My experiences on a Sidetracks tour as a single hiker.
Signing up to do a guided small group hike with a bunch of women I didn’t know, was a first for me. I had some spare time and thought I’d do something different and interesting, but what?
I came across Sidetracks Women online and thought it was serendipitous a tour was starting in the next couple of weeks. Without thinking too hard about it, I signed up.
After getting all my gear sorted, I met part of the group at the designated meeting point and off we went to pick up the rest. Some people on the trip knew each from other hikes with Sidetracks, others were there with friends. I was the only single hiker. I’m used to meeting new people and travelling, but there’s still an element of the unknown. Was I a bit daunted? Sure, but ten minutes in and I was excited to be starting our trip.
It wasn’t long into the first day before I knew what a great bunch of ladies I was with. Everyone was keen to get hiking and looking forward to our adventure. Angelika, our guide, kept us all on time and moving forward. I’m sure we would have wasted plenty of time gas bagging given the opportunity.
I was the youngest on the trip, pretty funny given I was 50. The oldest was 78! You might think the age differences would be an issue, but it wasn’t the case at all. I had a blast talking to everyone and learnt a lot. It was also not the case that the youngest was the fittest.
We spent our days hiking, talking, sharing stories, jokes, anecdotes and ideas. We spent our nights doing the same, then bunking up in shared rooms. There were no bathroom hoggers or anyone who snored louder than my earplugs could handle. No complaints on the beds either. Everyone chipped in with the jobs when required. Angelika was extremely organised and had a very efficient system.
I cannot say enough about how well Angelika and the Sidetracks team provided for us all. It was a well-planned trip and everything went smoothly. Great food as well, and challenging food intolerances were well catered for.
There’s quite a different feel to a group when there’s no guys in it. On this particular trip, there was a real sense of camaraderie and friendliness I haven’t experienced in a mixed group tour before. It was a pleasure to be a part of it and I hope to meet some of those wonderful ladies again on future hikes.
If you’re thinking of joining a Sidetracks hike and you’re on your own,
my recommendation is to just do it!
Thank you Koren for your article and your support to encourage women to just have the courage to book a group tour. It's a great experience how quickly you make friends through group activities and realise how much fun you can have.
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