A chorus of birds surrounds me but, oddly, I can make out each individual call as if there were no others. A magpie, directly above my head, lets out its distinctive song. Flame robins and fairy wrens tweet and flutter in the dense scrub surrounding the track. The screech of a lone cockatoo abruptly cuts through.
As I feel the gentle breeze brushing my face, I hear it rushing through the leaves of the tall eucalypts. Then, suddenly, a loud creaking sound which seems out of place. I look around to find the source and notice a fallen tree, rubbing ever so slightly against another that broke its fall. My nostrils fill with the smell of damp leaf-litter, and a smile creeps slowly but uncontrollably across my face.
I realise that my shoulder, neck, and jaw muscles have loosened. My footsteps, breathing, and heartbeat are in sync. The colours of the bush seem brighter than before… For the first time in weeks, months even, I’m completely present and in the moment. Connected, once again… This, in itself, is reason enough to hike alone.
Don’t get me wrong, hiking is a great social activity. Sharing my love of the natural world with my favourite people is something I take great pleasure in doing. It’s even an excellent way to get to know new people; a shared experience stimulating deep, wall-breaking conversation. But to fully experience a place and give in to its power, hiking alone is the only way.
If you’ve never tried it before, seriously, get yourself out there. If you’re still not sold on the idea, here are four more reasons you should give it a try…
1. Make your own plans and stick to them.
Want to start early and see the sunrise from atop your favourite peak? I don’t know about your friends, but most of mine wouldn’t think much of this idea. It’s hard enough to get everyone in the car and leave town on time when you want to start hiking at 10am.
2. Go at your own pace.
I find hiking much less challenging when I can set my own pace. I’m not saying it always has to be fast, but going at whatever speed I feel at the time seems to cause me much less fatigue.
3. Stop to take a photo whenever you damned well please.
If I want to spend 15 minutes lying in the dirt, trying to get the right lighting and angle on a mushroom, I don’t need to hear the impatient groans of my fellow-hikers while I’m doing so.
4. Feel the blissful lack of responsibility.
When I take my mates hiking, I’m pretty much always the most experienced in the group. Whether it’s acknowledged or not, I feel a responsibility for those I’m walking with. When I’m solo, I’ve only got my own safety to think of.
Some might call me irresponsible for encouraging this, but I’m not saying you should hike solo without taking the necessary safety precautions. As I’ve said before, you’re putting your life at risk when you hike without company or access to emergency communication. There are plenty of stunning places you can hike that are covered by most mobile networks. So get out there and enjoy yourself sensibly.
Are you a solo hiker? Do you think solo hiking is irresponsible? If you have anything to say, please leave a comment below.
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Wow, almost two years ago I commented on this story, and I still get notifications that folks are talking about it. At the time I posted that I still hike alone for several reasons, and that my wife didn’t like it. However, not any longer. In fact I can’t even hike at the moment because severe arthritis has made it painful to even walk. I will hopefully be getting two hip replacements in the next few months, and I should be back out hiking by the fall. However, I will no longer hike alone because at my age it is probably not a good idea.
I have two websites that list hiking trails, one for where I used to live, one for where I live now. I want to be able to add new hikes to both. So pray for my new hips. Also, I have a fundraising page out there because folks have asked how they can help. If you can help, just go to my Hiking In Palm Springs website, there is a link to the fundraiser in the right column on that website. Not sure if I can put the website address here, so just Google Hiking In Palm Springs and you will find the website if you are interested.
For all of you who do still hike alone? I envy you. It was always something I enjoyed sometimes.
Thanks for your comment (again), Gary! I’m so sorry to hear about your arthritis. 🙁 I hope your hip replacements go well and you can get back out on the trail again, even if it has to be with company.
Cheers
Neil
Everyone else: If you’re interested in checking out Gary’s website and/or helping him raise funds, you can just click his name above to get to the Hiking in Palm Springs website.
Thank you! Hopefully I will be out by early fall with new hips enjoying the beautiful place I live (Bend, Oregon)!
I’ll be crossing my fingers and toes for you, Gary! All the best! 🙂
I fully agree, the benefits of solo hiking far outweigh the disadvantages.
Taking your time to wander through a wilderness area on your own can be a very powerful tool for self worth and wellbeing.
There is nothing like sitting on a crest somewhere looking out over the surrounding and thinking you are the only human being in your visible space.
You can move quietly so that nature comes to you and the rewards are quite large.
Of course solo hiking comes with responsibilities, such as adequate preparation and equipment (PLB, first aid training, communication plan etc) and notifying a reliable contact about your plans.
Having said this, it is an added bonus if there are other like minded hikers at the chosen campsite for the night, as social contact when the day is over is also a great thing.
Thanks Graham… I haven’t stumbled across any other hikers at campgrounds on my overnight adventures but that would definitely have been very welcome on some occasions. Having the campground all to yourself has its advantages too though I guess.
Cheers for your comment.
