> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://digitalvoodoo.eu/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # I'm a solo hiker, and that's just fine. - URL: https://digitalvoodoo.eu/im-a-solo-hiker-and-thats-just-fine/ - Published: 2026-09-03T10:33:43.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-05T08:47:55.000Z - Description: For long I've been dealing with the stigma of being a solo hiker, and just recently I've come to terms with it. You can consider this as my official manifesto and why I can't be arsed anymore to really listen to what others say about this. - Author: Alex - Tags: Hiking For long I've been dealing with the stigma of being a solo hiker, and just recently I've come to terms with it. You can consider this as my official manifesto and why I can't be arsed no more to really listen to what others say about this. --- The first thing I needed to understand to accept this, is who I am. ## I'm a lone wolf, I'm a social animal Both of these sentences are true, but not at the same time. While I don't mind the company of other human beings most of the time, this has to happen on my terms and whenever I want to. I don't like "being forced" to be **in the presence of another human being**, but this doesn't mean I want to live my life like a loner. I'm married, and my wife knows about this, in fact we have a recurring joke between ourselves that goes like << *I must truly love you, because you're the only person that I can suffer for most of the day, every day* \>>. To make things awfully complicated, throw me in a party **when** I feel like it and I'll be the very soul of that party. I believe this could be summarised as the famous "there are two wolves inside of me, one is a TERM1 and the other is a TERM2". In my case, one is a fucking introvert and the other is a fucking party animal. ## I'm also a cricket, apparently In my line of work, I have to be constantly in direct contact with the customers, answering calls, joining meetings, sending emails, reaching the customers on site. I've been doing this for 17 years and I won't lie, it's quite a constant drain of my social batteries, especially because most of the time I'm seen as the "bad guy" that, and please be seated, wants them to reason! I see myself more like Jiminy Cricket, if he had to deal with grown ass corporate babies. Having said that, it's not unbelievable that "being forced" to interact with other human beings 9 to 5 for five days at week empties my social batteries and my patience. I mean, even in Pinocchio the cricket goes away for a while because he couldn't take it anymore. ## A manga I truly liked, the media I like I completely vibed with the manga [Kokou No Hito (The climber)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FClimber%5F%28manga%29?ref=digitalvoodoo.eu), and that's something, right? #### Synopsis The story follows a lonesome and "gloomy" student named Buntarō Mori (森 文太郎, **Mori Buntarō*) and his journey from the discovery of his new passion, climbing, starting from a high school climbing club, to being a world class professional climber. Going through the different stages of his life dealing with loneliness, solo climbing, and depression, in pursuit of his dream, conquering the most difficult mountain, [K2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2?ref=digitalvoodoo.eu "K2"). Aside from that, I oftenn feel like preferring to play single player videogames, even though I do enjoy the recurring Get Togethers event at [The Gamers' Tavern](https://home.gamerstavern.online/?ref=digitalvoodoo.eu). --- But what does it really mean to be a solo hiker? This will be explained through answering the questions I've been asked the most and that for a while made me think I was in the wrong. ## But won't you get lost? No. I'm quite sure that I can get lost even in presence of other people, especially since I'd have to trust them. In this case, given that I had an orienteering certificate, **I trust myself**. And as a rule of thumb, I trust myself more than I'd trust anyone else. Mind that even with a compass and a map, getting lost is still an option, just not that common, so in every moment as a solo hiker I have to keep my senses sharp, knowing where I am and where I need to be, counting the signs from [CAI](https://www.caibo.it/?ref=digitalvoodoo.eu) etcetera. ## Don't you get lonely? Uh, isn't that the whole concept? As I wrote earlier, I can be around other people, heck, I can even **behave** around other people. But the concept of hiking with other people is sometime beyond me. I adore wandering through the woods in absolute stillness, listening to nothing but my footfalls, my pulse and, above all, my own reflections. I can sense my mind broadening as my senses sharpen. It can't be described by words, you have to try it, simply enough. ## What if you got hurt, or worse? If it happens, it happens. Aside from being fatalistic, the same rules above apply: mind fully focused on the trail, sharpened senses and an honest lingering fear. Because when you're alone in an unknown territory, fear is what gives you focus and keen senses, not in a crippling way, but in a I-know-you're-there-and-I-accept-it way. --- So, for a very long time, those queries led me to second-guess my choice. Eventually, I realised I wasn't the one at fault; I'm well aware I'm no superhero and I know my limits (and trust me, as I age, they're becoming quite frequent). I do occasionally enjoy hiking with other people, but if you ask me what I am, I'm truly a solo hiker. I foresee this will change in the coming years with Kimi's arrival, but they are a part of me and I'd really love to gift them the chance to live the nature in its most private form. Then they will decide for themselves if they will be a solo hiker too or would rather in a group; whichever the choice, it's alright. I do me, they do them.