Is naked hiking a solitary or a group thing?
Posted on December 6, 2018
Do we rather go naked hiking alone, or in groups? There may be multiple reasons for either approach, but the question remains valid.
Many of us who go naked hiking, whether in mountains or woods and valleys, certainly start off as solitary wanderers. Stephen Gough is a prime example, but to choose one man as a template for all of us would be wrong. I recall my (ex-)wife insisting that when I went naked hiking alone, I would definitely be “misunderstood”, so I should always go in a group. Then she wasn’t very happy when some of the group turned out to be female. Go figure.
For myself I can say that when I’m in amongst a group of “like-minded” (whatever that means) naked hikers, then I tend to be somewhat distracted by the chatter and the social interaction. Which is not to say it’s a negative experience at all, simply more social which can also be rewarding in it’s own way. When I go naked hiking alone I tend to have a more intuitive contact with nature. Actually this is difficult to describe precisely, but the entire experience tends to be more personal and more intense. IMHO. both approaches have their place.
What do you think?
