This is a question I hear from time to time, not so much from the people out on the trail because they clearly already know the benefits, but from social media commenters who may not have ever experienced a paid hike before. But honestly, I get it. The trails are open to everyone, and yes, walking is free. However, there are some key differences between an independent hike and a group organised hike that these commenters aren’t aware of.
Firstly, you’re not just paying for a walk. It would be a bit unreasonable for us to take your money, tell you the start location, and then let you wander off into the wilderness without a map, snacks, or first aid. Thankfully, that’s not the case! What you’re actually paying for is a well-organised, safe, supportive experience guided by professionals who know the trails (with maps to support), understand group dynamics, and bring people together for something more powerful than just a day out.
We manage the logistics like permits, insurance, meals, accommodation, and safety so our guests can just show up, switch off, and thrive. Some things are immediately obvious to the hikers who join us. They can see that we put time and effort into buying and preparing delicious snacks and meals on the trail, especially when the guide is getting those wraps ready right in front of your eyes. When we get out a first aid kit to clean and cover someone’s graze, that’s clear. Arriving back at comfortable accommodation with a shower and bed on our bigger trips is instantly apparent to clients that this is what they’re paying for.
The behind the scenes work is what’s less obvious. Back at TSA HQ, many hours go into brainstorming new locations for adventures, both local and international, researching those areas, and organising how to schedule in all the best bits to make a cohesive and exciting adventure. This is the real time crunch. Most of our clients are busy, high-achieving, often burnt-out people looking for a reset, a challenge, or simply a chance to reconnect with themselves. They may not have the time to coordinate everything that we coordinate, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get access to nature.
The adventure business has become more than a job for us at this point. It has grown into a values-led, evidence-based business built on over 10 years of experience and study in fitness, nutrition, and psychology (hello, HECS debt!). That background knowledge is just not able to be gained instantly by anyone who wants to get out for a hike, but it’s this information that takes adventures from okay to amazing. The same way you pay a chef to make you food based on their skill and training, you’d pay a hiking business to lead your hike based on their years of experience and knowledge.
I’ve always found it so interesting how often people object to professionals like our staff at TSA offering guided, structured wellbeing experiences, but do not object to other businesses like gyms, therapists, and doctors doing the same thing. After all, surely you can lift some weights and do burpees anywhere, or just talk to a close friend if there’s something weighing on you. But it’s the expertise of coaches and accessibility of equipment at gyms, and the training and psychological knowledge of therapists that elevate their experiences far beyond just doing it yourself.
The cost of the hike is important for covering the hours and materials that go into crafting each adventure, but it is not the motivating factor in this relationship. What really drives us is this: The more people we get moving, hiking, and challenging themselves in nature, the more we see wellbeing improve. Physically, mentally, socially… it all gets better out in nature. This comes not just from scientific studies and evidence, but also from the stories of our own adventurers who have seen their lives drastically improve.
While there is some catching up to do with public knowledge regarding the benefits of nature and adventure, we hope that one day our governments would recognise the value in our services and dedicate some of their budget towards it. As a society, we focus a lot on cures and not a lot on preventative measures to help keep people well, but we think one day that will change.
At the end of the day, we’re not trying to gatekeep nature. Obviously anyone can go out for a walk at any time. The thing is, most people don’t or don’t know where to begin. Instead, we’re here to make it more accessible, safe, and transformative for those who have the least time to make it happen, those who need it most.
