Rookie Year Insights from the Differently-Abled Adventure League
7 Tips to Help You Get Off the Bench and Coach Up Your Limitations
As we age, our physical abilities are a bit like today’s glaciers — melting away more rapidly than we’d like. Giving up what we love as life conditions make us “less able” due to age, illness or capabilities is a tough pill to swallow, especially when you were once a highly abled Division I athlete. As I’ve had my share of health challenges in the past decade, the reality of what I can no longer do could be the focus if I let it be. Osteoarthritis in my lower back and hips is slowly stealing my flexibility and ability to stay active, mainly walking, hiking, and backpacking. Depressing? Sure, at times, but instead of sitting on the bench, I’ve recently been drafted as a rookie on the differently-able #teamadventure to reimagine outdoor experiences.
Part of newbie 101 onboarding is in learning terminology, acronyms, and what not to say. I realize words matter and am sensitive to other life travelers who prefer the terms “disabled, ” “handicapped,” or anything else they choose to identify with. For me, “differently-abled” seems a good fit— preferring to approach my current abilities differently.
Having just returned from an incredible trip from the Pacific Northwest, I can attest that even though I couldn’t hike the 10–20 miles per day like “A” team adventures of the past, my 2–5 mile hiking treks were rewarding in totally new and unexpected ways. Below are my tips for traveling as “differently-abled,” designed to help and empower others facing similar challenges with declining or different abilities.
Do your research.
As you plan your trip or day adventure, reach out to others who know the area and can help assist you with the conditions and the types of equipment and supplies you may need to support your vision. Websites are a great help, so are tips from similarly abled friends. Plan to do your research well beforehand to make your trip work for you (including your lodging). Whether it's becoming familiar with the type of trail or surface conditions, incline grades, mileage, rest areas, or emergency services, plan now to plan well. You may want to explore being matched with someone of like abilities or visit sites like Disabled Travelors.com for a list of travel agents and other services to assist with your planning.
Bring along a travel companion.
You can choose to adventure by yourself, or I recommend a travel companion if you have one. Your “ person” can drop you off closer to critical connection points, assist with luggage, travel aids and help navigate unexpected challenges. Create time buffers in your travel plans to get to the gate, board, etc., and reduce the stress and anxiety of lines and delays. My awesome husband dropped me off curbside at the airport check-in and then dealt with the car to minimize my travel travails and maximize my energy. If you can’t count on TSA Precheck, enroll in services like Clear to speed up your trip through security. Bake in extra time for nuances like traffic delays and airport or station surprises (like construction or closed parking areas or check-in desks due to worker shortages). Bring along a good book in the happy event that all goes smoothly and you have time to spare.
Pack equipment to assist your abilities.
What equipment will help you make the most of your adventure? For me, that was hiking poles. And you know what? I totally forgot them :(. As I was keenly focused on being the support team (quartermaster) for my husband and son for their Mt. Rainier summit attempt, I focused on their needs. I didn’t pack my poles and gloves and ended up using found sticks on the trail for a day (not recommended), borrowing my husband’s poles and gloves on his rest day, and renting poles from RMI. It makes a difference to have two hiking sticks for balance and support on the ups and downs of mountain hikes. Your assist might be a cane or walker, wheelchair, braces, or other specialized support equipment. If these tools enable you to get outdoors, stop worrying about what others think and start using them!
Set your own pace.
As we are less able to keep up with the pace of others, a first reaction may be for you to start shutting down invitations, thinking you can’t do it anymore. For me, instead of hiking with my family (who are still fully able and hike way too fast and far for me now), I tried solo hiking. We traveled together, left from the same starting point, shared trail routes, arranged a meet-up spot, estimated rendezvous time, then went our separate ways. Yes, you can go at your own pace, and it opens up possibilities to see things through a whole new lens. Also, don’t apologize for going your own pace. If someone’s speed is pushing you too much, empower them to go ahead and set a meeting point to check in for safety.
Ask for help when you need it.
Yes, sometimes we need help, and as we age, there seems to be a stigma against asking for it to avoid exposing our weakness. I say “phooey” to that. I am working on figuring out new ways to invite others to my level of abilities. People want to help, but at times don’t know how or where to start. Being specific about your needs smooths the way for all (Could you please carry my backpack? Can you please drop me off at the door and then park the car?)
Help should not be viewed as an imposition, but rather as something that enables you to #adventureon.
Enjoy being outdoors.
What do you love about being outdoors? Bird watching? Photography? Painting? Writing? People watching? Guess what? Now is your opportunity to reimagine your adventure by starting with your passion and working with your different abilities to fit around that. It is photography for me, so instead of focusing on keeping up with others in my group, solo hiking enabled me to take cues from my body and surroundings to determine my pace. When I saw an interesting landscape or nature scene, I sat down to be fully present, fully immersed in it, instead of just walking by it thinking I should stop. The photos featured in this blog are from my Mt. Rainier, WA hikes, where I did just that, and I was so happy to be outdoors and able to appreciate and capture what I experienced.
Plan to rest.
You know your body and what it is capable of doing right now. For me, I have the most energy in the morning, so I tend to rise on rooster time and make the most of my day. This leaves afternoons free for the “3 R’s”: recovery, reading, and relaxation. Alternatively, afternoons are also good for car/bus/train sightseeing, extra-long mealtimes, and enjoying the company of my traveling companions and friends we meet along the way. Breaks will also help you restore your energy, so stop when you need to and soak in your surroundings. We tend to race through life all too much, so feel empowered to slow down. The upside about being differently-abled is that it calls you to travel pole pole (or “slowly, slowly” in Swahili).
I’m eager to hear about your tips for differently-abled adventures, so please contribute comments to help others help themselves. It’s time to get off the bench and keep enjoying what you like to do. Remember to do your research, bring along a travel companion, pack your assistive equipment, set your own pace, ask for help, enjoy the outdoors and rest when you need it. There is so much out there to enjoy, and nature awaits. #adventureon
