Hiking alone as a woman

[HeidiHiker]

I'm hiking more than 15 years, both alone, with friends, with Ramblers club. I enjoy all equally. I've done a few navigation courses, can use a map and compass.

There's a couple of routes I like to do alone, approx a four-hour hike - sometimes I meet others and sometimes not. I would only ever do solo hikes in good weather and I know these routes so well at this stage, I've never needed to use my map and compass.

However, a few people have expressed to me how dangerous this is. I do my solo hikes on trails/ tracks and do the more difficult ones when I'm with others. I enjoy these, the peace and quiet.

My question is:
AIBU - stop hiking alone
AINBU - continue these hikes I'm familiar with, alone, continue doing more remote ones with others

It's not an opinion though is it. The risk of assault is much greater for lone women than lone men. To say or think otherwise is idiotic.

I hike alone and I really enjoy it but I have my big dog with me and I feel confident that he would scare off anyone who had bad intentions

I worry more about having some kind of accident or medical emergency and not being able to get help so I don't go to very remote or tricky places on my own but of course you can trip and break something anywhere. I keep my phone charged and tell someone my route and ETA.

I generally listen to people who have actually done the thing under discussion.

In this case, if a woman had stopped solo hiking due to these dangers and she gave me the advice, I would listen. Everyone else is talking out their arse.

I would love to hike around the Scotland highlands and wild camp alone, it’s sounds amazing and I enjoy my own company. So yanbu.

The only reason I haven’t done so (yet) is I am not experienced at all hiking or navigating, and I don’t have all the expensive gear.

sounds like you are well prepared and it’s something you enjoy - go for it

I was the victim of a serious stranger assault so I know it's not completely ridiculous to fear walking alone. But if I didn't fear attack again I would love to hike alone like you do OP, if you don't have the fear then just enjoy it! Stranger assaults are rare.

Some of the replies about the dangers are surprising to me. Does anyone have any statistics on the number of women attacked walking in the countryside in the UK over the past few years?

I hike a lot on my own - for me the benefits to my mental and physical health massively outweigh any risks. I've never found myself in any situation where I've felt in danger from another person whilst hiking.

I would advice getting an emergency beacon. These allow you to summon assistance with a press of single button. It alerts a central control room, often in America, who alert the local emergency services. They operate via satellite so work where there is no phone signal. There two types, garmin inreach that you pay a monthly subscription of about £20 for. This also allows two way texting via satellite with both emergency services and anyone else. or the one I've got which is a Personal Locator Beacon, which is a one of cost of about £200. You send a signal and they send a signal back to say help is being organised but doesn't allow for two way communication.

Obviously neither of these will summon assistance quickly enough if you get attacked but the changes of that are miniscule. They will help if you get lost or if you have an accident.

I have hiked alone for many years and never had any issues. It doesn't mean it's not possible but considerably less likely that in more populated areas.

I doubt many perverts hang around remote routes on the off-chance of a lone female coming along. Just be aware of anyone around when you set off, which I expect you do anyway.

You still have no right to call her an idiot because you disagree with what she said.

Live your life. Share your routes with someone and check in when you are done. Have a plan for accidents. Nothing in life is free of risk, but if they are worried you will get raped or murdered, sadly this is much more likely in almost any other situation of a woman's life (at home, at work, out socialising, on public transport, driving). Away from it all is away from most of this shit. I was followed home from Tesco the other night at 7pm, am I supposed to not walk down my road alone?

Except men are twice as likely as women to be victims of a stranger attack.

I wouldn't do it, but the thing is I wouldn't be able to enjoy it anyway as I'd be looking over my shoulder the whole time. I grew up in a city and feel safer in busy populated areas, which I can monitor and navigate more effectively, and I don't think that will ever change.

It sounds like you enjoy walking solo so that's a non issue for you. I'd say the odds are low that you'll be attacked, but if you are, it could have the worst outcome. I guess that what risk assessments are - a sum of probability x how bad the outcome would be.

Zoleo is another good option too.

I hike sort of alone, depending on whether DDog counts or not.

I much prefer it when I can’t see anyone for miles. I feel safe and at peace.

Just carry on as you are OP.

My DD goes walking alone, it really worries me, you just don't know who you might meet or what difficulties you might get into. I wish I could say it's fine and it probably is most of the time, but it only takes once.

Men are far more likely to get attacked than women. stats show that. Unfortunately almost all the attacks are perpetrated by men but most of the victims are also men. At least in day to day life. I'll admit to not knowing statistics for remote areas.

I hike alone often. I also trail run alone, day light, half light, night time. Lights on and out the door. I take sensible precautions and cannot imagine not doing this. Perceptions of risk is not actual risk.

What about statistics? Are they talking out of their arse?

As a woman you are most at risk of murder in your own home by your husband/partner.

So beyond taking sensible precautions that all solo hikers should take regarding weather, navigation, emergency contacts etc, there is nothing that should prevent you hiking alone as a woman if you want to.

I would do it, I've never been very nervous about doing things alone. I know people who definitely wouldn't though. I guess it comes down to what sort of experiences you have had and how confident you feel. If you feel comfortable doing it, don't let other people's different opinions stop you.

Actually no. Most assaults on women come from a partner / ex-partner. And assaults on lone women are extremely rare when out hiking for the day. I think the risk is miniscule in those circumstances. And far far smaller than a risk of a slip or fall which doesn't discriminate between male and female.

I used to feel quite comfortable walking miles on my own until one day a man appeared from nowhere and flashed me. He then followed me for about 2 minutes. I had my (very large) dog with me too. I'm really not a pearl clutcher and have always been an independent spirit but it suddenly brought into stark perspective how isolated I was at that moment and how little I'd be able to do if he'd decided to rape or even murder me. So basically it is possible to encounter a predatory male even in the wilds.

I’m happy to do a lot of things on my own but the times I’m out for a walk alone and a man appears I will admit that I feel uneasy as it’s often secluded when they pop up. There’s been times they’ve spotted me and turned back in my direction so I’ve speeded off up to a main road. They are probably harmless and I’m irrational but I think my gut makes me wary for a reason.

About five years ago I had a stalker and it’s made me more aware that people can be monitoring your patterns without you having a clue so I would not be going out for long hikes on my own.

I walk in the country alone. Not full-on hiking, no compass required.

There are some hikes I think it's inadvisable for anyone to do alone due to environmental risks.

I don't think remote walking/hiking is particularly risky for women. Random men attacks happen on streets and in town/suburb parks where there are plenty of potential victims.