Looking to extend your circle of adventure buddies or find your outdoor tribe? Hanna Lindon explores the different ways of meeting like-minded hill folk.
Hillwalking is, at its heart, a solitary occupation. You don’t need a mate with you to bag a string of tops or to appreciate a morning cloud inversion. Alfred Wainwright once remarked that he loved to walk alone – and there are plenty of mountain-loving folk who agree with him. But not every adventure requires you to go it alone. Finding your outdoor tribe can add extra layers to your time outdoors, enable you learn and share new skills, and even help combat loneliness.
Main image: Navigating new social situations can be easier outdoors | Credit: Shutterstock
A trail pal can brighten your outdoors world in a legion of subtle ways.There’s the practical stuff, like sharing lifts and B&B rooms, safety support, and having someone there to hold the other end of the rope. There’s the skills boost you can get by learning from somebody more experienced; or the only-slightly-smug satisfaction of inducting a newbie into the magic of the mountains. And then there’s the fact that you’re statistically more likely to go hillwalking regularly if you have a mate who shares the hobby.
If (unlike Wainwright) you’re the social type, you might even enjoy walking with friends. But what if your friends don’t enjoy walking? The solution, of course, is to get some new ones. Don’t worry, they really are out there – you just need to know where to look…
Join our club
One of the best ways to meet outdoor-minded pals is by joining a walking group. Since the pandemic, groups catering to a rainbow of different ages, preferences and abilities have sprung up around the country. Among them is the Wanderlust Women, whose mission is to create a safe and welcoming space for Muslim women who want to explore the outdoors.
Making friends on a group hike to Rydal Cave. Credit: The Wanderlust Women
“We’ve witnessed many friendships blossom between individuals who had never met before joining one of our hikes,” a spokesperson for the group explains. “These friendships have even empowered participants to venture out on their own and form their own little communities.”
The organisers of groups across the country tell a similar story. Alex Joss, founder of the long-established Highland Hillwalking Club, says that participants make “a lot of friends”. And, in some groups, friendships can become something more. “Members get to explore further afield, expand their social circle and make friends around the country,” says Liam Russell, team member at OutdoorLads walking group. “As a result, we also have about 17 different marriages in the group!”
You can find local club listings on the BMC and Mountaineering Scotland websites, and through Google.
Skills and thrills
Fancy honing your hillwalking abilities and making friends at the same time? A group skills course could be the answer.
“When I signed up for my one-week Mountain Leader training at Glenmore Lodge, I didn’t realise that I’d establish such strong bonds with the other students,” explains Oliver Prince. “It was an opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. Our group included a doctor, chef, triathlete, tree surgeon, wedding photographer, and famous climber! We formed a WhatsApp group and stayed in touch after the course, which has proved motivating for accumulating the hours needed for the examination.”
Whether you want to take your Mountain Leader Award or just brush up on your navigation, there’s a group course for you. You’ll find a list of Mountain Training-accredited courses at mountainskillstraining.co.uk.
A Fix the Fells group working on Loughrigg Fell. Credit: Fix the Fells
Giving together
Signing up for a spot of volunteering is another way to make mountain-minded connections. Miriam Abbas, a volunteer for Fix the Fells says that she loves the sense of community the charity offers. “You can turn up to a path maintenance day, having never met any of the other volunteers, and by the end of the day you feel like you’ve made some new friends and shared a great day in the fells looking after the footpaths.”
Look for charities with working groups of volunteers (such as Fix the Fells) or join a volunteering trip – the BMC’s Get Stuck In campaign and Trees for Life both offer regular multi-day events.
Virtual connections
You’re probably familiar with the idea of using apps to plan walks, map your routes and record your achievements – but how about using them to make friends? As well as apps designed specifically for that purpose (such as the free WalkBuddy), there are walk-planning and logging apps that give users the opportunity to build both virtual and real-life connections. komoot, for instance.
“On komoot, we have a really engaged community, so it is easy to start chatting with someone who either lives locally, has visited a place, or completed an adventure that you aspire to do,” explains a spokesperson for the app. “There are [also] many outdoor and cycling community groups with komoot profiles, so users can easily connect with them, see the kinds of adventures they go on, and find out about future meetups or group activities.”
Heading into Derwentwater at KMF 2024. Credit: Route North Photography
Party pals
Finally, keep an eye on the outdoors calendar for festivals, events and social get-togethers. Jamie Simpson of Keswick Mountain Festival says that these can be the perfect places to make friends. “Every year, we see loads of social media posts that tag the festival and demonstrate how that weekend in Keswick has marked the start of a great new outdoor adventure-fuelled friendship,” he explains.
Plenty of outdoorsy boozers run regular smaller live music events as well – think the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe, Knoydart’s Old Forge and the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in the Lake District. And nothing kick-starts a friendship like sharing adventure tales over a pint and a packet of pork scratchings. Our experts have mapped some of the finest peak to pub walks to whet your appetite.
