How to… Find Your People (Adventure Buddies Updated)

Back in May 2021 I wrote one of my most read posts – Finding my Adventure Buddies. When me and me ex husband separated and he moved out, I realised I had no local friends. during lockdown, when you couldn’t travel, I had to push myself way out of my comfort zone and do something about it. Nearly a year and a half later, and after moving twice more to new areas, I thought it was about time I did an updated version.

Over the ups and downs of the last few years, having a solid group of friends around me has been one of the most important things. Once I started putting myself out there more and going to more meetups, my circle rapidly expanded, filling with likeminded people. All these new experiences helped me become more comfortable in my own skin. For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel like I needed to try and fit in, or be anyone other than myself.

Find a Group Relating to Your Hobby

One of the best ways to meet like-minded people is through your hobbies and interests. I have met so many new people through outdoor swimming groups. I’ve shared a few that I’m aware of or have joined, but let me know in the comments if you know of any others.

– Meetup:

A great place to look is meetup. Meetup is an online network where you can join social groups based around a particular interest. There are a mix of local meet ups and group trips further afield, so it depends on what you’re looking for – though if you’re just starting out I’d suggest not committing to something big straight away. Meetup often has a lot of newcomers, so it can be a really good starting point, especially if you’re wanting to try your hand at something new.

– Park Run:

Park Run is a free, weekly 5K on a Saturday morning. Some places also hold a 2K on a Sunday. They are held all over the country and are run by volunteers. All you need to do is sign up for free on the website and print your barcode (this gives you your time). I used to go most weeks when I lived down in Reading and it’s such a great atmosphere. If you want to get into running or are looking for a regular, motivating event, then I’d definitely recommend giving it a try. If Saturday mornings aren’t for you, then there are so many local running clubs that you can usually find on social media. It can be daunting going along for the first time, but what’s the worst that can happen!

– Mental Health Swims:

Mental Health Swims is an organisation I have talked about a lot and one I am proud to support and be a part of. They hold monthly cold water dips at 100’s of locations across the UK. The events are free, but there is usually an option to give a donation when signing up. I used to be a host when I lived down in Newquay, but have been joining the local group now I’ve moved back up North. I have already met so many people through it and now have more people to go for dips with on other days too.

Social Media

There is a whole host of ways in which social media can be used to help you find new adventure buddies.

– Instagram:

Instagram is still the top way in which I meet most of my adventure buddies. It can seem like a whole other world when you’re first trying to navigate it, but it’s actually really easy to make friends. The majority of the people within the hiking community are so lovely and are often up for meeting new people. I have met most people through just chatting and building up a friendship. But sometimes people will put something out asking if anyone is free on a certain day or fancies a walk to a certain place. I have done this a few times and have had some great walks and dips with new people. Obviously you need to be careful if meeting people, especially if you’re going alone. I will usually only meet people with open profiles, who have mutual friends or who I’ve been speaking to for long enough to know they are who they say they are and I will always tell somewhere where I’m going and who I’m going with.

There are also lots of people and pages that host group hikes. I’ve found these one of the best and easiest ways to meet like minded people. I went on a lot of group walks when first starting out and have again started going to more recently to expand my circle and find more local people whilst living in a different place.

– Facebook Groups:

The only reason I still have facebook is for market place and groups. There are so many local groups for everything! Walking, swimming, climbing… you name it! They are usually pretty easy to find by just typing in the type of group you’re looking for and your location and hitting search. The first ever walking group I joined was through facebook, and though I found it incredibly scary the first time I went, it was one of the best things I ever did. It built my confidence massively and I met so many people.

A lot of these kind of groups work by people just posting when they’re doing something and other people can go along too, though some are more formal and will have more official events. You can usually just pop a post in yourself saying ‘anyone free on this day’ or ‘fancy a walk here’ and most of the time you’ll get a load of responses from local, likeminded people. I have met so many people for swims this way, especially when I first moved down to Newquay.

– Bumble Bff

I haven’t used this in a while, but I have to include it because I met one of my best friends through it. For our first ‘friend date’ we went bouldering and things just grew from there. I have spoken to quite a lot of people about bumble bff and so many didn’t even know it existed. I have also heard from quite a few guys that they would feel uncomfortable using it and that it’s much easier for women. Guys – I say give it a try! There are probably so many others out there feeling a similar way to you.

Brand/ Retailer Events

A lot of brands hold events and classes based around their products or just generally relating to the outdoors and adventure. This is a great opportunity to meet likeminded people, as everyone there will be into the same kind of things as you. There are a mix of free and paid events and the best way to find out about them is through following your favourite brands on social media and signing up to newsletters and updates. Some brands that I know have run this kind of thing in the past include:

– Sidetracked Magazine – Sidetracked magazine hold a yearly ‘creators tour’ in which they showcase films from adventurers across the world. I attended last year and it was such a great, inspiring experience. This years events are taking place throughout October and into November, so if you’re quick you may still be able to grab a ticket.

– ACAI Outdoorsing Club – ACAI host free outdoors events, by women, for women. I joined one of the group walks in early October and had the best day. I have kept in touch with so many of the women I met on the day and have already been planning adventures. You can register your interest to get informed about future events here.

– Arc’teryx – Arc’teryx hold all kinds of events, all over the world. The best way to keep up to date is signing up their newsletter or keeping an eye on their socials and website.

– Alpkit – Whilst researching for this post, I was amazed by the amount of events held at Alpkit! There is a whole mix of talks, films and social events, mostly held in and around their shops. I will definitely be signing up to some of these in the future.

The Power of the Positive

Surrounding yourself with people who bring you up and bring out the best in you is so important. The shift in my friendships in the past few years has had such a positive impact on my life overall. Having people in my life that I can truly be myself around and accept me for me has been so freeing and allowed me to focus on other aspects of my life, rather than constantly worrying about trying to fit in.

One of the other things I’ve learnt is that it’s ok for friendships to end. Sometimes it can be healthier for people to no longer be in your life, or for you to longer be in theirs. If you start to realise that people are constantly bringing you down, then it’s ok to step away and distance yourself. If people you follow on social media are having a negative impact, then unfollow them, or if it’s someone you don’t feel you can unfollow, you can mute them so their posts no longer show up in your feed.

I hope that some of these suggestions help you to find new, likeminded people and can open you up to some of the many options and events out there!

Happy adventuring x