I have been wrapped up in Cheryl Strayed’s book ‘wild’ since I read it 3 years ago. So does hiking alone with nothing else other then your own thoughts and the bare essentials help to clear your mind and resolve the issues in your life? Here are the top 3 benefits tempting me to try this out for 2 weeks : )

1. A sense of accomplishment

Relying purely on yourself. You will have no help when it comes to problem solving, the challenges you will meet on the way and the obstacles you will have to overcome, both mental and psychical. It will make you realize when you’re back at the office that the ‘big issue’with that project you are working on is laughable now.

2. Spiritual Healing

Solitude allows time for self-examination and to reevaluate your life. What are the positive forces and what are the negative? What do you need to let go? What do you need to work on? You will have no choice but to face your fears on the long lonely hikes.
But overcoming this and getting used to being alone and excepting your own company is probably one of the most valuable of all benefits.

3. Be at your physical peak

Walk for two weeks-see your blood pressure drop.
Walk another two weeks-cholesterol counts are lowered.
Walk for more than a month-heart and lungs become stronger and more efficient and resting pulse rate decreases.
Walk on a regular basis and have a better chance at maintaining weight due to a higher metabolic rate and the additional calories you burn.

I want to mention that no one should hike unprepared and especially know orienteering and basic survival skills before wilderness hiking and letting people know where you are. Even getting a GPS device.