Journal · Essay · Somewhere above the tree line · 5 min
A small defence of getting lost
Down a path the map swore did not exist, to a view the map swore was not there. Both were wrong, and that was the best afternoon of the trip.
I have a rule about getting lost, which is that it is allowed once a day, as long as there is enough light left to get unlost again.
Most of the best things I have written about came out of that rule. A cove reached down a goat path the guidebook insisted did not exist. A village bakery found because the bus stopped in the wrong place. A mountain in cloud that I only saw because I had taken a wrong turn and was standing at the edge of a field wondering what to do next. The cloud lifted for four minutes. I did not take a single photograph, which is probably why I remember it so clearly.
How to get lost safely
- Tell someone where you meant to go, and roughly when you will be back.
- Carry water, a layer and a charged phone, even if you do not use it.
- Turn around at the time you agreed with yourself, not when you feel like it.
- Never get lost in the dark, on a glacier, or in a hurry.
Why it matters
A trip planned to the minute gives you exactly the trip you imagined. A little bit of lostness gives you one you could not have. Every guide in the shop leaves a half day free for this reason, and says so on the itinerary page.
