I rarely walked on my own until fairly recently - I always had people to walk with, and I wanted the company.
In the past couple of years, I've done quite a bit of walking without other people - what's changed?
1. I'm very much more comfortable on my own in general than I used to be (in a healthy way
) I still often walk with others too, and sometimes the great experiences are heightened by being able to share them with like-minded people.
2. A friend got me hooked on peak bagging
, then hurt her knee.
for us both
Often the other people/weather/my availability don't coincide. Go solo or don't go? GO
3. Current life circumstances mean i have more time to walk, and more need to walk.
4. In Tassie, I have found many more places pretty close to home which have been yobbo-free.
5. Loved ones are less concerned now that technology is available - I can often send a text each day or two to let them know things are fine, I'll set off my PLB in an emergency (as long as I'm not unconscious or fallen off a cliff, but I'm pretty careful with the latter, and have it very accessible if the former were to begin looming large). And even though I have most yet to learn re my GPS, it can tell me (within 200m if i've got the wrong datum) where I am on the map, it will usually show my breadcrumb trail to get back, and waypoints have not disappeared on me yet.
BUT
I've had a few unpleasant experiences (none in Tassie), always within 2km of a road of some kind.
Eg Ute half full of slabs of beer, had to walk past the bunch of drunk yobbos to the campsite, they come and 'visit' us that night, joke about the kinds of things they might do to us...
While it would be unpleasant for many men, we felt especially vulnerable as women. Not on my own that time, but it does come to mind when I consider where I'll go on my own. (Have thought about learning self defence as a last resort, but I'd expect it'd be in 'civilisation', not in the bush, that I'd ever need it.)
Hoons on quad bikes circling my tent for eons it seemed (first solo camp
). they found a way around the locked gate. I packed up, got out off track as soon as they headed off up the track, lest they returned. No specific fear, just felt very vulnerable, which isn't why I'm out there.
Stumbling on a ? sleeping man in a reserve in suburbia, when I was enjoying a bit of off track scrambling to remember what a hill is like. Really odd things were there - could have been an innocent situation, maybe not. I wasn't comfy, especially on my own.
Coming across a bunch of teens with serious graffiti gear / bolt cutters etc in the same reserve. yep, felt very vulnerable. Mighta been just fine, but I looked for an offtrack alternative (in the dark without a torch) to avoid walking right past them. Haven't enjoyed walking there since.
Some things I enjoy about walking on my own:
I get to walk at exactly my own pace all the time, stop when I want, peak-gaze or flower-examine whenever I want, spend as long as I like whenever I like taking photos or checking out opportunities, or waiting for the light to change etc. I often have more chance of getting to my goal than in a bigger group with mixed levels of fitness. Sometimes I really benefit spiritually from not having any other people there.
For the OP - I'd never push someone into solo walking if they weren't comfortable doing it. But given the right circumstances and support, things can change.
A generation of kids will never experience that kindness and the society have lost something.
