I'll go with the need to be in nature, soak up the scenery and to just be in the moment. Being in the moment is kind of essential when navigating or finding a new off track way to somewhere. Bushwalking, particularly off track, clears my mind of clutter like nothing else.
Wildlife, scenery, solitude. Though I mostly walk solo, it is also extremely rewarding to show someone amazing places you know most people miss. What I never do is walks just for the physical challenge. What I've learned though is that there is always something to take back from a walk. It may not be perfect weather but then you may encounter animals. It may be painful and boring walking uphill in the forest but then the view may be worth it. I very rarely regret going for a walk.
I hike for lots of reasons, its a great way of staying fit, I love being in the outdoors, I love challenging myself and I love learning> Hiking provides it all.
The fresh air, the solitude, the scenery, being engaged in the moment, feeling happy, feeling alive, being away from the everyday, hearing the birds call, hearing a stream burbling, feeling your body labour under a pack up a hill.
A lot of things. Being outdoors, alone, away from people and evidence of them. The flora, the fauna, the mountains. The calm and exhilaration and sense of achievement. (This is, of course, provided you mean 'bushwalking'. I don't hike.)
But you know what's really fun? Popping out of the scrub onto a roadside just as someone's driving past. The looks you get . . .
Last edited by north-north-west on Wed 30 Nov, 2016 11:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens."
[quote]The fresh air, the solitude, the scenery, being engaged in the moment, feeling happy, feeling alive, being away from the everyday, hearing the birds call, hearing a stream burbling, feeling your body labour under a pack up a hill.