Their story, in their words…
Our hiking trip was a blast! It was honestly an experience like never before and completely different to what either of us expected. We stayed for 5 nights, and starting off with the accommodation, we were in a shared dormitory with multiple other boys around our age. At first, it felt a bit strange sharing a room with people we had never met before, but it ended up being a really delightful experience. We got to meet new people and it pushed us out of our comfort zones. Every morning, me and Alex would wake up, get our stuff together and pack our bags with enough food and water for the day. We then had to travel out to a different hiking spot. We visited different areas around the Peak District, including Edale, Kinder and Longshaw.
Getting to the hikes was honestly one of the hardest parts. Some days we would walk for around 90 minutes just to get there, while carrying our hiking bags stuffed with food, water, and everything else we needed. Then after spending hours hiking, we had to somehow make our way all the way back. The walk back was a nightmare. By that point we were completely drained and just wanted to get back, eat, and sleep. Even though getting around was exhausting, once we actually got onto the hikes it was worth it. The walks were peaceful, the views were amazing and it was just nice being away from London for a few days. We were used to seeing roads, buildings, and cars everywhere, so suddenly being surrounded by hills, fields, rivers and basically nothing else felt completely different. It gave us a taste of nature that we had honestly forgotten about.
The most memorable part of the whole trip was when we came across a beautiful river and found a small lake along it. We decided to get in and swim, which after all the walking felt amazing. The water was freezing, but it was refreshing and genuinely surreal being able to swim in the middle of the Peak District with no city or buildings around us. Although it did come with a downside because I somehow managed to lose my chain in the river. I didn’t even realise straight away, and once I noticed it was gone we tried looking around in the water for it, but we could not find it. I was annoyed about it, obviously, but it is also one of those things that I will always remember when I think about the trip. There were moments throughout the 5 nights where both of us were exhausted and questioned why we were putting ourselves through it, especially during the long journeys back. But we kept going. If one of us was struggling, the other would help keep us going, and we had to work together when it came to finding our way around, carrying everything we needed and making sure we actually got back.
Overall, the trip was exhausting, but it was 100% worth it. We got to explore parts of the Peak District we had never seen before, go swimming in a lake, meet new people at the hostel, and spend 5 nights away from our normal lives in London. It pushed us out of our comfort zones and made us more independent, but at the same time it was genuinely fun. Even the bad parts, like the horrible walks back and me losing my chain in the river, are things we can look back at and laugh about now. It was an experience neither of us will forget.
