The Desire to Hike First, and be Social Second

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Tomorrow there are at least three hikes and three bike rides that I know of. The hikes are via GoSocial and the bike rides are via Meetup. On Sunday I know of at least two to three GoSocial hikes and one Meetup hike. I have plenty of choice for what to do on weekends. In fact the choice is broader than that.

Over a week ago I signed up for a hike but over the last two weeks I have seen people say "I want to participate" without ever being told "sorry, we’re full". My concern is that this will be another large hiking group with people who are out for a chat, and just happen to be walking at the same time. For some that’s fine, after all it is a GoSocial hike, not a GoHike event.

If my past behaviour is an indication of future behaviour then I should avoid hikes that are too filled with people because I will eventually abandon the group and hike my own hike. If I am with 18 people then I eventually long for solitude and hike into the distance and leave the group behind. This is especially true with the Jaun to Gruyères hike. If I had followed my desire I would have dumped the group almost immediately, and almost did before lunch.

Small, Tight Knit Group

When I hiked with another group we were few, tight knit, and fast. We talked and we hiked fast. We stopped long enough for the group to be together again, and then we set off within seconds of becoming a single group again. That’s nicer. That’s comfortable. It also means that we talk with everyone in turn. We meet everyone in the group.

Whilst it’s nice to find that so many people want to hike every weekend, and in such large numbers it has a cost. That cost is that extroverts get to talk, and because they’re charismatic people will listen to them, rather than each other. We go from pairs of people having conversations to broadcasts where the charismatic extrovert hogs the conversation.

It’s not that it matters. It’s that if I hike in my thought I can go for a solitary hike.

Too Large

If I could, I would go on every hike, and I would be social with everyone. As I am an introvert, if the group reaches a certain size I will withdraw and walk at the front, or the back of a group, but rarely in the middle. I could go on two to three hikes tomorrow but the size is large, and I question whether I would be social.

The Lure Of Cycling Groups

I like to cycle, and I like to cycle with people. For at least two or three years I have thought that I should find a cycling group. Now I know of a group that meets on Saturday mornings to go for bike ride so I should experiment.

Yesterday I thought that I had signed up for a relaxed ride but for some reason it wasn’t accepted. I will do a moderate ride, which I fear will knacker me. Luckily I know the climbs, and the region. We will see how slow I am compared to those that ride all the time.

And Finally

After such a sporty two months of hiking I have full confidence that I can do the hikes. With cycling my optic is different. I have hiked over eight hundred kilometres this year, and cycled just two hundred and twenty nine this year. This means that my legs are not yet optimal for cycling. Having said this, I got to the Signal de Bougy comfortably.

I will see how it goes.