A decade ago, I spent two summers as a camp counsellor. I took groups of teenage girls on four-day camping and hiking trips.
I became very good at planning meals for 10, packing tents into tiny bags and scaring away rabid squirrels. (That’s another story…)
![dsc02248_1-copy](https://webelongoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/DSC02248_1-copy.jpg)
And leading trips! I also got pretty good a leading trips.
![Mt. Katahdin](https://webelongoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/DSCF0039-copy.jpg)
Since getting involved with the Alpine Club last, I wanted to get back into leading trips. But felt a bit intimidated by how much more experienced everyone else seemed to be.
On my last ACC trip on 5040, I was encouraged by our trip leader, Colin, to just give it a go. He explained to me the logistics of how it worked. It seemed pretty easy, so I put a trip to Empress Mt. in the Sooke Hills on the calendar.
![med-093751](https://webelongoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/med-093751.jpg)
We had a full trip — 11 people and 2 dogs. I asked my friend Dave to co-lead with me, as I knew it would be hard to keep a group that big together. Dave stayed at the front and I stayed at the back to make sure we didn’t lose anyone.
![med-122240](https://webelongoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/med-122240.jpg)
Empress is the tallest mountain in the Sooke Hills. It’s not a particularly nice hike, as it’s a long slog up rocky trails and through creeks. So it was great to be rewarded with a nice view!
![med-123449](https://webelongoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/med-123449.jpg)
The experience of leading a trip is different from just going for a hike.
I was always very aware of where everyone was, how they were doing, what time it was, where we were on the map…
![med-123514](https://webelongoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/med-123514.jpg)
Some of the benefits of hiking for me are getting a chance to think deeply about something or stop thinking at all. This was not the case at all on this particular hike, though I don’t mind at all. It’s nice to take people out to places I love.
![med-154808](https://webelongoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/med-154808.jpg)