Communication and Camaraderie on Group Adventures

Ever found yourself hesitating to voice your concerns or preferences while on a group adventure? We've been there too. Join us as we peel back the layers of our Mount Kilimanjaro expedition and share the transformative power of open communication and camaraderie. Discover how expressing your needs—even something as simple as relocating a tent—can lead to safer, more enjoyable travel experiences. We'll recount tales of personal growth, like the unforgettable moment in Costa Rica when one of our brave travelers conquered her fears on a heart-pounding Tarzan swing, proving that sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone is the ultimate adventure.

But it's not just about conquering physical challenges. It's about the incredible bonds formed along the way. These adventures turn strangers into friends, and often into something akin to a sisterhood. At Hike Like a Woman, we believe in the magic of shared stories, laughter, and the support that flourishes in the backcountry. Tune in to learn how respecting individual differences and embracing new friendships can elevate a group trip from memorable to life-changing. Whether you're a seasoned adventurer or just looking to make meaningful connections, these insights offer a roadmap to unforgettable journeys.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:13

Last year, when we were climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, at one of our campsites a tent was pitched on a pretty steep slope. It makes sense, right? All of the campgrounds were on a pretty steep slope, but a few of the women who were in that tent were hesitant to ask that the tent be moved to a place that was on flatter ground, a place where they felt a little more safe and a little more secure. So they talked to me about it and I asked the guides to move the tent. And the guides were happy to move the tent because it was their job to make sure that we were comfortable and that we were safe on this climb. And it got me thinking.

Speaker 1: 0:50

This year I've led over five trips, from Mount Kilimanjaro to Yellowstone National Park, and today I'm sharing with you things that you should always do when you're on a group trip. Number one communicate. It's really important for the trip leader, for the guides and for the rest of the group members to have like this open stream of communication. That means sharing your preferences, whether it be a food you like or a food you don't like, whether or not you're getting along with your roommate or need to switch roommates, sharing any concerns that you have and expectations with the group, open and honest communication. It actually builds understanding and it helps create that supportive and safe environment that we strive for here at Hike. Like a Woman, and the truth is, if I don't know that you prefer something and you go the entire trip without letting me know and then you let me know at the end of the trip, then I feel bad because it's not something that I could help. Next, go outside of your comfort zone a little bit, step outside of your comfort zone and be willing to try new activities with new people. So adventure travel to me is all about exploration. So it means embracing those opportunities that can only come our way when we're stretching ourselves, when we're stepping outside of our comfort zone and when we're embracing new experiences.

Speaker 1: 2:21

On our trip to Costa Rica last April, there was a woman on our trip who really wanted to do the Tarzan swing. So the Tarzan swing is this big thing. It's like a platform and you get all harnessed up and then you yell puerta and the ropes are released and then you swing out I don't know probably 40, 50, 60 feet over the jungle and it's terrifying and it's exciting and exhilarating. But this woman really wanted to do the Tarzan swing. But as she stood on the edge of that platform she got pretty nervous and pretty scared and I know because I've been there and she, like stopped and walked off the platform. And then this was a co-ed trip. So she went and she got a big hug from her husband and she knew that she had to do that Tarzan swing, that she would regret it if she didn't do it, and so she finally ended up doing the Tarzan swing and for her that was a huge moment of growth. There wasn't any pressure for her to do the Tarzan swing, but she knew that it was something that she needed to do so she could embrace that new experience and I was so proud of her for having the courage to do the Tarzan swing.

Speaker 1: 3:38

The next thing that's really important when you book a good group trip is to take a little bit of time to get to know the women that you're traveling with here at Hike, like a Woman, on our trips we always share stories, we share laughter, we support each other, we high five each other, we give each other hugs. These are really really important connections and they're really the best connections, because they're connections that are built when we're in the backcountry, when we're doing hard things, when we're having incredible experiences, and the connections that we make on these trips are so important. And some of the best friendships that I have in my life have come from women who I have had an epic outdoor adventure with. We always joke at Hike Like a Woman that we start off every trip as strangers and we finish every trip as friends. And that's true, and sometimes we finish as more than friends, sometimes we become almost like sisters on these trips. So those connections are really important. If you don't want to build connections, then you probably don't want to go on a group trip anyway, especially with a group of women, right.

