Why it’s good to have a little bit of challenge in your life
Hi all! Jenny here, Set Wild’s hiking guide talking to you about challenge and risk in the great outdoors!
I’ve led female-only walking groups for two years now, and there’s always two big questions women seem to have about my solo hiking endeavours;
1. Don’t you worry you’ll get lost?
2. Don’t you worry you’ll get attacked?
Now, I’ll address the ‘getting lost’ one first.
I know, I’m not the norm in terms of my navigation skills. After all, I did my Yachtmaster theory qualification nearly twenty years ago. I’m used to navigating at sea, with tides and currents and ships and other yachts. I also taught navigation to Duke of Edinburgh students, and then went on to do my Lowland Leader qualification two years ago and have taught groups of women to navigate (on land!) since then. And so I know I’m not the norm. But I do think women do themselves a disservice when they say they can’t read maps, when they laugh about how they’d get lost if it wasn’t for their husbands leading the way.
And don’t we like to take a backseat with that kind of stuff and let our significant others do the work? Isn’t it nice to feel cared for when we spend our days caring for our families. One of the reasons I wanted to lead female-only groups was because I truly believe we are capable of learning to navigate, but I know for sure that if I let men come along, it’s all too easy to let them take the lead. The other reason I don’t allow men is because of mansplaining. But I digress.
Essentially, if you come along on our events, we always build map reading skills into the day. This doesn’t look like hardcore route planning (we do that before the event), or filling out route cards with compass bearings. It looks like us handing you an A4 map of the area we’re walking in, with the route drawn on. Every so often we stop as a group and check the map, gently nudging you towards looking for features that could help you pinpoint where we are. And women always seem so surprised that, when given the chance to do this in their own time, they can figure out exactly where we are.
Recently Fee and I chatted about the possibility of doing night hikes. This feeds into Question 2 that my ladies have for me. What if you get attacked?
First, some stats. Did you know that most attacks on women are by someone they know? And that you’re over 10x more likely to be attacked by a stranger if you are a man? Of course, there are exceptions to that rule, as seen in my own village last year. And of course it also depends on the area you live in. Those stats will be different in London compared to a sleepy countryside village. There are things you can do if you ever did feel worried. First, make sure your phone is fully charged before heading off. Keep your head up and shoulders back, looking self-assured is often an off-putter. Drop your location to a friend or family member, or call someone, this includes calling the emergency services if you feel in ANY WAY threatened. And honestly, the more you get out for walks the more your nervous system will realise that nothing bad is going to happen.
Part of getting out into nature is that it challenges us, and we think going for a night hike as a group will be so empowering. Shared and controlled risk reconnects us to our instincts and to each other. So come with us on the evening of the 1st of May, for a Full Moon Walk along the Stour estuary. We’ll reclaim the night, we’ll feel empowered and boosted by that lovely little hit of adrenaline. Because growth doesn’t happen in comfort. It happens just beyond it.
We’re super excited for this new event, and can’t wait to welcome you to the joys of night hiking! Book your place here!
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Hope to see you on the trails soon!
Jenny x