The Hardest Part of the Hike
Race To The Finish
It was very clearly a race, even though never explicitly stated. At times, I pulled ahead; sometimes, another one of the five front-runners managed to get around me and take the lead. Even though we were hiking with 30 other people, they were unaware of the intense competition taking place at the front of the group. All of us wanted to be the first camper to the campsite. Not that we were going to get anything special for getting there first; it was purely for bragging rights, a way to demonstrate that this hike wasn’t even a challenge for us.
Who Did You Help?
At the post-hike debrief, the 5 of us were thrilled when Tani asked, “Who stayed in the front group the whole hike?” We threw our hands up in the air with pride, looking around slyly to see who else considered themselves worthy of claiming their place with us. But the next question knocked us off-kilter: “You must have been feeling strong the whole hike. Who did you help?” Shocked silence. Hands and heads lowered, we racked our brains – we had been so focused on leading the pack, on being first, that we had totally ignored those behind us, many of whom were having a tougher time and could’ve used some encouragement or distraction. That moment was a formative one for me and my friends, totally shifting our perspective. We were coping well with the physical difficulties of the hike; that meant that our challenge was not the terrain, but helping those around us who need a hand. Life changed.
What’s Your Challenge?
There are different challenges that arise on a hike. For many, a steep ascent or rocky terrain is a difficulty to be overcome. Adding a heavy backpack filled with stuff only adds to the achievement. Others, though, aren’t fazed by the physical strain brought on by most trails. So what challenges them? Their struggle is to overcome their natural drive to compete and win, to show off how strong they really are, and refocus on their friends. A song can be a welcome distraction, but nigh impossible for your huffing and puffing friend; he’ll appreciate listening to you, though. Same goes for starting a conversation. They may not be able to respond to every question with the most thorough answer, but they’ll definitely appreciate having something to focus on. And the more engaged they get in the discussion, the easier the hike will be for them, and the better they’ll be able to continue talking.
Taking A Hand
A particularly difficult thing to get used to was accepting help on the trail. I see short scrambles or obstacles on a trail as opportunities to challenge myself and succeed. Accepting help from someone else, then, means that I couldn’t do it on my own; a failure! Resetting my perspective on hiking with friends, though, changed this aspect of the trail as well. Accepting help doesn’t mean that I can’t do it on my own, it’s an opportunity to let someone else have the satisfaction of providing assistance. This is nice for anyone, but especially powerful for someone having a tougher time in their own hike. To be able to assist someone who is having an easy time, in some way, means that their own hike must also not be as difficult. And personally, succeeding at this challenge is much more significant than making it first to the campsite.
Does this description sound like it could be you? Ever have a similar experience? We want to hear about it in the comments!
