Solo travel in Lithuania is becoming increasingly popular: thousands of Lithuanians are ready to pay for a private nature walk.

One of the latter are the organizers of “TrenkTuras” hiking tours. After banning mass events, they got stuck in their heads: how to continue their activities? Hikers have changed the idea of ​​offering itineraries for individual travelers.

There is no evil that cannot be omitted: the so-called proverb can be applied to the TramTuro metamorphosis. Walking organizers in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland in mid-March, when the quarantine was announced and many companies, organizations, sports and cultural institutions had to suspend their activities, were also forced to unload their backpacks.

“Let’s be honest, the first reaction after quarantine, like many, was a slight shock,” they admitted on the website. – And there were more questions than answers: what will we do with the next walks? How will we organize our activities?

The organizers of the activity began to turn their heads on what to do. Each of them sought inner peace and motivation in the way they used to spend time walking. During the quarantine, many of the city’s “concretes” were transformed into nature, especially cognitive trails and forests. The TrenkTuro team was no exception: it played remote forest tracks. It was the first sign that the march was still possible, but different from the previous one.

Second, came letters of support from hikers, many of which ended with the question, “Could you recommend an interesting route or location?” Tour operators recalled that they had accumulated a considerable route recommendation route when searching for new places.

In mid-April, the organization offered a new product: solo walks. This allowed them not only to continue their activities during the heat of the quarantine, but also to attract new clients who are attracted to hiking, but also to massive events, not to the heart.

“We felt that these walks were really necessary during quarantine, when fresh air and lesser-known natural places (not the most popular regional parks or nature trails) were especially valued,” TrenkTuro communication coordinator Sandra Gerdauskaitė told the blog Euroblogas.lt. – However, although the idea was born as an alternative to the march during quarantine, it is universal and survives even after returning to the old ways of organizing mass marches. It just complements each other and becomes an alternative to hiking when you want an individual hiking experience or want to do it at the time that suits you best. Therefore, in addition to mass tours and private business tours, solo tours have become another format that we offer. “

Alone doesn’t necessarily mean traveling alone

For a solo hike, you must choose a route from the 70 different regions of Lithuania currently offered on the TrenkTuro website. The route can be searched according to various parameters: closest, shortest, longest, most popular, newest or suitable for traveling with a stroller. Then it remains to choose a convenient interval of one hour just for this person. Another hiker can no longer choose the same route at the same time. This ensures that the solo trip is like a group hike.

It is true that “alone” does not mean that a person has to go alone on the road. After paying a single route fee, he or she can marry a friend or partner, a couple or partner, even the entire family, for the same price and without additional registration, as basically all routes offered can also be exceeded to children. It is true that, in this case, when choosing a route, it is necessary to take into account the age of the children, their physical condition and other important things. Also, as the organizing team constantly emphasizes, pets are especially invited.

“It only means bringing only the person or company with whom you want to share this unique experience,” emphasized the interlocutor. – As a solo hiker, it feels great when people tag us on social media, like their Instagram account. It is great to see how and with what emotions our hikers see our routes alone. The trend is that, for many, it becomes an escape to nature with a friend. Such a productive green weekend or a plan from Monday to Friday. Since the gear does not fit into any frame, i. people enjoy it regardless of their age, sex, physical activity, etc., the public is very diverse. “

The hiker, either alone or with the company, must arrive at the starting point at the reserved time (this is also the end point, so it is possible to arrive by car). One hour before the start of the start interval, the route map is activated, according to which you will travel. The map works for a limited time, but is said to be sufficient to cover the route, even at a slow pace. The map marks not only the path, but also points of interest, noteworthy places, warnings not to miss a thing. The routes are not physically marked, so the hiker only needs to follow the virtual map on the phone.

The fee for such a hike depends on the length of the route. The routes of up to 10 km cost 2.5 euros, 10-30 km long – 3.5 euros, more than 30 km – 4.50 euros. If you change your mind about the trip: time, route, etc., this amount will not be refunded. According to the organizers, the money is paid for a single route, the time is reserved only for that person and the amount is symbolic, so this policy is followed. For a very serious reason, they would look for an opportunity to change the route or the time, but they want to avoid abusing it.

The first mass march after the quarantine: in the ties of the Nemunas

Tour operators approve all the solo routes offered with their own feet. “The creator of the route chooses the location, collects information about it (points for which it would be possible to connect and connect to each other) and will explore the route live, revealing the best color of this natural place,” said S. Gerdauskaitė . – Since the entire route is crossed by a specific person, he knows if this place is suitable for strollers. In addition, we are constantly considering working with a disability center to help provide everything a wheelchair user needs to enjoy a solo walk. ”

Among the most popular are the routes “Cliffs and outcrops of Neris”, “Prone glacier pranks in the Grioviai reserve”, “Other side of Turniškės”, “Hills of Paneriai to Gariūnai”, “Pilait Pila water and windmills wind “(all – Vilnius district),” Kaunas District “. Outcrops of the lagoon “,” Along Neris Towards the Panorama of Smerties Hill “(all – Kaunas district),” Myths along the origin of the name Lithuania – Lithuania “(Jonava district),” What it is located further behind the Dutch hat “(Klaipėda district).

“Don’t forget the meaning of our name and don’t be surprised if some routes become more challenging, as you will have to cross the swamp, up and down the hills, and perhaps cross the river with the most civilized bridge,” warn the organizers. – Is our goal to drive you crazy? It depends on the route, but our greatest desire to emotionally charge you and allow you to enjoy Lithuanian nature, especially its lesser known places or what we sometimes call “our secret places”.

People have already booked around 2.3 thousand solo hiking trails. together. According to S. Gerdauskaitė, the greatest attention is paid to the routes that are characterized by something exceptional, they have a type of nail: an outcrop, a mound, a mansion, a quarry, a mill, etc. Or the place itself is unique, perhaps a person has entered it more than once, but on more popular trails, and now wants to explore what is further from them. The routes that are developed often combine cognitive trails, but more attention is being paid to less popular trails that are said to be a discovery. More and more people choose routes through the big cities: Vilnius and Kaunas.

Although the idea for solo tours was born during the quarantine, stimulated the creativity of the route team and even became an advantage for her during this difficult time, the new project did not end with the quarantine. “It is universal and can successfully coexist with our mass marches,” said the interlocutor. “Especially for those who like to walk and discover the beauty of nature for those who prefer to choose a small company from their friends.”

But there are hikers who like to be in the company, the atmosphere and the mood created by other people, the entertainment, the snacks, the food, the prizes and the marked itinerary, in other words, to take care of everything. Massive marches are organized for such. “We start the season with the slogan:‘ Everyone has a reason to leave. No matter what you are, join “. So everyone has their own reason to leave and everyone is right”, summed up the interlocutor of the blog Euroblogas.lt.

The organization is also updating its regular hikes, which it has been organizing since 2015. During this time, more than 66,000. Almost 2 million people have marched together. km. On July 25, the first march will take place after the quarantine, in the Nemunas ties. It will be accompanied by the slogan “The rises go up”, which means satisfaction, which includes covering long kilometers and returning to work after quarantine. The motto can be understood literally, because the walk will start and end at an unusual place: the Pociūnai airfield. In favorable weather, hikers will be able to ascend in the air and see the Nemunas’ loops not only from the ground, but also from a bird’s eye view. Then this walk will unite two elements: water and air.