Poll: Hiking or Climbing Solo - Do you do it? Ever?

[TracyH]

I prefer to hike with my dog and do so about 99% of the time. I started hiking solo because I worried about being too slow for other people. Despite many miles on the trail that worry continues, so it is a great thing that I have a wonderful dog who enjoys hiking adventures as much as I do!

 

[sierra]

Ive been a soloist for many years, occasionally I do hike with someone, but it is not the norm for me. Ive soloed alot in CO and some in the Sierra's as well. I feel my margin of safety is very good and my track record supports that. I plan and prepare for as much as I can and feel confident, I can survive all but an utter disaster and if I cant its cool, Im happy with what Ive done.

 

[Raven]

Thanks for all the responses to the poll and replies to the thread so far. At this point, 85 have taken the poll:

73 of 85 (86% of responses) hike solo in winter at least occasionally or rarely (adding first two responses together) and 12 of 85 (14%) hike solo in warmer months at least sometimes.

Still no responses for "never hiking/climbing solo."

 

[TCD]

I hike solo when it's warm enough to survive the night with a space blanket bivy and an extra sweater (basically 3 seasons). I don't like to have to carry a lot of extra stuff, so I don't hike solo in winter. And I sure don't plan on putting rescuers in danger by needing a "rush" nighttime rescue. I leave a route map, and the instructions are "I will be OK if I'm out all night. If I am not back at sunrise, only then call the rangers, and I will be where I am supposed to be."

 

[1SlowHiker]

I almost always hike solo. Started hiking the whites Oct 2011. I hike solo mainley because I hike so slow (at least uphill) due to my emphysema and would be a burden to normal hikers. I did the NE67 solo except for 3 NH hikes with my 12yo grandson and two easier Maine peaks with my brother. Working on my winter 48 now which will probably all be solo (daughter won't let my grandson do winter). When I sailed a lot I also solo'd includingl multi-day off shore and solo races. So maybe I don't just hike solo because I'm slow. Maybe I'm just too ornery for company.

 

[rup]

Hiked solo during the time I was ADKing it. But with the visibility of those hikers going mysteriously missing, not any more.

 

[madmattd]

It's a mix for me, but I voted the first option as it applies the most over the course of a year. There are a handful of people I hike with off and on, and it's great to hike with them, but I also enjoy hiking solo. Both options offer great experiences, but in different ways. Longer hikes, such as Owl's Head or a Zealand-Bonds traverse I prefer not to solo, but I would solo if that was my only option. I carry the same gear whether solo or not, as do most of the folks I've hiked with.

 

[Mike P.]

I'd say we probably are not representative of the general hiking public. We're passionate hikers and that's probably being very kind....

 

[Raven]

I'd say we probably are not representative of the general hiking public. We're passionate hikers and that's probably being very kind....

Agreed Mike. One of my points in trying to get a sense for who hikes solo is that solo hiking should not in and of itself be considered negligent behavior. Many here have expressed concern when hiking solo has been cited as a negative in multiple recent S & R articles. To simply say hiking solo is dangerous with no reference to any other facts (experience, weather, fitness, decision-making, terrain) would be simplistic and a huge over-generalization.

This is conjecture on my part, but I think many of us here are fairly experienced when compared to the typical hiker (with lots of room for exceptions). I also would guess that the average person that took this poll puts in more trips and more miles than is typical and operates at a fairly high experience level with a good base of knowledge. A solo hiker with those attributes is very different than someone hiking solo who is also inexperienced, unfit, unprepared, and on unfamiliar terrain.

The vast majority of people here (85% or more) appear to hike in winter solo on occasion and 100% of respondents (all 97) hike solo sometimes.

 

[Chip]

Rather than quantify my response it was easier to say "I do not hike or climb solo".
I certainly don't climb on my own. I'll do a day hike in decent weather by myself.
I used to hike alone year 'round and overnight often, but I kind of ran out of things to talk to myself about.
I understand the attraction: own schedule/pace, etc., which is why I did it.
Anyone who hikes alone in winter should understand how much easier it is for a small issue to become critical, quickly.
I guess I quantified my response anyway.

 

[mirabela]

I used to do it a lot more often than I do now. As my kids got excited about hiking and became as capable as most of the adults I know, it barely ever happens anymore that I'm contemplating a trip neither one of them would want to go on. You name it, they're in.

 

[Raven]

I used to do it a lot more often than I do now. As my kids got excited about hiking and became as capable as most of the adults I know, it barely ever happens anymore that I'm contemplating a trip neither one of them would want to go on. You name it, they're in.

That brings up an interesting question.

If hiking solo were to be considered negligent, how would the addition of minors/children play into that? As added safety or added liability? As with many questions, the answer will be "it depends." Sounds like your kids would be a help to you if necessary, but again, this would need to be determined case by case.

 

[Tito Alba]

My catagory is missing.
As a cyclist, I only start hiking in winter. 99.999% solo.

 

[RoySwkr]

If hiking solo were to be considered negligent, how would the addition of minors/children play into that? As added safety or added liability? As with many questions, the answer will be "it depends." Sounds like your kids would be a help to you if necessary, but again, this would need to be determined case by case.

