Alone, but not lonely in nature
Beauty and Adventure …
When you are alone, but not lonely.
That’s the best way I can describe my solo adventure to Acropole des Draveurs. This wonderous, stunning, magical place starts off in a lush forest and you make your way through this arctic-alpine environment towards the 3 summits. From there you will have this amazing view of the Malbaie River.
I could provide you a step by step guide (overview below) but this can be easily found on the Sepaq website. I wanted to speak more about taking on this type of adventure solo, and how you can really feel like part of a community in this type of environment.
There can be a lot of fear (rightfully so) being female, travelling alone and heading into the wilderness without a buddy. For good reason this is not everyone’s cup of tea.
What if it is your cup of tea?
What if I told you that you can feel less alone, be less alone in nature when you pick the right environment. Focusing on a few key areas can make your adventure memorable and positive:
- Look for higher trafficked and populated trails.
- Talk with people. Ask questions to the other hikers around you and inquire about the trail network. This can appear you are less alone and make acquaintances along the way.
- Pick weekends as this is the most popular time and if you need assistance, more people will pass by.
- Have a whistle, pepper\bear spray handy if needed.
- Let friends know where and when you are going.
I met so many nice people today offering to take photos, ask about the gear I’m using and how far it is to the top. ;)
If I had sat at home in fear, sadness or frustration that I would be heading out on this hike by myself, I would have missed out on the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful landscape, practise my French and chat with new people.
Fear is a funny thing. I feel it can handicap us and steer us away from what we truly want. It’s like an unwanted guest at the dinner table. You can put up with it for a bit, but not long. When it outstays it’s welcome, it shifts the behaviour to everyone taking the seat at the table.
There’s no room for fear taking up unwanted space and I’m pretty sure I knocked it off the mountain today. ;)
Hike details:
Information: Discovery guide and such can be found on the sepaq website.
Gear: Hiking poles (black diamond), trail shoes, pack, rain jacket, gloves and buffs.
Hydration and Food: 2 litres of water, sandwich and bars
Getting there: You need to have a day pass which you purchase in advance, or you need to be an annual card holder. I arrived at 7:45am a per the suggestion of Sepaq as there are limits to card holders as well.
On weekends and holidays you must take the shuttle bus to the starting point of this hike. You don’t wait long as the shuttles run continuously.
