Finding Strength on the Trails: Jessica’s Journey to Confidence & Wellbeing 

Jessica’s story celebrates the transformative power of walking - how time in nature can restore confidence, wellbeing, and perspective. For her, the outdoors isn’t just an escape, it’s where she feels most herself. 

I’ve always enjoyed walking ever since I was a little girl, going for walks on the family farm and hiking mountains with my dad. At university, this love of walking developed into something more purposeful when I read ‘Wild’ by Cheryl Strayed. I was inspired to write my dissertation on women’s experiences of long-distance hiking, and how long-distance hiking improves women’s relationships with their body image, their sense of self-worth and overall improves their mental and physical wellbeing. For me, this self-discovery occurred one day in the mountains when I climbed the Aonach Eagach Ridgeline in Glencoe, Scotland, and it completely changed my perspective on myself and my abilities. Despite researching the positive impacts of hiking for my dissertation, and knowing I always felt better after a walk, it wasn’t until this day in the hills that it finally all made sense to me. I went from having low self-esteem and poor body image to being so proud of myself for overcoming my fears of not being good enough, fit enough, or capable. I proved to myself, most importantly, that I could do something people thought I couldn’t. It made me believe in myself.  

A Defining Moment: The Aonach Eagach Ridgeline

Before I went on the ridgeline hike, people put doubt into my mind, saying it was too hard, and what if I fell, and what if one hundred bad things happened to me while I was out there. This, in turn, made me doubt myself, made me worried that I’d freak out on a section that is known as the ‘Crazy Pinnacles’ and be stuck there waiting for Mountain Rescue to come and get me. When I was on the ridge, I overcame these fears by keeping calm, talking to myself and repeating positive affirmations such as ‘I’m okay, I’m doing this, look how far I’ve come already, I’m strong, I’m capable’ (and never looking down)! That’s not to say that there weren’t sections when my knees were buckling and my heart rate was sky high with adrenaline. I tackled every section as its own obstacle, rather than thinking of the whole ridge. This way I was able to compartmentalise the hike into, in my head, more manageable sections.  

Once I completed the ridge, I stood watching the sunset over Glencoe from the top of the mountain, and that was one of the best days of my life. As someone who has always struggled with insecurities and a lack of confidence, standing up there, I didn’t have any of those feelings. I felt strong, powerful and brave. My body, which I had a complicated relationship with, had just got me over those scrambles, sheer climbs and pinnacles, and helped me tick this adventure off my bucket list. Hiking in nature is my medicine for my ongoing wellbeing journey.  

Hiking as Daily Therapy

Hiking is now in my daily routine thanks to A. having a big, energetic dog, which forces me to go for a walk, no matter the weather, and B. because I know that if I don’t go walking for a few days, I start to feel overwhelmed. Getting outside is like a reset for me, providing me with time to think through my problems and focus more positively.  

Exploring with Macs Adventure

Luckily, I have a job which shares this passion for hiking, and I’ve been fortunate enough to go on two Macs trips - Skye Highs Short Break and the Heart of the Lake District. The walks on both trips allowed me to immerse myself in the stunning landscapes and get a real sense of the local communities. Taking public transport all the way to Portree on the Isle of Skye was a brilliant way to slow down and see my home country from a different point of view, and having a cosy pub to retreat to at the end of a soggy walk is always appreciated! Even in torrential rain, the Lake District is still beautiful.  

Final Thoughts: Be Brave, Believe in Yourself

Being in nature doesn’t instantly fix all my problems, but it provides the space to collect my thoughts and makes even the biggest issues just a little easier to face. My advice is to find out what works for you in terms of motivation. Some people thrive by joining walking clubs and being social, whereas I enjoy more solitude in nature and in my hiking, so finding out what makes you tick is the best way of ensuring you maintain momentum and complete your goal.  

My final piece of advice is to be brave, because you’re tougher and more capable than you think. If nobody wants to join you, go alone. It’s the best way of finding out who you really are.