A Happy Hiker

So, we’re in another lockdown and while spring is supposed to be on its way with sunnier skies and an easing of restrictions, I also thought it an apt time to look back at some of my adventures before I can embark on some new ones. In other words, yes, it’s grey outside, I’m supposed to be writing an essay and I’m feeling nostalgic.

While I started – and have barely maintained – this blog as a sort of travel blog, it largely consists of me rambling to myself about what I’ve been up to. I guess it also keeps the parents happy knowing that I’m still bobbing along in Scotland and haven’t quite given up the uni life yet. And, in case you haven’t seen all my photo spam, a lot of what I’ve been up to involves a hill. Full disclosure: I am not a very good or a very serious hiker. I am not about to impart wisdom about dealing with storms on snowy mountains, how to survive multi-day expeditions or what to pack when crossing a desert. In fact, if you’ve read any of my previous posts or spoken to me for longer than 10 minutes, you’ll realise that I often get myself in scrapes with no map, no compass, no clue where I’m going or what conditions I’ll face and probably spend most of time walking up a hill wishing I was down it. And with all that fuss, why on earth do I even bother? Why do I like hiking? Well, it’s about to start raining and it’s a Wednesday where procrastination seems to be my only option so I might as well try and answer that question.

Firstly, it’s the feeling of being outside. Just getting outside and breathing in fresh air makes me feel better – physically and mentally. I know I sound like your mother when you’re sat in front of the tv, or even the games teacher at school while you’re panting around another lap of the track, but it’s true. I feel better outside. As soon as I’m outside, even when it’s raining or windy or foggy or cold, I can stretch out my legs, forget about the work that I’m supposed to be doing and actually just relax. It’s a way of switching off. If I’m out walking, it doesn’t matter the distance, I can turn my phone off and just enjoy the peace and quiet. If I’m doing a longer hike, I’ll lose signal and then it doesn’t matter what my to-do list is at home because in that moment I can’t do anything. I can’t work while walking. I can’t respond to calls when walking. I can’t scroll through social media, read a book, annotate articles or send emails. All I can do is put one leg in front of the other and keep my hands free – something that’s especially important when you’re as clumsy as me.

This brings me on to another advantage: goal-shifting. I was out on a hill with a friend when we chatted about why we like hiking and when I explained my reasons she summed it up neatly in the idea that we are shifting our goals. When you are always working towards the next deadline, the next project or the next promotion, those long-term goals keep you motivated and looking forward. But it’s difficult to monitor your progress and therefore feel that sense of accomplishment that comes with the progress when it’s all so far in the future. When you shift your goal to something tangible and achievable in a day, it helps you realise your own strength and success. If you look at the top of a hill and think: “I want to be on top of that hill by lunch” then you can physically see your goal and you can physically see when you’ve achieved it. You can stand on top of the hill and look at the distance you’ve walked, the height you’ve climbed and recognise your own strength. In that moment, what matters is the accomplishment of one single goal that you know you can do. When I’m stressed about all sorts of things beyond my control, getting outside and to a hill helps shift my perspective to what I am able to control and what I can do.

It also allows you to recognise what your body is capable of doing. When I climb a hill, I know that it is down to my own body alone – and my mind – that gets me to the top. I wasn’t carried, I didn’t buy my way to the top, I didn’t drive. It was me. Again, it’s that sense of accomplishment and appreciation for my body that keeps me motivated for the next hill. And the next. It doesn’t matter how big the hill is, I always find it helps me recognise my own strengths. Hiking forces me to look at my body in a different way – to appreciate it for what it can do rather than what it looks like. I have often struggled with body positivity – as have many - and can often end up in the rabbit hole of social media and its unrealistic portrayals of how a person should look. Getting up a hill changes that for me. Calories become fuel and energy to help me reach the top, rather than something to be scared of or avoid. Makeup is unnecessary, clothing just warmth and my hair is always tied back. How I look doesn’t matter because I’ve shifted my goal. Tying this all together, hiking also makes me feel strong. Many people underestimate how good it is at improving your fitness and after several days of hiking anywhere, the hills start to feel easier and the days of walking shorter.

I still get tired, I still get wet and cold, I still spend half my time wondering what on earth I’m doing on this godforsaken hill but – as another friend called it – I always get the “secondhand” enjoyment. The smile once I’m safely back in the warmth and the conviction that it was fun, even if I didn’t fully realise it at the time. And on top of that, look what I did! Look what I climbed! And if someone joins me, then they’re normally grinning right there beside me even if they didn’t expect to. So, while I realise that hiking is not everyone’s thing and I’m certainly not very good at it, this was just an excuse to say some of the reasons why I still do it and will hopefully keep doing it, provided the sun does come out eventually. And there are so many more reasons! In typical Sophie-style, I could babble away for hours! But, I’m getting hungry, it’s time for lunch and the word count on my essay isn’t getting any higher so if you made it this far, thanks again for listening to some more of my nonsense.