The Thrill in Solo Hiking makes me feel Alive.
While others kept on waiting for someone or a group to accompany them to hike or just a simple stroll in an uphill route, I always chose to go solo because I realized I wasted my time waiting, I embodied a mentality of “Doing it now.” I’m done waiting, I started doing.
I simply have courage to change, courage to see the truth, and courage to learn something new on trail. From learning to breathe, to pause, to conquer your limits, to rest; it’s all teaching me to listen to my body.
It’s even more challenging if you’re doing it solo. It really exercised my ability to keep going. You must keep going because you’re alone, you have no one to depend on. The trail teaches self help. Doing it solo will also teach you to reconnect with the neighbors you come across with, to say good morning, good afternoon, I’ll go ahead, etc. All those simple gestures, kindness, and little convo felt like gold, it’s so precious.
Quick encounters with other hikers on trail, seeing them walking uphill and downhill makes me happy because I finally have company. Crossing paths with them made me feel like I’m a part of a healthy community, I have a tribe and I am not alone in the Forrest.
I have tried both backward and forward trails and in solo Hiking I would prefer to face the hikers because it’s lovely to meet and greet them. It’s different when you’re competing alone, leaving others behind, even worst if you’re behind.
In solo Hiking backward, the trail is all yours! You say “Hi”, “Hello”, “Good luck”. This is why only solo hikers can experience this kind of thrill because we’re flexible, not to brag; but can you imagine doing the backtrail with a whole group? It’s going to mess up the whole hiking team going up.
In Cebu, there are plenty of trails that I once dreamt of hiking solo. In the past, I didn’t know the trail, didn’t know where to go, but I saw the Forrest, I just can’t see the trail, I had no guidance and didn’t know people I can trust. There are guides online but I don’t know them, I obviously have trust issues and my safety is always my priority because I’m doing it “solo”, no one’s there to come pick me up, I must keep going. It’s a sad truth, yet I learned to live with it and it became my strength eventually.
Wondered how I found the way?
I simply got out of my way. I used to camp solo because no one’s coming everytime I’m inviting anyone anyway. I was once scared of joining a team but I really really wanted to be a joiner. There comes the “Earthquakes” and “Typhoons”, that was even scarier than joining a team of campers and hikers.
Getting out of my way is just getting out of the usual. I heard someone from work that she’s camping, so I volunteered to join. She invited someone else and that made me a complete joiner. I was late because my phone did not alarm, luckily I woke up and they waited for me.
The other joiner happened to be a real mountaineer who have already walked Cebu North to South on foot through the Forrest. The simple camping turns out to be a long hiking the next day because he guided us, what a bliss! I’ve been wanting to really do that long walk solo but I was scared, “I don’t know what scared me.” I guess I was scared of getting lost or just felt so sad to so on my own.
His name is “Bienvenido”, he was once featured in Cebu news for hiking solo. Back then, I had no idea about it so I was hesitant to go for another long walk without someone else but we kept it all open. He invited us to Mt. Manunggal route which sounds really interesting to me. We have not decided yet because we have other priorities and there comes the rain, it did not push through.
I offered the other routes instead, the routes I wanted to see! He showed me the way and I’m so thankful and grateful for that encounter. I think I owe him a guide fee and other fees, hahahah. If we’ll meet again, I’ll just treat him somewhere. Unfortunately, were no longer in contact, so if you knew him, kindly advise. My intention is good. I’m so thankful that a stranger like me was not left on trail in the Forrest of Cebu! He’s a legend!
I’m just so thankful and grateful for the guidance because I was able to do my dream solo hike to all those places he showed me. I trained solo for Mt. Apo and I’m ready to learn the lessons Mt. Apo will teach me. This time, I will be with a team I have no connections with. For sure, I’ll walk close with the guide.
“Just keep going!” “Trust your instinct!” – a lesson I got from “Ponceke” way back 2022 when I first joined the 6KM spartan trailrun in Cebu Saffari Solo. It was the best run ever. I was late and the people ahead of me won’t let me go first even if I was solo, so bullied; but I met a couple and they took a photo of me, I was still lucky in the end. Haha.
You’ll be lucky in the end, just get through it! 🐎 Let it strengthen your ability to forgive, let go, and just keep going.
Let them be! Let yourself be stronger than your old self. Remember that your enemy is just your old self- Credit to Kino- another legend. Hehe.
See you in Mt. Apo trail! ☺️
Climbing, Rocks! 