Sustainable steps (combined with socializing:))
Location: the route to the Rocher du Vent (Massiv du Mont Blanc) – second and third image after having walked most of the route
I actually didn’t thought at first how much this journey would change my perception of moving through our world. But when I had the chance to experience so many different and beatiful places by traveling with the train, bus, ferry, autostop, bike, walking, …, it kind of showed me how many more options and ways if discovering nature and countrysides already exist. I used to think that – even though I am a huge fan of public transport – to some places in nature it is sometimes just impossible to get there without a car. But how much I learned of what is possible with other ways on this journey!
Apart from so many various ways of traveling, I think the most “mindchanging” experience was for me during the Yoalin journey that me myself am capable of going so much higher and further than I thougt I could – before just trying and hiking from mountain to mountain. This really was a very eyeopening experience and it didn’t stop after the interrail, but kept inspiring and motivating me to try out way more trails also around my usual day to day life as I used to discover. I think, I couldn’t have found many more sustainable inspirations than the realisation of how much we can do just on our own without needing any additional transport means and of how much we are (especially together with friends or other likeminded people) capable of.
As a side note on the pictures: the main image was one of the first images I took on a hike with a now very good friend I met through Yoalin. Actually I hadn’t planned to join her on this hike as I thought this one would be too long & high for me and I was a bit stressed about an exam I had to take after the journey. Thanks to her I ended up joining her, walking higher and further than I ever did, stopping to worry aboud the exam and instead prioritised the time I had to be present at this incredibly beautiful place together with a friend. I’m so grateful I did it!:)
~ Mira Hager
