How To Empower Your Slow Friends While Hiking
This post is for the THEY. How can YOU be that person that makes your slow/fat/injured/disabled friend or family member fall in love with the outdoors?
I went to Instagram and asked some followers what their friends can do to help them feel empowered.
Here's what we came up with.
1. DON'T ASK IF WE ARE OKAY
Literally, everyone does this.
& I promise you, we are fine.
If we aren't fine, we will tell you.
Asking if we are okay implies that you assume that we aren't okay.
We are slow. We are fine. If I was going as fast as some people, I would not be fine. But if i'm going my own pace, I'm fricken golden.
Better questions might be:
"Hows it going?"
"How ya doin?"
"How are you?"
These are open ended questions that don't assume good or bad, they create conversation. "Doin ok?" is a yes or no question that makes me think YOU think i'm NOT okay.
In Nepal, I heard "you okay?" from one of our guides about 300 million times per day. English wasn't his first language, so I'll give him that, but wow I got tired of hearing that question.
2. INITIATE THE BREAKS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO
Having to ask for a break time and time and time again can take a blow on my self-esteem. I LOVE hiking with leaders that initiate the breaks, so the ones that are struggling don't have to.
& in addition to that, initiate the breaks before I NEED a break. It's actually insane how much a break can do for my energy level and attitude if I take the break before I'm exhausted. Take water breaks at every switch back if needed. Hydration is good anyways.
One of my BEST hiking experiences was summitting Mt St Helens. I went with a large group, and a huge chunk of the group were strangers to me. These strangers were a mix of men and women and were all experienced hikers. I was like....shit.....they're gonna be fast & this is gonna suck. I might have been one of the slower ones, but the fast ones took frequent breaks. Every single break they took was 15+ minute. I never had to ask for a break. I never had to stop and take my own break while they kept climbing. They just did it on their own. And I had the BEST day, because I didn't exhaust my cardiovascular system (well I did, but it could have been much worse). I really think that I had such a good experience because I had such a good group.
3. ALLOW US TO DECIDE WHEN THE BREAKS ARE OVER
If you're the type of person who stops to take a break then leaves as soon as the slow person arrives, you are NOT the type of person I'd want to hike with. If you're waiting for 5, 10, 15, even 20 minutes before your slow friend arrives, who cares. Still sit there for another 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes, however long it takes until the slow one is ready.
Take pictures (after the slow person arrives, of course). Eat a snack. Talk about life. Smoke something. I dont care. But just wait. Unless you don't care about your friend and their experience, then leave them. But that's mean.
If the slow person looks rested and ready, ask them. "Are ya ready?" If you read their cues well, they'll say yes, you'll be on your way, and they will be lovin' life and lovin' the great outdoors.
4. FINISH TOGETHER
Thats what she said. Sorry.
If you know you're reaching your destination soon, whether that be the destination lake/waterfall/peak/viewpoint or the car, stop and wait and finish together. Don't get to the top and then wait for the slow one to get there. Wait BEFORE the top, and arrive together. It's such an easy thing to do and it means SO MUCH.
5. ADJUST YOUR INTENTIONS
If you're the type of person who's goal is to check accomplishments off the list (I get like this sometimes) and you're less about the journey and more about the destination, you might want to change the way you think about a hike before going with a slower person. Make it more about the overall experience and not just getting to the end point. It will allow you to have a good time and allow your slow friend to have a good time too. Like I said, you can make or break their experience. I've had a friend that has literally told me to "hurry up" when I sat down to enjoy the view (which I did because I was dying) and it was one of my least favorite hikes ever.
If you have all day to do the hike, then what's the hurry?
6. COMMUNICATE
Some slow hikers want you to go at your pace so they can go at their pace.
Some slow hikers want to lead so they aren't left behind.
Some slow hikers will hate if they have to lead because they will feel pressured to speed up and as a result, will tire more quickly.
Some slow hikers do NOT want to be left behind.
Some slow hikers don't want you to wait around for them.
So how do you know what the F you're friend wants?
Just ask 'em.
Communicate.
ADDITIONAL TIPS
-Don't take group photos while you're waiting for the slow one. It's mean. It makes us feel left out. Just wait. Pictures are a good excuse for us slow people to stop and breathe.
-If you're experienced and your slow friend is brand spankin' new to hiking, don't leave them too far behind. I've had friends hold things for me in their packs (snacks, water) and then leave me behind. What happens if I get thirsty, huh????? What happens if I run out of my own water??? I'd rather run out of water with someone else who has water or a filter than run out of water when i'm by myself.
- Take lots of pictures. It makes it easier to go slowly if you're a speed demon.
- Just know that your slow friends ultimately don't want to feel like a burden. So whatever you can do to not make them feel like a burden is a win in my book.
Thanks for reading, everyone!
Slow hikers, what makes you feel empowered?
Fast hikers, is there anything else you'd like to know in order to empower your slower friends?
As a slow hiker with a trail name of Takeabreak I totally relate to this. I love it!
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