I Do It Cause I Can

Hiking in a group or alone? Hiking fast or slow? What is right and what is wrong?

Let me break it up to you, there is no right or wrong when it comes to hiking as long as you are not harming anyone else, being a liability, or leaving trash behind. Other than these, do hike however it pleases you.

The above is an executive summary of the blog. But that would not be fun if we do not dig into some more details and throw in some jokes.

Have you ever heard the phrase “hike your own hike? Well, it means, you should just hike the way you like it to be, slow or fast, day or night, lightweight or not, solo or in a group… just hike.

I am writing this blog because I have seen and experienced a lot of judgments from others when it comes to how you/me hike. [haters hate us cause they ain’t us]

This is a personal story. I received a lot of heat when I used to go trail running on my favorite route in the UAE, Stairway to Heaven (I even down-hilled it once on bike). Judgments were pouring every time I mentioned it. But I did not care, if others believe it should be done at their own speed, be it, I do not judge them (I also enjoy a slower pace when I am not training). I simply had my reasons and they are for me to keep.

I like to remind you, that speed is also subjective. Some hikers have great eye-feet coordination, good balance, and higher fitness and on-spot navigation skills. All these variables make a hiker naturally faster than others who lack one or many of these variables. It can be simply of a conscious decision to be slower or faster based on personal preference and goal.

People are in nature judgmental, so you really cannot avoid being judged or opposed. The best is to ignore and “hike” past it.

And let us focus on one thing here, the journey. Each journey is different from one hiker to another. So let them be, and most of it, do not feel intimidated and do NOT COMPARE… and if you are one of those fast hikers, you have NO RIGHT to look down upon the slower ones. You are simply just hiking, and hiking is not about how it is done, it is about your own goal, your self-fulfillment, and your journey. And those are personal to each one of us.

If you find yourself comparing or judging, just simply remind yourself of your own hiking goal(s). if you do not have one(s), I urge you to set 2-3 goals each time you are hiking. This way, you avoid disappointments and you work towards achieving something personal to you.

In a nutshell, do not be a hater, because haters gonna hate, potatoes gonna potate. Remember that.