Reaching the summit of Kôprovský štít in Slovakia's High Tatras, a group of 11 hikers experienced a giddy, childlike joy. The jagged peaks stretched in every direction, with glittering lakes far below and an eagle wheeling overhead. After eight hours and about 23 kilometers of hiking, Roman, the Slovakian mountain guide, clasped each hand in congratulations at the 2,367-meter (7,765-foot) peak.
From Strangers to Friends
Just 24 hours earlier, the group had been strangers making small talk at London's Luton airport. But on the mountain top, friendships were budding. The shared toil of the climb and the wonder of the landscape forged connections. Community hiking has surged in popularity, with groups for women, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, slow walkers, and others. This four-day trip was organized by hiked.up in partnership with Tatra Escapes. Hiked.up began during Covid, when childhood friends Matt and Adam started walking in Essex, and has grown into a thousands-strong community offering expeditions across the UK and Europe.
Diverse Participants, Shared Motivations
Matt noted the vast demographic: "Young people, older people, some super-fit, others new to hiking. Most come alone. People join for mental health reasons, or just to get out and have fun, meet new people." The group included a tennis coach, landscape architect, maths teacher, physiotherapist, art adviser, and construction site manager. Many cited ennui with digital life and urban confines, and a yearning for nature and connection beyond alcohol-centered social settings. Louis, a 24-year-old physiotherapist, said: "Humans are designed to connect outdoors. This is what we did thousands of years ago." Emma, a 32-year-old teacher, sees hiking groups as a response to urban loneliness: "People want to come together without it being centred on drinking or going out; connecting in a more conscious way."
The High Tatras: A Dramatic Alpine Arc
The High Tatras, straddling the Slovak-Polish border, are the highest range in the Carpathians, with peaks cresting 2,600 meters. They compress extraordinary terrain into a narrow alpine arc. Long shrouded in mysticism, they were believed to be the domain of dragons and ogres. Mountaineering is now embedded in Slovakian national identity, with the Tatras on the national coat of arms and eulogized in the national anthem. The establishment of Tatranský národný park in 1949 and Tatrzański park narodowy in 1954 created one of the world's first cross-border protected regions, keeping the land pristine.
Challenges and Camaraderie
The hike wasn't without challenges. An organizational miscommunication left the group without lunch on a nine-hour hike, but that trial bound them closer. When water was scarce and boots bit, kindness ruled: last sips were shared equitably, faster walkers hung back for those with blisters. One member's exclamation of "I've got fig rolls!" drew a cheer. The climb was grueling, the views spectacular, but most had come for something harder to find. Listening to gleeful voices echo across the valley, they found it.
The four-day trip cost £650 per person (£600 for shared room), including Košice airport transfers, three nights at Ranč Podlesok Relax on a B&B basis, and guides.
