Green/Amber/Red

Now, these are 3 colours that I would not normally be that focused on outside of pulling up to traffic lights in the EverTruck.

But this isn't about colours or even about traffic lights (For those Amber gamblers out there).

However, it is about your comfort zone and those 3 colours.

Stay with me!

It came about way back last year when we were at the Keswick Mountain Festival where I had the pleasure of listening to a talk from UK climber Emily Hall.

The words 'Comfort zone' and 'Why you should spend less time outside your comfort zone' got my attention and Emily talked a lot of sense around this.

Emily who's a bit of a gnarly climber on some pretty epic pitches here in the UK, was doing a short talk about her climbing career and tackling some new challenging routes. As her talk went on, she had a very different view on comfort zones where the aim should be to spend more time INSIDE our comfort zone or zone of comfortability rather than OUTSIDE of it.

Different ehh!

Her philosophy was that there are 3 parts or zones to your comfort zone.

Green - This is the place where you are doing an activity like climbing or for us, it might be trekking and you're at a super comfortable level where you don't have to even think about what you are doing. It comes naturally and no concentration is needed. You may even be chatting to friends or taking pictures whilst doing it, it's that comfortable.

Amber - This takes the activity to the next level where you are pushed to your limits but there's no real danger and you have to concentrate and think about what you're doing to succeed.

Red - This is the big one and it's the zone where if you put one foot wrong, it could kill you. The ultimate concentration is needed here.

Emily mentioned that whilst most people talk about getting out of their comfort zone(I would normally fall into this bracket) so time spent in the Amber or even Red zone, she thinks that you need to instead, expand your 'Green Zone' rather than trying to do the other 2.

The more time spent in 'Green' the better as this is where you can enjoy it the most and where you're not in danger. If people spend too long in the Red or Amber zones, eventually something will happen that's out of their control.

So by becoming more comfortable and becoming more proficient in your chosen activity, this would therefore in turn expand that green zone where you know you're enjoying yourself a lot more than you would in a dangerous or stressful situation.

I thought this was a very interesting spin on things as the way she explains it, makes complete sense to me now.

Putting this theory into action on a high-altitude trek like Everest Base Camp or Kilimanjaro The Long Way for example where you spend more time you're in the green zone, means you're going to have a more enjoyable time

I'm certainly a person that's spent time in Amber and Red many times across different activities but because I've dipped my toe into those zones and the danger that comes with it, my green zone has EXPANDED to cover those previously dangerous situations where I don't really have to think about it any more.

The more you learn about altitude, the better you can prepare and manage your body at high altitude. Simple things like drinking more water, managing your trekking pace, and the way you think about the trek. It all adds up!

An educated trekker has a far better chance of success and a far more enjoyable experience than someone who doesn't know these things.

It really is that old saying of 'Knowledge dispels fear'.

So as you head off into the depths of February on more adventures, do have a think on this process.

I know it's a slightly different way of approaching the 'Comfort Zone' idea but let me know how you get on growing your green zone!