By Arpana Adhikari
Kathmandu, Jan. 12: If you scroll through your media newsfeed on weekends, you are most likely to see your friends posting photos and videos of lush green forest and spectacular landscapes from their hiking and outdoor recreation.

It feels like hiking culture has suddenly boomed among the youth and is taking hold with each passing year. The combination of popular hiking groups, influence of social media and those beautiful landscape selfies all have led to new generation of hikers taking to the trails.

Malina Syangtan, 19, of Kalopool and a group of her college friends often go on hikes as much as they can.
She believes hiking is her method of exercising mindfulness. “I love hiking because it takes our mind away from the trivial daily problems, and importantly it seamlessly connects us with nature.”
She shared a group of her 20 friends have aimed to go on at least one, if not two, hiking a month.

Like Syangtan, there are many young people who prefer to hike in their spare time and explore nature.
There are also a number of hiking groups, like Hike for Nepal and Prakriti Premi Samuha, actively organising weekly or monthly hiking programmes into the valley hills to make people experience and witness the breathtakingly beautiful nature.

Formed after the 2015 earthquake, Hike for Nepal has been organising one-day-long weekly hike and calling people to join their ranks.
Hundreds of people spanning all ages -- but especially young adults -- are found joining the weekly hike of Hike for Nepal.
Ganesh Sharma, one of the founders of the group and a tourism entrepreneur, shared the group was formed with an aim to revive tourism by organising regular weekly hikes and treks and inspire people to hike.

“Hike for Nepal created a space for people of all ages to explore nature together,” said Sharma.
“We have been organising a-day-long hike near the Kathmandu Valley, said Sharma, adding, “By our latest count, we have already discovered 40 hiking trails around the Kathmandu Valley.”
Santosh Poudel, a campaigner of Hike for Nepal, who also leads the hiking group of 100-120 people, said, “Nepali people have been hiking for a long time. But lately, our cultivated network of hiking trails attests to our fondness for it.”

The social media had also played an instrumental role in the rising number of hikers each year. “As more and more people come to use social media, the more exposure these beautiful trails will get,” said Poudel.
He said every week around 100-150 people join their 12-20 kilometer-long hike. “People of all age groups, from ten years to 75 year, are connected with our group.”

Talking about his journey towards becoming a professional hiker, Poudel said he met with a major road accident some seven years ago and was bed-ridden for months, rendering him unable even to take a few steps. “After months on medication, I found a more effective treatment of the mental and physical trauma in nature. So, I decided to hike as often as I can. Like me, there are many people in our hike group, who want to get closer to the nature for mental and physical wellbeing,” said Poudel.

Prakiti Premi Samuha, another hiking group, was formed two decade ago to motivate people to hike and live a healthy life.
Umesh Shrestha, a founder of the group said, they had been organising hike on a monthly basis. “During hiking, we encourage people to eat healthy foods, live healthy lifestyle and also practice yoga.”

Stating that hiking is a medicine, Shrestha said, “There has been a shift and people are realising that what’s most important is self-love. People are trying to figure out where and how they can do that and Prakriti Premi has opened up that door for them.”