Neil
Great comments. The thing I like most about going solo I is I can be still & quiet for a while. Then all the more cautious & shy creatures come out. Also I don’t feel the pressure to rush like when with a group. So long as one has the right skills & equipment there is nothing irresponsible about going solo.
I agree totally, Chris! I’ve been called irresponsible in the past, but I believe I have the necessary skills or I wouldn’t be doing it. I carry a PLB, but that’s mainly for my family’s piece of mind.
Thanks for your comment.
Cheers
Neil
I don’t have any friends, so hiking alone is what I do. Its always fun and I never had any problem with it. Not too rare either, as I see everyone ranging from young women to elderly men hiking alone all the time. This is just for a few to several hours during the day though, I haven’t actually been backpacking or overnight camping.
A few times when I went on group hikes it wasn’t as enjoyable since as a naturally fast walker I’d have to spend a lot of time waiting for the rest of the group to catch up. I also rarely stick to plans, and much of the time the decision to go on a hike is spontaneous. Also I can extend my adventure, cut it short, explore new areas, take more difficult routes, okay to get myself wet, dirty and muddy.
I’d also feel that hiking with people would be more of a liability than an advantage. They’d get tired and have to rest, be careless and hurt themselves, not bring enough water and expect me to share with them. I encounter a lot of narrow, slippery, washed out trail conditions which require you to be very quick on your feet, and have an intuitive sense of physics to safely transverse.
Thanks for the comments. The freedom of not having to stick to a plan must be a big bonus, and I totally agree about the spontaneity factor (although that’s kind of gone these days with the step-kids).
Cheers
Neil
I’ve done it alone a few times but just make sure I tell others where I’m going and when I expect to be back. If I don’t return or check in at the alloted time they have instructions to raise the alarm. I tend to go fairly well equipped. If it’s just a day hike then I take overnight gear/supplies with me just in case. Better safe than sorry. I also study the weather forecasts carefully before I head off.
Hey Bec,
Thanks for the comments (here and on Facebook). Always better to be safe than sorry, so this is good advice.
Cheers
Neil
Totally agree Neil! I do a lot of solo hiking, either a long day on a weekend (when my wife looks after the kids), or during a schoolday if I can. Mostly in the wilds of Namadgi NP in the ACT, well outside mobile range…. I carry an EPIRB for ‘real’ emergencies and a satellite communicate (DeLorme inReach) for general ‘I’m OK’ or “I’ve got a flat tyre, will be late” 2-way messages, so I feel as safe as I could be (noting that, yes, I’m out by myself). The communicator in particular is great for my wife – it sends a tracking location every 10 minutes so she knows where I am. She’s also got map copies of where I’m going.
At the end of the day, it’s lovely just to get out by myself, even for a quick 2-3 hr walk up to one of the granite tors around here. I’m not totally averse to company though – as the kids get older hopefully they’ll be joining me!
Oh – I also meant to add that the one thing that’s different for me on a solo hike is that I’m much more risk-averse than when I have company.
I’ve driven almost 3hrs to the start of a hike to Mt Morgan (Bimberi wilderness part of Kosciusko NP), and turned around at the carpark to drive straight home because the weather was terrible and potentially dangerous. Similarly, I tend to avoid all but the most benign rock scrambling by myself – and yet when I’ve been walking with my wife or friends, I’ve gone in much worse weather and climbed things I’d never do by myself. Although it’s been hard to turn around short of a destination, I figure it’s much better than needing a rescue due to my own stubbornness!
I did make it up Mt Morgan on my second go… fantastic part of the world.
cheers, Chris
This is also true… I’m way more likely to take risks if I’m with a few mates. Just googled some photos of Mount Morgan… Wow! So gorgeous up there!
Cheers
Neil
Hey Chris,
I’ve actually only done a couple of solo hikes in the last year, since I’ve been living with my step-kids. I haven’t been hiking as much as I used to in general but, as you’ve mentioned, as the kids get older I hope to do a lot more with (one or both of) them joining me. The DeLorne is a great idea – I totally agree. I’m usually most worried that my lady will be at home freaking out about me, so it would be good to have that contact.
Cheers
Neil
The experts are agin it of course. However I have done it for years. Local hiking close to towns is pretty safe as you will have mobile coverage. Solo hiking in large isolated places you need to be careful, prepared, and carry GPS and EPIRB and mobile
It is different hiking alone. You need to be able to plan, read maps, and be comfortable with yourself.
I once did Healesville (Melb) to Tom Groggin (NSW border)by myself. Real hard in 1978 but planning and experience made it OK. I still hike around part of Kosciuszko by myself and often meet others doing the same.
Once you have done this for a while it sort of gets in the blood and you often long to get out there and do it. It is often just great to get away and defrag ones brain
PS take a good light book and extra LED light in case you need to spend time in a tent or hut
“You often long to get out there and do it” – Couldn’t agree more, Greg!
Healesville to Tom Groggin sounds like an awesome trip. Wow!
Cheers for the comments.
