- You’ll travel differently.
Before I discovered hiking, my bucket list was made up of cities and major tourist attractions. I would always consult Lonely Planet to find out what the must-dos in any given country or region would be. At best, there were sometimes decent activities, such as wine tasting or a killer road trip, but the majority would be packed with tourists. It wasn’t until I found hiking that I truly found my own unique travel style. Now, instead of collecting stamps on my passport, I collect mountain summits. Turns out, cities are pretty boring compared to each country’s unique countryside.
- You’ll get seriously fit.
In my life, I’ve been an avid runner, turned triathlete, turned gym rat, turned yoga instructor (but still runner) but hiking is still one of the best forms of exercise I have found! Spend 6-8 hours per day on rough terrain, using aspects of the varying landscapes to challenge different parts of your body getting to the top of a several-thousand-foot mountain, and I promise you will start to see the kilos drop.
- You’ll understand our impact on the environment.
Sometimes it is easy to get disconnected from the world we live in. Living in the bubble that we call civilization, we forget that our actions, right down to what we eat for lunch, has an impact on our surroundings. While hiking, you find yourself back in nature and, therefore, forced to understand how you have an impact on the world. You notice that every footprint leaves a mark. That your simple presence has an effect on the wildlife around you, and that leaving something so small as the wrapper from your cereal bar would ruin the enjoyment of that place for others for years to come. Hiking can really cause you to reflect on your own impact on the bigger picture. Check this out
- You’ll learn to appreciate the little things…
I highly recommend doing at least one hike in your life where you really take your time. As in, making a twenty-minute hike take an hour. Take your time and admire the unique plants lining the trail, notice the life that surrounds you, the crunch of gravel under your feet. Of course, during any hike you will start to notice all the little details around you, and it is a refreshing change of pace from our normal, everyday, overwhelming way of life.
- …While learning to appreciate the vastness of the world.
Of course, when you reach the top of the mountain, you will likely be rewarded with a view that will make you contemplate the vastness of the world and how small and insignificant we are as individuals. That perspective in and of itself will change the way you think about life.
- You’ll meet amazing, like-minded people.
Especially if you have the guts and the opportunity to do a hike by yourself, you will likely meet others on the trail. Some of the most interesting people I have ever met have also been hiking alone to the summit. And hey, what a great excuse to invite a new friend to grab a beer and a bite to eat when you get back to civilization?
- You’ll have time for self-reflection
Of course, there will be those trails where you are practically alone in the wilderness. During this time, I quite enjoy having the time to think about anything and everything, no matter how big or small. Because you’re walking alone amongst nature, you won’t have any technology or other distractions to take you away from your thoughts, making it a great time to meditate or simply get lost in your own thoughts.
- You’ll overcome challenges
Hiking is a metaphor for life. You will face challenges that will make you question whether or not you can go on, and it in the end, it is only your own persistence and determination that will be there to motivate you. In the words of Sir Edmund Hillary, “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”
- Climbing a mountain is an accomplishment in and of itself
Once at the top, you will feel such a great sense of accomplishment and personal gratification that is unique to so many others. You will feel, quite literally, on the top of the world, exhausted yet exhilarated, knowing that you pushed yourself to reach the summit of a mountain. Pretty amazing.
- You’ll never be able to stop.
Once you start hiking, you won’t want to stop. It becomes a habit, or rather, an addiction. You will start counting the mountains summits you have reached and strive to climb the tallest mountain in every region you visit. Lucky for you, this is one of the healthiest addictions you will ever have. Browse this site And for better or worse (okay, probably just for the better), it will change your life.
Sarah
Check her out at: Lustrous Wandering
or on Instagram: @lustrouswandering
