Break away: Climbing Mt Tamalpais
Vahishta Mistry in India
Give in to the lure of the redwood trees on the Marin Hills, San Francisco.
Mt Tamalpais (or Mt Tam, as locals call it) is an imposing mountain. When you’re prepping for a hike up its winding trails, even before you set foot on the mountain, you’re reminded of the need to have respect for this creature of serpentine rock and soil, because it looms over you, and you can see the shadows of groves and clearings on its shoulders. No wonder the Native Americans who named it (‘tamal pajis’ means Western Mountain) had legends of evil spirits living on the peaks. To see what was up there, I joined a group of hikers on a lovely spring morning being led by Debra Schwartz from Tam Hiking Tours, who I had met a few weeks ago.
The redwood trees are another reason to visit the mountain. Redwoods need to be below the fog line, because their primary need is water - redwoods can absorb about 40 litres of water a day to survive. So they only grow in a narrow strip of land from Northern California to Oregon, along the ocean. Mt Tam is great for redwoods because, with its various faces and deep soils the trees can suck up the moisture from the air and dig deep to anchor themselves. Some of the oldest trees are thousands of years old. Which is why, you feel as if you’re in a cathedral when you walk through a redwood grove. Everything is quiet, sepulchral. The susurration that you’re used to hearing in a forest is muted since the leafy boughs are so far above you.
We passed through two redwood groves and a ‘nursery’ - a grove where young redwoods had taken root. Each time, conversation dipped and a holy silence descended, to match the forest. We crossed wooden bridges over mountain streams - Mt Tam does a splendid job of drawing in water from the air and the storms that frequently pass by, so there are always babbling brooks and gurgling pools of water.
As we hiked higher in the sunshine, the heat and the humidity grew but the cool ocean breezes made sure that we weren’t uncomfortable. While I’ve hiked higher and farther, Tamalpais is more of a slow and gentle contemplative hike, rather than one that shocks you with its gruelling brutality. Everything is engineered to give you a pleasant, peaceful experience, rather than an extreme adventure.
Another way that Mt Tam differs from other trails I’ve hiked, is by providing an amazing experience on the return journey as well. Usually, you hike up, and that’s glorious, but the trip down is a slog, when you’re tired and hungry - but the easy pace we set and the refreshing nature of the mountain made returning to ground level a snap. As I trudged off to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal to catch the evening ferry home, I realised just how much fun I had had, without even being conscious of it at the time. I was energised and tired at the same time.
Vahishta Mistry, a 31-year-old marketing professional did something most of us have only dreamed of doing. He sold his possessions and set out to explore the world. Have a question for him? Ping him @vahishta and he’ll answer them here
Give in to the lure of the redwood trees on the Marin Hills, San Francisco.
Mt Tamalpais (or Mt Tam, as locals call it) is an imposing mountain. When you’re prepping for a hike up its winding trails, even before you set foot on the mountain, you’re reminded of the need to have respect for this creature of serpentine rock and soil, because it looms over you, and you can see the shadows of groves and clearings on its shoulders. No wonder the Native Americans who named it (‘tamal pajis’ means Western Mountain) had legends of evil spirits living on the peaks. To see what was up there, I joined a group of hikers on a lovely spring morning being led by Debra Schwartz from Tam Hiking Tours, who I had met a few weeks ago.
Mt Tamalpais is known for many things. It’s the birthplace of mountain biking (on our hike up we were passed by huffing and puffing bikers who were pedalling their way up the switchbacks and blind curves of the mountain trails) and it’s one of the best places to get a bird’s eye view of the surrounding Bay Area. It’s also deceptive in many ways. The weather on the mountain, for example, changes rapidly and it mirrors San Francisco’s micro-climates. The morning when I started was cold, raw and foggy, but within an hour of setting off, we broke through the fog and were suddenly bathed in a patch of clear blue skies and warm sun.
The redwood trees are another reason to visit the mountain. Redwoods need to be below the fog line, because their primary need is water - redwoods can absorb about 40 litres of water a day to survive. So they only grow in a narrow strip of land from Northern California to Oregon, along the ocean. Mt Tam is great for redwoods because, with its various faces and deep soils the trees can suck up the moisture from the air and dig deep to anchor themselves. Some of the oldest trees are thousands of years old. Which is why, you feel as if you’re in a cathedral when you walk through a redwood grove. Everything is quiet, sepulchral. The susurration that you’re used to hearing in a forest is muted since the leafy boughs are so far above you.
We passed through two redwood groves and a ‘nursery’ - a grove where young redwoods had taken root. Each time, conversation dipped and a holy silence descended, to match the forest. We crossed wooden bridges over mountain streams - Mt Tam does a splendid job of drawing in water from the air and the storms that frequently pass by, so there are always babbling brooks and gurgling pools of water.
As we hiked higher in the sunshine, the heat and the humidity grew but the cool ocean breezes made sure that we weren’t uncomfortable. While I’ve hiked higher and farther, Tamalpais is more of a slow and gentle contemplative hike, rather than one that shocks you with its gruelling brutality. Everything is engineered to give you a pleasant, peaceful experience, rather than an extreme adventure.
Another way that Mt Tam differs from other trails I’ve hiked, is by providing an amazing experience on the return journey as well. Usually, you hike up, and that’s glorious, but the trip down is a slog, when you’re tired and hungry - but the easy pace we set and the refreshing nature of the mountain made returning to ground level a snap. As I trudged off to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal to catch the evening ferry home, I realised just how much fun I had had, without even being conscious of it at the time. I was energised and tired at the same time.
Vahishta Mistry, a 31-year-old marketing professional did something most of us have only dreamed of doing. He sold his possessions and set out to explore the world. Have a question for him? Ping him @vahishta and he’ll answer them here