Same question with dogs, an added responsibility but maybe a help. A friend of my mothers collapsed while walking and his dog was barking trying to attract attention. They may also help trail finding.

 

[BobC]

I don't hesitate to hike solo in the late spring, summer, or early fall, although I do prefer company on any hike. When the conditions start to get icy or snowy, if I hike solo I will usually try to do something more popular, like Mt. Pierce. I seem to be in the minority of people here (not based on this thread, just based on other things I've read) in that I don't mind seeing others on trail or hiking with others. I like the social aspect of hiking as well as just being out in the woods.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

Same question with dogs, an added responsibility but maybe a help. A friend of my mothers collapsed while walking and his dog was barking trying to attract attention. They may also help trail finding.

It depends on the dog. I've had dogs that didn't seem to have any tracking ability at all, but the trail finding ability of some dogs is nothing short of amazing. The last time I did Owl's head, we took the Black Pond whack. On the way in Lauky went where I went. But hours later on the way back through that whack it was raining fairly hard and Lauky took the lead and laid down a track exactly on top of the GPS track we laid on the way in. He even passed on the same side of the trees, I can remember passing right over a footprint that I had left in a mud patch that in the morning. We made it back through in 20 minutes, it was like walking on an established trail. Also, if someone has gone through the same area ahead of us he will follow that track. Too bad for us though if the person we're following has lost the trail and we do too. I guess we'll be lost together? Just the other day we were following the Benton Mackaye trail along the banks of the Hiwassee river in TN. At a certain point he started charging and I could tell he had picked up a track. We followed it for a long time when the trail cut to the left and switch backed up the side of the mt. Lauky insisted on going straight ahead but I wouldn't let him. My guess was that whoever he was following had gone straight ahead. Some time later 500 ft. or so above the river I heard someone calling from far off and sure enough sunning themselves on some rocks down on the river was a couple with a dog. Dogs indeed can be very useful.

 

[Michelle]

If the weather is nice and I have the day off......partner or no partner, I'm going!! It's nice to have company but if no one is available......I'm not going to miss out on a great day in the Mtns! I have one 4K left on my "solo list" anyone want to join me?! Ha ha, kidding, just kidding!!

 

[Tim Seaver]

99% solo. I start at weird times and have strange photographic objectives. Hard to find company for that, which is fine by me. Mountains are one of the most magical places to be alone.

Thanks for posting this - it's a good indicator.

 

[mirabela]

If hiking solo were to be considered negligent, how would the addition of minors/children play into that? As added safety or added liability? As with many questions, the answer will be "it depends." Sounds like your kids would be a help to you if necessary, but again, this would need to be determined case by case.

Sure, definitely. There was a while when they were really little (3 to 6-ish) where unless I had another adult along I would stick to more travelled routes, at least in winter. By the time they were 5 I'd taught them both how to insulate, shelter, and batten themselves down for a long wait in the cold should something happen to Dad -- and had them demonstrate doing it themselves, multiple times. These days we range further afield, and in most ways they're probably about as likely to be helpful in an emergency as any non-WFA-trained adult, save that they can't drive, are somewhat inexperienced with talking with authorities on the phone, etc. Having said all that, they've opened me up to a world of social hiking anyway, and it's rarely just my daughter and me anymore -- more often I go out with both kids, their mom, a dear old friend of ours, and his rock-star winter hiker fiancee. Definitely different than stealthing around the hills by myself, but I don't enjoy it any less.

 

[Raven]

Sure, definitely. There was a while when they were really little (3 to 6-ish) where unless I had another adult along I would stick to more travelled routes, at least in winter. By the time they were 5 I'd taught them both how to insulate, shelter, and batten themselves down for a long wait in the cold should something happen to Dad -- and had them demonstrate doing it themselves, multiple times. These days we range further afield, and in most ways they're probably about as likely to be helpful in an emergency as any non-WFA-trained adult, save that they can't drive, are somewhat inexperienced with talking with authorities on the phone, etc. Having said all that, they've opened me up to a world of social hiking anyway, and it's rarely just my daughter and me anymore -- more often I go out with both kids, their mom, a dear old friend of ours, and his rock-star winter hiker fiancee. Definitely different than stealthing around the hills by myself, but I don't enjoy it any less.

Nice. Good job Dad. My little one is bonding with nature and learning the ropes nicely as well.

After predominantly hiking solo for a number of years, for the last few I've been closer to a 50/50 split between solo and company, I would guess. As someone mentioned earlier, I also prefer a group size of four or less, but to be fair, I laughed most of the day the last time I went with 10.

@Tim - I couldn't agree more. Very spiritual places. Easier to be part of that as a solo hiker sometimes. And no one I knew wanted to join me on this "craziness" either. That lends itself to solo hiking.

@Michelle - that's how I feel about it - I'm going hiking regardless of whether I have company and don't think much about it either way. I usually enjoy either situation.

@Tito - I thought of that when I wrote the poll and figured there would be people who only hike solo in winter. I should have clarified this in the first post, but if you picked solo in all 4 seasons, that's great. Winter is meant to be the differentiating factor