I'm in my hiking girl era

and here's what it taught me about myself

My first hiking experience was last year on a work trip to Costa Rica. If I’m truly honest, I didn’t even really like walking all that much before that trip. Like most people, I would force myself out for a silly little mental health walk with the support of a good podcast or a call with my sister.

When researching for our trip, I knew I wanted to see and experience all the incredible waterfalls that Costa Rica is known for. I am a swimming girlie at heart, so the thought of being able to swim in such beautiful, natural water was a literal dream. The tricky thing was that most, if not all, required a hike to get to them. As a plus-size woman, there was always an underlying thought that this kind of activity wasn’t for someone like me. With a complicated relationship with movement and a lot of shame about my physical abilities, hiking felt more out of reach than anything.

Given my feelings of anxiety, I had initially decided I would need to skip or sit out all the activities that involved this. But as I began to plan our trip further, I felt increasingly angry that I would have to be a bystander in my own life. In the end, I decided that this just wasn't an option for me. I wasn’t flying to one of the most beautiful destinations in the world and sitting on the sidelines, so I decided to give it my best go, and my God, I’m so happy I did because the nature folk are really onto something!

The first hike I tried was to a waterfall. It was probably not the most sensible to try as my first go; it was an hour-long hike through the jungle, climbing down steps built into the ground. It was hard; I was pouring with sweat from the tropical heat, but I took it all step by step, rock by rock, until finally, I looked ahead and there was the waterfall. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The sense of accomplishment was like something I can’t even begin to explain. Jumping into the water and feeling the coolness on my skin was one of the most euphoric feelings of my life. After our swim, we sat there enjoying our little picnic, looking out at this cascading blue waterfall in a setting that felt like CGI. I thought of how sad I would have been if I had skipped this experience due to the shame I felt about myself and my physical abilities.

The walk back was so hard; going back up is infinitely more challenging than going down. There were even some tears, both from exhaustion and pride, but I made it. There were more hikes after this, more waterfalls, even one with 1000 total steps, but I did it all.

Hiking in Costa Rica taught me a lot about myself and about endurance, but mostly, it made me feel more connected to myself than I had been in a long time. When there were points where I felt so challenged and couldn’t do it anymore, I would stop and look at the beautiful plants or listen to monkeys climbing in the trees, and somehow, I was able to go that little bit further.

The experience left a lasting mark, and it even inspired us to make a second hiking trip to Germany and Austria earlier in August. Bavaria exceeded all our expectations and some. The landscapes, the lakes, and the lush greenery brought tears to my eyes on many occasions. That same feeling I felt in Costa Rica followed me here. Nature had me hooked, and I felt so much gratitude for my body for allowing me the chance to see it. I’ve failed my body a lot over the years, but my body didn't fail me.

Going into this with little research and no experience taught me a lot. Hiking is hard, but it's incredibly rewarding, and I am so glad I didn’t write it off entirely because I didn’t look a certain way or felt too unfit to try. I might look like a tomato and be slow and out of breath during most of my walks and hikes, but my body is capable, and with more walks each day, improvement happens fast.

I’m still new to this and don’t profess to be an expert, but I really wanted to share just how much these experiences have changed me and hopefully encourage others to push past anxiety they might be feeling and give hiking a go.

Should you want to try hiking for yourself, here are a few of my recommendations, plus some tips that I wish I had known before starting this journey:

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1. Decent Hiking boots or Walking Trainers.

If you are considering investing in just one thing to help you start this walking/hiking journey, let it be decent walking shoes. These are essential for protecting your knees and ankles during strenuous activity.

Unfortunately, the universe did not gift me with slender feet, so finding decent boots that were wide-fit was a challenging task, but upon research, I landed on these wide-fit hiking boots. They were excellent for several reasons: they didn’t require breaking in, they were waterproof, and they provided excellent ankle support, which is probably the most crucial thing when hiking uneven paths and in rugged terrain. Trust me; I learned my lesson the hard way by hiking in Tevas and flying home with a torn ligament in my ankle.

