When it comes to hiking, we have group hiking or solo hiking, which they have their own benefits.
If you are a solo hiker, group hiking might annoy you. You hate to deal with people’s issue, which they might complain or give unnecessary comment on you.
Sometimes, you wonder how group leaders and sweepers deal with these. That must be a headache. That’s why you don’t bother to lead any group.
Plus, group hiking might be noisy, which hinders you from enjoying silence moment and solitude.
You believe you are strong. You can do everything all by yourself. And you don’t have to deal with those people’s nonsense. – These are what make you a solo hiker.
This is one side of group hiking that you perceive. What about the other side?
In contrast, you might prefer group hiking. But, what makes you prefer this? Plus, have you considered what benefits you might get from group hiking?
That’s why I want to talk about the benefits of group hiking.
To me, there are 8 benefits of group hiking, which I find group hiking is lit. See whether you agree with these group hiking benefits or not.
1. Wide range of people
Whenever you join a group hike, try to pay attention to each member. They are young, old, newbies, or experienced.
Meaning, you get to see diverse mixture of people in your group hike. And it’s perfectly common to see this.
You might think this is not a good hike, as this variation drags the pace of group. Surprisingly, this makes group hiking fun and unique. During the hike, you can see how hikers interact with each other.
Thanks to the low entry level, everyone can hike even with zero experience.
So, you can form a group to hike with your family members, ie. grandparents, parents, children,etc. – Hence, group hiking is perfect for family bonding.
You seldom see other group outdoor activities cater to wide range of people like group hiking, right?
Never assume young hikers are always better / faster than old hikers. I met several fit, old hikers who can hike really well and faster than the young ones.
Or, try PAIR HIKING as a date with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Let’s spice up your date and forget about the boring dating routine. – You might be surprised where pair hiking strengthens the relationship.
2. Social connectedness
Our ancestors live in groups to survive and thrive. Same goes to many other species of animals, such as elephants, dolphins, ants, etc.
Even after tremendous change of our lifestyle since ancient time, we still crave for social connectedness. We work, chat, or play. We can’t live without social connectedness.
In fact, this is vital for our mental health. A study published by Sage Journals shows that social connectedness and mental health have reverse causal relationship.
In the study, the researchers found that:
- Social connectedness is a predictor of mental health (F1)
- Mental health is a predictor of social connectedness (F2)
- F1 is stronger than F2
However, the author of the study also mentioned that merely showing up for group outings doesn’t really lead to social connectedness. – Meaning, we need interaction.
For group hiking, not only do we show up for the hike, but we often interact with each other during the hike.
You all chat, share opinions, and laugh together during the hikes. At that moment, your mood greatly improves. – It feels good, right?
And these are just some basic forms of interaction.
Plus, don’t assume solo hiking doesn’t need interaction. Many solo hikers make new friends when hiking solo. This show how important social connectedness is.
The thing is, it is much easier to interact in group hiking than in solo hiking. I believe you will agree even if you are a solo hiker.
Interaction have many forms. And this links to the following benefits.
3. Leverage skills
As mentioned above, hiking has low entry level. So, it’s possible for beginners with zero experience to start hiking.
But, in order to progress to be pro hikers, they need to learn many essential skills. These include planning, navigation, survival, etc.
But, these aren’t easy to learn, and they are overwhelming for beginners. The question is: how to learn?
Well, you can hike solo. So you learn by making mistakes when exposed to uncertainties. – This would be the hard and risky way.
The easier way is through group hiking, for sure. Clearly, you can observe those pro hikers during the hikes. Learn by mimicking what they DO and DON’T do.
And why not take this chance to ask them? Most of them are friendly and willing to share their experience.
You start to absorb and learn they experience by just listening to them. So, you are well prepared when facing any uncertainties even you don’t have the real experience beforehand.
4. Help each other
You won’t be alone when group hiking. If you need any help, your hiking buddies can lend you a hand instantly.
Sometimes, you need to cross rivers, which the current is strong. Hence, you might need help from your hiking buddies to guide you or cross together.
Or, your backpack is too heavy and you need someone to help carry some items to reduce the weight. They can help you carry some.
Or, you accidentally injure your ankle or knees and you can’t walk. So, they can help you up or even carry you on his / her back.