Neil
I’m a solo hiker as well. There’s also another big reason to walk alone : you can go wherever you want. It could be a 6h drive away, you can do it. Most of my friends would hate driving so much. Others would hate having to walk more than 4 hours a day. Another one hates camping etc etc…
And, as you said, they don’t stop for wildlife, flowers, or just take in the view in about 10 sec. And at the end of it they take pride in having completed the hike in the fastest time possible (“they said 3h and we did it in 2, woohoo !”)… I couldn’t care less about that… I still hike with my mates from time to time, but it’s usually easy walks with beaches or nice views. Walking at sunrise or sunset is something I regularly do too, better light for better photos, and less people walking the track.
So far I’ve never had any trouble, although I’ve slipped a few times and could have hurt myself badly without a bit of luck. I haven’t done any solo off-track though, and it’s probably something I wouldn’t consider since I don’t have a GPS. I’m also a wildlife watcher, and being alone allows you to be quieter. I’m also gonna try nocturnal wildlife watching, with a spot light, and I doubts my friends would find that very enticing either.
These are also very good points! Thanks for the comments, Hallu! 🙂
Cheers
Neil
This is great. After rearing five children (now grown)and having to adjust my pace to theirs for many years, I love my solo time on trails. You nailed it with #4.
Thanks Ellen! Yes, you would definitely have an extra appreciation for solo hiking now! 🙂
Cheers
Neil
I have walked a lot on my own for all the above reasons, including a twist on reason one; Make your own plans and CHANGE them; no need to consult, discuss, agree, just change the plan anytime, especially how far you walk in a day and where to camp.
Love your blog
Hi Noelene!
Glad you like the blog. Totally agree with your twist. Happy walking!
Cheers
Neil
As of today I’m faced with walking the heysen without my walking mate. As a woman who does solo hikes how have you found it? Saftey wise. If I was a man I could just go and do it no worries.
Hi Shaz
I also have concerns when walking solo. Only you can make a decision on what is safe for you and I have no experience on the Heysen Trail (hopefully that changes someday!).
Here are some of the ways I look after my personal security while bushwalking alone.
Stay away from campsites with drive in access (legal access or otherwise); I feel any threat will come from someone other than a fellow walker. Pick up water at a campsite and move on.
The above point also applies to camping near a trackhead, which usually will have road access. Walk on further.
Be circumspect with who you share information on your intentions with when passing through a town. ‘I’m walking the — Track’ is preferable to ‘I’m walking southwards on this track and plan the camp at X tonight’, depending on who you are talking to.
Of course a trusted, reliable person at home will know your intentions.
Put any risk of danger in perspective. I live in a big city, Perth. The crime rate is increasing all the time. I feel safer (and I am quite certain I am much statistically safer) out on the trail than I am in the city.
I like to have some means of communication on the trail; Spot beacon, PLB (both one way comms only), sat phone, whatever works for the situation.
Is there a Heysen Trail group you can email and ask for advice? I walked the Bibbulmun Track solo (except last 200 kilometres when a friend joined me) and at my request the Bibbulmun Track Foundation passed my email address onto two other female solo walkers and so I had some people that had ‘been there, done that’ to field my questions.
Cheers
Noelene
Neil you are right on all counts regarding solo hiking. I’m a retired 64 yr old male and frequently walk alone in the Australian bush. I completed a solo 969 km walk on the Bibbulmun Track and loved every minute of it. On the safety front I use a SPOT messenger, which allows me to send a GPS position with a short message when I reach my daily destination. The unit also has an SOS function should you get into a life threatening situation that will activate the relevant emergency services to come pull your butt out of the fire. This keeps all the family members very happy. My Grand kids use the daily message function to track me all over the world. Just completed the Camino de Santiago 4 weeks ago and had a whole mob of folks following my trail across Spain.
Sounds like a great idea, Hedley! Geez you get around a bit… I hope I get to do the same one day! Thanks for commenting.
Cheers
Neil
Truly awe-inspiring walks! My brother also just completed the Camino from Saint Jean-Pied-de-Port (about a week ago). I can’t get my head around those distances. Amazing.
There are also demonstrated benefits of finding solitude in nature – as well as greater chances of seeing wildlife. Being alone in nature simply makes it easier, I think, to feel connected to the wild. I explore the benefits and challenges of solo hiking on my own blog.
Thanks for the link, Scott!
I don’t think solo hiking is irresponsible, I am a 57 year-old male who does it all the time. However my wife doesn’t like it, especially at my age. Perhaps you should mention some precautionary thinks solo hikers should do. Like make sure your cell phone is with you and charged, have plenty of water, food, etc. And make sure you tell someone where you are going, and stick to that plan in case something happens. My wife also like me to hike in places where there will be other hikers every now and then.
Hi Gary,
I did link back to my snake safety article, which includes all of those sort of tips. Maybe I need to do another post on hiking alone safely. I’ll give it some thought. Thanks for the comment!
Cheers
Neil
I do like to hike alone, reasons number 2 and 3 are part of the reason. And I like to just sit on a rock and listen and watch the animals, insects and everything else. Nice blog!
Reckon I will have to give it a go Alison. Just because of point number 3!!