asleep. A long, continuous swim always works with tiring the body out, without significantly impacting the muscles. And you’ll still be ready for the next days trek.
5. You might save someone’s life: This point applies only to those who have done advanced swimming and lifeguard courses, as it is well known that just any common swimmer cannot double up as a lifeguard. On the event or unforeseen circumstance that someone gets a cramp or starts drowning due to fatigue, a confident, expert swimmer with lifesaving skills won’t hesitate in jumping in and saving that persons life. Having an expert swimmer in the group is crucial to treks, as you are deep inside the forest and miles away from the nearest civilization and any kind of emergency service.

So there you go folks. Those are my five reasons on why it’s a good idea to be a swimmer on a trek. Do let me know in the comments, what is it about swimming and trekking excites you.