One Year – Five Continents

“Ahhh, what a boring question!” You might think. If so, please feel free and close this blog entry, you might find something more interesting the next time around.

Let me start with why I hike: I am not sure! Perhaps I have to start with the fact that I love to hike but at the same time loathe to “go for a walk”. Aimlessly strolling around the neighborhood drives me nuts. At least a proper ice-cream, cake or coffee needs to be involved. If not, please leave me alone.

But if you are dangling a map with a hike of more than 100km, a story and the possibility of complete exhaustion in front of me, my mouth will water and I will be hooked.

Early teenage exposure might be one explanation. When I was fourteen our class teacher took us all the way through the Black Forest. About 38 horribly pubescent students who had to sleep in tents and cook their own meals, while hiking around 20 km every day, carrying their stuff in backpacks that were mostly too heavy.

Because my family did not have enough money to buy the equipment I had to make due with borrowed shoes (and the blisters that came with them), an old army backpack without a hip-belt. The sleeping bag was too thin, as was the sleeping pad. I was cold most of the time and thought I hated it. But I didn’t. Being all day in nature, seeing the change of scenery, picking berries and enjoying coming closer to our destination (Basel) was one of the best experiences during that time.

One would think, that I kept doing it but fact is, that I only picked it up again about 30 years later.

Back to the question, why?

First of all it is a manageable challenge that you can start with on many different levels. It makes no sense to try the PCT if you have hardly ever hiked before.

Then there is the different way of traveling, the slowing down and the possibility for your mind to actually follow you and the change of surroundings at the same speed.

But mostly it is a good way to walk away from things, situations, relationships, problems, or just your day to day life without running away but actually arriving. More often then not also to a conclusion.

Walking in the sense of covering long distances has healing powers.

When you ask people for their reasons you will frequently hear that the starting point of their love for hiking might either have been a personal crisis or as with me the experience as a young person that showed them that you are able to do more than you might think. Sometimes both.

Each of these stories are very powerful and full of inspiration if you listen carefully enough.

For my part each longer hike had its own purpose even if I did not know which at the start. Sometimes it felt a bit like in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the answer is 42 but what the heck is the question? This time around, with all the different locations and different hikes that I want to do it will be a lot of getting to know people and their stories, finding a new perspective without being rushed. My normal day to day life is busy enough and walking away from it for a while is a gift I give myself at this point of my life. Hiking my own hike.

It would be wonderful if you could share one of your hiking stories in the comments.