The Magazine of The Sierra Club
Stuck on the Tasmanian coast with a "tantric sexologist"
When you encounter a creep on the trail, set clear boundaries
At 41, I set out on my first solo backpacking trip, to the southwest coast of Tasmania. I was so excited! I really wanted to be open to my fellow travelers . . . but not that open.
The eight-day trek was very remote and required a drop-off by tiny plane. When we landed, I learned that most of the 12 passengers had flown in just for the day. Only one would be hiking with me.
The other hiker was from Byron Bay, Australia. At first he was very chivalrous and offered to help carry my pack.
But soon he started going on about how he was a tantric sexologist . . . and how he was going to "manifest a concubine" for the trip . . . and would I like to learn his sexologist breathing techniques?
This continued until the third day, when I told him that was it—no more sex talk. Let's just hike. Next time, I vowed, I'd set stronger boundaries sooner.
Ask the Expert
Melanie MacInnis is the director of outdoor activities for the Sierra Club.
"Know who you hike with. If you want to hike alone, say that up front. Make an agreement in advance about how you'll handle interactions if you run into each other on the trail. And remember to focus on the problematic behavior, not on the person."
