Recently I was scrolling through my Instagram and came across another person in my feed that was using the hashtag #52hikechallenge2019 and the wheels in my mind started to turn to figure out what this 52 Hike Challenge was all about. After reading through the 52 Hike Challenge website and checking out a few other people’s Instagrams that were completing the challenge, I knew it was something that wanted to do!
What is the 52 Hike Challenge?
It didn’t take long for me to figure out that it is a hiking challenge where you commit to completing 52 hikes. There aren’t a lot of set rules on how you should complete the hikes or which hikes to complete. It’s more of a way to commit yourself to do something and taking more time to go outdoors and experience nature. Now, I know you’re probably saying, “This sounds like when people make New Year’s resolutions.” Ok, maybe you’re close to being right but the FAQ page on the 52 Hike Challenge website helps to somewhat keep you in line and on the right path (no pun intended) so you don’t just give up or make excuses not to complete the challenge.Â
I really like the 52 Hike Challenge website because not only does it give you the basics but also helps you track your hikes, provides resources to assist in searching for hikes in your areas, and even has a place where you can connect with others and join with hiking groups. The 52 Hike Challenge basically makes it so that you take a hike at least once a week every week of the year for 52 weeks. You don’t have to take the full year to complete the challenge and can complete it in less time. The scheduling is solely up to you. It boils down to finishing something you start and commit to bettering yourself. So, once you start, you have to finish. You and the powers that be at 52 Hike Challenge will hold be holding you accountable by self- reporting using the hashtags they indicate on the website on your social media accounts.Â
Why am I doing the 52 Hike Challenge?
Well, honestly there are a lot of reasons why I’m doing this challenge. I tell people that I hike but lately, I have been really wanting to increase the level of hiking that I do. I feel like I’ve been stuck at a beginner-intermediate level for a few years and just haven’t made the jump to up my game because of making excuses. So, this challenge is a way to make a commitment to myself to say that I am going to go hiking at least once a week and push myself to take on more difficult outdoor activities. I really don’t have any reason to make excuses since I currently have three days off each week and should be able to commit at least one of those days to the challenge.
I’m a firm believer that if you can’t follow through on goals you set for yourself then you more than likely will never follow through on goals you set that include others. I also believe that one of the worse things you can do in life is not to try. Even if you start working on a goal and find that the goal is a bit too challenging, rather than give up, you can adapt or adjust the goal so that you have a higher chance of success. You do have to recognize that just trying in itself is a form of success.
Many people look at the end result as the only form of success but throughout navigating your goal there can be and will be many successes. You just have to recognize the small successes along the way and that will help motivate you to keep it going! Also, recognize that it’s not a race to the finish. Take the time you need to make it to the end and don’t compare yourself to the way other people are accomplishing the same goal.
This leads me to another reason I am doing the challenge. As a solo traveler and solo hiker, I have to rely on myself to solve problems and keep myself safe. I think this challenge will push me to the brink of my own parameters on what I can and cannot do as well as continuously enhance my understanding of how to keep safe in new environments. Life is about adaptation and I’m excited about the change in the awareness of my self as I trek through the hikes of the next few weeks. This challenge will help keep me honest to my self as well as everyone who will follow my journey on Instagram.
One other reason I’m taking on this challenge is to get myself back in shape and stop being a lazy couch potato on my days off. I want to be more healthy in the decision I make to keep myself active so that I can continue to do other things that match my physical fitness level.
How Can I Do the 52 Hike Challenge?
Well, after you read through the frequently asked questions and understand the information on the guide to the challenge on the 52 Hike Challenge website and think you’re up to the challenge, you can sign up and then get to planning your hikes. You can sign up for free by just scroll down the page once the packages page is displayed. As you might see from the resources page on the 52 Hike Challenge website that they consider a hike to be at least a mile. Don’t worry if you can’t get up to the mountains or go hiking in the desert. It’s more about just getting outdoors and being physically active even if it’s a walk around a local park.
Additional Information:
I hope you all follow along with me on this journey. I think it’s an amazing opportunity to keep learning new skills that I might need later on as well as a great way to explore the outdoors. Once I complete the challenge I will most likely purchase an iron-on patch to iron on my hiking bag. It’s not about the awards or merchandise to me but more so the sense of accomplishment and the journey along the way.
The 52 Hike website has a list of 10 Essentials that you may want to carry along with you whether you’re new to hiking or are a bit more advanced. You really should be okay if you are a day hiker if you have food/snacks, water, a good pair of hiking boots, and a decent hiking bag to hold anything else you need like a change of clothes, emergency shelter, or a flashlight. I put together a small list of things that I think are necessary for a day hiker.
