One of the most important aspects of planning your journey through the mountains is food planning. As an Alpine style hiker you have to carry all your gears including clothing, camping gears and food. Food is energy for the hiker but adds weight so it’s therefore important to optimize your food based on the estimated duration of your journey.
Duration of your hike depends on many factors – distance, fitness level, weight of your backpack, elevation gain, season, terrain, weather, etc. When exploring a new route there is more uncertainty on trail and terrain ahead and estimating of the traverse becomes more complex. Generally, as one becomes more experienced, hiking different routes in different terrains and during different seasons one becomes much better at estimating the duration of his hiking journeys to plan the optimum food ration.
Food Ration
Expeditions usually carry large and heavy food supplies on horses sufficient to feed the group for weeks. As an alpine style hiker I optimize / minimize my food ration by carrying just enough food to reach the next human settlement where I resupply my ration. This minimizes weight I carry along on my back.
Going lightweight (optimize food, shelter, gears…) allows me to go fast and reach the next settlement much quicker with less food. Packing more weight will reduce your speed, increasing the number of days to reach the next supply point, having to carry more food, further increasing weight and reducing speed. Slower pace – more weight – becomes a vicious circle.
Cooking
One important decision is whether to cook food during your hike. Carrying cooking gears (stove, fuel) will increase weight and slow you down. This means a longer journey, which in turns means you ll have to carry more food. Eating a cooked meal at the end of a intense hiking day can be tasty but comes with a price.
As an alpine style fast hiker I generally do not cook as I cross most passes and reach the next village within 1-2 days where I can enjoy a hot meal without the extra cost (weight, time) of cooking myself.
As a minimalist hiker I do have a lightweight cooking solution (used mostly on longer traverses). Camphor or 50ml kerosene to start a fire and a lightweight aluminum plate to cook food. Before the campsite I collect dry wood (foothills) and dry dung (Ladakh) which makes a good fuel. Sprinkle some kerosene or use some camphor to fire up your natural fuel. This approach minimizes weight.
Food Selection
For the first day, I usually pack up freshly cooked food in the last village which easily lasts for 24-36 hours (cold climate). Paratas, chomwin, rottis, mommos, egg bun, etc. Freshly cooked food is nutritious but usually also a bit heavier. I eat a good meal twice a day (late breakfast and dinner) and manage with snacks (fruits, peanuts, biscuits, chocolates) throughout the rest of the day.
As a faster hiker I burn lots of calories and need to resupply the lost energy / salts. Peanuts (salts) and chocolates (sugar) replenishes my depleted reserves fast. For day 2 and beyond I manage with packed cold nutrition – jaggery/peanuts, biscuits, nuts & dry fruit, etc. As a fast hiker 90% of my traverses are just 1-2 days so I can manage with minimal / packed / cold food.
Only for longer traverses (3 days+) in more remote regions of Ladakh I do cook for dinner – e.g. white oats (500gr gives 5 meals, quick to cook). A loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter can also get you through 2-3 days without adding too much of extra weight. Chose food which is light and gives more nutrients (calories) per gram
Hospitality
Hospitality cannot be predicted nor should it be assumed. But as you explore the lesser known regions far away from touristic and commercial regions, you come across frequent hospitality. Out of 120 days in my Trans Himalayan Journey of 2019 at least 40% of the days I stayed with local villagers, shepherds, mountain tribes… which offered freshly cooked, home grown food. Especially in the summer season you come across many shepherds and mountain tribes in the high meadows which treat you as a royal guest. This further energizes your alpine exploration journey into the lesser known regions.
Assignment
Acknowledge your understanding of the importance of estimating the duration of your journey in order to optimize food ration and minimize weight. The more food you carry, the more weight, the slower pace, longer duration again adding more food and weight.
