From Peaks to Purpose: The Birth of HikeWare and a Journey into the Outdoors
Hello and welcome to our first ever HikeWare Blog!
I wanted to start our blog with an introduction of myself and why I started HikeWare. I will share with you some insights from behind the scenes as well as some of what we have planned for the future.
First of all, a bit about myself. My name is Elliot and I am the founder and director of HikeWare. I was born and live in Kent with my partner and am soon to become a dad. I am 32 years old and work a full time job as a Mortgage Underwriter. In my spare time, I enjoy the cinema, video games, weight training and of course, hiking and camping.
I have always been interested in the great outdoors and into camping and mountaineering from a young age. Although it has always been a passion of mine, it was a particular event which gave me the time to start HikeWare and grow it to what it has become today.
In September 2022 I suffered an injury when taking part in a Tough Mudder event in London. To cut a long story short, I had torn part of my arm, shoulder and back. Before this injury occurred, I was an avid fitness enthusiast training 4 - 6 days a week with a combination of weight training and running. With such a timely healing process, I suddenly found myself with all this time on my hands which would have otherwise been spent in the gym. Of course, I was able to get out for the occasional hike, but any kind of scramble was out of the question.
About 2 months into my recovery, with the healing process going faster than anticipated, I booked a trip away with a friend to Innsbruck in Austria. I completely fell in love with the place! From the stunning views of the snow-capped mountains to the lifestyle and incredible people, there wasn't anything not to like. There was one particular day on this trip which stood out and is a day I will never forget. This day sparked my urge and ignited my burning passion to begin a new venture in life and turn the page to a new chapter. Now this day that I talk so highly about, to some, may just be another ordinary day, but to me, it is something which changed my life ambition forever.
It was the second day of our trip, the weather was crisp and cold, yet sunny. We decided it would be the perfect day to take a trip to the top of Innsbruck. We jumped on the cable cart system to take us up to a Ski resort and hotel based near the top of the mountain.
As we stepped out from the cable cart station, we were greeted by the stunning view of Innsbruck and mountains which went on as far as the eye could see. It was so bright and there was so much glare from the snow, it was hard to enjoy the view in all its glory. We scouted around and to our luck, as well as a restaurant there was a small shop selling various bits of clothing and accessories. We purchased a pair of polarized sunglasses and headed back out to enjoy the view.
These next few moments felt so perfect. My mind was clear with any worries or stresses of everyday life being non existent. Nothing else mattered other than enjoying the views. They say that getting outdoors, hiking and spending more time with nature is good for your mind. It is moments like this one that really show how true this is.
After some lunch at the restaurant we decided to take the second cable cart to the peak of the mountain. Although the journey was only a few minutes long, by the time we got the top the weather had taken a turn for the worse. No more sun, but instead blistering cold winds and hail. After a few minutes walking up to the peak and after falling multiple times due to he combination of ice and strong winds, we felt it was a good idea to turn back.
Now the rest of our trip to Innsbruck as great as it was, didn’t quite leave the same feeling with me as this day. With the mountain views and the shop on the mountain, it sparked an idea in my mind.
We returned from Austria on Saturday 4th February 2023 and the following day I officially launched HikeWare. After my trip to Innsbruck, I felt the need to inspire other people to explore the outdoors more and to witness the views and greatness that nature has to offer. Without the shop at the top of that mountain which sold us the sunglasses, our experience would have been harder to enjoy. I wanted to offer quality outdoors products and provide the best customer experience possible.
There are plenty of other outdoor brands, but with HikeWare I have a plan to give a lot back to the community. HikeWare already does a free monthly giveaway on social media with additional giveaways exclusively for our newsletter subscribers coming soon. We aim to keep this going permanently and as the business grows, we get the ability to give back even more. We also give 5% of all sales to charity via the small business Work For Good platform.
The long-term goal is to host charity walks and events to try and get more people out hiking and exploring the mountains. We have a few ideas for the future and ways in which we can expand and help support more charities and look forward to sharing them with you.
I want to thank you for taking the time in reading our first blog post. As a thank you, the first 3 readers can use code: BLOGTHANKYOU to receive a free pair of HikeWare Merino Wool Socks. Just add a pair to your basket and use the code at the checkout. Please leave a review as it really does make a difference.
Stay tuned for the next post coming next month!
- Elliot
