The sense of satisfaction, peace, and joy that you experience from hiking is almost indescribable to someone who’s never experienced it. Sure, you’ll have lots of pictures from your hiking adventure to share, but the pictures don’t do justice to the real thing. Taking a friend along with you as you hike the side of that mountain is the best way to share the experience together. The two of you will make memories that will last a lifetime. That’s just one of the social benefits of hiking.
Friends Can Help Share the Load
When you’re hiking, there are only so many items that you will be able to pack in your backpack without it being too heavy. You may have to make the hard decision to leave some things behind. Friends hiking together can help distribute the load of the supplies among their collective backpacks. Someone who is stronger and more experienced in hiking will be able to carry heavier items. You will be able to take more with you on the trip than you would if you went hiking alone. So, a benefit of hiking with friends is that friends can help you carry the load.
Friends Can Help Share the Cost
Like carrying the physical load, friends can also help share the financial burden. There may be a transportation cost involved in getting to the place where you want to go hiking. Once you arrive, there may be an entry fee to the hiking site. If you decide to spend more than one day at that location, there may be additional lodging and food costs. All these costs can be shared with a friend to make it easier.
Friends Keep Each Other Safe
Remember the saying, “there’s safety in numbers.” The same reason why your parents wanted you to go out with friends on a Friday night instead of going out alone applies when you want to go hiking too. Some of the most beautiful, breathtaking places are also the most secluded. While hiking, you can easily be tempted to go off the beaten path to find that treasure cove that’s never been discovered. However, no one knows where you are when you go off alone. If you hike with a friend, you can watch out for each other. Your friend might talk you out of trekking off on a new uncharted course, or they will be with you when you encounter a dangerous situation and need help.
Friends Act as Photographers
When you reach that enchanted waterfall with the crystal-clear water flowing from above, a selfie probably won’t do it justice. If you have your friends with you, one of them will be able to get just the right photo at just the right angle. When you show others that photograph, they will surely want to go hiking with you the next time and experience the view for themselves. So, having someone who can act as a personal photographer is just another reason to go hiking with friends.
Friends Help Navigate the Way
It doesn’t matter how many times we may have been somewhere before, you can quickly get turned around and not be sure of where you are. You may have your mobile phone with you to help get directions, but depending upon how long you’re gone, how much battery power you have left, or whether you’re in a cellular tower signal dead spot, the mobile phone may not be working. When you go hiking with friends, you will be able to help each other stay on course and not get lost. If you do get turned around, there is a higher chance that someone in the group will have a working mobile phone (or a compass) to use to help navigate your way back.
When you hike with friends, you will experience many social benefits of hiking. Friends will be able to help share the load, share the costs, help keep each other safe, help navigate the way, and act as each other’s photographer. You will have shared memories that will help strengthen the friendship and ones that will last a lifetime.
