Hiking with family makes lasting memories.
At Ultimate Hikes we see family groups of all shapes and sizes, related or not, intergenerational or nuclear. The make-up isn’t important - the connection to one another is, and we can help with that.
Hiking in a group is a great way to connect with yourself and with each other. There is no pressure to walk together – guides are always nearby so there’s no danger in leaving Aunty Sue or sister Meg behind to take yet another photo of a fern or rest up by the river for a few minutes. They’ll catch up or you’ll see them at lunch.
But if you do enjoy the company while walking, many sections of the track allow for a slow meander side by side, catching up on a year’s worth of living or just how the term of school or university went. Walking can bring out confidences, that sitting over a kitchen table might not.
The act of hiking is both a solitary and a communal activity. You can be one with nature and your own thoughts for some of the time and for the rest you will support each other up the steep bits, point out a blue duck surfing the white water, and reach the summits together. The young and fit may have skipped on a bit, but a guide will have an eye on them and you’ll meet up for lunch and enjoy a hot drink together before setting off again towards the comfort of the private lodges and a hot shower.
"Hiking with my daughter and hiking with other like minded people"
The stresses and devices of daily life is forgotten. The simple act of walking, talking, and relaxing in warm lodges with nothing else to do are the real luxuries in busy lives. Sitting together at dinner or in the lounge with kids of any age brings a closeness to the family unit and creates memories long after tired legs have recovered.
Our lodges hold the memories of generations of hikers in our visitor books. Many walkers look for and find a relative’s comments from decades past or their own childish hand writing from the time they hiked this same walk with their mum and dad. They will write their own comments – maybe for another generation to find.
It’s this that makes hiking an immersive and lifelong experience. Whatever family unit you are a part of savour the moments that will last forever.
