The sun on your face, a little breeze squeezing over your ankles and a spectacular view from a mountain top. All of this is what hiking is about. Exploring nature from its most close form of transportation: walking. On a first glance, hiking might sound dull and even stupid. Why would I decide to put physical effort into just walking up a mountain without a goal in it and just enjoy it? Well… as a person that grew up with hiking, loves it and has done hut hikes before, but definitely isn’t a morning person and more of a lazy one, let me take you on a little journey.

You are lying in bed in a mountain hut. The scream of a rooster woke you up. Sun is shining through the blades on your face. In your bed, it is still warm although you already feel the breeze of coldness on your face. Short motivation to get up – and then you are standing. Your company is waking up and a continuing fiddling starts. Getting dressed in short trousers even though it’s still cold but you know you will regret long ones later, packing up things in your backpack and then having a fast, however rich breakfast from whatever the hut is offering with the sun rays on your face, that just appeared from behind the huge mountain you are looking at. It’s an indescribable atmosphere. Between the mountains it’s silent and you only hear the rattling of the dishes and a conversation now and then. You know it’s gonna be a long exhausting day, but you look forward to it and are either full of energy or still cold from standing up. Maybe your circulation will first start with hiking. Anyway, you make your lunch packet, pack your last things together, go one last time to the toilet, put on your hiking shoes and shoulder your backpack. You are ready for the adventure!

This is what for me a hiking morning might look like. Maybe at that time I am woken up by an alarm, I might press on snooze and it is a bit  more brutal to stand up. Let’s keep it realistic. Everything in the morning goes kind of on autopilot because you know what to do and just do it and also you’re sometimes a bit too tired to think about it. But I promise you, after the hike you will not regret it. You know a day full of nature, beauty, fun and physical effort is waiting for you.

So then you start hiking. It is still a bit fresh in the morning and on the one hand, you feel a little breeze around your legs, but on the other hand, the sun is already warming up your face. The backpack lies heavy, but somehow comfortable on your hip. The feet are tightly tied in your hiking boots. Then you walk and you don’t have to think about anything. No responsibilities (because you don’t have service anyway) and just nature and you. Maybe a nice company that you have the funniest and most unfiltered conversations with. On a hike, you literally talk about everything: Do you think this spot is better for peeing or rather the other one? Uhhhh, this mountain looks like a smiley! Have you ever thought about what animal you would be? How are you, for real, at the moment? It can be the most random, deep, philosophical or just fun questions. Hiking together is bonding… because you are alone together in nature which also means a little bit set free of social expectations and boundaries.

My favourite hikes are those where it is first more or less flat to get into the walking, then you have the ascent. Afterwards a little descent and then you are at the new hut. When the ascent comes, the first 10 min are always the worst. You start sweating. Your legs start hurting from the day before. You wish you never did this hike. However, after a few minutes you start to assimilate. You get either used to the sweating or the sweating goes down (still haven’t figured out which one is really happening). Your legs remember they actually have muscles and it gets a little bit easier. Don’t think it’s too easy though – no, it is still a fight, but definitely a nice one worth pushing through.

Feeling your body and bringing it to its borders also has a special beauty in it. You are just focusing on walking, taking the easiest way, breathing or just the ground around your feet. Apart from the obvious benefits regarding sports and being outside, your focus is shifting from your mind to your body. Your mind kind of gets empty and you get calm. No overthinking or second-guessing anymore. Just being comfortable in your own skin. Definitely, hiking is a huge mental health boost for me. During hikes your mind does amazing and sometimes surprising things. Also, on your own you can have the most random thoughts and ideas. Getting out of this overstimulated world is one of the huge benefits hiking has. I myself like to observe the nature around me while hiking. During that time you kind of get forced to use all your senses. The smell of forest or a flower, birds chirping and the cracking of the branches below your feet, the cold air, but warm sun on your skin as well the feeling of the different ground textures below your feet or the tree rinde you are touching. The colour composition of the different trees, mountains, landscapes and flowers as well as the beautiful forms and full on picture. Noticing butterflies and insects flying by and occasionally maybe seeing a little animal. Sometimes during hikes the view is literally changing with every step, because a new mountain appears. You can’t get by without noticing those beauties during hiking. This mindfulness and being aware of your surroundings is exceptional. This observing and being happy about the smallest things you see is gold for your soul. It inspires and enriches you and makes you more grateful.

Then being on top of mountains is a very particular feeling. Apart from admiring the stunning view all around you and being proud of having it made up there, you get more aware of the beauty around you. Also, it gets clear that you are only a small person in a huge wonderful world and don’t matter that much, which for me is a really freeing feeling. Being able to look far and being closer to the sky and sun makes you feel very free. And come on, don’t tell me you never felt so free on a hike that you run over a meadow just for fun and this full on feeling of freedom and overwhelming beauty around you.

After lunch time, with your lunch packet over an amazing view you are starting the descent. Contrary to popular belief, the descent isn’t always easier than the ascent. Sliding down the mountain because it’s too steep or falling because you are not that concentrated anymore are common things that also happened to me. Slowly your feet and legs are starting to hurt and you wish you were finally arriving at the new hut. 

However, there is one thing that really keeps you alive during those moments: it’s called side quests or just fun things on the way. Seeing a little stream next to the way you might want to dip your feet in it. Maybe you will pass some cows or horses on the way that may enjoy a cuddle. Or as on one recent hike of mine we had to pass a crazy amount of little streams without getting wet and little snow fields without sliding. These surprises and refreshing adventures on the way is what makes hiking so diversified and interesting. You never know what you may encounter and what the way has up its sleeve  for you and you look forward to the challenge and fun it will give you. Nevertheless, you have to keep in mind that getting dirty or wet is a secret goal of hiking and a hike without getting a tiny bit dirty is missing something.

Your hike is slowly getting to an end now and now your legs and feet are hurting. The sun is not that strong anymore and a comfy, silent and melancholic atmosphere starts appearing. A few final steps and you arrived at the new hut. Taking off your hiking shoes feels like the biggest relief in your life and you are sitting down on your bed. You go shower or just change and suddenly feel fresh again. Your body feels very tired, but in a good and satisfying way at the same time, because you have accomplished a lot that day. It’s a nice and comfortable feeling. During dinner time, you share your stories with the other hikers and play cards. You enjoy the mountain air, fall with a positive exhaustion in your bed and look forward to your next hiking day. 

Can you understand why I love hiking so much? Of course, in this article I am romanticising a bit (e.g. there could be bad weather which makes the physical effort and pushing through part much more the main character). Nevertheless, the beauties I am describing are true. The experiencing of nature, the shutting off of society and availability, the most fun and crazy stories and conversations and the beauty of nature. All this paired, of course, with physical activity, sweat and a bit of dirtiness together is hiking and for me it’s (mostly) beautiful.

Maike Seuffert