There is a nice Spanish expression that came up during my hiking of the Camino Primitivo to Santiago de Compostela. I thought I'd post it here and see what you think:
“Si quieres ir Rápido, ve Solo.
Si quieres llegar Lejos, ve Acompañado”
If you want to go fast, go solo.
If you want to go far, go with more people.
The first one is a cardinal rule of hiking: the speed of a group of hikers is inversely proportional to the number of hikers in the group. When one person stops to tie a shoe, another readjusts their pack. At which point another chooses to find a bush and answer a call of nature. And what was a ten second stop becomes a ten minute stop. Repeat ad infinitum.
But the second one? It would certainly explain the whole concept of "tramilies," those groups that hike together informally on long through hikes, like families on the trail. And I did find it really wonderful to hike with my daughter on the Camino--as well as with the rough collection of individuals that we met and often joined in the evening along the trail.
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