Over the past few years there have been any number of communities springing up to offer people a chance to hook up with like minded individuals. As a cyclist, there are a wide range of fora and social networks allowing you to find fellow riders in your area.
My partner however is more of a hiker, and there are not anywhere near as many such communities for those whose choice of transport is their own feet. She often bemoans the lack of a willing buddy to go walking with her up mountains and down dale.
So it’s with great interest that I’ve come across HikeWith.me recently. They’re an app that’s due to launch very soon that aims to provide hikers with a platform to find people to share walks with them.
The service is a familiar one to anyone that’s used a social network, or indeed an online dating site. You fill in a profile, and answer some simple question about your interests and personality.
The app uses your location to highlight people that are available in your vicinity and who are planning to stretch their legs sometime soon.
The service uses an online dating style algorithm to determine how well matched you are with another user. If you find someone well suited to you, you can use the in-app calendar to arrange a trip.
A downside of the app is that their communication tools are a little on the short side. They offer basic communication facilities, but most of the actual arrangement and getting to know you stuff has to happen offline.
As to how comfortable you are with this level of informality depends I suspect on how well matched you might be, but it probably represents something of a stumbling block, especially for female users.
It’s certainly an interesting service however, and one that is probably very much needed by those with an interest in hiking, but I can’t help but think that the lack of communication opportunities is a major drawback. When you’re hiking in the wilds, trust in your partner is paramount, and I’m not sure the site really helps to overcome that.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Hmmm, I can see the good intention behind the app, but I am skeptical about how it could scale to success. It reminds me of another experiment tried by KLM 2-3 years ago, where you could match your seating on an airplane to sit with a potential client, single person or type of person with similar interests (like hiking?). I can't see the long-term benefits of such initiatives, even though they mean well in the beginning…
I agree with that. The last place I'd want to be with a complete stranger is in the middle of nowhere.
I do appreciate with you !
Amazing apps. It will be really helpful for hiking. I lost my buddy during our last hiking session.