I attribute my passion for hiking to my father. He always had an affinity with the Yorkshire Dales - he felt as though he had a connection with that part of the UK - it must have been in a previous life - he was born and raised in London! For those of you not familiar with the Yorkshire Dales, it is an area of outstanding natural beauty in the North of England with beautiful trails, rivers and waterfalls. I spent many happy family holidays in the Dales as a child where I developed a passion for the great outdoors. Ever since I have always tried to find time to indulge my passion for hiking.  As my Banking career took me around the world I hiked many trails in North America, China, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Oman and India. Most of these hikes were part of team events, where we completed challenges and made life-long friends. However, it is my solo walks in the UK that are my true passion and have proven to be my greatest challenge. Why?  Because I cover much greater distances at a much faster speed. I have completed most of the iconic walks in the UK  such as the Pennine Way (429km) the Coast to Coast (307km) and the West Highland Way (160km). I am currently halfway through the South West Coastal Path which at 1,008km is the 2nd longest trail in the UK.

So why am I telling you this?    

• Hiking is a wonderful form of exercise. It is less impactful on the joints than running and is a very effective way of improving your cardiovascular health - just try hiking up a few steep hills! All you than is a decent pair of shoes.
• Stepping out onto the trail provides a wonderful break from the stresses of everyday life.  Walking through a beautiful forest or along a desolate coastline seems to take you back to a simpler time where issues seem less significant and more easily resolved.
• It's so important in life to discover something which you are truly passionate about - something which truly inspires you - where in that moment you are both excited and truly at peace. For me it is hiking - have you discovered yours?
• To experience a sense of adventure. That feeling at the beginning of the day when you have a physical challenge ahead of you, where you have to navigate your way to the endpoint and you have no idea what you may encounter along the way. With a rucksack on your back, you take your first step.
• Tougher hikes take you out of your comfort zone. You are pushed to your physical limits or have to deal with a navigational challenge. Sometimes bad weather can present different challenges. When you confront and successfully deal with this challenge the sense of achievement is amazing.
• During the hikes you see the most wonderful landscapes that truly take your breath away. On occasion, I have stood in disbelief at the true beauty in front of my eyes. Sometimes the world seems a very busy place - on walks all that noise and hassle is washed away.
• You meet wonderful people. I might be biased, but in my experience, hikers are typically friendly, decent people. I guess if you do the thing you love you are more likely to meet people you can relate to.
• Hiking provides so many opportunities to include friends or members of your family. We have a tradition in my family where my daughter takes me to the beginning of the trail. We arrive the night before, consume a huge bowl of pasta and she then sees me off at the start line the next morning. My mum and sister then meet me at the end of the final day where we have a celebratory meal to mark my accomplishment.
• Hiking presents multiple opportunities to raise money for good causes. Last month I successfully completed the 'Trail walker Challenge” raising money for the Gerkha Welfare trust. The Challenge - to walk 100k non-stop in 24 hours.

So having enjoyed all these benefits over the years I set myself a further challenge. Was there a way of combining Hiking with Coaching? During my 35 years in Global Banking, I had seen Coaches operating many times and always felt they spent too little time focusing on the physical environment they were coaching in. Typically, it was conducted in an office (very inspiring!!), a Zoom call (even worse!) or if they were very adventurous a bench in a local park. Does anyone believe these environments are conducive to an enlightening conversation? 

So just for a minute imagine the scene:

• A cool spring morning, dew on the grass, mist lifting off the lake, the morning bird chorus filling the air.
• We are having a quick coffee as we gaze across the lake with a sense of excited anticipation.
• Rucksack on our backs we venture forward. Mobile phones are turned off.
• As we settle our stride the coaching conversation begins. The sun starts to appear from behind the clouds, the only noise is the sound of  birds overhead and lambs in the distant fields.
• Our minds feel open and free to consider all possibilities. Stresses of work have been forgotten.  We are truly present!
• The peace of nature makes real listening natural.
• A couple of rabbits wander across the trail ahead of us.
• We reach our destination and sit in silence for a while as the sun sets across the lake.
• As we both reflect on the day we appreciate a truly productive set of outcomes together with a few aching limbs. 

Hiking is a wonderful form of exercise. It is less impactful on the joints than running and is a very effective way of  improving your cardiovascular health - just try hiking up a few steep hills! All you need is a decent pair of shoes.