But, when these happen in solo hiking, you have to deal with them on your own. You can’t expect others to help you. – And this makes solo hiking risky, which many people are afraid of.
This can be totally opposite when you are the one who lend a hand……
The thing is, you always help each other in group hiking. That’s the time you start to value the need of TEAM SPIRIT. You guys empathize with each other.
5. Motivation
Sometimes, you realize the hike is too tough or too tiring after long-hour, non-stop hiking. And there’s still long way to go.
Since you don’t have much energy left, you feel like you can’t go any farther. So, you want to give up. But, you also notice your hiking buddies keep going.
A simple cheer from them can enlighten and motivate you to keep going. Had you hiked solo, you might not have strong self-motivation. And you might give up just like that.
That’s why you motivate each other in group hiking. When you push yourself a bit further, you notice you can go much farther and longer. – And you can’t believe you really did it!
One of the group hiking benefits is you can listen to pro hikers on their exquisite hiking experiences.
I met a few hikers who shared their experiences trekking to Everest Base Camp or hiking Mount Kilimanjaro. To be honest, their experiences are so inspiring that motivate me to attempt these in future.
Same goes to you. The motivation acts as a catalyst that drive you hike more and keep improving.
6. Take photos
The biggest drawback of solo hiking is you can’t share your happiness. Even when you want to take photos, no one is there with you. So, the photos might look a bit saddening.
Besides, it could be hard or awkward to take selfies. The angle is off. It’s hard to take aesthetic photos like those on social media……
Hence, you might refuse to take any photo. And you tell yourself where you don’t need any photo. – Is that true, though?
Well, you don’t need to in group hiking. Whenever you want to take photos, you can ask others to take for you.
The best thing is taking wefies. Wefies always look appealing and cheerful. This is how our mind perceives. Do you agree? – Taking wefie isn’t quite possible for solo hiking, unless you meet new friends during the hike.
7. Bridge for tough solo hikes
Maybe you are a solo hiker. You get to know some exciting hikes from your hiking community. So, you want to attempt them solo.
However, when you are doing research, you realize the hikes are too tough as they involve a lot of uncertainties.
You know it would be too risky as you are not comfortable to attempt them solo. You might not have the necessary skills to deal with them on your own.
So, do you want to give up just like that?
The thing is, you have second option. That is group hiking. Group hiking is perfect as a bridge for tough solo hikes.
Who knows your friends are also into the same hikes? Ask them to join you!
You don’t have those skills, but your friends might have. Again, you guys can help each other during the hikes.
Remember, you are not alone. Your friends are there to face them with you.
Take the moment to build your skills and confidence for solo hiking. This is the nature of human being. We tend to FEEL safer in group, although it might not always be true for group hiking.
Once you are comfortable and confident, then you are ready to attempt them solo.
8. Share cost
So, you are planning a backpacking trip. Well, since you want to hike solo, you research and plan all by yourself, from A to Z.
You also plan your budget for travelling and accommodation. But, you are surprised by the quantum of cost for your budget. – That’s insanely a lot!
You start to feel helpless as you can’t share the cost with others. You think twice as you don’t have enough savings right now. And it takes much LONGER for you to save money.
Is it worth? You might even think of cancelling your backpacking trip as you can’t afford the cost.
Here’s the thing. One of the practical benefits of group hiking is cost sharing amongst hiking buddies.
Clearly, you don’t need longer period to save money.
Or, you can UPGRADE the travelling and accommodation, because you have more money to spare.
Or, you might even afford to use it for ANOTHER trip.
Plus, planning for a trip is tedious and it takes time. Group hiking holds each of you accountable, so you can split the research and planning. – You don’t have to do from A to Z.
Final thought: group hiking benefits
Whether you prefer solo hiking or group hiking, I believe you can’t deny the benefits of group hiking, which makes it appealing.
Some people prefer group hiking because it is SAFE. To me, this is a catch. What make hiking safe, whether in group or solo, are the risk awareness and the presence of relevant hiking skills.
Well, I enjoy both solo hiking and group hiking. While I like being solitude, I’m also aware of the need of social interaction. And this makes hiking more fun! – That is how human beings work.
Let’s value the benefits of group hiking and start hiking with your friends or family!
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