Hiking with hEDS

Navigating the backcountry with a genetic condition like hEDS can be challenging. It affects joint stability, increases the risk of injury, and can bring on an overwhelming fatigue. Anyone who lives with it understands this reality all too well.

And yet—it’s manageable. For me, hiking and backpacking have become powerful tools for learning what my body can do, where my boundaries lie, and how to stay more in tune with how I’m really feeling. It’s true: there are days when I’m far from ready to conquer the world—sometimes, I barely feel like leaving the house. But the pull to be outside, to connect with the natural world, never fades.

Mindfulness meditation and forest therapy have also played a big role in my journey. I’m grateful to now be in a place where I can share those practices with others. In a world that’s always moving, it’s easy to forget that we’re allowed to pause—that we’re allowed to simply sit, listen, and heal. That doesn’t mean I’ve lost my drive to push hard and crush miles when I can. It just means I’ve learned to make space for the opposite, too. Balance, in all things.