Far from confined to hiking-stick retirees and pilgrims, the remedial powers of walking have gripped a much younger crowd, swapping Ibiza benders and fly-and-flop plans for therapeutic walks through Europe’s dramatic, varied landscapes.
Emily Thornton and Lucy Hird of hiking club Soft Girls Who Hike attribute this walking renaissance to people drinking less and focusing more on health from a much younger age: “it’s also a cheap way of spending time with friends.” They also deem lockdown as being largely responsible. “People wanted to get out of the house and walks were the only option: that’s what got us into hiking as we realised there’s so many beautiful green spaces around us that are accessible by public transport.”
