I'm Gail Strav and you're listening to She Explores.

I live just over an hour away from the more mountains in Northern Ireland. There's nothing more I like to do than hit the trails there at the weekends to shake off the work week.

Sometimes I love being up there all on my own in the peace and tranquility.

I feel grounded and present, just being there put everything in perspective.

And after a long hike I feel a real sense of achievement and that I am capable of anything.

Other times I love being there with friends old and new,

getting to know each other better and checking out new trails together. One memory that really stands

out right now is the time on a cold winter's night I set out with a group of friends

to practice our night navigation skills. In the pitch dark a usually very familiar place became

the exact opposite, so wild, so disorientating and felt so remote, but it also brought with it a new sense of excitement and adventure.

At first we saw shadows everywhere, everything made us jump even each other.

But soon our senses kicked in like never before and we got into a new rhythm.

As the hike drew to a close, we felt really tired, both mentally and physical, but it also felt great. I learned so much from that night. Yes, some

navigation skills, I definitely need to continue to work on that, but I learned you can always find other ways to appreciate even the most familiar of places.

At the beginning of that night we were all felt vulnerable which was odd in this landscape we thought we knew so well, but together we adapted

and learned how to navigate our way. We stripped it back to the basics. Every step was slowed down. We noticed things we never took the time to notice before.

And in doing so we felt a deeper connection to each other and the landscape around us.

That was Claire Hudson.

We often talk on the show about what we learn about ourselves in the outdoors.

We share solo experiences that help us rethink what we're made of.

But there's a special kind of intimacy that we can cultivate with family, friends, and

loved ones when we're outside.

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