Walking alone
Lots of people walk alone and love it. The difference is that nobody's with you to get help if you twist an ankle, so someone at home needs your route, when you'll be back and who to call. Make that plan here. It takes a few minutes.
Nothing is uploaded. The plan is written into the link itself, and the draft stays in this browser.
Pebbls isn't an emergency service and can't send help. In an emergency, call the local emergency number.
Leave your route with someone
Where you're starting, the way you mean to go, the way down if the weather turns, and where you've parked. Give it to someone who isn't coming and will notice if you're late. If they ever have to call, a search starts in the right place.
Two times, not one
The back-by time is when you expect to be down. The worry time is later, with room for a slow descent or a long lunch, and it's when they stop waiting and call. Agree it before you go, and message them when you're back.
Who they call, and what to say
In the UK it's 999 or 112: ask for the police, then mountain rescue. In most of Europe it's 112. The plan puts the numbers for the country you choose on the same page as your route, so whoever calls can read it all out.
Let them follow from a link
If you record the walk with the Pebbls app, the people at home can open one link in a browser and see where you've got to, without the app or an account. On the free plan the map updates every so often while your phone has signal. With Explorer's Live mode it moves as you do.
It isn't a satellite tracker. Out of signal the route waits on your phone until you're back in range, which is why the plan still matters.
Habits that make it easier
Start with routes you know, or busy ones, for your first days alone. Set off early so there's daylight to spare. Carry a charged phone and a small power bank, a paper map, a warm layer, a waterproof and a head torch, even on a sunny morning.
Turn back when it feels wrong. Nobody's there to talk you into carrying on, and that's one of the good things about walking alone.
Walking alone as a woman
The things that most often go wrong on a walk are a slip, the weather and losing the way, and they're the same whoever you are. The plan above covers those.
You don't have to tell anyone you're on your own. Send your link only to people you choose, and remember a free journey on Pebbls is public: anyone with the link can see it. With Explorer membership you can keep a journey private, or hold back your latest position until you've moved on.
If a place or a person doesn't feel right, leave, change your route and tell your contact. That's reason enough.
Questions people ask
Is it safe to hike alone?
For most walks, yes, with some care. Pick a route that suits your experience, check the forecast, leave your plan with someone and carry what you'd need to wait for help. Take more care on remote, steep or winter routes, where a small slip matters more.
What should I leave with someone before a solo hike?
Your route, where you're parking, when you set off, when you'll be back and the latest time before they call for help, plus what you're wearing and carrying. The plan on this page puts it on one page and in one link.
Who do they call if I'm not back?
In the UK it's 999 or 112, asking for the Police and then Mountain Rescue. Elsewhere the plan shows the numbers for the country you choose, taken from official sources.
Can my family follow me live?
Yes, if you record the walk with the Pebbls app. They open your link in a browser. On the free plan the map updates every so often while your phone has signal. In a valley with no signal they see your route once you're back in range.
Does this cost anything?
No. The plan is free and nothing is uploaded: it lives in the link. Recording a walk with the app and sharing it are free too. Explorer membership adds Live mode (the map moves as you do), private journeys and holding back your latest position.