I also recently bought myself a pair of ASICS Nimbus (which I just learned are technically running shoes), but I can’t believe the difference they make in my comfort. Podiatrists often recommend ASICS as they offer comfort, shock absorption and support. They actually have a specific range of walking shoes called Walkride and GT-2000 SX to support long-distance walking, should you want to check that out.

2. Hiking Poles

These are a complete lifesaver, especially for a beginner hiker. They offer additional support and balance in tricky places, which helped alleviate pressure on my lower back and knees.

3. Good Activewear

Long walks require comfortable clothes. Nothing is worse than walking long distances in clothes that feel tight, painful, or slip down. It also helps to feel cute, so thankfully, brands like Girlfriend Collection exist, and they stock up to a 6XL. I love the colour options and the compression level, which helps keep the clothing up without slipping. I also love NIKE, especially for their breathable T-shirts and Lululemon Align leggings, which are buttery, soft and comfortable if you dislike compression. I also recently tried In the Style’s soft-touch activewear and was surprisingly impressed. These shorts, in particular, were so soft and comfortable for changing in and out when stopping for swims on our recent trip to Germany.

Being an outdoor activity, packing a waterproof coat is also essential as the weather can change in an instant. The Northface has a waterproof coat that I plan on investing in and goes up to size 28-30.

4. A decent water bottle

I don’t feel refreshed unless I’m drinking cold water, so a bottle that keeps everything cool is kinda essential to me. There are so many of these on the market, and I am sure you have one at home, but if you don’t and are looking for something new, this one from Lululemon did as well. I am also considering investing in a water bladder (gross name, I know!), which is lighter and less hassle to take in and out of your bag.

5. Hat and Suncream

I cannot stress this enough; nothing will kick your butt more than heat exhaustion on a hike/walk if the weather is warm. I get very hot, so the thought of protective clothing puts me off. Instead, I wear a hat and reapply my sun cream as much as possible! I wear nothing lower than a factor 50 now, especially on my face. My favourite brands are Lancaster, Caudalie Beauty and Sunbum for the Body. I also love MECCA cosmetics SPF serum for my face, and my old faithful Clarins face stick is perfect for reapplying, especially on my nose and cheeks, which always catch the sun the most.

6. Good Socks and Compeed Blister Patches.

Don’t be an idiot like me and wear crappy socks that roll down and cause blisters. Walking with a blister is painful at the best of times, but walking long distances is awful. Compeed Blister patches saved me in Costa Rica!

7. The Kamoot App

This was the app we used to check out the difficulty levels and routes of many of the hikes we took on our recent trip to Germany. The app shares details of each hike's advised fitness level, categorising them by colours, showing pictures, and sharing personal written reviews of each place. We found it very useful and accurate. I wish we had used this in Costa Rica to prepare better for some of the hikes, which brings me to my next and final point below.

8. A good backpack with all the safety essentials

One day, I will share the full story of how we got stranded in the middle of the jungle, stuck in a ditch, and had to be rescued. For now, I will say, take your safety very seriously! Always have extra water, battery packs, a first aid kit, and food. While our situation wasn’t during a hike (but on a drive after a hike), having the essentials we needed helped us escape a very dangerous situation. A decent backpack is essential for walking so it can carry everything you need and not cause you back ache. We both have Northface backpacks and find them to be very comfortable. My final advice is to download the app ‘What Three Words’, which gives three-by-three-metre square details of your location using three words. We provided this location to the incredible people who found us when Google couldn’t accurately share where we were. I think safety is so important, and although I only plan to do safe and accessible hikes to my ability (as should you), I always think safety is the utmost priority!

I hope this post inspires you to try walking and hiking yourself. If you are looking for specific route recommendations, I will be sharing all the beautiful hikes and lake swims we did in Germany over the coming weeks! (Subscribe to get it all in your inbox)

Happy Hiking!