While traditional stereotypes of young people conjure up images of alcohol-filled parties with loud music playing in the background, Gen Z is subverting these outdated notions in favour of a ‘softer’ way of living.

This mindset shift has extended to the way they travel, work, and now, their hobbies.

After spending many of their formative years in isolation during the height of the pandemic, Gen Zers have emerged feeling disconnected and lonely.

52% of Gen Zers in the US and 60% of Gen Zers in the UK reported experiencing feelings of loneliness, with some resorting to extreme measures like posting friendship applications online to overcome these feelings.

However, finding that their de-facto mode of connection via digital means is doing little to ease their loneliness, Gen Zers are now rediscovering hobbies that are traditionally associated with older generations.

Hiking has emerged as one such hobby that tackles the Gen Z loneliness epidemic head-on.

According to a Sport England Active Lives report, participation in hill and mountain walking has increased by 40% since 2015-16 – more than any of the other activities measured in the survey.

On Gen Z’s preferred social media app, TikTok, there are 4.1 million videos tagged with #hiking, and these videos are increasing in popularity and clout as Zer's love for getting out into nature with their peers takes hold.

Overground, a Gen Z hiking group founded by 24-year-old Jeb Jagne, started when Jagne reached out on social media to find others who might be interested in joining him on walks.

What he did not expect was to receive such an overwhelming response from his Gen Zers peers, who wanted to walk, talk, and blow off some steam – in April 2024, 500 people turned up for Overground’s hike in Surrey Hills, a far cry from Jagne’s solo meanderings.

Similarly, Soft Girls Who Hike, with their tagline “hiking doesn’t have to be hard” has amassed 38,100 followers on TikTok and 1,855 members in their private Facebook group.

According to Chloe Combi, author and consultant on Gen Z, hiking occupies the sweet spot of fulfilling Gen Zers’ desire for meaningful connection and mental wellness while also being an affordable activity.

This has become a crucial safe haven for Gen Zers amid the cost of living crisis, with some even likening hiking to a form of therapy. And of course, it certainly doesn’t hurt that hiking views make for stunning visual content.

To a generation that’s tired of being chronically online, wholesome nature-based activities like hiking and birdwatching offer a literal and figurative breath of fresh air.

As the permacrisis rages on, Gen Zers look set to continue shifting their socialisation and world-building offline to IRL spaces as a temporary reprieve from the overwhelming demands of modern-day living.