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Soft Girls Who Hike's Story

"The goal of a soft hike is not to reach the finish line in the fastest time but to take your time."

We felt inspired to try joining a group hike, however, we discovered that their style of hiking wasn’t like others which is how we ended up coining the term – ‘Soft Hiking’. 

Soft hiking essentially means hiking doesn’t have to be hard. It is less about the activity and difficulty level, but about being soft and kind to yourself when hiking in the outdoors. The goal of a soft hike is not to reach the finish line in the fastest time but to take your time. Take in your surroundings, be gentle on yourself, fuel your body and take breaks when you need to.

It is less about being slow, but about going at your own pace - this could mean hiking up a mountain, a hill or even just a wander in the woods. It is whatever soft means for you. It is not about getting from point A to point B in record time. You can be pushing yourself to hike to the top of Ben Nevis - but in a soft and kind way.

Emily & Lucy smiling and laughing whilst outside on a hike.

A soft hike can be challenging, and it can be difficult, but it’s about being kind to yourself mentally and physically and not just rushing from point A to point B in record time.

Take in your surroundings, listen to your body and enjoy nature. It’s about what YOUR challenge is, treating it softly and not competing with others and even yourself.

And everyone’s version of a soft hike is so different. Our version of soft doesn’t look the same as anyone else’s. So whatever a soft hike looks like to you, it’s valid!

We have found that a lot of people found the competitive nature of hiking intimidating so we encouraged people to take their time. We like to go on a weekly soft hike and focus on those just out of Manchester that are accessible by public transport, every week looks completely different as we love discovering new areas, especially any packed with history!

Emily and Lucy out hiking, standing with their backs turned overlooking a valley, both wearing orange backpacks.

We like to schedule a soft hike every couple of weeks – depending on our diaries. Hiking is an all-day activity – especially if you’re soft hiking. We have found that it has massively levelled up our stamina when engaging in our exercise activities outside hiking. 

If we don't manage to fit it in, that's ok! The whole point is being soft with yourself and listening to your body. There's always next time. 

During Covid, we started to go on morning walks in our local area, as we couldn't venture far. It was very quiet and we were able to find peace and clearer heads during the day.

We actually discovered a lot of places that we didn’t even know existed in our local area. It made us notice and appreciate the little things and that really helped our mental health, we were grateful for what is around us already.

Emily and Lucy, wearing caps and hiking gear, smiling whilst out on a hike.

With creating this soft hiking movement, we have felt a sense of community and belonging. We were pleased to hear that we weren’t alone in feeling slightly isolated in the hiking community for not being competitive or hardcore - not to say that these aren't valid.

Soft hiking gives us clarity, a feeling of freedom and appreciation for the small things. When soft hiking, we try to stop and take in our surroundings like noticing some cool-looking mushrooms, wildlife or landmarks. 

We have come to realise that this concept is so important because it reminds people that they have as much right to be on the hike as the most seasoned experienced hiker.

And everyone’s version of a soft hike is so different. Our version of soft doesn’t look the same as anyone else’s. So whatever a soft hike looks like to you, it’s valid!

The whole point is being soft with yourself and listening to your body. There's always next time."

A lot of our followers commented that they felt self-conscious about themselves, had negative experiences on competitive group hikes and experienced other obstacles such as chronic illness which were barriers for them. It is important to acknowledge that everyone faces everyday battles but our main goal is ultimate inclusion.

We had a comment from an Olympian who said they love soft hiking too! So you can be the fittest athlete and still be kind to yourself on the hiking trail.

We even had some comments that people felt inspired to try a soft hike themselves and asking if others in their area would like to join. So, we created a Facebook group where soft hikers can join and meet others just like them, we've seen some heartwarming journeys on there - the best so far being two mothers who met for a soft hike and their toddlers became best friends!

Find out more about Emily & Lucy's hiking adventures on Instagram or find out more about their hiking groups.