The Challenges Of Hiking When You’re Small
I thought I’d do something a little different and give you a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to love the outdoors, and hiking in particular, when you’re small and always struggle to reach the top shelf if there’s no stool nearby (to give you an idea).
And while, of course, everything small is cute (except spiders), here are the challenges of hiking when you’re small, which my friends in the “short” category will certainly be able to relate to.
Save it for later!
First things first, let me tell you my size: 1.55m or 5’1″ on a good day and if I stretch before measuring myself.
And while it has never really bothered me when traveling, aside from the fact that I sometimes have to climb on the seat to put my luggage in the overhead compartment, it does pose some issues when hiking.
1. Everything’s high
Stairs, rocks, tree trunks…you name it, everything’s high and to say that hiking is a real thigh burner is an understatement, especially when the rock is already as high as your thighs and you have to grab onto whatever you can and use all the strength you have just to hoist yourself up to the next step.
Because, yes, not all hikes are easy, with nice little marked trails winding through the forest and taking you to the summit without any obstacles. And where would the fun be in that?
When you’re small, you already see everything and everyone as giants, and while some people may think that what we fear most is the length and difficulty of the trail, I, for one, fear the stairs and rocks I’ll soon have to climb.
2. Spiderwebs
Yes, I know I’ve already mentioned this in another post, but what you may not be aware of is how unlucky people under 1.60m (5’3″) are. You know why? Because spiderwebs always have this annoying tendency to end up right in front of our faces!
And that’s probably one of the reasons why I’ve always wished for those extra 5 centimeters, so that the dreaded spiderwebs would land below my face.
Do you know what a spiderweb tastes like? No? Well, lucky you! Mine was pretty dusty, if you’re wondering, even though it’s supposed to be full of proteins!
3. Short legs
Being short usually means having short legs, which doesn’t prevent you from being a fast runner, but compared to giants, it doesn’t matter.
Because being on the short side means that while you take one step, a taller person will take two or three, so, in the end you’ll cover less distance and have a harder time keeping up with those who have long legs. It also means you’ll probably spend more energy!
4. Hiking or climbing?
This is another challenge of hiking when you’re small: hiking actually often feels more like climbing. While others only have to lift their legs and take a big step, chances are you’ll be struggling behind them, often in awkward positions, trying to climb that big boulder.
Not to mention the fact that you’ll be using your hands a lot, like, a LOT!
5. Crossing a body of water
Even though crossing a body of water, a stream… may seem easy for someone who is tall, as someone who is considered petite, I always think twice about it. Because while the water may only be knee-deep for you, it can come up to my shoulders or even higher, and somethimes the risk or the fact of ending up completely soaked isn’t worth the effort to me.
So yes, decisions can be different depending on the obstacle, and it can also lead me to give up if I don’t feel comfortable!
What do you think? Are you small and have you encountered the same challenges or others? What if you’re tall? Do you have other challenges that short people don’t have? Leave them in the comments!
Looking to disconnect and relax? Here are my favorite nature trips so far!
