My Journey

I have an illness. I haven’t been diagnosed, but I am self-aware enough to know that my obsession isn’t normal. Hiking. Trekking. It doesn’t matter what it’s called. All I know is that I have a strong NEED to do it. Hiking is a broad term. My obsession is narrower. I crave long distance hut to hut hiking, usually in the Alps, usually solo and at an uncomfortable pace. I’m almost 50-year-old and learned this about myself in my mid 30’s. It’s weird to find this passion at this stage in my life, but just because it’s weird doesn’t mean I should ignore it. Instead, I embrace it. I look forward to hiking for long daily distances. From dawn to dusk. I crave the mental and physical challenge inherent in pushing myself to my limits. It doesn’t matter why or when I learned this about myself. I learned it and I’m a better person for it. Happier for sure. Healthier too. The truth is that once I learned this about myself, my fate was set. As they say, you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube.

John Muir’s famous saying “ The mountains are calling, and I must go” perfectly encapsulates my seemingly unhealthy appetite for this type of adventure. Don’t let the simplicity of the quote mislead you. There’s power in its simplicity. There’s no ambiguity in the words “I must go.” Three powerful words that encapsulate a feeling that is difficult to articulate but is nonetheless a reality that I deal with more frequently than I care to admit. The quote strikes a chord in those of us who feel the pull of the mountains, but I can see why others simply can’t comprehend it. It’s not tangible. It’s not logical. Perhaps its enigmatic nature is its allure. Maybe it’s divine. Who am I to say? I’m a practical person by nature, but there’s no practical explanation that is satisfying. Your explanation is as good as mine. John Muir didn’t fuss over the “why”, he just followed his heart. What better reason do you need than that?

I fell in love with solo hut to hut hiking in the Italian Dolomites on the Alta Via #1 route. The experience fit me like a tailored suit and from that point on I couldn’t wait to go back to the European Alps. I didn’t realize it at the time, but in retrospect I was drugged. If alpine isn’t considered a drug, then it should be. Its effect on me was slow, methodical. It seeped into me, grabbed hold and wouldn’t let go. I love every aspect of the experience. The huts, the food, the people, the ever-changing landscapes, the mountain villages, the culture, the navigation, the challenge. I love it all. Most of all, I loved the planning. The process of creating my own itinerary made me feel like I was in complete control of my destiny. Hiking solo is the ultimate accountability measure. If you make a mistake (and I made plenty), you and you alone deal with the consequences. From that, you learn. You adapt. You improve. It is incredibly satisfying. These adventures helped me figure out who I am. One thing is for certain; I will continue to seek out adventures in the Alps and elsewhere. I will continue to scratch this itch. The mountains are calling and I must go. -MikeHikes