«Who’s There?»: Irrational Fear in the Mountains

In the previous articles of this series, we talked about why solitude in the mountains is a conscious choice, went over general safety rules, what to do “when things go wrong”, and discussed how to behave when encountering wild animals.
But let’s be honest: the scariest “beast” in a solo hike is our own imagination. And the fear it creates is often irrational. Logic is powerless here.

Alone in Trouble: What to Do When Everything Goes Wrong?

Imagine the worst‑case scenario: you’re alone in the mountains. You get caught in a prolonged downpour, a mudslide sweeps down, or you simply lose the trail. Your smartphone is smashed or drowned, your map is gone, there’s no signal. You don’t know exactly where you are, and there’s no one to expect help from. At that moment, your life depends on only one person—yourself. There’s no room for illusions.

Wild Animals: How to Avoid Becoming "Dinner" and Part Ways in Peace

Many beginners haunt their own imaginations with grisly scenes: hungry wolves lying in ambush or a bear specifically stalking a tourist around the next bend in the trail. Let me ease your mind: you are not on the menu. To a wild animal, a human is a strange, loud creature that smells like "chemicals" (laundry detergent, deodorant, or a gas stove). In 99% of cases, animals scent you from hundreds of meters away and quietly slip into the brush. They want to meet you even less than you want to meet them.

Alone in the Mountains: "Aren't You Scared?"

In the comments on my previous post, a question kept coming up: "Aren't you scared alone? It's so risky!"
I'll be honest: fear is normal. It's a basic survival mechanism. On a solo trek, it doesn't disappear—it transforms into heightened caution. When there's no group behind you, the responsibility for every decision rests solely on you. And that keeps you disciplined.

Alone in the Mountains

In one of my previous posts, I apparently didn't express myself very clearly about hiking in the mountains alone. Some readers assumed it was a forced circumstance and started encouraging me, saying things like, "Don't worry, things will work out, you'll find company eventually."

The Journey of Journeys: On Finding Your True Path

Travel is, without exaggeration, one of the most exciting pursuits in a person's life. Mark Twain once remarked, "The only two things we will regret on our deathbed are that we loved too little and traveled too little." We choose different formats: a picnic in a nearby park, a trip to the forest outside the city, far-off countries, or extreme mountain routes. But right now, I want to write not about geography.