Hit the gym? Watch a movie? Visit a museum? What can you do to get the most of the sunshine weekends when all the aforementioned are no longer possible?
This is where hiking has gained its popularity among the mass. Many have regarded it as a de-stressing activity to escape from the current COVID-19 woes. Snake queues can be observed at popular hiking spots such as Dragon’s Back, Tai Mo Shan and Lion Rock.
Here are five things you can do to protect yourself and the others while enjoying the hiking adventure:-
Maintain social distance with peers
Although hiking tops the chart in being one of the most group-friendly activities, it is recommended to hike in small groups to minimize the spread of the virus. Also, you should maintain social distance with one another, especially in narrow trails and resting areas where crowding are common.
Bring sufficient wipes and/or sanitisers
With that being said, it is also a good practice to bring along wet wipes and/or hand sanitisers. These would come in handy for cleaning your hands before and after eating and whenever needed.
Take care of young children
Kids may not be as conscious as adults when it comes to hygiene and safety. Therefore, parents of young kids bear an extra responsibility in being a good role model for their kids. They should also remind them to clean their hands often and reduce unnecessary gestures, such as rubbing eyes, hugging and tabbing shoulders.
Choose less popular hiking spots
If you plan to visit any of those those Instagrammable hiking places in the coming weekend, you are definitely not alone and will probably end up surrounding yourself with people rather than nature. Why not take this time to explore the less popular routes or simply those that are near to your home? For example, folks living in the New Territories may start their journey from Lam Tin and hike all the way to Tsuen Kwan O.
Carry your own rubbish
Last but not least, be a responsible citizen and always carry your own rubbish. While bins may not be common, this is not an excuse for disposing masks and water bottles in the woods which increases the chances of infection. Hence, a good idea would be to prepare a plastic bag for storing the used items during the hike.
Featured Image by Gabriela Palai from Pexels