About Hiking Buddies NH 48

Hiking Buddies NH 48 was founded in June of 2020.  As many do, Ben Pease (a very inexperienced hiker) committed to hiking all 48 4000-footers of NH.  Ben quickly found that (1) he was incredibly out of shape (2) most of his friends didn't hike and (3) he didn't particularly enjoy hiking alone.  In time, he would discover that the NH hiking community was full of amazing people with the same goal of crushing the 48 - and many of them were looking for friends to hike with.  

In an effort to connect these fellow hikers, Ben envisioned a Facebook group to coordinate "buddy hikes".  To Ben's surprise, Hiking Buddies NH 48 resonated with many.  Hikers were seeking company on the trail, new friends, safety in numbers, encouragement, and conversation.  The Facebook group rapidly grew to over 2,000 members in 6 months...and continues to add new people daily. (UPDATE:  We hit 10,000 Buddies in Jan 2022!)

Today, on the Facebook page, you will see member-led "buddy hikes" taking place several times a week.  New friendships have developed over miles of incline, beauty, laughter, conversation, sweat, and sometimes tears.  You can see people who were once strangers that now dance on mountaintops, sing around campfires, laugh about inside jokes, yoga pose, and keep in touch during the week.  Many relationships have gone well beyond the mountains.  For that, we are most proud of this group and all the amazing 'incline junkies' in it. 

The Facebook Page is now run by a small group of friends - Ben, Hayley and Julie - who ironically all met on some of the group's first 'buddy hikes'.  In Sept of 2011, the group held its first Mountains & Microbrews event at a brewery and raised $1000 to support a 9/11 non-profit while having fun with live music and games.  Looking ahead to the future, Hiking Buddies NH 48 will continue its mission of connecting hikers for group hikes and annually produce an event for everyone to come together.  

Hike on, and thank you to the amazing 'incline junkies' who coordinate, hike, and share their experiences with our online Facebook community!  Please post your buddy hikes and link "@Hiking Buddies NH 48" to your fb post.

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