Speaker 1: 4:47

Next is to respect individual differences. I personally tend to be a little bit loud, I can be a little abrasive, sometimes I drop F-bombs, sometimes I tell dirty jokes, but I've learned the importance of being respectful to other people and respectful of individual differences. So this means that sometimes, depending on the energy of the group, I'll really tone it down and sometimes, depending on the energy of the group, I'll tone it up. So, for example, our Kilimanjaro crew was rowdy all except for a few women who weren't so rowdy. They didn't have much fun with us anyway, but the rest of us were pretty rowdy and pretty fun. But I just got back from a trip to Peru in October and that group was much more subdued, not nearly as rowdy as the Kilimanjaro crew, but it was a very introspective group. And so, once again, it just goes back to matching the energy, learning the dynamics of the group and then being respectful of individual differences, recognizing that we're all individuals. We all come to these group trips from different backgrounds, with different beliefs, different thoughts, different experiences, and being respectful and kind and acknowledging those differences is really important.

Speaker 1: 6:09

Next, participate in group activities. I will be the first to admit that while I'm a guide, while I'm a trip leader, while I lead group trips all over the world, rebecca Walsh likes to go to bed early and Rebecca Walsh likes to crawl into my tent and read a book at the end of the day, and I like to have some time to decompress, to deconstruct what went on during the day. I like to have some time to relax. While I like that individual time on group trips, I think it's also really important to participate in the planned grouped activities. Sometimes that means I don't necessarily want to go sit through a two and a half hour Peruvian dinner, but I know that if I do, that's when we're going to have those amazing conversations, that's when the group is really going to bond over eating guinea pig and alpaca, and that's just part of the experience.

Speaker 1: 7:10

Next is to take time for yourself, and I talked a little bit about that when I mentioned participating in group activities. But when we're on these group activity, these group trips, and we're surrounded by people, sometimes it can be a little bit difficult to like escape and go read a book in our room or in our tent. But it's also really important to take time for ourselves on group trips just to recharge our batteries and making sure that we carve out some of that me time for reflection, relaxation. That's super important and most of the time on hike like a woman trips, you can book a solo tent or a solo room on our trips. It costs a little bit of extra money, but if you're the kind of person who really needs to charge your batteries at the end of the day even though you like being around people, sometimes you just need some quiet and you like to recharge your batteries then definitely check out maybe getting a solo room or a single room or a single tent on a hike, like a woman trip, and, finally, stay positive.

Speaker 1: 8:16

Positivity is so, so important. It doesn't matter if you are climbing up a big, big hill, if you're tired because you've been whitewater rafting all day, or if you're just tired of traveling and being in a bus or on a plane or in a van. Whatever, that positive attitude and that positive mindset is really really important and it can transform potential obstacles into really really incredible and memorable experiences. Like, we all get tired, we all get hungry, we all get cranky. That's legit. If you don't get tired, hungry, cranky, then I want to be you, because I certainly get tired, hungry and cranky. But when you're feeling those things, it's good to communicate how you're feeling with the guides and the trip leaders, just so we know how you're feeling and so we can do what we need to do to help you stay positive and to help you feel supported.

Speaker 1: 9:16

Yeah, we were in Peru in October, as I mentioned before, and it was the very first night of our trek on the Salcantay Trail and it was super cold. We were in this beautiful, beautiful valley camping, but it was cold, it was dark and we were eating like this two hour long dinner. We were falling asleep, we were cold, we knew we had to get up super early in the morning to start our climb and really we just wanted to go to bed. But this dinner just kept dragging on and on and on and finally I asked our guide. I was like, hey, is dinner almost over? Because we are so, so tired and we are so cold. We just need to crawl into our sleeping bags and go to bed. And our guide was actually happy that I communicated how we were feeling with her, so she was able to rush the chef to bring us dessert in the tent, which was like flaming bananas. It was amazing. And then we were able to finally go to sleep.

Speaker 1: 10:19

But being able to stay positive and communicate what we needed was really, really, really important. So there you have it. Those are just a few things that I've learned about traveling with a group and guiding and leading group trips all over the world for the past decade. Communicating, be willing to embrace new experiences, building those friendships, those connections, being respectful of individual differences, participating in group activities, taking some time out for ourselves and keeping that positive attitude. That's all so, so, so important. Thanks so much. Catch you next week, bye-bye.